How to choose a name for a child, or a proper name. How to choose a name for a child: tips for future parents

Change, go to a country where patronymics are not used, so when choosing your parents’ name, nothing matters. Choosing Name, you need to make sure that it goes well with both the surname and patronymic. Names that do not have a pronounced gender, such as Valya, Sasha or Zhenya, should be taken if the surname leaves no doubt that its bearer is a boy or a man. So, for example, Zhenya Stepanov will feel much more confident than Valya Petrenko, who sooner or later will feel a little uneasy, once again clarifying that he is a boy.

Undoubtedly chosen Name will also affect the character of the future son. If you want to see him as firm and purposeful, then Name his should be the same. For example, Boris, Gleb, Egor. Softer Name- Ilya, Alexey, Leonid - will definitely add gentleness to the character of the heir. But you can stop at the golden mean - Andrey, Peter, Stepan. And you definitely need to make sure that what you choose Name goes well with the patronymic, so that one smoothly flows into the other, and it will be much easier for people around your son to call him by the full name of Lev Petrovich, rather than, for example, Viktor Grigorievich.

Recently, the tradition of naming children according to the church calendar has been revived. This is a tradition; it is not necessary to take those saints whose day your son’s birthday falls on. Look through all the names that are close to the cherished date and there will definitely be one among them that you will definitely like. Well, some parents hesitate to give a name until birth, and then, looking into their dear little eyes, they immediately understand: “Here he is - their Vanya.” Well, of course, you need to pay attention to the euphony of the name. Some diminutive names or combinations of initials can be subject to rude ridicule, and this circumstance can result in a serious psychological problem for him. Therefore, when choosing between ambitions and the inner peace of your unborn child, you should listen to common sense.

note

There are plenty of male names - and each of them is beautiful in its own way. But what should a expectant mother pay attention to when choosing a name for a boy? If this happens and you can’t choose a name, then don’t be upset, in the later stages of pregnancy, take a list of male names and read it out loud, naturally the names that you like and choose a name together with the baby.

Helpful advice

Quite often, in the description of the secrets of names, we find a correspondence with what is really happening or has already happened in the lives of people with the corresponding name. And by choosing this or that name for our child according to its meaning, we strive (or at least hope) to ensure a successful, cloudless future. But, despite the meaning of the name, by calling the boy “Maxim”, it is impossible to say for sure what his fate will be.

Name sounds.

From early childhood throughout our lives, we do not hear a single word as often as our own name. It consists of a set of sounds of varying pitches that excite certain parts of the brain, thus influencing its carrier, as well as the people around him.

Some names sound firmly, hard: Igor, Dmitry, Anatoly, Zhanna, Dina, Ekaterina, Daria etc. Under the influence of a sound stimulus, children with such names develop a persistent, stubborn character. They are independent and decisive.

Holders soft sounding names: Svetlana, Irina, Vera, Natalya, Mikhail, Sergey, Alexey, Ilya, Vasily etc. - usually have a calm, flexible character.

Eat neutral, as if intermediate between hard and soft, names: Artem, Arkady, Andrey, Alexander, Valentin, Vitaly, Roman, Pavel, Olga, Anna, Anastasia, Zoya, Lyudmila, Lyubov etc. As a rule, such people are balanced, reasonable, and moderately persistent.

The name must be chosen so that it is easy to pronounce and can be pronounced well both on its own and together with the patronymic.

If the name ends with a consonant sound, and the patronymic begins with it, and even in the patronymic name itself there are many consonants - Alexander Dmitrievich, Eduard Dmitrievich - sound is difficult. Either the first name or the patronymic is often distorted, and the person anxiously waits to see what they will call him this time.

You should not name children after deceased relatives, especially those who died tragically.

There is no need to give names in honor of grandparents. The child inherits a certain share of characteristic traits, and, as we know, bad things are passed on more easily.

Don't name your children names that are difficult to pronounce or named after significant events or people ( Revolution, Aurora, Stalin etc.) so as not to complicate their lives in the future.

Do not give children the names of heroes of their favorite television series, famous writers or prominent scientists - especially if the middle name and last name are the same. Imagine that in the family of engineer Nikolai Tolstoy, their son was named Leo in honor of the writer. At school, the boy was not given literature and the Russian language, and he became an object of ridicule from his peers. As a result, the child suffered serious psychological trauma and stopped going to school. His parents had difficulty rectifying the situation by transferring him to another class.

