新父母经常花很长时间讨论如何称呼他们的新生儿。他们应该以亲戚、名人的名字命名，还是随便取一个名字？对我们许多人来说，这可能是一项艰巨的任务，但我们的孩子需要接受我们的选择。那么，你选择的名字有多重要？

名字通常伴随我们一生，除非我们决定改变它们。它们成为我们身份的一部分。我们经常听到名人给他们的孩子取不寻常的名字，而其他人给他们的孩子取有特殊含义的名字，例如，Sarah这个名字来自一个希伯来语单词，意思是“公主”。不幸的是，我们的父母并不总是正确的。

那么，如果你不喜欢你的名字呢？心理学家让·特温奇（Jean Twenge）领导的一项研究发现，讨厌别人给他们起的绰号的人更有可能有更大的心理适应问题——可能是因为自尊心差。这是因为我们的头衔成为了我们自我的象征，如果我们厌恶自己的名字，我们的信心可能会受到影响。

如果你的名字不再流行怎么办？虽然像埃塞尔和格拉迪斯这样的名字曾经很流行，但现在听起来有点过时了，这可能会让人尴尬。当提到不受欢迎的名字，而这些名字并不流行时，它们甚至可能会影响我们的爱情生活。研究表明，名字过时的人更容易在相亲应用程序中被拒绝。

然而，如果你选择了一个不寻常的名字，这并不都是坏消息。朱大卫教授进行的一项研究表明，名字不常见的人会产生独特感，往往会变得更具创造性和开放性。

所以，当你选择你的孩子的名字时，有一些很重要的事情要考虑——但是去追求一些过于普通或过于陈旧的东西可能不是一个好的选择。如果你的孩子讨厌你的选择，他们可以选择一个昵称。

New parents often spend a long time debating what to call their newborn. Should they name them after a relative, a famous person or just pick a name at random? For many of us it can be quite the gruelling task, but it’s our children who need to live with our choice. So, how important is the name you choose?

Names usually stay with us for a lifetime, unless we decide to change them. They become part of our identity. Quite often we hear stories of celebrities giving their children unusual names, while other people give their children names which have special meanings, for example, the name Sarah comes from a Hebrew word meaning ‘princess’. Sadly, though, our parents don’t always get it right.

So, what if you don’t like your given name? A study led by psychologist Jean Twenge found that a person who hates the moniker given to them is more likely to have greater psychological adjustment issues – possibly due to low self-esteem. This is because our title becomes a symbol of our self, and if we loathe our name, our confidence may be affected.

And what if your name is no longer popular? While names like Ethel and Gladys were once in fashion, they now sound a bit out of date, which can be embarrassing. And when it comes to unpopular names which aren’t trending, they may even affect our love lives. Studies have shown that people with old-fashioned names are more likely to be rejected on dating apps.

However, if you choose an unusual name, it’s not all bad news. According to a study conducted by Professor David Zhu, people with uncommon names can develop a sense of uniqueness and can often become more creative and open-minded.

So, when choosing your offspring’s name, there are a fair few things to consider – but going for something too common or too old-fashioned may not be a great choice. And, if your children hate your choice, they can select a nickname.

笔记:

1. moniker / ˈmɒnɪkə(r) ; NAmE ˈmɑːnɪkər /名字，绰号

◆That's how I got my moniker, the Halloween Queen.

这就是我的绰号“万圣节女王”的由来。

2. loathe / ləʊð /

loathe sb/sth | loathe doing sth

to dislike sb/sth very much 极不喜欢；厌恶

SYN detest，hate

◆ I loathe modern art. 我很不喜欢现代艺术。

◆ They loathe each other. 他们相互讨厌对方。

3. due to sth/sb caused by sb/sth; because of sb/sth 由于；因为

◆ The team's success was largely due to her efforts. 这个队的成功主要是她努力的结果。

due

arranged or expected 预定；预期；预计

◆ When's the baby due? 宝宝什么时候出世？

◆ Rose is due to start school in January. 罗斯一月份就要开始上学了。

due(to sb) owe to sb as a debt, because it is their right or because they have done sth to deserve it 应支付；应给予；应归于

◆ Have they been paid the money that is due to them? 他们应得的钱付给他们了吗？

◆ Our thanks are due to the whole team. 我们要向全队致谢。

4. esteem / ɪˈstiːm / great respect and admiration; a good opinion of sb 尊重；敬重；好评

◆ She is held in high esteem by her colleagues. 她深受同事们的敬重。

◆ to have high/low self-esteem 自尊心强╱弱

◆ You need to build your self-esteem. 你需要树立自尊心。

◆ˌself-eˈsteem a feeling of being happy with your own character and abilities 自尊（心）

5. gruelling ( especially BrE) ( NAmE usually gruel·ing ) / ˈɡruːəlɪŋ / very difficult and tiring, needing great effort for a long time 使人筋疲力尽的；折磨人的

◆ a gruelling journey/schedule 使人筋疲力尽的旅程；累人的日程

◆ I've had a gruelling day. 我一天下来累得筋疲力尽。