Sign Language: Name Signs

Acquisition and Social Significance of Name Signs

Having a name sign indexes membership in a Deaf social network. Traditionally, and commonly, name signs are bestowed among Deaf students, but also potentially in a Deaf family or an adult community. Receiving a name sign is a milestone in establishing a recognized identity among Deaf peers.

Norms for bestowing name signs vary slightly across cultures. For example, in North American Deaf culture, Deaf parents generally select name signs for their own children at an early age, whereas in many other countries, it is more common for name signs to be bestowed later by Deaf peers in a school or community context, even if the family uses sign language. Like epithets coined by children generally, childhood name signs spring from close observation of personal characteristics, or may play teasingly on a proper name. Some may appear insulting to adults; however, communities and individuals vary in their acceptance of such name signs. They are considered unremarkable in many Deaf cultural contexts, and less desirable in others.

The permanence of name signs varies. In Palestine and China, for instance, retaining a consistent name sign throughout life is typical, whereas Deaf people in other countries may have several names signs during their lifetimes. New name signs may be prompted by a change in appearance, relationships (e.g., marriage for women), or interaction in a new social context through a work role or relocation. Although name signs are typically given rather than assumed, in many communities it is acceptable for an adult with an unwanted name sign to initiate a change, with the collaboration of friends.

People who are not deaf but have regular interaction with Deaf people, such as the offspring of Deaf parents, interpreters, and school staff members, are also given name signs. Prominent public figures and known hearing individuals in roles of authority may be referred to within a national Deaf community by a name sign, often incorporating subversive humor about a characteristic of their appearance or reputation.

Name signs are not always unique to the bearer. In an arbitrary system, a set of conventional forms is applied to multiple individuals, although identical names within a local network are avoided. In numerous sign languages, a name sign can be transferred from a Deaf person of the same given name, usually of a previous generation, but rarely within families. Such inherited name signs acquire a fixed association with a particular name and form a recurring set within a language. Their etymology may become opaque over time.

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