OUR CHILDREN’S NAMES IN 21ST CENTURY
Our name is among the things that create the first impression about us. Choosing the right name has always been a difficult task for the parents especially when friends and relatives start giving ideas.
Although the world has changed so much in the past 10 years, the popular names among the newborns in Bulgaria remain almost the same. The most preferred names in 2007 were Victoria, Maria and Gabriela for the girls, and Georgi, Alexander and Ivan for the boys. Today the ranking looks quite similar, with the only difference that we have Martin instead of Ivan and Nicole instead of Gabriela. In addition, there are more girl names that were not so common 10 years ago. Such names are Raya, Sofia and Daria.
Mixed marriages and emigration these days are not unusual. This also reflects on the choice of a name for the newborn. Parents prefer names that sound good in combination with a foreign surname or are easy to pronounce by foreigners, such as Daniel, Martin or Nicole.
The media also influences the choice of baby names. It is now common practice for children to be named after celebrities, movie or book characters. For example, during the past year, 222 girls were named Krisia.
According to an old Bulgarian tradition, the boys should have the grandfather’s name, and the girls – the grandmother’s from the father’s side, thus ensuring continuity in the family. The „modern“ version of this custom is for the name of the child to start with the same letter as the grandfather’s or grandmother’s name. Therefore, it is quite possible to meet a Yoana, who is named after her grandmother Yordanka, for example.
The name is the first gift we give to our children. It must be a good wish that follows the child everywhere they go. For this reason, it is always necessary to be aware of the meaning of the name we have chosen. What names did you choose for your children?