Traditional Balearic names are fading away: from a past of Tomeus and Francisques to a present of Sofias and Hugos

PalmNames that for decades had defined the identity of the Balearic Islands—such as Tomeu, Sebastià, Joana, and Francisca—have practically disappeared in recent years. Statistics published by the Balearic Islands Statistics Institute (Ibestat) confirm a profound shift in family preferences, with families increasingly opting for names commonly used in the rest of Spain, such as Sofía, Martina, and Hugo, among others. This change reflects not only the impact of trends and globalization but also a gradual distancing from the traditional repertoire that had once defined the islands. the onomastic landscape of the Islands

When we review the most popular names given by parents from the 1940s to the beginning of this century (according to Ibestat data), the same classic and traditional names always stand out, names we now associate more with older people than with children and young people. For boys, it's now rare to find children named Tomeu, Sebastià, or Bernat, some of the names that topped the charts for over 50 years. As for girls, fewer and fewer families are choosing to name their daughters Francisca, Praxedis, or Joana.

In fact, the vast majority of the most popular names in the Balearic Islands today are more traditional and common in Catalonia or the rest of Spain than in the archipelago. Among these are Emma, ​​Laia, Mia, Sofía, Alma, and Ona... for girls; While among the most popular names for boys are Nilo, Hugo, Lucas, Enzo, Thiago, and Izan.

The naming landscape of the Islands is yet another example of the loss of tradition in the face of globalization and modernity. Just as with gastronomy and popular festivals, the history and tradition of the archipelago are losing ground, and key elements of Balearic culture from 30 or 40 years ago are now relics in the face of new trends.

Despite this shift, one name has been the most popular among parents of boys for the last 20 years: Marc. While the most popular name for girls has changed in recent years (Sofía, Martina, Julia, María...), Marc has been the big winner for boys in the 21st century.

Putting the names of the godparents, a lost tradition

Not only have the most common names changed, but so has the way parents choose their children's names. In the Balearic Islands, for many decades, parents had virtually no say in their child's name. Before the child was born or the mother became pregnant, they already knew what name they would receive: if it was a boy, the name of the paternal godfather; if it was a girl, the name of the paternal godmother. In the case of a second child of the same sex, the process was the same, but with a twist: they were given the names of the maternal godparents.

If a couple had a third child of the same sex, that child would be named after their father, and if they had a fourth, that child would be named after the father's older brother. Thus, it wasn't until the fifth child of the same sex that the parents had the power to decide what name they wanted to give them.

This meant that throughout the 20th century, for both women and men, names were repeated, and the most popular names remained practically the same year after year. Also, in many families there were repeated names up to four or five times, which currently hardly ever happens.