Names often indicate someone's belonging to certain ethnic groups. When immigrant parents choose a first name for their child that is common in their host society, they show a high degree of acculturation. In contrast, selecting a name common only in their country of origin indicates ethnic maintenance. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel we analyze the choice of names for migrants from three different countries of origin (e. g. South Western Europe, Former Yugoslavia, and Turkey); in addition, we try to explain differences in the level of acculturation in terms of name giving. We can show that Turkish immigrants are much less likely to choose German names for their children than immigrants from Former Yugoslavia and from South Western Europe. Acculturation in terms of name giving depends on the cultural distance (religion and language) between the country of origin and the host society, the parents' sociostructural integration in terms of education and citizenship, and interethnic networks.

Migration Integration Assimilation First names Acculturation

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