What’s in a Name?

The Identity in Your Name

Cristóbal Martínez Jiménez

LALI-170 Language and Identity

Dr. Katherine Fincham

May 22th, 2024

 1

Introduction

Socialization is one of the basic qualities of human communication. Therefore, this

interactive process requires several resources and forms of addressing society members. Names

hold an important role when developing socialising tasks among individuals, especially those

which involve first meetings. Names are the resource which identifies people. However, names

are more than a mere way of identification. They provide information about personal, social,

cultural and collective identities, as well as the point of view and the way humans perceive

themselves and others.

This essay deals with the notion and the relationship between names and identity, as

well as its external implications on literature or psychology. By explaining the presence of

identity and the form in which it is presented in the literature, the reader will be able to

distinguish how it is constructed in informal and formal contexts, varying from formal names

to informal ones.

One of the aims of this essay is to discuss the role which naming has when constructing

human identity. Names are usually classified regarding several sociocultural aspects such as

familiar, cultural or historical aspects contributing to the sense of self. Therefore, the reader

will be able to identify the different features which shape names and identity

This paper is divided into several sections to go into detail about the different

characteristics and matters which are going to be discussed. Firstly, it is necessary to set a

starting point on the importance of names in connection with psychological and sociocultural

factors, examining how names participate in forming identity and self. The exploration will
 2

delve into the consequences of misnaming, different systems of address depending on the

environment or how social identities are formed through address terms.

1: The Psychological and Sociological Importance of Names

In this section, the reader will be introduced to the influence of names on psychology

and sociology through researchers’ work. The discussion on the physiological importance of

names through the different experiments carried out throughout the 20th century, how name

formation and identity are carried out in different cultures, as well as the link which they have

in the notion of identity and self.

Psychologists and experts such as Himes (2016), were among the first to discuss the

implications of names on psychology. The author stated that human beings are somehow forced

to deal with names since they are not a choice. In her paper, she explained several experiences

she had with patients in therapy. Himes explained the cases of how some of her patients are

obsessed with the search for their name origin and identity and how others end up marrying

people with the names of their parents, ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend…

Some of the most bizarre cases in which Himes experimented with her patients involved

a case in which she was treating a friend. Her friend had fallen in love with a man who had her

deceased husband’s first name. As she was unable to face this weird coincidence and its

psychological consequences, she ended up breaking up with him. Names, in the absence of any

previously known quality, are the glue which somehow sticks to biographical and

autobiographical memories. She describes the name’s power to affect individuals’ fate and life

in a direct way as a curious phenomenon.

 3

This is closely related to what other experts ended up studying such as Dion (1983) was

among the first who suggested the link between names and. identity is in connection with the

relationship between the notion of self and names. One of the first notions of self was firstly

introduced by Dion (1983) who was among the first who suggest the link between names and

identity is in connection with the relationship between the notion of self and names. The author

remarks that the relation between names and identity is a quite recent idea. In the psychological

field, earlier proposals determined that the name given to individuals influence somehow the

identity he/she develops (p. 245).

Other experts such as Muzafer Sherif and Hadley Cantril (1947, as cited in Dion,

1983) analysed this link with a similar perspective. They suggested that as a child “learns” his

or her name during infancy, he or she collects characteristics which end up defining

psychological identity. The most noticeable proofs correlating names and identity comes

from different researches which were the result of psychological and sociological

experiments carried out by other psychologists.

One of the very first experiments of its kind was the one carried out by personality

psychologists Seymour Zelen and James Bugentatl (1950). They mostly asked several groups

of college students including men, women, as well as adults who did not attend university to

a lesser degree. They asked them a simple question: “Who are you?”. Most participants made

an explicit reference to their name, especially 63% of college students. After that, they

filtered and compared the results by sex groups, showing that there was no difference

perceived. By collecting these findings, researchers concluded that names are a “central

aspect of the Self-Concept” (pp. 493-496).

 4

Since names are another important element of human necessity when developing the

act of socialization and life in society, it is worth explaining the importance of names in modern

societies. Such importance often comes in different forms depending on the culture. Brown and

Gilman (1960) studied this aspect of names. They observed several cultural differences

regarding the culture. For example, in some societies, individuals receive one or more names

or surnames. However, in other societies, it can pass weeks, months or years before the subject

is given a name. One important difference which is portrayed is the one which affects

individuals from determined societies in which names may change at important events in their

lives. This is not a common aspect in the vast majority of cultures where individuals receive

their names at birth and keep them throughout their lives.

2. The impact of misnaming

In a modern world context, names have become stronger in some individuals’ lives

since certain members of society live through different realities regarding their gender

expression. These gender expressions frequently come with a direct impact on names and the

way they are addressed. This phenomenon is mostly suffered by transgender people when

dealing with their new identity. This section will deepen into the experiences which people

have had when being misnamed in different daily environments.