You should not call your sons after your father: Nikolai Nikolaevich, etc. - owners of such names grow up unbalanced, nervous, irritable, capricious. The girl should also not be named after her mother - it will be difficult for them to find a common language.

The influence of patronymics.

The patronymic carries genetic information - something that is inherent in nature itself and is passed on from generation to generation. It corrects the image formed under the influence of the name, without radically changing it, but softening or, conversely, exacerbating some features.

"Hard"Middle names are Nikolaevich, Anatolyevich, Dmitrievich, Igorevich, Stanislavovich, Adolfovich, Vissarionovich, Vitoldovich, Veniaminovich, Valdemarovich, Vladlenovich, Rostislavovich, Emmanuilovich, Albertovich, Samuilovich, Yulianovich .

"Soft" - Mikhailovich, Sergeevich, Efimovich, Ilyich, Ignatievich, Vladimirovich, Petrovich, Viktorovich .

"Neutral" -Pavlovich, Vadimovich, Natanovich, Kirillovich, Makarovich, Mironovich, Yakovlevich, Leontyevich, Vitalievich, Velentinovich, Artemovich, Tara Sovich...

Soft pronounced first names: Mikhail Ivanovich, Andrey Vladimirovich, Sergey Mikhailovich, Mikhail Sergeevich etc. - belong to kind, flexible people who know how to find a common language with others. Aleksandrovich- usually an impulsive, harsh person. Igorevichi more often than others they are stubborn and tough. Nikolaevichi They often behave rudely, sometimes unpredictably, and it is difficult to find a common language with them. This patronymic gives a person increased emotionality and instability.

Research allows us to conclude that owners of " tough" middle names have a harder time in life than their namesakes with soft, calm middle names. Therefore, it is better to give children “soft” names for “hard” patronymics, and vice versa. For example, Nikolaevich, Dmitrievich, Anatolyevich, Rostislavovich, Stanislavovich, Veniaminovich should be called Sergey, Mikhail, Peter, Ilya, Vasily, Evgeny, Victor, Irina, Natalya, Polina, Vera; Sergeevich , Alekseevich, Vasilyevich - Nikolay, Dmitry, Anatoly, Denis, Stanislav, Marina, Lydia, Evgenia, Alexandra, Victoria .

TO " neutral"Middle names are more suitable" soft"names: Sergey, Mikhail, Victor, Alexey . You can also give them firm names, but only if the children were born in the spring or summer.

Seasons and personality formation.

In winter, talented, strong-willed, purposeful, thinking individuals are born, but in family life they experience difficulties because of their intractability, intransigence, the need to argue over trifles and be sure to gain the upper hand. Many have a tough temperament, are tough, and domineering. These qualities are most strongly expressed in those born in December, weaker in February, " January"Children are more balanced." Winter“Women most often have a masculine character and gravitate toward exact or natural sciences. Therefore, we advise giving winter children “soft” melodious names so as not to aggravate some of the character traits inherent in nature.

Spring people are easily vulnerable physically and mentally. They are indecisive, touchy, flighty, selfish. Many of them are very talented, but lack self-confidence, so they cannot be leaders. They have a subtle sense of humor, have a good memory and quickly grasp everything. March men pay great attention to their appearance and often look in the mirror. They make good diplomats and speakers. Women do not get married for a long time - they are afraid of the upcoming changes. Spring children need to be given “firm” sounding names in order to withstand an unstable nervous system and psyche.

"Summer"Children are kind, but often cowardly and spineless. They are easily influenced, emotional and impressionable, love risks, are proud, persistent, and courageous. They love children, are careful about nature and animals, and are well versed in art." Summer“Children need to be given “hard” names to protect them from unwanted adversity.

"Autumn“People are universal. They are reasonable, serious, comprehensively gifted, value accumulated experience and never repeat mistakes. They do everything slowly and thoughtfully, they are good diplomats, have a clear mind, and an easy-going character.” Autumn"Children can be given any names, since nothing can affect their natural character.

Why is this needed?

Knowing the natural coloring of the first name and patronymic and the date of birth, you can choose the right name and successfully develop the qualities that your child lacked from birth, or, conversely, muffle the undesirable ones.

