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Help[Opinions] Re: How will names change as Gen Z approaches the age to have kids?
in reply to a message by Kellan
Yeah, my first thought was more nature names, more anime influence, more one syllable names.
Then I read the article, and I thought it was interesting/true what it said about identities (and thus names) getting more organic and flexible. Sure, it's partly because of screen names and gender norms, but also I think by the time gen Zers are done having kids, there'll have been lots of migrating around because of changes in economy, conflict, climate; I think names used to be more flexible like that, though, before the boomer generation, so it seems like a different type of antique trend rather than revolutionary to me.
I think (or hope) that if there's more gender neutrality, it's because the names themselves are less rigidly gendered (as the article implied: one female name, one masculine name, which is also an old fashioned idea in some places), rather than surnames-as-first-names becoming even more fashionable...it seems like surnames for girls would become less popular if anything because they're the epitome of the "girl boss" trend, right? What could also happen though is that people will care less about a name's gender on paper, so that gender of names would stay relatively the same - like an Edward could be called Edda if they want, or go by Edward + she/her, who cares? Probably it will be a combination.
I hadn't thought about the "less soft" name thing, but I can see punchy/compact names being more a thing. The article implied millennial choices would be the more adventurous names (like Trinity Sage Flannagan vs a gen Zer picking Emily) but I doubt that's true. I'm sure there will be conservative name choices, but the range is going to get wider I think, more like it was in the 1800s maybe with no one blinking at names in the style of Pink and Ulysses but also with lots of people named John (and misspellings were common back then too!).
Though I will only believe the thing about special characters being allowed in official names when I see it. Maybe Gen Z will make that happen eventually but not in time to name their own kids imo, except it won't matter because as the article said, I think unofficial names are becoming more numerous/prominent.
Then I read the article, and I thought it was interesting/true what it said about identities (and thus names) getting more organic and flexible. Sure, it's partly because of screen names and gender norms, but also I think by the time gen Zers are done having kids, there'll have been lots of migrating around because of changes in economy, conflict, climate; I think names used to be more flexible like that, though, before the boomer generation, so it seems like a different type of antique trend rather than revolutionary to me.
I think (or hope) that if there's more gender neutrality, it's because the names themselves are less rigidly gendered (as the article implied: one female name, one masculine name, which is also an old fashioned idea in some places), rather than surnames-as-first-names becoming even more fashionable...it seems like surnames for girls would become less popular if anything because they're the epitome of the "girl boss" trend, right? What could also happen though is that people will care less about a name's gender on paper, so that gender of names would stay relatively the same - like an Edward could be called Edda if they want, or go by Edward + she/her, who cares? Probably it will be a combination.
I hadn't thought about the "less soft" name thing, but I can see punchy/compact names being more a thing. The article implied millennial choices would be the more adventurous names (like Trinity Sage Flannagan vs a gen Zer picking Emily) but I doubt that's true. I'm sure there will be conservative name choices, but the range is going to get wider I think, more like it was in the 1800s maybe with no one blinking at names in the style of Pink and Ulysses but also with lots of people named John (and misspellings were common back then too!).
Though I will only believe the thing about special characters being allowed in official names when I see it. Maybe Gen Z will make that happen eventually but not in time to name their own kids imo, except it won't matter because as the article said, I think unofficial names are becoming more numerous/prominent.
This message was edited 3/26/2022, 10:23 PM
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