1 of 13

Write now Article Tools

Page 3 of 4

through each generation. Other traditions such as using first or middle names that can be applied to either gender, giving a child the middle names of both maternal grandparents, or having no middle name at all, all add to the cultural differences and distinctions. Even where names may be a corruption of a different meaning in another language, it is often curious to find that people gravitate to occupations related to their surnames. A straw poll of popular British TV gardening personalities for example will identify the surnames of Greenwood, Flowerdew,

Titchmarsh and Swift! Surnames can also denote previous or current religious affiliation such as the generic Christian, and names related to specific religions such as Chaudhari or Thakkur which indicate clan membership within Sikh communities. The surname Payne, (and its variant forms such as Pane and Paine) which appears in English and American families, comes from immigrants of the Payen region of France, but the word itself is a corruption of the Latin word paganus meaning "country dweller", which was also used as a colloquial insult by Romans at those who were not converted to the Roman Church. However, one of the first masters of the Knights Templar was a Hughes de Payne, a Christian knight. He himself was a descendant of Tibaud de Payen (born c. 1012) who was known as the Moor of Gardille. It is now used as both a surname and a first name (the golfer William Payne Stewart is an example).

Your name is how the world knows you. In western cultures, there are some first names that have become synonymous with social subsets. The derogatory term "redneck" in the US is often associated with names such as Cletus, Wade or Erin, just as in the UK "chav" names are likely to include Candice, Jade or Kieron and Kyle. There is also a current trend to have an unusual spelling of a perfectly normal name, for example Chelsie or Cortnee. Whether the associations are humourous or perceived to be akin to bullying for making assumptions based on parental choice of name, the implications for your offspring base on the name you give them are wide-ranging. Would you purchase a used car from a man with the name of Mr I. M. Shifty?

Having gone through 36 years of my life with the name A. Payne, believe me I have heard all the possible jokes. However, I am attached to my surname for a number of reasons, and when I got married I decided to retain it and just add my husband's surname to the end. My first name now is also not my given

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about The meaning of names?
We want to hear your view. Write now!