Time for names in the news 9.13.26 edition!
Can we talk about Jimmy and James?
There’s lots to unpack in James Talarico’s recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! I find both men admirable and the interview well worth a watch.
Table of Contents
But since we’re talking about names …
- Kimmel was born in 1967, full name James Christian Kimmel. Like me, he’s Gen X with Italian ancestry. And, like every James I knew growing up, he shortened his name. All the Michaels answered to Mike, you could safely assume Christopher preferred Chris, and there were so many Jennifers that they became Jenni, dotting the I with a heart, all to be different in the exact same way.
- James Dell Talarico, on the other hand, counts as a Millennial, born in 1989. And he’s James. He’s closer in age to my baby brother, a generation that shifted away from nicknames. Sure, there were still plenty of Mikes and Matts and Benjamin-call-me-Bens. But the shift had started, with names like Ryan, Justin, Kyle, and Tyler rising for boys. Megan, Lauren, Kayla, and Rachel felt nearly nickname-proof for their sisters.
It’s a slow shift, but we’re now in the age of James – and Liam-not-William, Jack-not-John.
Does that mean that Gen Alpha will shift back to longer names with nickname potential? Or is this a more seismic, enduring change?
I’d bet on the former – in fact, there’s some evidence it’s already underway with long names trending. Or maybe Evelina, Seraphina, Benedict, and Callahan won’t use nicknames at all?
ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Things that we think were long-standing traditions might be pretty novel. Case in point? I’ve talked about the Italian custom of naming a firstborn son after the father’s father, the second after the mother’s father, and so on and son, with the same pattern applying for daughters, too. That’s why Italian families (and other cultures with similar practices) repeat names so frequently. But this article notes that it’s always been more complicated and varied, and well … of course. (Though I’ll also add that the site strikes me as not completely accurate, or maybe just over-optimized for search?) What’s true for my family for three or four generations isn’t any kind of unbreakable rule.
This article is old and the original data set is inaccessible, but … someone asked me about the most common middle names from the first half of the 20th century the other day, and I went back to revisit the list. It’s worth a look. (If you’re curious, the conversation is in this post about Eugene – which needs an update!)
Nancy has the data on the names that rose in use following 9/11. Naming a child is deeply personal, but there are always moments when world events shift what matters most.
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
LIBERTY is one of those post-9/11 names Nancy featured, and I’ve always loved the name as an offbeat virtue with a sort of July 4th Pageant energy. But my first thought now is really different … and I think it’s problematic that such a broad and enduring concept feels owned by a specific worldview.
PEPPER might be a little too cute as a given name, or maybe it’s exactly right, the next wave of names in our Olive and Poppy world. I like it best as a Penelope nickname.
NICODEMUS is one of those perfectly unexpected choices that’s made quite wearable with the nickname Nico. I’m here for it!
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