It is very useful to take into account the characteristics of a name when raising a child:

Alexei(especially “summer” or “spring”) - a coward, a crybaby. If you scold and punish him for this all the time, the child will grow up irritable, selfish, and embittered.

Alexander- a merry fellow, a naughty man, a liar, but has an innate sense of justice. Once you punish him undeservedly, you risk losing your authority forever.

Nikolay- hot-tempered, unbalanced, proud. You should not hurt his pride; try to instill respect for others.

Natalia(especially “winter” ones) - ambitious, leaders by nature. They are spurred on by encouragement for any success. However, they do not tolerate flattery and are perfectly aware of insincerity and lies.

Olga- fair, difficult to compromise.

Lyudmila- ambitious, vain, striving for universal recognition, often experiencing bitter disappointment.

Irina- natures are easily carried away, amorous. No matter how they are raised, personal life and matters of the heart will always be in the foreground.

If you decide to change your child’s name and choose one that could protect him and change his character for the better, this must be done before the age of five. The main thing is that the name corresponds to the internal state of the person, then the discomfort will disappear and complete harmony will gradually be established.

Read about the meaning of all names from A to Z

Magazine "Motherhood", April 1999

Choosing a name for a child is one of the most difficult tasks new parents face. However, most of them often think about its beauty and unusual sound, and not about its fateful significance.

A correctly chosen name can not only fill the life of a new person with color, but also make him happier, more successful and healthier, while an erroneous, ill-thought-out name will subsequently play a cruel joke on the baby and doom him to failure and loneliness.

So how do you choose a good name for your baby? What mistakes should you avoid making? Is it possible to find a wonderful name if you rely on the advice of astrologers? Finally, is it worth looking for help in naming a toddler in the church calendar?

Do names influence fate?

They say that a person's destiny, character and name are connected to each other by strong and indestructible bonds. Our great-grandfathers also knew about this and, naming the baby, tried to influence his fate and life in a certain way.

For example, in Rome they believed that a child’s future could be changed simply by writing his name upside down. And in Rus', until the 17th century, right up to baptism, they carefully hid it from everyone, thereby trying to deceive evil spirits so that they could not harm the baby.

Basic principles for choosing a name

Combination of first name and patronymic

The first and most important rule: when choosing a name, focus on the baby’s middle name. Try to exclude combinations that will sound bad. Judge for yourself how difficult it will be to call baby Yulia Yurievna when she becomes an adult: the tongue will every now and then try to swap the letters and call her Yuria Yulievna.

Dissonance between the first name and patronymic can also arise in the case when the components of the full name differ on national or cultural grounds, and also differ in the time of birth of the name. A good “bad” example: Madison Petrovna - the name and patronymic of this imaginary girl sound rather inharmonious, since they belong to different cultures.

Quite often, parents name their child after the father’s patronymic. Here, too, you need to be careful, because Alexander Alexandrovich may sound good, but it will take a very long time.

Gradation of patronymics

Also, when choosing a name, you should take into account the “hardness” of the middle name in sound.

Based on this feature, patronymics are divided into:

• hard: Igorevich, Anatolyevich, Rostislavovich, Albertovich;
• soft: Mikhailovich, Ilyich, Viktorovich;
• neutral: Kirillovich, Pavlovich, Artemovich.

Therefore, we will give you advice: name your baby so that his name is approximately on the same “sound” plane as his patronymic. For example: Oleg Mikhailovich, Artem Igorevich, Elena Pavlovna.

Combination with surname

A person is greeted not only by his first name, but also by his last name, right? Therefore, just as in the case of the patronymic, when choosing a name you need to pay attention to the absence of dissonance with the surname.

So, you shouldn’t give a baby with an ordinary last name an overly complicated “name.” For example, call Ivanova Juliet, and Nikolaeva - Marilyn.

"Reducing" and "caressing"

Any name, no matter how majestic it may be, will certainly be “diminished” by other people from time to time. Therefore, already in kindergarten, Ivans become Vankas, Iras become Irkas, and Glebs become Glebushkas.

And the most important thing here is to choose names that will sound good in the diminutive version.

