A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name (surname). A given name is purposefully given, usually by a child's parents at or near birth, in contrast to an inherited one such as a family name.^[1]

In most European (and Europe-derived) cultures, the given name usually comes before the family name (though generally not in lists and catalogs), and so is known as a forename or first name; but the family name traditionally comes first in Hungary, parts of Africa and most of East Asia (e.g. China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam). In East Asia, even part of the given name may be shared among all members of a given generation in a family and the family's extensions, to differentiate those generations from other generations.

Under the common Western naming convention, people generally have one or more forenames (either given or acquired). If more than one, there is usually a main forename (for everyday use) and one or more supplementary forenames; but sometimes two or more carry equal weight. Beyond preceding the surname there is no particular ordering rule for forenames. Often the main forename is at the beginning, resulting in a first name and one or more middle names, but other arrangements are quite common.

Given names are often used in a familiar and friendly manner in informal situations. In more formal situations the surname is used instead, unless it is necessary to distinguish between people with the same surname. The idiom "on a first-name basis" (or "on first-name terms") alludes to the familiarity of addressing another by a given name.

The western style of having both a family name (surname) and a given name (Christian name or forename) is far from universal. In many countries it is common for ordinary people to have only one name (a mononym).

Legality[link]

A child's given name or names are usually assigned around the time of birth. In most jurisdictions, the name at birth is a matter of public record, inscribed on the birth certificate or equivalent. In some jurisdictions, mainly civil-law jurisdictions such as France, Quebec, the Netherlands or Germany, the functionary whose job it is to record acts of birth may act to prevent parents from giving the child a name that may cause him or her harm (in France, by referring the case to a local judge).^{[citation needed]} Even spell-checking of the name is done.

People born in one country who immigrate to another with different naming conventions may have their names legally changed accordingly.^[2] If the name is not assigned at birth it may be assigned at a naming ceremony with families and friends attending.

In 1991, in protest of Swedish naming laws, two parents attempted to name their child Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic development that we see as an artistic creation."^{[citation needed]}

Origin of given names[link]

Given names most often derive from the following categories:

• Aspiring personal traits (external and internal). For example, the name Clement means "merciful".^[3][4] English examples include Faith, Prudence and August.
• Occupations, for example George means "farmer".^[5]
• Circumstances of birth, for example Thomas meaning "twin" or the Latin name Quintus, which was traditionally given to the fifth male child.^[6][7]
• Objects, for example Peter means "rock" and Edgar means "rich spear".^[8][9]
• Physical characteristics, for example Calvin means "bald".^[10]
• Variations on another name, especially to change the sex of the name (Pauline, Georgia) or to translate from another language (for instance, the names Francis or Francisco that come from the name Franciscus meaning "Frenchman").^[11][12][13]
• Surnames, for example Winston,^[14] Harrison,^[15] and Ross.^[16] Such names often come from families that are frequently intermarried with the family bearing the individual's surname.
• Places, for example Brittany^[17] and Lorraine.^[18]
• Time of birth, for example day of the week, as in Kofi Annan, whose given name means "born on Friday",^[19] or the holiday on which one was born, for example, the name Natalie meaning "[born on] Christmas day" in Latin.^[20]
• Combination of the above, for example the Armenian name Sirvart means "love rose."^[21]

In many cultures, given names are reused, especially to commemorate ancestors or those who are particularly admired, resulting in a limited repertoire of names that sometimes vary by orthography.

The most familiar example of this, to Western readers, is the use of Biblical and saints' names in most of the Christian countries (with Ethiopia, in which names were often ideals or abstractions—Haile Selassie, "power of the Trinity"; Haile Miriam, "power of Mary"—as the most conspicuous exception). However, the name Jesus is considered taboo or sacrilegious in some parts of the Christian world, though this taboo does not extend to the cognate Joshua or related forms which are common in many languages even among Christians.

