| Abstract: |
To discover what effects the political, religious, social, and economic climate had on naming children, 100 families (representing almost 700 individuals) were interviewed to identify patterns in first names given over three generations. The sample of 100 families includes people from different religious backgrounds and from different parts of Latvia. Native speakers conducted the interviews. Data were analyzed by time period, religious background, linguistic origin of the name, and the name's origin, meaning, and significance. Results indicate that during the Soviet occupation, significantly more names defined as Latvian were chosen. This is interpreted as a demonstration of Latvian patriotism during this troubling period. Appended are male and female names by time period. (Author/MSE) |