Uncommon personal names have become increasingly popular in many countries and cultures over the past decades. However, little is known about the causes. We propose that the emphasis on uniqueness, manifested both as a cultural value at the macro level and as an individual need at the micro level, may account for the widely observed increase in unique-naming practices. We tested these hypotheses in China. Study 1 found that the increasing cultural emphasis on uniqueness (rather than on independence or competition), as a Granger cause, explained the increasing name uniqueness. Study 2 revealed that the increasing individual need for uniqueness (rather than narcissism or self-esteem) explained the higher preference for unique baby names among younger than older generations. Study 3 showed that, in actual naming practices, younger parents emphasized name uniqueness (rather than modernity, positivity, or other features) more than older cohorts. These findings convergently support our hypotheses, highlighting the importance of identifying specific mechanisms underlying psychological and behavioral changes, rather than assuming the rising individualism as a general explanation.

近几十年来,全球多个国家均出现名字独特性上升的现象,但具体的变化原因尚不清楚。本研究提出,宏观水平的独特性文化价值观上升和微观水平的独特性心理需要上升可以解释独特起名行为的增加,并以中国为例进行实证检验。研究1发现,强调独特性的文化价值观(而非强调独立或竞争的价值观)的上升可以解释名字独特性的上升,在时间序列上是其变化的格兰杰原因。研究2发现,独特性需要(而非自恋或自尊)的增长可以解释年轻(相比于年长)个体在起名任务中对独特名字的偏好。研究3发现,在真实起名过程中,年轻(相比于年长)父母更多强调孩子名字的独特性(而非现代性、积极性或其他特征)。综上,日益增长的独特性追求(而非个人主义的其他维度或相关特征)是独特名字逐渐兴起的特定原因,这启示未来研究应关注并检验心理与行为变迁的具体机制。

国家社会科学基金重大项目“中国社会变迁过程中的文化与心理变化”(17ZDA324)