What’s In a Name?

Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

Nowadays, choosing names is a science as well as a responsibility. Let’s examine the challenging situation for companies first.

The name of your start-up can seriously impact its success. Requirements? Easy to spell, free domain and – most importantly – ability to convey the desired message about your products or services.

Professionals can help but surprisingly enough, today’s most successful brand names were chosen more by chance than by strategy. Steve Jobs was inspired to use Apple after a job in an apple orchard. Amazon’s CEO decided to name his enterprise after the South American river because it is the biggest in the world. (There is some debate here, depending on whether you go by the length of the river or how many cubic meters of water it discharges per second.) In any case, Amazon’s leadership had its hopes set on becoming “the biggest in the world”.

Nike used to be called Blue Ribbon Sports. It was later changed to honor the winged Greek goddess of victory. By the way, Americans pronounce the brand as “Nikee” (rhymes with “spiky”), not Nike (as in bike).

Turning to the topic of naming a newborn – the responsibility is overwhelming! No wonder parents resort to baby-naming consultants to steer them in the right direction. (And who pocket quite a fee for their services.) Research shows that a baby’s first name will influence its socio-economic, academic and career success. A scary thought!

Some tips? Successful names should be easy to pronounce. The first name should fit the last, e. g. Anakin sounds great with Skywalker. But Anakin Schörghofer? Timeless names are a safe choice; some names never go out of fashion. In the 1920s in America, the most popular ones were John and Mary – still favorites today. A child’s name shouldn’t be too exotic, for fear it will be bullied. Many governments, e. g. Denmark, avoid this problem by stating that a name should not lead to humiliation or a lifetime of mockery. The Danes keep a pool of

7,000 names. Those not on the list require governmental approval. Recently, a Danish couple wanted to name their offspring Monkey. This was vetoed. The French have also put their foot down on several occasions regarding names. In one case a couple chose Nutella – not permitted. Another requested Strawberry – also rejected. Authorities have stipulated that parents are forbidden to name children after a car. One father wanted to call his baby Mini Cooper. In the USA, parents have more leeway making their choices. It is not uncommon to name a girl Hope, Faith or Joy. Beyoncé’s daughter is named Blue Ivy. Some animals are allowed, such as Tiger Woods. Obscenities and numbers are banned.

Let’s have a quick look at names in Central Asia. Here the naming of a newborn is often the privilege of the paternal grandfather. Many girls are named after moon phases or flowers. Boys have names of warriors or historical figures. Sometimes kids are named after a precious object. I once had a young man in my English course called Traktorbek! If a family is waiting for a son, the daughters can have names expressing this wish, such as Ulzhas (meaning “next one a boy”). Indeed, Ulzhas informed me that she was the fourth girl in her family and that the next child was a boy, so her name must have worked!

To put things into perspective, keep Shakespeare’s famous lines from “Romeo and Juliet” in mind: “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”