Melissa Cotter- Humanist Celebrant

Namings

Photo by Victoria Jayne Photography

What is a humanist naming ceremony?

Essentially, it is an occasion to celebrate and mark the naming of a person in a way that is not religious.

Namings are most usually associated with welcoming a child into the world. They are happy, relaxed and personal occasions where family and friends can demonstrate their love and support, also make commitments to the child. Each ceremony is unique and tailored to the family with the child at it’s heart.

The ceremony can be held wherever suits you best; at home, in a hotel, a village hall, a garden, a park, the beach…

As there is no commitment to a religion, the child is able to decide more for themselves as they grow what they do or don’t believe about religion.

A ceremony will usually last around 20 minutes and can include music, readings or poems and maybe a symbolic act such as the planting of a tree.

Although each ceremony is unique, a typical ceremony structure is as follows:

Introductions and welcomes
Reading or poem
Information about the child, their arrival, personality etc
Words about the importance and responsibility of parenting
Parental promises to the child
Reading or poem
Importance of wider family eg. grandparents, cousins etc
Appointment of guideparents
Guideparents promises
Reasons for the choice of name
The naming itself
Concluding words

Other people close to the child can also be involved. Grandparents can make promises to their grandchild. Older siblings can make contributions. Some parents or carers choose to appoint “guideparents” for their child rather in the tradition of “godparents”.

Although we usually associate a naming ceremony with welcoming a new child into the world, a naming ceremony can take many different forms. For as many reasons as a person has to change their name, a naming ceremony can be held to recognise this change. Examples of this might be;

To mark the blending of a new step family
To formally welcome adopted children
To mark a coming of age
To celebrate the transition and re-identifying of transsexual people in a sensitive and open way
Following a divorce for someone who wants to revert to their maiden name

In our ever changing world, a naming ceremony is a modern way of affirming identity.

My fees are £250. (Mileage at 45p per mile for journeys over 20 miles is additional.)

Candle-lighting ritual. Photo by Victoria Jayne Photography