The naming of a newborn for a deceased relative is a means by which a meaningful connection can be maintained with the dead. This study analyses the birth, marriage and death records of England and Wales to highlight a historic naming custom–that should a child die shortly after birth, their name could often be re-used for a later sibling.

This re-use of names in response to child bereavement is considered in the context of historic and cross-cultural naming customs offering pragmatic responses to infant mortality, such as apotropaic (protective) naming, and within the theoretical framework of ‘continuing bonds’, whereby namesakes can facilitate a post-mortem social life for the deceased. By considering the intricate relationship between one’s name and one’s personhood, the re-use of a name in full, shortly after death, could be interpreted as the symbolic reincarnation of an individual, rather than simply as a commemorative act.

为已故亲戚命名新生儿是一种可以与死者保持有意义联系的方式。这项研究分析了英格兰和威尔士的出生，婚姻和死亡记录，以突出历史性的命名习惯-如果孩子出生后不久死亡，他们的名字经常可以被以后的兄弟姐妹重用。

在历史和跨文化命名习惯的背景下，考虑了对姓氏的重新使用以应对儿童的丧亲，这种习俗对婴儿死亡率提供了实用的回应，例如全能（保护性）命名，并且在“持续联系”的理论框架内，这样，同名可以促进死者的事后社交生活。通过考虑一个人的名字和一个人的身份之间的复杂关系，在死后不久重新使用一个完整的名字可以被解释为一个人的象征性转世，而不仅仅是一种纪念活动。