ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses whether previously foreign names gained in popularity following the loosening of traditional ties and whether processes of globalization and transnationalization have played a role. It shows that one can work with both theories of the globalization of daily life, but that one must specify their theoretical content and their explanatory relevance. The chapter looks at the extent to which a transnationalization of first names has taken place and aims to locate the reasons for this. It also analyses why certain foreign names should have enjoyed such success in Germany and why other names have not been as successful. The percentage of non-German and non-Christian names remained consistently low from the sixteenth century to the second half of the twentieth. The term transnationalization leaves open the question as to the specific cultural origin of the names parents chose for their children. Parents chose names from those cultures that enjoyed prestigious standing in German society.
