A name stays with a person from birth and even after a person dies, and no matter what part of the world an individual comes from, a name is what makes each person unique and gives a person his or her identity. Today it's not that difficult to guess the race, the country and also the religion a person comes from by the name of a person. In fact naming a new born is an important part of many cultures the world over, and depending on which part of the world a person is from, there are elaborate naming ceremonies that take place after the birth of a child.



The most popular name in the world is Mohammad (the name of the prophet of the Muslim religion); irrespective of the religion there is a name that is just right for your new born baby, if you are looking for some insight into names all over the world then read on. The object of this article is to act as bit of a history lesson mixed with advice on naming your child irrespective of what part of the world you are from.

Popular Christian Names

Popular Christian names are usually derived from biblical names, what is amazing is that even misspelled names from the bible are now in use, for example Oprah Winfrey the celebrated talk show hostess, was actually to be christened Orpah after a personality in the bible. However not just misspelled names but even famous people from the bible are common names, one of the most popular Latin American names being Jesus (Pronounced Hesus, as the ?J? is usually silent in Latin American pronunciation) is also from the Bible.

Scandinavian names stand out in being unique as they usually have first or last names ending with ?son?, example being popular soccer player Henrik Larsson. Scandinavian names though are believed to be derived from Old Norse Mythology. Similarly French names too have their distinctive origin, although many names overlap but their pronunciation (just like the Latin American pronunciation for Jesus) vary, for example the name Henry would be pronounced ?Onree?. Irrespective of the country of origin there are some very popular Christian names that are present all over the world. Some examples of common Christian names are John (also from the Bible), Eric, and Peter etc.

If you are looking for a Christian name for your child the first place to start without a doubt would be the Bible, many people have a misconception that the Bible is filled with old fashioned or archaic names, this is not true. The bible has been a source of inspiration for people the world over, and there is no such thing as an old fashioned name from the Bible. In addition if you feel that you need to expand your search and want names from other cultures, then websites like www.girlandboybabynames.com are a good place to start your search for a name for you new born. Another great place to source baby names is friends, talk to your friends and they will come up with some really beautiful and interesting names for your new born, remember it does not matter what culture the name comes from as long as it sounds right to you.

Things to remember when choosing a baby name

The first thing to remember while choosing a baby name is that there is no such thing as an old fashioned name. No matter how old the source of the name there are probably newer ?modernized? versions of the name being used. Also if you are choosing a name that is cross culture, and is not from the same culture as the baby, then make sure you look up the meaning of the name, there is no point in giving your child a name that might be considered offensive or worse funny by people of some other culture. Eventually choosing a name for your baby is a special event, and you should make sure you have given full thought to the name you are giving your new born.