Identifying Metaphor Exercise: Baby Names

We have several approaches to naming our children. Sometimes we name after our relatives or heroes, sometimes we like the sound the name makes, or maybe we give the child a name from our religion. However, at times we are making a description of the child through metaphor. For example, though Tiger Woods was not born a Tiger, his name instantly spells out a personality through metaphor. Such is the role of metaphor in the baby-naming process.

Most of these names will describe the child as having the qualities of beauty, power or preciousness. Some, through a coincidence of language, may seem like descriptions but have no connection in meaning. To differentiate, one may look to the second meaning the name has, and see if it is a strongly positive metaphorical description of a person, and if so, it is likely a metaphor for that very purpose.

This simple lesson provides a list of both girl's and boy's baby names that are also words, along with definitions the word also has. The student is to look at the definition and evaluate whether the word was chosen to describe the child, or if it is probably not a metaphor. The student will be challenged in the following ways:

• recognizing metaphor in a typical setting.

• expanding on the meaning of a given metaphor.

• exploring cultural differences in values, and its impact on naming.

• differentiate between descriptions of personality, appearance and worth.

• use the Internet as a research tool.

The questions below can be led by the instructor or issued as a handout. For an advertising-free text version of the full list of names, please contact the author.

1) Pick ten names at random from the List of Baby Names That Are Also Words (a page will open in a new window). Determine whether the meaning of the word would be be a positive description of a child's personality, appearance or worth.

2) For each name that you determine is a metaphor, explain how this metaphor describes a personality, appearance or worth.

3) Choose one name from the list that would describe the child in a positive way in our culture, but maybe not in another culture. Explain why.

4) How many children in your classroom have names that are also words? How many of these names are metaphors being used to describe the child's personality, appearance or worth?

5) Find three names from the list that could be used to describe yourself or how you would like to be.

Copyright John D. Casnig. Permitted use only.