Vol. 46 No. 4 (1998)
Research Article

The Influence of Media on Given Names

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  • Heidi Vandebosch
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/nam.1998.46.4.243

Published 1998-12-01

Copyright (c) 1998 Maney

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Abstract

Mass media, especially television, appears to be playing an increasingly important role in selecting and giving names. The media are providing a pool of potential names, associating them with particular social characteristics and presenting some names as more desirable than others. The practice of “naming after stars” illustrates how media can stimulate the use of certain positively-associated names. Negative name stereotypes may be created or confirmed by the media, especially by television drama, which may, consciously or unconsciously, lead to the depopularization of some names.

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