How names can influence your child’s personality

The efforts put in by parents and relatives to find the perfect name for their child is symbolic of the love, care, and essence associated with the name. The nomenclature, according to some schools of thought, influences the identity of an individual, sometimes shaping his personality. However, very few people are aware of this. Here’s everything about the connection between name and personality.  

Personality, thought pattern, and names 
The term personality can be described in terms of characteristic features like patterns of thought, feelings, and behaviour. This is what makes an individual different from another. Recently, the study of personal names has gained significant importance to attract the attention of philosophers, anthropologists, and ordinary people. A growing body of research has found an unusual association between names and personalities.  

The pattern of psychological processes influences the body. Our social behaviour is also characterized by the personality of an individual. The concept of ‘self’ is what largely determines your child’s personality since childhood. Several psychological studies have shown that there is a relation between a name and concept of the self. It has been found that the first name, in some cases, is linked to self love.  

The influences  
According to the findings of several psychological studies, children with hard-to-pronounce names often find themselves digging deep into the insecurity pool. Kids with names hard to spell may feel less secure while growing up and become sheltered. While names can become triggers behind bullying during childhood, nicknames and short forms of names can cause emotional distress in peer groups, generating a sense of shame, self-doubt and even fear. 

Children having names with biblical associations compare themselves with their namesake. Cultural names can also have an impact on the way individuals may be perceived in jobs and careers in the future. Names have a sense of permanence to them, one that lasts forever. Certain names have connotations attached to them that may matter in social settings. A name may have a special meaning attached to it or have ancestral roots related to the individual's relatives.  

Implicit egotism 
The theory of implicit egotism implies that most people from a young age associate positive things with themselves and therefore, tend to prefer things related to themselves. It is believed that a name given to a child has the potential to affect her location, occupation, and decision-making capacity. This is, however, considered a concept placed in a children’s subconscious mind and may not affect them entirely.