Pay attention to the initials

Of course, this is not a fundamental characteristic, but it is better to take it into account when choosing a name. The fact is that sometimes the full name, that is, the initials of a person, form bizarre and even abusive words.

A good example is Lidiya Yaroslavovna Borisova. Comments are unnecessary here, of course, but this “Lida” will clearly not be delighted with how she will be teased at school.

National aspect

When naming your baby a name that reflects his belonging to a particular nationality or culture, it is worth thinking about where exactly the child will have to live with him. Thus, the boy Gali in a Tatar school will not get out of line with sound and meaning, but in a Russian school he will definitely run into a whole series of ridicule and “reversals.”

But if you still want to support your roots, give preference to “international” names - ones that will be familiar to both Europeans and representatives of Eastern people.

Moreover, it is worth doing this if you are in an interethnic or intercultural marriage: Petrov Ulpan Nikitich sounds not only ugly, but rather strange.

Is it worth chasing fashion?

Of course not, because today the names Plato and Agafya are at the peak of popularity, and tomorrow they will be replaced by others: Nicholas and Voldemar. As a result, it will turn out that three Auroras will go to kindergarten at once, and five Berliozs will go to school.

The same applies to choosing a name according to an original principle: sometimes particularly “creative” parents name their children so that it becomes scary to pronounce their names: Kukutsapol or Viagra. Is it necessary to talk about what the child will tell them when he grows up?

How to choose names according to the time of year?

If you are just trying out names for your future baby and don’t know which one to give preference to and whose advice to take, you can take into account Mother Nature’s “tips.”

After all, your goal is to choose a name that will perfectly match the energy of a new person born in one of the four seasons. So that it can not only smooth out the “sharp corners” of the child’s character, but also enhance positive qualities.

Winter

Consider children born in winter: these babies are usually talented and have great willpower. Thinking contradictory individuals, they do not allow themselves to be lazy, they work hard, but in their personal lives they are always disappointed.

In order to harmonize the personality of a “winter” child, you need to name him so as not only not to aggravate his severity, but also to soften his character and manners: Natalya, Svetlana, Vasily.

Spring

Children born in spring are often selfish and indecisive. They have a certain amount of talent, which they are always afraid to use in reality.

And often such kids simply lack the fighting qualities necessary to achieve their goals. They can be put into character using a “hard” name: Dmitry, Zhanna, Dina.

Summer

Children of summer are distinguished from others by their pride and determination. Their life position is active, and their priorities are clear and precise. However, spiritual gentleness is also present in them and that is why you can call summer babies any names without fear of changing their inner world.

Autumn

Children born in autumn grasp everything on the fly and make decisions very quickly. Their practicality and some emotional stinginess can be corrected by romantic names, calling them Vladislav, Nikita or Olga.

How to select names according to the calendar?

Some parents name their children according to the church calendar. Contrary to the opinion of many, it contains a great variety of not only outdated, but also quite relevant and sonorous names.

To do this correctly, you need to take the child’s date of birth as a basis. As a rule, the church celebrates the memory of 2-5 saints every day, from whose names you can easily choose.

Don't like these options? Do you want to choose something else for your child? Well, the calendar allows you to name the baby after the saint, whose memory will be celebrated both on the 8th and 40th day after his birth.

How to select names according to the horoscope?

For help in choosing the right name, parents also resort to astrology, since this ancient teaching helps to highlight the relationship between a person and the outside world. Experienced astrologers usually first reconstruct the moment of birth of a baby using tables of planetary movements, thereby determining the aspects of his character.

Astrology also believes that an incorrect name can weaken the positive aspects of a child’s character, pushing his talent or abilities into a dark corner. It also happens that it negatively affects the entire fate of a little person, and not just some individual part of it.

Selection principle

All names are divided into 12 groups corresponding to the signs of the zodiac (which in turn can be determined by the baby’s date of birth). Therefore, according to the advice of astrologers, successful names for children according to the zodiac sign will be those that are in a related star group and in one of the four elements.

As examples, consider the four zodiac elements:

1. If your baby was born Capricorn (this is the element of Earth), it would be better to choose names for him such as Nazar, Robert or Emma so that they are not afraid to take risks, but also do not go far in their emotions.

