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| What's in a Name? |
| The results are in. The following statistics and comments reflect your survey responses |
| LaKeisha |
| Marie |
| Antonio |
| DeShaun |
| Jenny |
| Jacob |
| Mia |
| Madison |
| Curtis |
| Elizabeth |
| Ariel |
| Marcus |
| Levi |
| Shannon |
| Alexis |
| Kobe |
| Terrence |
| Felicity |
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| 20% of Black families since 1974 have given their children names that are distinctly African-American. These are names like Tameka and DeShaun. 15% of Black families since the early 1960's have given their children names that are distinctly African. These are names like Kwame and Mukkarah. |
| Powerful Reasons for Name Selection: "1970 was after the deaths of Martin and Malcolm. Time for a warrior like Joshua to get us into the Promised Land." "I firmly believe that when you call someone's name, you are reaffirming what that name means and speaking it into that person's life" "This is an African name, which has meaning and defines the path she should follow. African children (those born of Africa anywhere, including Africans in America) should have African names which have meaning." "I wanted to give my daughters classic, traditional names. I felt ethnic sounding names would be used to eliminate then from consideration for college and jobs." |
| The most common reason for name choice was family. Family names were chosen 27% of the time for both first and second born children. The number decreased to 17% for third born children. Religion and Ethnicity were reflected equally in the statistics. As often a parent chose a name that reflected both. Interestingly these (individually) were each the reason of name choice for 9% of first born children; 11% of second born children; and 13% of third born. Suggesting perhaps in part a change in values as parents grow older. Popular names those reflected from movie stars and sports figures were only very rarely chosen by African-American parents representing less that 1% of the sample. |