Babies named for fathers, not mothers, reflect US cultural ideologies

From Cal Ripkin, Jr., to Robert Downey, Jr., finding men named after their fathers -- with so-called patronyms -- is easy. But what about matronymns -- names for a mother or grandmother? New research shows that matronymns are rare and that family naming trends follow a regional pattern in the United States: people in states that place higher emphasis on honor are more likely to use patronyms, especially in the face of a terrorist threat.

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