1. If the child was born, for example, Leo (element of Fire), you should name him Valera, Oleg or Oksana - this way the baby will be more practical, but at the same time they will come to the rescue in difficult times.
2. Names for Libra (element of Air) should be sonorous, light, with letters such as “e”, “i” or “s”: Elena, Alexey. This will make it easy for these kids to communicate with other people.
3. Pisces or Cancers (Water Element) require gentleness on behalf of: Ulyana, Ilya, Yulia, so that their vulnerability and kindness do not interfere with achieving what they want.

Combination by zodiac group

It is also worth taking a closer look at names from other zodiac groups, the main thing is that they go well together. So Aries gets along well with the names of the Leo and Sagittarius groups, Taurus harmonizes with Cancers, Pisces and Libra, Gemini makes friends with the names of the Leo, Aquarius and Virgo groups, and so on.

To understand these nuances in detail, you need to look at the table of personal qualities, in which they are clearly reflected. This will help you achieve harmony with the energies of the planets under which your beloved children were born.

What should you not name your baby?

• in the name of father, mother, sister, brother - those people who died recently;
• the same rule applies to naming a child after a deceased child, so that he does not repeat his unfortunate fate;
• It is better not to name children by the names of their parents - it is believed that mother and daughter or son and father will often quarrel and will not be able to live together;
• there is no need to give babies male names: this automatically makes them rude;
• under no circumstances should you call three people by the same name at once: (for example, grandfather, son and grandson): our ancestors firmly believed that the first one who died would definitely take the last one;
• You should not name the baby until he has undergone the baptism ceremony: this way no one will be able to jinx the little one.

Summing up

Many parents believe that the most important rule when choosing a name for a child is its noble sound or the absence of bad associations. But this is far from a complete list of priorities that should be followed when naming, because names are the identification of people with themselves and the sound expression of their holistic personality.

And names are the path we follow, and it is very important that it be truly happy and long. And if the right ones can help children achieve harmony and prosperity, then why not choose names responsibly?

And finally, we will give you one good piece of advice: on the child’s naming day (name day), be sure to break some dishes in the house. They say that thanks to this the child will really be truly happy!

Instructions

Sometimes a child is named after his mother or father. If you decide that there should be two Alexanders or Lyudmila in your family, come up with a diminutive name for the baby that is different from yours. Then little Milochka will not be confused with mom Lyuda, and son Sanya with his dad Sasha.

Another popular technique is combining parts of parents' names. Usually the resulting word is called . Babies with the sonorous and strange Igtala, Dana, Sana or Tara are not so rare. Before you give an unusual name to your son, think about your future grandchildren - after all, they will have to bear an equally unusual middle name.

A safer option is to choose a name from existing ones that are quite harmonious. For example, the daughter of Sergei and Anna can be called Snezhana, and the son Arsentiy. If your parents' names are Taras and Tatyana, support the family tradition. Timofey, Timur, Tamara or Taisiya are suitable for children.

Having found a suitable name, be sure to think about how it will sound in combination with the middle name. Perhaps the idea of ​​calling Oleg’s daughter Olga is sweet and original, but when she grows up she will be called Olga Olegovna, which doesn’t sound very nice. The more difficult the middle name is to pronounce, the simpler the name should be. Call Eugene’s son Peter or Ilya, but Innocent or Anatoly will create an unpronounceable combination.

You should be especially careful with foreign and outdated names. If your name is Roland, you should not name your daughter Anfisa or Glafira. But Alice, Alina or Maria will suit her - the combination will be unusual, but quite harmonious.

Consider whether the chosen name will go with the surname. For example, with a difficult surname like Kislaya, you should not give the name Lily or Rose. Choose another one that does not carry additional semantic load.

Write your invented first name, middle name and last name. The initials should also look beautiful. If three letters in a row form a funny or meaningful combination, look for other options.

Sources:

• how to choose names for children

When choosing a name for their baby, many rarely think about how it will combine with the middle name. This is incorrect, because in the future, when the child grows up, the difficult letter combination and the disharmonious, dissonant pronunciation of the combination of his name and patronymic will be very annoying. Therefore, when choosing a name, think not only about how much you or your relatives like it, but also about what impact the middle name will have and how it, together with the name, will affect the person’s character.

So, there are several rules for determining a name by patronymic.

