The Danes took greater advantage of the opportunity to change their first names last year than has been the case before.
In 2020, 29 percent more people changed their first name compared to the average for the period 2015-2019. This is shown by figures from Statistics Denmark (DST).
There was a clear increase after corona restrictions were introduced in the community. Especially in June, July, October, November and December last year, DST has registered an increase.
– Why the shutdown has apparently affected the number of first name changes can only be speculated. But since the trend in 2020 was so marked, we have chosen to include the statement in this publication, writes DST.
Birgit Eggert, a name researcher at the University of Copenhagen, calls the development striking.
– It is both a marked and striking development, but in relation to the causal connection, I can not conclude anything, she says.
The oncologist, however, notes that the increase differs from the general development.
– The general trend shows that there has been a small increase in the last ten years, but it is not something in relation to this development, she says, referring to the latest figures.
DST states that the number of name changes saw an increase back in 2006 and 2007, which “probably was due to the introduction of a new name law”.
– A similar change in 2020, which could explain the increase, we are not aware of, it is reported.
A total of 5932 people changed their first name in 2020. The average for the period 2015-2019 was around 4600 first name changes per year.
If you compare with the period 2010-2014, there were about 3750 shifts a year, the figures from DST show.
The picture also shows that the majority of first name changes occur in women. In 2020, women accounted for 3827 out of the 5932 shifts.
Source: The Nordic Page