Similarly, the name Mary, now popular if not ubiquitous among Christians, particularly Roman Catholics, was considered too holy for secular use until about the 12th century. In countries that particularly venerated Mary, this remained the case much longer; in Poland, until the arrival in the 17th century of French queens named Marie.^[22]

Most common given names in English (and many other European languages) can be grouped into broad categories based on their origin:

• Hebrew names, most often from the Bible, are very common in—or are elements of names used in—the historically Christian countries. Some have elements meaning "God", especially "Eli". Examples: Michael, Joshua, Daniel, Joseph, David, Adam, Elizabeth, Hannah and Mary. There are also a handful of names in use derived from the Aramaic, particularly the names of prominent figures in the New Testament—such as Thomas, Martha and Bartholomew.
  • All of the Semitic peoples of history and the present day use at least some names constructed like these in Hebrew (and the ancient Hebrews used names not constructed like these—such as Moses, probably an Egyptian name related to the names of Pharaohs like Thutmose and Ahmose). The Muslim world is the best-known example (with names like Saif-al-din, "sword of the faith", or Abd-Allah, "servant of God"), but even the Carthagenians had similar names: cf. Hannibal, "the grace of god" (in this case not the Abrahamic deity God, but the deity—probably Marduk—whose title is normally left untranslated, as Baal).
• Germanic names are characteristically warlike; roots with meanings like "glory", "strength", and "will" are common. The "-bert" element common in many such names comes from beraht, which means "bright". Examples: Robert, Edward, Roger, Richard, Albert, Carl, Alfred, Rosalind, Emma, Eric and Matilda.
• French forms of Germanic names. Since the Norman conquest of England, many English given names of Germanic origin are used in their French forms. Examples: Robert, Charles, Henry, William, Albert.
• Slavic names are often of a peaceful character, the compounds being derived from word roots meaning "to protect", "to love", "peace", "to praise [gods]", "to give". Examples: Milena, Vesna, Bohumil, Dobromir, Svetlana, Vlastimil. The names have also warlike character and are built of words meaning "fighter", "war", "anger". Examples : Casimir, Sambor, Wojciech and Zbigniew. Many of them consist of word "slava" - glory: Bolesław, Miroslav, Vladislav, Radoslav and Stanisław.
• Celtic names are sometimes anglicised versions of Celtic forms, but the original form may also be used. Examples: Alan, Brian, Brigid, Mórag, Logan, Ciarán, Jennifer, and Seán. These names often have origins in Celtic words, as Celtic versions of the names of internationally known Christian saints, as names of Celtic mythological figures, or simply as long-standing names whose ultimate etymology is unclear.
• Greek names can be derived from the Greco-Roman gods, or may have other meanings. Some may be derived from the New Testament and early Christian traditions. Such names are often, but not always, anglicised. Examples: Eleanor, Stephen, Alexander, Andrew, Peter, Gregory, George, Christopher, Melissa, Margaret, Nicholas, Jason, Timothy, Chloe, Zoë, Katherine.
• Latin names can also be adopted unchanged, or modified; in particular, the inflected element can be dropped, as often happens in borrowings from Latin to English. Examples: Laura, Victoria, Marcus, Justin, Paul (from Lat. "Paulus"), Julius, Cecilia, Felix, Julia, Trent, Pascal (not a traditional-type Latin name, but the adjective-turned-name paschalis, "relating to the Pascha"—English "Easter").
• Word names come from English vocabulary words. Feminine names of this sort—in more languages than English, and more cultures than Europe alone—frequently derive from nature, flower, birds, colors, or gemstones. Examples include Jasmine, Lavender, Dawn, Daisy, Rose, Iris, Petunia, Rowan, and Violet. Male names of this sort are less common—sometimes names like Bronco and Wolf associated with strong or dangerous animals. (This is more common in some other languages, such as Northern Germanic and Turkish).
• Trait names most conspicuously include the Christian virtues, mentioned above, and normally used as feminine names (such as the three Christian virtues—Faith, Hope, and Charity).
• Diminutives are sometimes used to distinguish between two or more people with the same given name, and are often used by children. In English, Robert may be changed to "Robby" or Daniel changed to "Danny". In German the names Hänsel and Gretel (as in the famous fairy tale) are the diminutive forms of Johann and Margarete. Examples: Vicky, Danny, Abby, Ali.
• Shortened Names (see nickname) are generally nicknames of a longer name, but they are instead given as a person's entire given name. For example, a man may simply be named "Jim", and it is not short for James. Examples: Beth, Dan, Max, Pete, Steve.
• Feminine variations Many masculine names have feminine variations, often multiple ones. Examples: Charlotte, Stephanie, Victoria, Philippa, Jane, Jacqueline, Josephine, Danielle, Paula, Pauline, Patricia and Francesca.