Naming newborn babies according to sex-specific forenames has been the norm in

developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Androgynous names are not a choice for Americans since 97% of forenames which are

typically seen as feminine are given to new-born babies which fit in the sex category of female,
 5

according to surveys conducted among American families, the same percentage appears when

the newborn is a male and is name with a male-appropriate name (Pilcher, 2017).

This situation becomes something challenging for people who do not identify with the

gender they were assigned at birth. For transgender people, forenames are consequently

correlated with the manifestation of gender and sex. Therefore, names are an essential part of

their process of redoing gender. In the end, transgender people make use of their forenames in

their everyday interactions with the rest of the members of society. Misnaming is a common

phenomenon in their routine.

Connell (2010) collected different daily situations in which these phenomena tend to

happen more frequently. He used the case of Julie, a transgender woman, as an example of

misnaming in a working environment. Julie works in the customer service department of a

company, it is a telephone-based work. Therefore, she found that sometimes customers

misname her as a result of hearing a masculine-like voice, the phenomenon of mishearing

comes along with misnaming in this case. The researcher extracts two conclusions from this

situation. Firstly, it represents the great strength that traditional conventions regarding gender-

appropriate names have on society. Secondly, they are an illustration of misgendering and the

strategy which individuals use after this phenomenon has taken place, this case exemplifies

how customers have made use of “mishearing” as a way to deal with the confusion (p. 815).
 6

3. Different systems of address and their uses

Another important aspect to take into account when analysing names and identity is the

one regarding the system of address which affects socialization in everyday life. Once

individuals have been given a determined name, it is important to delve into how the rest

perceive them. Besides names, there are different systems of address which are used in

everyday life. Systems of address vary depending on several factors, such as formality, range

or power, or even the region in determined cases. For this reason, the reader will be introduced

to the different naming conventions regarding context. Moreover, important pronouns such as

the pronoun of solidarity and power will be analysed as a way to compare English systems of

address with other languages and cultures.

Yang (2010) offered a description of the general rules of addressing in English. The

author classified them into 2 general categories, one referring to name and the other one related

to social perception and status (p. 745) :

● Name

○ Full name: “Robert Anthony de Niro is a famous actor”

○ Name: “Derek, where are you?”

○ Nickname: “Chris is talking to Sam right now”

● Title

○ Family link: “Mom, could you do that?”

○ Occupation: “Operator, could you repeat the phone number?”

○ Rank: “I accepted the order, colonel”

○ Honorifics: “Is everything perfect, my lord?”

○ Other titles: “Come here, honey”

 7

○ Title plus name: Doctor Martinez

Despite this classification, the author points out the inefficiency which these rules may

have. To explain it in a wider way, she also remarks on the regional differences in terms of

addressing. For example, in the American environment, authors such as Wolfson and Manes

(1978, as cited in Yang, 2010) explain the differences between certain areas in areas in the

South and the rest of the country. Whereas in southern territories the word ma’am is used as a

form to substitute formulas like “pardon?”, in northeast areas this form is commonly used as a

way of distinction among individuals who do not know each other. It is also less frequently

used as a way to distinguish between upper and lower-status speakers.

The differences in cultures and history are also important factors which certainly

influence the variation of the systems. Throughout history, English academics have studied the

differences which can be appreciated when talking about the different ways of addressing

individuals concerning power and solidarity. Academics such as Brown and Gilman (1960)

explained these pronouns by putting them in a historical context with other languages and their

equivalent pronouns. In the past, English had the pronoun “thou”, which was later replaced by

“you”, as the only pronoun of address. This crash with many European languages such as

Spanish, French or Italian had the distinction T and V as a resource which was used when

addressing nonreciprocal individuals in relationships of power.

Cristal (1987) dealt with the cultural implications of these pronouns of power in

different languages and their different meanings in contrast with English. As he stated, the

second personal pronoun (you) can be considered a measure to construct social identity and

relations of solidarity or power. Unlike English, in many European languages, there is the so-
 8

called T/V distinction previously mentioned. However, there are other languages in which this

distinction is non-existent, for example, in Japanese the gender component plays a great role

when addressing, for example, the first person pronoun watashi is used by men as a way to

mark formality and, at the same time, it is used by women to designate neutral status.

4. Real-life and literary examples of how names affect identity

Literary context is essential to understand the impact of naming and identity. The

treatment which these terms receive in English classical literary works such as Frankenstein,

will be examined through the different projects carried out by experts in this matter of research.

The reader will be able to identify famous writers such as Oscar Wilde or Mary Shelley who

dealt with the search for self and identity in some of their works.

