How are wizards named? (was I don't get it)

[Stephanie Roark Keener]

No: HPFGUIDX 20211

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., rja.carnegie at e... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Vicky Ra" <andromache815 at h...> wrote:
> > Barbara: Of course, he received his name at birth and was then 
bitten by a
> > werewolf as a child.  Perhaps his parents should have thought 
better of the
> > name they gave him.
> > If ever someone's destiny were in his name...
> > 

And then Barbara wrote:
> > I've noticed that names often reflect the personalities of their 
owners.
> > Could it be that wizarding parents name their children when they 
have a
> > better idea of the child's personality? I know Voldy was named 
right away,
> > but his mother was dying. But then, there's the problem of what 
to call
> > children if they are babies, if they don't have a permanent name 
till
> > childhood. This question comes to mind because I hear Native 
Americans do
> > that. Children are given temporary names until more of their 
character is
> > known, so they get a fitting name. Actually, I'm not sure if this 
is still
> > practiced. I know it *was* a century or two ago.

ANd then Robert wrote:
> 
> Someone told me there were 500 "nations" of Native Americans
> with, presumably, various customs.  Isn't there some business
> of being crucified with hooks - 
> 
<snip point about not all wizard names mean something>
 
> Remus Lupin may, indeed, be from another country and another
> culture, where wizard children's names are more meaningful.
> Only Hogwarts in Britain, under Dumbledore, would have him.


Naming of children once they reach the age of five or six is common 
throughout the world, especially in tribal societies.  In fact, it's 
not unusal for a person to have three or more names during their 
lifetime.  A sort of generic nickname which people call babies, then 
a childhood name, and yet another name once ceremonial adulthood is 
reached.  One theory regarding why parents don't name their children 
unitl later, and one which has practical merit, is that infant 
mortality rates are so high, it's better to wait to "name" a child 
unitl you're fairly sure that the child is going to reach adulthood --
 emotional attachments are kept to a minimum if you're caring for 
nameless "Baby Girl-y" insted of your mother's namesake.  (And 
please, anthropologists on the list, lets not get into the merits -- 
or lack there of -- of structural-functionalism here...).   

OK, back on point.  It could be the case that Lupin's parents are 
following some ethnic custom.  But, at the same time, Sirius Black is 
a big black dog, and I doubt his parents re-named him once they found 
out he is a big black dog -- especially since only a handful of 
people know that he is a big black dog.  I have always assumed that 
until Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore find out in PoA, and then 
people present in the hospital wind at the end of GoF (Rita Skeeter --
 that Cow!) find out -- then then James, Sirius, Peter and Lupin (and 
maybe Lily) are the only ones who know.  I'm more inclined to believe 
that Wizards name (aside from the obvious point that they're just a 
plot device) their children with the benefit of 1) a sense of humor 
and 2) maybe just a little bit of Seer knowledge about their 
children.  

Stephanie