Frequently, a given name has versions in many different languages. For example, the biblical name Susanna also occurs in its original biblical Hebrew version, Shoshannah, its Spanish and Portuguese version Susana, and its French version, Suzanne, and its Polish version, Zuzanna.

East Asia[link]

Despite the uniformity of Chinese surnames, Chinese given names can be fairly original because Chinese characters can be combined extensively. Unlike European languages with their Biblical and Roman heritage, the Chinese language does not have a particular set of words reserved for given names: any combination of Chinese characters can theoretically be used as a given name.^{[citation needed]} Nonetheless, a number of popular characters commonly recur, including "Strong" (伟, Wěi), "Learned" (文, Wén), "Peaceful" (安, Ān), and "Beautiful" (美, Měi). Despite China's increasing urbanization, a great many names – such as "Pine" (松, Sōng) and "Plum" (梅, Méi) – also still reference nature.

Most Chinese given names are two characters long and – despite the examples above – the two characters together may mean nothing at all. Instead, they may be selected to include particular sounds, tones, or radicals; to balance the Chinese elements of a child's birth chart; or to honor a generation poem handed down through the family for centuries. Traditionally, it is considered an affront and not an honor to have a newborn named after an older relative, so that full names are rarely passed down through a family in the manner of English Seniors, Juniors, III, &c. Similarly, it is considered unhelpful for the child to bear a name already made famous by someone else, although Romanizations might be identical or a common name like Liu Xiang might be borne by tens of thousands.

Korean names and Vietnamese names are often simply conventions derived from Classical Chinese counterparts.^{[citation needed]}

Many female Japanese names end in -ko (子), meaning "child". This can make them seem decidedly unfeminine to Europeans accustomed to Indo-European tendencies to end masculine names in o.

In many Westernized Asian locations, many Asians also have a unofficial or even registered Western (typically English) given name, in addition to their Asian given name. This is also true for Asian students at colleges in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia as well as among international businessmen.

Gender[link]

Most names in English are specifically masculine or feminine, but there are many unisex names as well, such as Jordan, Jamie, Jesse, Alex, Ashley, Chris, Hilary/Hillary, Kim, Leslie/Lesley, Joe/Jo, Jackie, Pat, Dana, Sam or Ryan/Ryann. Often, one gender is predominant; often a particular spelling is more common for each of the two genders, even when the pronunciation is the same.

Many culture groups, past and present, did not or do not gender names strongly, so that many or all of their names are unisex. On the other hand, in many languages including most Indo-European languages (but not English), gender is inherent in the grammar.

Christian name[link]

The term Christian name is often used as a general synonym for given name. Strictly speaking, the term applies to a name formally given to a child at an infant baptism or "christening".^[23]

Popularity distribution of given names[link]

The popularity (frequency) distribution of given names typically follows a power law distribution.

Since about 1800 in England and Wales and in the U.S., the popularity distribution of given names has been shifting so that the most popular names are losing popularity. For example, in England and Wales, the most popular female and male names given to babies born in 1800 were Mary and John, with 24% of female babies and 22% of male babies receiving those names, respectively.^[24] In contrast, the corresponding statistics for in England and Wales in 1994 were Emily and James, with 3% and 4% of names, respectively. Not only have Mary and John gone out of favor in the English speaking world, also the overall distribution of names has changed significantly over the last 100 years for females, but not for males. This has led to an increasing amount of diversity for female names.^[25]

Influence of pop culture[link]

Popular culture appears to have an influence on naming trends, at least in the United States and United Kingdom. Newly famous celebrities and public figures may influence the popularity of names. For example, in 2004, the names "Keira" and "Kiera" respectively became the 51st and 92nd most popular girls' names in the UK, following the rise in popularity of British actress Keira Knightley.^[26] In 2001, the use of Colby as a boys' name for babies in the United States jumped from 233rd place to 99th, just after Colby Donaldson was the runner-up on Survivor: The Australian Outback. Also, the female name "Miley" which before was not in the top 1000 was 278th most popular in 2007, following the rise to fame of singer-actress Miley Cyrus (who was named Destiny at birth).^[27]

