According to a new doctoral thesis, what you name your children may very well decide their future. Emilia Aldrin asked 600 parents in Göteborg to answer some questions; she also conducted in-depth interviews with 20 of them.
Vilda and Lyon, for instance, are names given to babies in the hopes that they become internationally known artists. William is a name for a future CEO or lawyer.
“The names the parents chose say something about the parents themselves and their values, but it also says something about what sort of future they want for their children,” explains Aldrin.
Other examples: Those parents who name their daughters Kira, do so to break traditional gender norms. “They want something strong, not a traditionally cute girl’s name.” Avoided names differ from one social group to another. Some parents wouldn’t consider English-sounding names like Noel or Kevin; others want to avoid “old” or “boring” names.