Paper long abstract:

In this paper I propose to explore the category of "personal name" by means of a comparison of my own ethnographic material on names in Portuguese with other instances of naming. It will be argued that the vast ethnographic register that we presently possess suggests that the anthropological category "personal name" describes a disposition of human thought and action that, whilst it might vary widely, is a universal proclivity to the extent that it is probable, frequent, spontaneous, and there seems to be an inclination for it. It is an intermediate category to the extent that it depends on two notions which are far more abstract and general - person and name.