Instructions

If the middle name is too long, then it is better to choose a short name for it. Full of course, not colloquial. And vice versa, if you have a short middle name, choose a long name. For example: Alla Alexandrovna or Margarita Petrovna.

It is important that the name be combined with the patronymic also on linguistic grounds. That is, you should come up with a Russian name for the usual Russian patronymics. And, accordingly, something suitable for foreigners is also suitable. Especially now that there is a fashion for unusual names. Originality is, of course, good, and indeed, for a boy to be the tenth, say, Artem in the yard or to. But John Alekseevich Petrov will also sound strange.

You should not choose a name that, in combination with a patronymic, completely duplicates the patronymic name of someone you know or famous people. For example, the combinations: Vladimir Ilyich, Mikhail Sergeevich or Nikita Sergeevich are quite definite associations. Consider whether your son needs this.

note

First of all, when choosing a name for a boy, you need to remember that someday he will become a father. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a name that will make a beautiful and easy-to-pronounce middle name. Some parents prefer to give their children names that are rare or atypical for our nationality.

Helpful advice

If the name ends with a consonant sound, and the patronymic begins with it, and even in the patronymic name itself there are many consonants - Alexander Dmitrievich, Eduard Dmitrievich - the sound is difficult. Imagine that in the family of engineer Nikolai Tolstoy, their son was named Leo in honor of the writer. At school, the boy was not given literature and the Russian language, and he became an object of ridicule from his peers.

Sources:

• how to choose children's middle names

Since ancient times, people have been well aware that a name has a special influence on character a person, as well as on his fate. In ancient times features name were carefully studied by astrologers, and even now both astrologers and psychologists pay considerable attention to this process. Knowing the meaning inherent in your name means understanding yourself better and learning to avoid many difficult situations.

Instructions

People often compare themselves with other owners of the same names and think that they have a lot in common - and this also applies to positive traits character and also negative. And then they understand that the name is one of the foundations character A.

Take a look at the “name dictionary” and find out your own name. Today, many future parents look into such “dictionaries” to choose a name for their son or daughter. Its meaning is always written next to it, and there are also small descriptions character ov people who bear this or that name. Also, such “dictionaries” offer options for compatibility of female names in love and marriage.

Take a special test to find out your traits character and, inherent in people with your name. Such tests are now presented in all their variety on the Internet. Traits character and you can find out by name, last name and patronymic, by . In addition, the program provides a number of tips on how the owner of this or that name need to behave in different situations.

Try to identify the features character and according to the letters of its name. In order to do this, it is necessary to find appropriate literature that talks about the meaning of each name. Write your letters on a piece of paper name traits inherent in a particular letter. For example, let’s take the name “Elena”: E - insight, love of life; L - , ingenuity; E - insight, love of life; N - wit; A - strength. If in your name there are two identical letters, which means that the features inherent in these letters are especially characteristic of you.

Studying character By name, remember that after all, each of us is an individual. Try to develop in yourself the good traits that you have learned about, but you definitely need to fight the identified shortcomings.

Video on the topic

Sources:

• How to find out your character using tests

Parents begin to think about choosing a name for their baby long before his birth. Usually two options are selected at once - for a girl and for a boy. When choosing, it is important to take into account not only your preferences, the fashion for names, holy calendar, and the wishes of relatives, but also how consonant the name is with the patronymic.

Instructions

Choose some of the most suitable names for your baby. It is with them that you will work further. Please note that ancestors did not advise naming the child of a deceased relative with a difficult fate or short life, because the child can repeat his life. And also the name of the parent, because will take away the energy of the namesake through the name, and the guardian angel will have more work. Whether you follow these beliefs or not is up to you.

Now start pronouncing them along with your middle name. If the middle name is long, then choose a short name. If the middle name consists of a small number of letters, then, on the contrary, the name should be long. Choose a harmonious combination of sounds in your first name and patronymic, taking into account the ease of pronunciation.

Follow the following rule: when the middle name begins with a consonant, the name must begin with a vowel. If the patronymic begins with a vowel, then on the contrary, look for a name with a consonant (Nikita Pavlovich is a successful combination, but Artem Pavlovich is not). In addition, at the junction of the name and patronymic there should not be many consonants or repetition of the same sound (Georgiy Gavrilovich, Ilya Yakovlevich).

