A name is the face of a brand, the first impression of what a brand is all about – e.g. its values, promises and image. Ideally a new name should also consider social trends that are pertinent. Today, more young parents are choosing unique names for their babies that reflect their own values, a trend relevant for business and politics.
-
Insightful Analysis On What’s Behind A Name
In March, The Economist reported on their proprietary study of 400,000 parents born in America and Britain over the past 143 years. Using artificial intelligence, it analyzed the top five connotations of all popular baby names, identifying specific descriptors – e.g. “purity”, “warrior”, “socially awkward” and the most popular, “unique”. The main purpose of this study was to ascertain the traits parents seem to prize, which usually mirror their desired values and hopes for their newborns. These values provide insights into consumer trends. Also, such first names often follow the fashions and linguistic shifts of the time; hence they are manifestations of popular culture. Connotations related to baby names, plus trends in the U.S., ranked since 1880, are:
1. Strength (60%), declining slightly since 2000
2. Intelligence (50%), also becoming less fashionable since 1990
3. Beauty (30%), rising steadily since 1980
4. Benevolence/love (23%), dropping sharply since 1970 when it was at 45%
5. Religion (18%), declining visibly since 1985
6. Joy (5%) with little change since 1910
7. Wealth (2%), very slight increase since1980
Here are some examples of the rationale for specific names and associated values. Parents interested in science might select “Albert” or “Marie”. Literary types might choose “Agatha” or “Ernest”. Those who want their son to be sturdy or traditional might pick a name like “John”, while those who want their child to stand out in the crowd could pick “Apple” or “X” (like Musk’s son).
Today the top three names for daughters in America connote elegance – “Olivia”, “Emma”, and “Charlotte”. The most popular boys’ names are “Liam” and “Noah”, both associated with strength. While many Americans (30%) do not profess any religious affiliation, names from the scripture remain popular: “Elijah”, “Jacob” and “James” for boys and “Abigail”, “Hannah” and “Sarah” for girls.
Emerging Trends Behind Naming Children
Name trends have been shaped by migration, which has resulted in a 25% increase in unique names from 1999 to 2023. Many of these parents select a name that preserves their cultural identity, hence the surge in popularity of “Diego” and “Jose”. Another contributor to the expanding range of individualistic names is the internet, where parents can learn about the most popular names. This has driven a faster churn of names to avoid “copycats”.
Popular culture is another key influence for provoking fads. “Kevin” became the craze in the early 1990’s from the hit film “Home Alone”. The popularity of “Friends” resulted in the popularity of “Ross” and “Rachel”. On the other hand, “Barbie” did not flourish mainly because of its association of being a bimbo. Similarly, “Donald” is less popular than it was in 2010, given to just 414 children in 2023.
Implications For Branding In Business and Politics
The explosion of new medical products on the market reflects the growing use of “phonologics”, a discipline of linking raw sounds of vowels and consonants to specific meanings and emotions desired for a brand. For example, the letters “x”, “z” and “c” all subconsciously imply power, speed and innovation. This is why so many pharmaceutical brand names contain these letters – e.g. Zyrtec, Xanax, Celebrex, etc. Other popular letters include “v” (fast, big and energetic), “k, t, and p” (crisp, daring, active and bold), “s” and “l” connote pleasant feelings, and “y” (at end) is friendly, why often used in nicknames.
Unfortunately, politics has become a breeding ground for derogatory personalized brand naming against opponents, contributing to today’s divisiveness. Trump has branded his opponents “communists”, “fascists” and “socialists”, calling Harris “comrade Karmala”, reminiscent of McCarthyism in the 1950’s. More recently Trump vilified his opponents as “scums”, “vermin” and “thugs”. And even Pam Bondi (DOJ) called Federal Judge Boasberg a “constitutional disaster” in March.