Norwegian translator Benedicta Windt-Val (2012) from the University of Oslo

developed the idea of the importance of giving an identity to literary characters. The different

functions and characteristics of names can be moved to a literary context. Emphasizing with

characters and identifying with their personality is an important condition for readers to get

attached to the book. Consequently, creating characters is an essential part for authors to

transmit credible names and personalities which generally may match with readers and the

story’s development (pp. 277-278).

The author points out other authors who have had similar thoughts in connection with

the importance of the naming process. Grimaud summarised this process as “a deeply social,

psychological, and linguistic act” ( Grimaud, 1989, as cited in Wind-Val, 2012). Maria Gripe,

a Swedish writer of books for children also states the importance of linking characters to
 9

individual autobiographical experiences as a way to contribute to a character’s credibility and

development.

Many English classical authors reflected the idea of identity in some of their most

renowned works. One author who employed the notion of self and identity in her works was

Mary Shelley in Frankenstein. The search for identity is a noticeable feature in the main

character’s personality. The monster is nameless and, due to this fact, he thinks he is being

rejected by the human world, he is simply labelled as the “devil” by the rest of society.

However, he still tries to approach humans through several attempts which end up being

unsuccessful. Firstly, he will try to approach them via friendship. Although he does not

understand why humans hit him, he still keeps the desire to be loved. Therefore, he starts to do

several actions to show his kindness. Despite the good faith of these actions, the friendship

between the monster and humans is bound to fail due to human stereotypes of physical

appearance and anthropocentrism (Xiao-Wen, 2021, pp. 153-155).

As it has been previously mentioned, other authors emphasized the idea of including

personal experiences as a way to give their characters authenticity and credibility. Irish author

Oscar Wilde put into practice this idea in The Importance of Being Earnest. In this work, Wilde

writes as a way to express the self out of the conventionalism of Victorian society. By including

double lives in the play’s characters, he criticises the importance which society used to give to

family. Roa White (n.d) classified this idea as identity migration since characters move from

identity alongside the play. It does exist the emergence of a hidden self that should live out of

the darkness. This could be a reflection of the author’s life since Wilde has always been an

outsider who did not match society’s belief in several aspects such as not having a conventional
 10

sexual orientation. This idea of double identity which switches because of society is noticeable

in characters like Jack Worthing, who does not have a stable identity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, names are an important part of human identity. As has been appreciated

in the present paper, psychological, sociocultural and even literary dimensions are affected by

them and the way they shape human identities. Although they could be considered a primary

means of communication at first sight, they convey internal information such as cultural factors

or relationships of power and subordination. The research on psychological implications by

Himes, the sociological experiments carried out by experts like Sherif and Catril and the

exploration of misnaming in transgender realities by Connell have allowed readers to extend

the significance of names far beyond simply tags. Other aspects like the systems of address

studied by Yang, as well as the literary implications of naming in literature as demonstrated by

Windt-Val, highlight the importance of identity and names in different environments. To sum

up, names embrace personal realities, circumstances, historical backgrounds, and different

cultures, making them a primary part of human interaction. This exploration aimed to bring

names to light in multifaceted roles unnoticeable to the vast majority of society, extending their

importance in the notion of identity and self.

 11

References

Alford, R. D. (1988). Naming and identity: A Cross-cultural Study of Personal Naming

Practices. Human Relations Area Files (HRAF).

Brown, R., & Gilman, A. F. (1960). The pronouns of power and solidarity.

Bugental, J. F. T., & Zelen, S. L. (1950). INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ’SELF‐

CONCEPT’I. THE W‐A‐Y TECHNIQUE. Journal of Personality, 18(4), 483–498.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1950.tb01264.x

Connell, C. (2010). Doing, undoing, or redoing gender? Gender & Society, 24(1), 31–

55. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243209356429

Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University

Press.

Dion, K. L. (1983). Names, identity, and self. Names: A Journal of Onomastics, 31(4),

245–257. https://doi.org/10.1179/nam.1983.31.4.245

Himes, M. (2016). The power of names: Uncovering the Mystery of what We are Called.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

 12

Pilcher, J. (2017). Names and “Doing Gender”: How forenames and surnames

contribute to gender identities, differences, and inequalities. Sex Roles, 77(11–12), 812–

822. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0805-4

Roa White, E. (n.d.). Identity as Conformity: Identity Migration in Oscar Wilde's The

Importance of Being Earnest.

Source

Thomas, L., & Wareing, S. (1999). Language, society and power: An Introduction.

Psychology Press.

Windt-Val, B. (2012b). Personal names and identity in literary contexts. Oslo Studies

in Language, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.5617/osla.324

Yang, X. (2010). Address Forms of English: Rules and Variations. Journal of Language

Teaching and Research, 1(5). https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.1.5.743-745