Phonetic analysis of the name

A name, like any other word, consists of sounds. Depending on the nature of their extraction, sounds are divided into vowels, which consist of voice, and consonants, consisting of voice and noise. Depending on the degree of “noisiness”, consonants, in turn, can be divided into

Sonorant, in which sound prevails over noise ([p], [l], [n], etc.)
- deaf, in which noise prevails over sound.

The least sonorous, therefore, can be called hissing and whistling sounds.

It follows from this that the more vowels and sonorant consonants in a name, the more sonorous it will be, and vice versa, if the name is dominated by dull, especially hissing and whistling sounds, it will be difficult to call such a name “sonorous”.

To understand how good a name sounds, you can break it down into syllables and analyze each of them. It is clear that a syllable ending with a vowel will be more sonorous than one ending with a consonant, especially a voiceless one.

Determining the nature of sounds

Official science believes that sound in itself does not carry meaning. However, there is no doubt that sounds pronounced sequentially, as well as each of them separately, have a certain emotional impact on a person.

An interesting study on this topic was conducted at one time by the Soviet philologist A.P. Zhuravlev. During the experiment, he asked participants to characterize the vowel sounds of the Russian language and think about what... color they are. It turned out that the opinions of the majority of the experiment participants coincided:

And described as deep red
I was seen as bright red
O was perceived as light yellow or white
E – green
E – yellow-green
E was described as greenish
And most “saw” him as blue
Wu was perceived in different ways: as dark blue, blue-green, purple; but, in any case, it was a “dark” sound
Yu was “similar” to U, but had a lighter “shade”: bluish, lilac
Y was seen by all participants as gloomy, dark brown or black in color.

Such unanimity can hardly be called an accident. The experiment showed that people in general perceive certain sounds similarly. And since vowels are the most pronounced and “noticeable” sounds in any word, it is clear that a name, for example, containing vowels such as “i”, “e”, “yu”, “o” will be generally perceived by others as “lighter”, and magnification, in which the vowels “u” or “a” predominate, will be more “darker”. It is necessary to take into account that the most “important” sound, which determines the impression that a name makes on a person, will be the vowel as the most clearly audible.

Consonant sounds also affect the emotional perception of words in general and names in particular. In his dissertation A.P. Zhuravlev characterized each of the sounds of the Russian language according to 25 parameters.

You can take advantage of the results of his research and check exactly what impression a name has (as, indeed, any other word in the Russian language) by performing a phonosemantic analysis of it using a special program.

Sources:

• Phonosemantic analysis of Russian words

Surely every parent has thought about whether there are rules for choosing a name for a child and what determines the choice of a name? Our ancestors resolved this issue simply - they turned to the calendar. Nowadays, most often, mothers and fathers choose the name of a newborn based on the “like it or don’t like it” principle. But in some families, heated debates arise if relatives' tastes do not coincide. In this case, a variety of arguments are used, from the church calendar to horoscopes, from family traditions to numerology.

Euphony

For those who do not attach much importance to subtle matters, it is enough for the name to sound beautiful and evoke pleasant associations. But it is worth considering that it must be combined with the patronymic and surname. An extravagant foreign name and an ordinary Russian patronymic (Cleopatra Ivanovna, Apollo Petrovich) can be dissonant with each other, and the combination of an exotic name and a simple surname (Malvina Sergeeva, Mercury Ivanov) usually causes a smile. The choice of patronymic name is also important. So, if the name ends with a consonant, and the patronymic begins with it (for example, Mark Konstantinovich, Vladimir Rodionovich), then pronunciation will be difficult. Before choosing a name for your baby, check the initials. They should not form a funny or absurd word. When choosing a name for boys, you should take into account that in the future they will become fathers and give a middle name to their children. Therefore, it is important that not only the name, but also the patronymic derived from it sounds beautiful.

Saints

Among Orthodox Christians, choosing a name according to the calendar is still popular today. The Saints, or Orthodox calendar, is a church calendar, on each day of which there is a day of remembrance of one or more saints. According to church tradition, the baby’s name can be chosen from the list of those saints who are glorified on the child’s birthday, on the eighth day, when the rite of naming is performed, or during the 40-day period when the sacrament of Holy Baptism is usually performed. But this is not a hard and fast rule. Therefore, if there is a desire to name the baby in honor of another saint, then there are no obstacles to this. It is believed that the name chosen according to the calendar is the name of a guardian angel who will protect a person throughout his life.

