Our names are central to who we are. Our name is literally the first part of our identity that we learn as babies and toddlers. And when our names are connected to traditions and people from our family's past, they become powerful ways in which to introduce our children family history.
My son's middle name is Joseph. Joseph is and was also the middle name of my son's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. (His 3rd great-grandfather had the first name of Joseph, and was the first of the Schroeder line to be born in America.) My husband and I wanted to make sure that this name and tradition lived on, and we wanted him to feel connected with his ancestors, so we deliberately chose Joseph as our son's middle name. Now, every time my son has to tell someone or fill out his full name on a form, this subject of having a name that was passed down comes up, and it's just another opportunity of reminding him of the origins and meaning of his middle name.
Maybe your children or grandchildren are not named after anyone in particular in your family. That's ok, because, chances are, there is someone in your family tree - maybe even someone the child knows - who has been named after an ancestor. Start your discussion with that person. Show a child that person's pedigree chart, so that they can 'see' the relationship of that person to their namesake(s).
Also, talk with your child(ren) about the naming traditions that make up the different cultures and ethnicities of your family tree, and then try to find examples of those traditions in your pedigree charts. For example, my great-grandfather was born in Poland and his given name was Dominik. His birthday was August 4, which, at the time of his birth, was the feast day of St. Dominic. In the late 19th century, naming children after the saint on whose feast day they were born was common in Roman Catholic communities. Some cultures regularly name children after grandparents or godparents, give names based on birth order or appearance, or determine given names based on the positions of stars and planets at the time of birth.
Family naming traditions are as vast as the cultures on Earth. Not only that, but each individual family, like mine, might also have some sort of naming tradition that is passed down through the generations. There are a few picture books that I recommend, as ways in which to introduce the subject of naming traditions with children. Reading these books with children is also a great way in which to introduce naming traditions of cultures that many American children may not be familiar with.
(Clicking on each book image will take you to that book's Amazon page. These are affiliate links; if you purchase an item through these links, a small portion of the sale price will come back to Growing Little Leaves. The price of the item will be no different for you.)
My son's middle name is Joseph. Joseph is and was also the middle name of my son's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. (His 3rd great-grandfather had the first name of Joseph, and was the first of the Schroeder line to be born in America.) My husband and I wanted to make sure that this name and tradition lived on, and we wanted him to feel connected with his ancestors, so we deliberately chose Joseph as our son's middle name. Now, every time my son has to tell someone or fill out his full name on a form, this subject of having a name that was passed down comes up, and it's just another opportunity of reminding him of the origins and meaning of his middle name.
Maybe your children or grandchildren are not named after anyone in particular in your family. That's ok, because, chances are, there is someone in your family tree - maybe even someone the child knows - who has been named after an ancestor. Start your discussion with that person. Show a child that person's pedigree chart, so that they can 'see' the relationship of that person to their namesake(s).
Also, talk with your child(ren) about the naming traditions that make up the different cultures and ethnicities of your family tree, and then try to find examples of those traditions in your pedigree charts. For example, my great-grandfather was born in Poland and his given name was Dominik. His birthday was August 4, which, at the time of his birth, was the feast day of St. Dominic. In the late 19th century, naming children after the saint on whose feast day they were born was common in Roman Catholic communities. Some cultures regularly name children after grandparents or godparents, give names based on birth order or appearance, or determine given names based on the positions of stars and planets at the time of birth.
Family naming traditions are as vast as the cultures on Earth. Not only that, but each individual family, like mine, might also have some sort of naming tradition that is passed down through the generations. There are a few picture books that I recommend, as ways in which to introduce the subject of naming traditions with children. Reading these books with children is also a great way in which to introduce naming traditions of cultures that many American children may not be familiar with.
(Clicking on each book image will take you to that book's Amazon page. These are affiliate links; if you purchase an item through these links, a small portion of the sale price will come back to Growing Little Leaves. The price of the item will be no different for you.)
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René Has Two Last Names by René Colato Laínez: Rene has just moved to America from El Salvador and becomes discouraged when his new teacher leaves off one of his last names, because he feels like he is losing half of his family when it is not included. He uses a family tree assignment at school to show his teacher and classmates what his two last names mean to him and his family.
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Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal: A young Peruvian girl learns the family history origins of each of her names, and goes from being discouraged by her long name to feeling empowered by it.
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How Nivi Got Her Names by Laura Deal: A young adopted Inuit girl learns the origins of each of her names, and comes to see how she is the embodiment of those people and their character traits and personalities.
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What naming traditions are present in YOUR family tree? Remember, talking about naming traditions is an easy way to teach kids a little family history!
©2018, Emily Kowalski Schroeder
©2018, Emily Kowalski Schroeder
