Whats In A Name

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

WHAT IS IN A NAME? 

By Caroline McGuire

Of three names chosen for the new royal baby, Elizabeth is likely to rouse the least surprise.

While Charlotte – a nod to the princess's paternal grandfather Princes Charles - and Diana is the name of her late paternal grandmother, Elizabeth is a safe and more traditional title.

Naming children after their grandparents or great grandparents is customary in numerous cultures around the world.

In Judaism, there are specific rules that surround the tradition, depending on what part of the world the family is from.

Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe like a new-born to be named after a relative that has recently passed away, whereas Jews from the Middle East can be named after a grandparent who is still alive.

For families from certain parts of India it would actually be considered disrespectful to name a child after a grandparent who was still alive.

Many nationalities follow in the tradition of the Greeks, which suggests the eldest daughter is named after the paternal grandmother and the second daughter is named after the maternal grandfather.

The Scots take this one step further, with a third son being named after the father and a third daughter given their mother's name.

Although William and Kate are very modern parents, with a hands-on approach, they have swerved the recent habit of many parents for modernising a grandparent's name.

For instance, they could have changed Elizabeth to something like Elisabeth, Eliza, Betty, Betsy, Beth, Bessie, Elspeth or Elsie.