Characters from fiction also seem to influence naming. After the name Kayla was used for a character on the American soap opera Days of our Lives, the name's popularity increased greatly. The name Tammy, and the related Tamara became popular after the movie Tammy and the Bachelor came out in 1957. Some names were established or spread by being used in literature. Notable examples include Jessica, a name created by William Shakespeare in his play "The Merchant of Venice," Vanessa, created by Jonathan Swift; Fiona, a character from James Macpherson's spurious cycle of Ossian poems; and Wendy, an obscure name popularised by J. M. Barrie in his play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up; and Madison, a character from the movie Splash. Lara and Larissa were rare in America before the appearance of Doctor Zhivago, and have become fairly common since.

Songs can influence the naming of children. Jude jumped from 814th most popular male name in 1968 to 668th in 1969, following the release of The Beatles' "Hey Jude." Similarly, Layla charted as 969th most popular in 1972 after the Eric Clapton song. It had not been in the top 1,000 before.^[27]

Kayleigh became a particularly popular name in the United Kingdom following the release of a song by the British rock group Marillion. Government statistics in 2005 revealed that 96% of Kayleighs were born after 1985, the year in which Marillion released "Kayleigh."

Popular culture figures need not be admirable in order to influence naming trends. For example, Peyton came in to the top 1000 as a female given name for babies in the United States for the first time in 1992 (at #583), immediately after it was featured as the name of an evil nanny in the film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.^[27] On the other hand, for example, Adolf has fallen out of use since the Second World War.

Twin names[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In some cultures, twins may be given distinctive pairs of names. Twin names are sometimes similar in sound, for example boy/girl twins named Christian and Christina, or twin girls named Sudha and Subha in India, or Ojor and Omon in Nigeria. The names may have a thematic similarity such as Jesse (or Jessica) and James (after the American outlaw Jesse James), or Matthew and Mark (the first two books of the New Testament in the Bible), or Castor and Pollux (semi-divine twins in Greek mythology), or Romulus and Remus (the mythical founders of Rome).

The oldest ever female twins, who died in 2000 and 2001, respectively, were named Kin Narita and Gin Kanie, gold and silver, respectively, in Japanese.

For more possible origins, see the article List of twins.

See also[link]

• List of most popular given names (in many different countries and cultures)
• List of most popular given names by state in the United States
• List of U.S. counties named after personal first names
• Name days
• Names of God
• Personal name

By type[link]

• Calling name
• Middle name
• Nickname
• Pseudonym
• Saint's name
  • Calendar of saints
• Slave name
• Surname
• Theophoric names
  • Theophory in the Bible
• Unisex name

By language[link]

Indo-European

• Baltic
  • Lithuanian name

• Celtic
  • Irish name (list)
  • Scottish Gaelic name (list)

• Germanic names
  • Dutch name
  • German names
  • Scandinavian given names

• Greek
  • Greek name

• Indian
  • Indian names

• Persian
  • Persian name

• French
  • French names

• Italian
  • Italian name

• Portuguese
  • Portuguese name

• Roman
  • Roman naming conventions

• Slavic names
  • Bulgarian names
  • Croatian name
  • Czech names
  • Name days in Slovakia
  • Polish names
  • Russian name
  • Serbian name
  • Slovak name

• Spanish
  • Spanish name

Central Asia, Altaic, Finno-Ugric

• Finnish name
• Hungarian name
• Mongolian name
• Names in Russian Empire, Soviet Union and CIS countries
• Tatar name
• Turkish name

Middle East

• Arabic name
• Hebrew name

East Asia

• Chinese name
• Indonesian name
  • Balinese name
  • Javanese name
• Japanese name
• Korean name
• Malaysian name
• Philippine name
• Thai name
• Tibetan name
• Vietnamese name

Africa

• Akan name

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up Appendix:Names in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Look up given name or Appendix:Most popular given names by country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

