Minority language naming patterns in the 20th century: a socio-onomastic comparative study of Scotland and the Basque Country
This article looks at the evolution of minority language first names in Scotland and the Basque Country in the 1930- 2010 and asks the question: how, if in any way, do these names relate to subnational forms of identification? I present their evolution and then discuss the results through 3 axes: historical developments, gender, and globalisation. Minority names seem to be susceptible to historical events concerning subnational identifications, rising when these identities are at risk or socially relevant, and decreasing when onomastic law is manipulated to the detriment of said identities. Whilst men bear most Gaelic names, it is women who bear the most Basque names; however, in both cases, they evolve in a joint manner, pointing at the minority name stock being understood to be separate from the majority by society. Further, the influx of new names brought in by globalisation (both through media and through migration movements) lowers the amount of minority language names, perhaps indicating that their socially precarious status makes them uniquely at risk in the face of name stock expansion. Keywords: Socio-onomastics. First names. Minority languages. National identity. Onomastic policies.