Regional Naming Patterns and the Culture of Honor

Abstract

Throughout American history, violence has been more common in southern and western states than in northern states. Violence continues to be viewed more positively and constructively in these regions. This paper tests whether these regional differences in violent behaviors and attitudes have had linguistic consequences, in particular for name usage. Study 1 shows that place names in the South and West are more likely than place names in the North to begin with violent words like "gun" (e.g., Gun Point, FL) and "war" (e.g., War, WV). Study 2 extends this phenomenon beyond place name "fossils" to contemporary name choices by showing that business names in the South and West are more likely than those in the North to begin with violent words. Implications of these naming patterns for the maintenance of regional differences in violence are discussed.