Namesakes: The Experience of Sharing One's Full Name with a Celebrity. (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ephratt, Michal
• Is Part Of: Names. Volume 65:Number 2(2017)
• Page Start: 88
• Page End: 103
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: namesake -- given name -- celebrity -- Israel -- Hebrew -- identity; Onomastics -- Periodicals; Names -- Periodicals; 929.9705
• DOI: 10.1080/00277738.2017.1304098
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0027-7738

Abstract

Abstract : The study investigates the relationships, attitudes, and emotions about oneself, one's identity, singularity, and relatedness as they emerge from qualitative, in-depth interviews with Israelis who happen to share the same given name and surname of famous Israelis. Analyzing their experiences resulted in three core themes organized along two axes: a substantive axis covering identity and namesake and an instrumental axis related to non-typical functions of the name as well as intersubjective management and onomastic strategies. These two axes, highlighted through namesakes, intersect in the real-life experiences of the interviewees, helping to inform a theory of personal names.