Significance of personal name.

Finding an appropriate name for a child is one of the first tasks new parents assume. For some, the effort begins well before the child is born. Other parents decide on a name after birth, when they have an impression of the child. Some names are dictated by family tradition, such as taking on the name of a parent or other relative. A name may also be given according to some circumstance surrounding the birth, as when a child is named after a season or month of the year or after the doctor performing the delivery. Names can be dictated by fashion, some parents may name their children after their favorite movie and television stars.

In the early 1900s, Agnes and Charles were among the most popular names for babies. As of the mid-1990s, the names in the accompanying...