Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41853973›Full record

ArticleFamily process2026

Commemorative Naming, Intergenerational Legacy, and Continuing Bonds: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study of Being a Living Commemoration.

S Shorer, M Mahat-Shamir

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Family process, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

S ShorerFaculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
M Mahat-ShamirSchool of Social Work, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Commemorative naming-naming a child after a deceased family member-is a culturally rooted practice with profound emotional and relational implications. Although previous research has explored naming traditions from sociological and cultural angles, little attention has been given to the psychological experience of those who carry such names. This qualitative study examined the lived experiences of 14 Israeli adults named after deceased relatives, using interpretative phenomenological analysis to uncover personal and intergenerational meanings embedded in this practice. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling and completed in-depth interviews that revealed two central themes: (a) the continuum between identification and detachment in relation to the commemorative name and (b) how naming operates as both social compliance and an enduring emotional connection with the deceased. The findings illustrate the dynamic tension between honoring family legacy and negotiating personal autonomy. Participants described feelings of pride, duty, emotional burden, and identity conflict. Grounded in contextual family theory and the concept of continuing bonds, the analysis highlights how commemorative naming functions as both a vehicle for familial resilience and a source of psychological strain. These insights offer valuable implications for clinical practice. Therapists and family practitioners should consider naming histories as a meaningful part of family narratives, especially in contexts of grief, legacy, and relational ethics. Raising awareness of the emotional weight of commemorative names may support families in making more intentional, ethically sensitive naming decisions that consider the impact on future generations.

Indexed as

FamilyIntergenerational RelationsObject AttachmentAdultEmotionsFemaleGriefHumansIsraelMaleMiddle AgedNamesQualitative Researchcontextual theorycontinuing bondsgriefnamesnaming processrelational ethics

Identifiers

PMID41853973
PMCPMC13000867

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.