Seasons

There is a theory that children born at certain times of the year have their own character traits, and their name should be chosen based on these characteristics. How to choose the right name based on month of birth or time of year? It is believed that “winter” children most often have a strong character, so it is better to give them melodious names so as not to aggravate some character traits inherent in nature (Ulyana, Anastasia, Maxim, Timofey, etc.). “Spring” - vulnerable, indecisive, soft. For them it is worth choosing names that give the will to win and firmness in convictions (Elizabeth, Margarita, Victor, Alexander, etc.). “Summer” people are impulsive and emotional. Solid names are suitable for them, which will become a kind of protection for them (Olga, Anna, Yuri, Egor, etc.). “Autumn” children have an easy character; they do not need additional character adjustments with a name.

Meaning of the name

Some parents are confident that the chosen name guarantees the child certain character traits, temperament and even destiny. Numerous collections of names offer ready-made “recipes” in case parents want their son to grow up as a strong-willed and strong leader, and for their daughter to be obedient and affectionate. Whether or not to believe in the meaning of the name is up to moms and dads themselves to decide. But sometimes it is useful to get information about the history, origin (etymology), cultural tradition of each specific name for a boy or name for a girl.

Traditions

When choosing a name for a child, many parents rely on family traditions, believing that this gives a person a sense of belonging to the family, an understanding of their roots, and perhaps some predictability of the future. For example, in some families, children are named exclusively after grandparents, great-grandparents, or great-grandparents. Others have special "schemes", for example, all children's names must be double or start with the same letter. Some parents only consider choosing an Orthodox (or Muslim) name, while others strive to give their children international names.

Tests

There are many tests on the Internet that will help you choose a name for your baby. Whether it is worth taking such questionnaires seriously, everyone decides for himself, but, as you know, there is some truth in every joke. And some parents are ready to rely even on a random choice of name. For such mothers and fathers, there are programs for choosing a name for a child online.

Moms share their experiences

In parenting forums, the topic of choosing a name for a child is one of the most popular. Moms talk about their know-how:

• "Wiggles." “Choosing a name for the boy was difficult for us. Just before giving birth, I lay and said the names I liked. Five male names had already been named, and on the sixth option, “Demyan,” the baby confidently pushed his foot in my stomach. That's what we named our son. The choice of the name Demyan turned out to be successful - our son makes us happy every day!”
• "Signs". “Even before pregnancy, I heard the superstition: “the more letters in the names of parents and children match, the stronger the family.” I am Natalia, my husband is Anatoly, and we decided to name our son Vitaly. I think the choice of name for my son was correct! We have a very friendly family, complete mutual understanding.”
• "Notes". “Choosing a name for our daughter was difficult for us. And then it turned out that the random choice of name was the most successful. We wrote the most beautiful women's names on pieces of paper and put them in a canvas bag. Then they shook it and took out a note with “Anya” written on it. This piece of paper is still kept in our Anyuta’s dowry, along with a tag from the maternity hospital and a baptismal shirt.”
• "Older child to help." “We did not take into account any rules for choosing a name for a boy. When we arrived from the maternity hospital, our eldest daughter, 3-year-old Maria, saw her brother and said: “This is Misha. Masha and Misha will be friends." My husband and I agreed and decided to name our son Mikhail, although we had other options.”
• "Prophetic dream". “Choosing a name for a child in a dream is about me! A month before giving birth, I had a dream that I was rocking a little girl in my arms and calling her Katya, although my husband and I had not even considered this name. That's what we named our baby. As it turned out later, I also pleased my mother-in-law: she always wanted a daughter, Ekaterina, but she only had one son.”
• "Collective mind". “Choosing a female name was not an easy task for my husband and I. From the first month of pregnancy until childbirth, I actively communicated with expectant mothers on one of the forums on the Internet. They literally became family to me: they always supported me in difficult situations and helped with advice. I turned to them for help. My husband and I liked the names Anastasia and Veronica, but we couldn’t choose one. I asked the girls to vote. The Veronica option was chosen by the majority of votes. Now we have a beautiful daughter, Nika, growing up.”

Tatiana Petulko