Prepared by Violeta Karastateva from Bulgaria and Larisa Voronova from Lithuania

Names are usually taken for granted. People hardly ever think about what is in a name. However, names are meaningful. Very often a whole history can be traced behind them.  Exploring names can lead to interesting discoveries that one would never have thought of.

Thus, names could be an endless source for  investigating  one’s own culture.

By learning from people everybody can extend their heritage awareness.

• Have you ever thought about  the names of the streets, museums, etc. in your  own local area?

• Are they significant in any way?

Ordinary everyday things can sometimes be a starting point for an exciting journey into the past of your town, area, country, etc., which may help you better understand the present and think about the future.

On top of that, developing your observation skills can put you in the shoes of an amateur ethnographer interested in various cultural phenomena.

Names are among the most obvious cultural phenomena.

• First names
• Street names
• Museum Names