Celebrate Your Name Week takes place during the first full week of March. It will be celebrate from March 1 to 7 this year. Celebrate Your Name Week has been celebrated annually since 1997. It is a time to show appreciation for our names and find out more about them. We all have names and they are a vital part of our roots. Have fun during Celebrate Your Name Week by learning all you can about names; their meaning and their origin.
History of Celebrate Your Name Week
In 1997, Celebrate Your Name Week was created by Jerry Hill, an American onomatology enthusiast. Hill declared the first week in March as a time for people around the globe to celebrate and embrace their names. The observance aims to shed light on the beauty and traditional values of names.
During his childhood, Hill found out about the death of a child in his hometown who happened to be named Jerry Hill as well. This among other occurrences made Hill turn towards the mysteries of naming and his interest grew over the years. Hill found an outlet for his curiosity in names by creating a website called Jerry Hill Presents Names (J.H.P.N). The website became very popular and was soon accepted by the Public Broadcasting Service.
J.H.P.N.’s popularity meant the website had to expand multiple times to accommodate the heavy bandwidth. The website and its vision encouraged Hill to create Celebrate Your Name Week. The celebration is included in the yearly international publication of Chase’s Calendar of Annual Events.
Celebrate Your Name Week is full of fun name-related activities for everyone. People can participate in several events, activities, and hobbies geared towards enlightenment and entertainment. It is a wonderful time to delve deep into the mysteries behind names and unearth a genuine appreciation for them. Celebrate Your Name Week has several components for each day of celebration which are: Namesake Day, Name Tag Day, Unique Names Day, Name Fun Facts Day, Learn What Your Name Means Day, Genealogy Day, and Middle Name Pride Day.
Celebrate Your Name Week timeline
The Council of Trent decides that Roman Catholic Priests presiding over baptisms must give children the names of Catholic Saints.
The French Revolution inspires total freedom in naming.
France passes a law against giving names of renowned persons from ancient history and names from several calendars.
The Windsor name is finally accepted by the British royal family.
Celebrate Your Name Week FAQs
How are Greek name days celebrated?
In Greece, name days are prioritized over birthdays. To celebrate, a feast is prepared for everyone who wants to join the celebration. Friends, relatives, and neighbors can walk in and enjoy the open house without an invitation.
What are fake names?
A fictitious or false name adopted by anyone is known as a pseudonym, although it is especially used by authors. When authors use pseudonyms, it’s also called a nom de plume or a pen name.
When is Name Day in Finland?
Finns mark name days according to dates on the Almanakkatoimisto (University of Helsinki Almanac Office) calendar. Every day is a name day except February 29, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Celebrate Your Name Week Activities
Learn the origin
So many people have no idea what their names mean or where they come from. Celebrate Your Name Week is an opportunity to go beyond the surface and learn more about your name.
Look for namesakes
You will be surprised how many people around the world share the same name with you. You might even find a few close to you if you look hard enough.
Collect weird names
It’s no secret that there are some weird names out there. You can become a collector and make a list to learn more about names with friends.
5 Facts About Names That Will Blow Your Mind
Donald ‘Fauntleroy’ Duck
Fauntleroy is Donald Duck’s middle name.
Real-life inspiration
Granny Smith apples are named after a real person Maria Ann Smith.
Jake the menace
The man in the jail on Monopoly Boards is named ‘Jake the Jailbird.’
Ken Carson
Carson is the last name of Barbie’s boyfriend Ken.
Shocker
Paige is the middle name of famous actor Matt Damon.
Why We Love Celebrate Your Name Week
We get to learn
Celebrate Your Name Week encourages everyone to learn more about their names. We get to hear firsthand stories from parents about the real inspirations behind our given names.
We get to celebrate ourselves
Any time spent appreciating yourself is never a waste. Celebrate Your Name Week fosters confidence and acceptance through the power of names and the strong meaning they carry.
Participate in a name-related activity
Each day of Celebrate Your Name Week has activities you can engage in to celebrate. Have fun joining activities such as Namesake Day, Name Tag Day, Unique Names Day, and Name Fun Facts Day.
Celebrate Your Name Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | March 3–9 | Sunday–Saturday |
| 2025 | March 2–8 | Sunday–Saturday |
| 2026 | March 1–7 | Sunday–Saturday |
