Is your name Mégane, like the car? We often identify a first name with a brand, a personality who wore it, with a TV series… Often pretty at first glance, certain first names become blacklisted as soon as they make the headlines. And sometimes, the history of the first name can have consequences on the way we assume it.
When you assign a name at the birth of your child, you can never predict which ones might lose their appeal. Because it all depends on the news, or the first names worn by personalities and which can, overnight, lower the popularity of the child’s first name. Indeed, we tend to associate a first name with a brand, a star who is in the news and who has the same first name as us or our child. Claire Tabarly Perrin, co-author of the Official Names, explains to the Journal des Femmes the importance of choose a first name that will promote your child’s self-confidence. “A first name must above all have a beautiful story to tell“, she advises. Here are the names that are often heavy to bear and to avoid, and conversely, those to favor.
What are the heavy names to wear and avoid?
The first name Cassandra
In Greek mythology, Cassandra is the daughter of the king of Troy, Priam. Apollo gives him the gift of reading the future in exchange for the promise of belonging to him. Cassandra refuses his advances and in revenge, he decides to curse her, decreeing that her predictions would never be taken seriously. She who saw the future with precision was the only one who could predict misfortunes. Therefore, the first name Cassandra presents two options: “Either we identify her as the one who always announces bad news, or we believe that Cassandre is a whistleblower“, Claire Tabarly Perrin tells us.
The first name Tanguy
As pretty as it is, the first name Tanguy is quickly associated with the film directed by Étienne Chatiliez. Since the release of this French comedy, young people whose first name is Tanguy and who still live with their parents as they approach their thirties may have difficulty accepting this first name of Breton origin.
The first names worn by certain personalities
If the first name Loana is originally very beautiful and laudable, it necessarily refers to the reality TV star who continues to make the news. If you are expecting twins, also avoid the first names Igor and Grichka, given by the Bogdanov brothers.
So, which first names should you choose to boost self-confidence?
First names with a beautiful meaning are perfect for promoting your child’s self-confidence. First names that translate for example as “strong, powerful”, those referring to hope, nature, love, light or the moon make children proud to wear them. Because let’s not forget that throughout our lives, the questions that come up most often are “where does your first name come from?” and “what does your first name mean?”.
Thanks to Claire Tabarly Perrin, co-author of the Official First Names.