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Help[Opinions] How different do you think name recognize and evaluation on this site is from real life?
I asked this question because I was curious about the difference between name recognition and evaluation in real life and name recognition and evaluation on this site. The reason is that I saw that some names that are popular in real life do not get much response on this site.
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Replies
Name nerds are a different breed of people. If you actively use this website, you're probably interested in names beyond the top 100.
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I think it is different.
I think the frequency of common & popular names speaks for itself and tells you that a lot of people like them, and their unpopularity on this board tells you that the people who post here are not a representative sample.
But also, I think when people respond to names in the abstract, as just names for people - it's very often different, a different thing, from responding to them as the names of individuals. At the very least a difference is that when we see a name with no person attached, it's a prompt for association and imagination, taste and emotion. But when we meet a person with a name attached, we also have to attend to how the person's name names a real person. So it sort of feels to me like, when I have met people with a name, it's more "everyday" and real, and my abstract responses to it as a word seem to matter less, or at least be more "about" how a name is used in real life. But when I am looking at names for the sake of doing so, all there is about it, are associations and responses and imagined characters & scenarios. So it seems that much more interesting and full of possibilities.
I think the frequency of common & popular names speaks for itself and tells you that a lot of people like them, and their unpopularity on this board tells you that the people who post here are not a representative sample.
But also, I think when people respond to names in the abstract, as just names for people - it's very often different, a different thing, from responding to them as the names of individuals. At the very least a difference is that when we see a name with no person attached, it's a prompt for association and imagination, taste and emotion. But when we meet a person with a name attached, we also have to attend to how the person's name names a real person. So it sort of feels to me like, when I have met people with a name, it's more "everyday" and real, and my abstract responses to it as a word seem to matter less, or at least be more "about" how a name is used in real life. But when I am looking at names for the sake of doing so, all there is about it, are associations and responses and imagined characters & scenarios. So it seems that much more interesting and full of possibilities.
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One of the main differences is that the names that most people here are "sick of" (because of how popular they are) are seen very positively in the real world. The names are popular for a reason - lots of people like them. So if the board looks down on certain names, a person shouldn't worry that the name will be universally hated; it's more likely to be admired.
Similarly, names that are more unusual or "refreshing" on the board may get a chilly reception in public.
As for the ratings and comments on the database, I would consider that little more than public graffiti. People find their way here, say some outrageous things, then disappear.
Similarly, names that are more unusual or "refreshing" on the board may get a chilly reception in public.
As for the ratings and comments on the database, I would consider that little more than public graffiti. People find their way here, say some outrageous things, then disappear.
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Names that are extremely popular are already getting plenty of recognition in real life, so there isn't really a need to shine a spot light on them. Everybody is familiar with the name Emma because it is one of the most popular girl names in the English speaking world, so there isn't really much left to be said about it.
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Thank you.
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