Anthroponyms at the crossroads of different cultures

Abstract

Anthroponymy mirrors faithfully the features and core values of people considered as individuals or as ethnic groups sharing common traits. Whether we refer to a religious name chosen for one’s child according to one’s personal beliefs, a foreign, trendy name, or an unusual name which ensures the bearer is easily distinguished, all anthroponyms convey a message. Depending on people’s particular way of perceiving integration in a foreign culture, some may choose to give their children names that are specific to their native culture to perpetuate their tradition; others may wish not to reveal their migrant background by naming their offspring in a way that is characteristic to the host culture. The present approach is both synchronic and diachronic. It follows naming practices in contemporary multicultural communities, at the same time illustrating how names are culturally embedded. The grounds for this perspective are provided by the analysis of a wide corpus of anthroponyms existing in sayings and proverbs pertaining to three different languages and cultures: Romanian, English and Italian.