Fun Facts About Names Day is celebrated on the Monday in the first full week in March — on March 3 this year — and is a fun holiday that gets us thinking about our names. Every name has a meaning or history, and today is a good day to look up the origin and etymology of your name and its historical or religious influences. You might be shocked or highly amused at what you find. To learn more about this day, follow us on this fact-finding journey.
History of Fun Facts About Names Day
Many names date back to ancient times to the extent that most cannot be traced to their origin. As far as oral traditions go, people have always had names, often with a descriptive meaning and passed down by a group of people rather than inventing new ones. Due to the evolution of language, the origin of certain names cannot be traced, or the spellings differ, but the meaning remains the same.
Surnames developed from bynames, secondary names used to differentiate between two people who had the same name. These were often given to a particular man, who passed them down to his son. Specific types of surnames either refer to the mother or father, the person’s origin, a descriptive name such as a nickname, or words formed from an occupation, office, or the status of the family.
Fun Facts About Names Day marks the beginning of Celebrate Your Name Week and was established in 1997 by Jerry Hill, an onomatology hobbyist. As a man passionate about onomastics — the study or science of the origin, forms, and use of words mainly for proper names of places or people — he created the day to share his interest with others. The other days in the Celebrate Your Name week are Namesake Day, Discover What Your Name Means Day, Nametag Day, Middle Name Pride Day, and Descendants Day.
Fun Facts About Names Day timeline
According to Judeo-Christian history, the first names on Earth are given to Adam and then to Eve after creation.
A regulation is passed that the Roman Catholic priest baptizing a child must give the child the name of a Catholic saint.
A law is passed to restrict the freedom of naming and names are limited to names of people from history and in various calendars.
A committee is formed to decide whether new names are acceptable in Iceland.
Fun Facts About Names Day FAQs
What is the oldest recorded name?
The first documentation of a named person in writing is Kushim found on the Kushim tablet during the Uruk period on a clay tablet used to keep the records of transactions of barley.
What is the oldest girl's name?
The earliest recorded woman’s name in history is Neithhotep and her name was recorded between 3150 and 3125 B.C.
What is the oldest name still used?
The oldest name that is still common is the biblical name, Adam.
Fun Facts About Names Day Activities
Search names of celebrities
Search for the names of your favorite celebrities and find out their real names. While some famous people are fortunate to have very cool names from birth, other celebrities use stage names, nicknames, or form memorable monikers to distinguish them from others.
Ask for the meaning of your name
Ask your parents or grandparents for the meaning of your name. Often, your name will be significant to them whether to mark a special event or was passed down from a loved one. Take a glimpse into your past.
Play a name game
You can find out all the words or phrases your name can make when the letters are rearranged. You can also do this with the names of other people or their pets.
5 Fascinating Names Facts
Jesus has no last name
Jesus does not have a last name; Christ is a title that means ‘anointed’ or ‘messiah.’
The longest name in the world
The longest name in the world is 747 characters belonging to Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdoff Sr. and is Adolf Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdoffwelchevoralternwarengewissenhaftschaferswessenschafewarrenwohlegepflegeundsorgfaltigkeitbeschutzenvonangreifendurchihrraubgierigfeindewelchevoralternzwolftausendjahresvorandieerscheinenvanderersteerdemenschderraumschiffgebrauchlichtalsseinursprungvonkraftgestartseinlangefahrthinzwischensternartigraumaufdersuchenachdiesternwelchegehabtbewohnbarplanetenkreisedrehensichundwohinderneurassevonverstandigmenschlichkeitonntefortptflanzenundsicherfreuenanlebenslanglichfreudeundruhemitnichteinfurchtvorangreifenvonandererintelligentgeschopfsvonhinzwischensternartigraum.
Santa has a brother
Santa Claus’s brother is named Bells Nichols.
Dorothy’s last name
Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” has a last name and it is Gale.
Tom Cruise’s name
Tom Cruise’s name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.
Why We Love Fun Facts About Names Day
It’s a day to learn about our names
It is a day for us to learn more about our names and the names of those around us. We celebrate the rich history of our names and gain more knowledge about the significance of our names.
It’s a shared history
Look up celebrities or well-known people who share the same name as you, read up on their history, and find out more about their remarkable stories. You can discover you have other things in common besides sharing a name.
It’s a day to learn about other names
Beyond the names we know and have heard of, we can discover more about other cultural names and their meanings. We can also get a glimpse into their family or cultural history.
Fun Facts About Names Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | March 7 | Monday |
| 2023 | March 6 | Monday |
| 2024 | March 4 | Monday |
| 2025 | March 3 | Monday |
| 2026 | March 2 | Monday |
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