What's in a Name?
Your name is very important. When you think of yourself, you probably think of your name first.
Right now, the two most popular names for babies in the United States are "Jacob" for boys and "Emily" for girls. And why are some names unpopular?
Names can become popular because of famous actors, TV or book heroes, or top players. Popular names mean very positive（积极的）things. Unpopular names mean negative（消极的）things. Here are some common opinions about names from a recent survey.
| Boys' names George: average, boring Jacob: creative, friendly Michael：good﹣looking，athletic Stanley: out of date, serious | Girls' names Betty: old﹣fashioned average Emily: independent, adventurous Jane: common, ordinary Nicole: beautiful, intelligent |
The biggest reason is tradition. They have no choice. Many people are named after a family member.
A name that is unpopular now might become popular in the future. That's good news for all the Georges and Betty's out there.
| A. Chinese names are different from English names. B. Of course, opinions can change over time. C. Surprisingly, people usually have similar opinions about names. D. Why are these names popular? E. Because it is an important part of your identity（身份）. F. So why do parents give their children unpopular names? |
