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What's in a name? Information structure parallels discovered across cultures—with repercussions for Asian names
- February 10, 2026 at 10:10 PM
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First names in Western countries today are more diverse than they were before early modern states evolved. This difference started to emerge in the 17th century in response to a change that took place in the naming system in large parts of Europe and the English-speaking world. Societies moved away from attributive last names—based on occupation or appearance like John (the) Short—to inherited surnames.
Originally published at Phys.org