•  "Christian Names". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 
• Given Name Frequency Project – Analysis of long-term trends in given names in England and Wales. Includes downloadable datasets of names for people interested in studying given name trends.
• NameVoyager – Java applet listing the frequency of the Top 1000 American baby names throughout history.
• U.S. Census Bureau: Distribution of Names Files Large ranked list of male and female given names in addition to last names.
• Popular Baby Names – The Social Security Administration page for Popular U.S. Baby Names
• Muslim Names Islamic names with Audio Voice for pronunciation of arabic names.
• FolkName – Meaning of Names, Encyclopedia of Given Names

Solange Knowles
Knowles at the Ruby Lounge in Manchester
Background information
Birth name	Solange Piaget Knowles
Also known as	Solange Knowles-Smith
Born	(1986-06-24) June 24, 1986 (age 26) Houston, Texas
Genres	R&B, pop, soul, hip-hop, indie
Occupations	singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, DJ
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, percussion
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Columbia, Music World, Roc Nation, Geffen
Associated acts	Destiny's Child, Beyoncé
Website	www.solangemusic.com

Solange Piaget Knowles (born June 24, 1986), who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé. Showing an interest in music recording at an early age, she eventually broke into the music scene at 16. She has released two studios albums: Solo Star in 2003 and Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams in 2008, which peaked at number nine in the US Billboard 200 chart.

Aside from recording, Knowles has ventured into film, modeling, and entrepreneurship. Knowles has been compared to her sister by the media, but she dismisses the notion, saying they are artistically different.

Early life[link]

Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, to Mathew Knowles and Tina Knowles. Solange is the second child of Mathew and Tina, and the younger sister of Beyoncé. Her father is African American and her mother is Creole (of African, Native American, and French descent) and Irish descent.^[1] Her maternal grandparents are Lumis Beyincé and Agnéz Deréon, (a seamstress). She is also a descendant of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard.^[2] As a child, Knowles studied dance and theater. At the age of five, she made her singing debut at an amusement park. She began writing songs at the age of nine.^[3] At 13, she decided to pursue recording, but her parents initially advised her to wait. At the age of 15 Knowles replaced a departed dancer and performed with her sister's group Destiny's Child on tour.^[4] During the group's opening stint for American pop singer Christina Aguilera's tour, Knowles temporarily replaced Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland after Kelly broke her toes backstage during a costume change.^[5] When Knowles was 16, her father, who was then also her manager, signed her to his recording company, Music World Entertainment.

Music career[link]

[edit] 2001–2003: Early career and Solo Star

Managed by her father Mathew, Knowles' first foray into the music business was in 2001 as the lead singer, backed with Destiny's Child, on the title theme song for the animated television series The Proud Family.^[6] She also was a featured performer on "Hey Goldmember" for the soundtrack to the 2002 film Austin Powers in Goldmember,^[6] as well as a backup singer on the track "Little Drummer Boy" on her sister's group's 2001 holiday album 8 Days of Christmas.^[7] In 2002, she was featured on Lil Romeo's second studio album Game Time, singing portions of Luther Vandross-penned "So Amazing" on the single "True Love", and on Rowland's debut solo album Simply Deep, for which she also wrote the title track and "Alone". In 2001 she also appeared as Lil' Bow Wow's date in the music video for his single "Puppy Love".^[8]

In June 2003, Mathew Knowles excitedly announced that he was considering adding Solange to Destiny's Child when the group reunited in 2004, thus turning them into a quartet for the first time since short-lived member Farrah Franklin left in 2000. Mathew Knowles said he was testing the reactions, and, judging by what he had heard, "it seems like a good idea".^[9] Later in August, however, Beyoncé said it was only a rumor and Destiny's Child would remain a trio. Rowland added, "She's a Solo Star," name-dropping Knowles' debut album.^[10] Solange parallels her sister vocally, but she is a dynamic performer in her own right.

At the age of 14, Solange Knowles started working on her debut album Solo Star,^[11] which involved American producers such as Jermaine Dupri, The Neptunes, Linda Perry and Timbaland among others. The album is primarily uptempo R&B, although Knowles said there are pop, rock, reggae and hip hop influences.^[6][7] Knowles co-wrote and co-produced some of the 15 tracks in the album,^[12] including its lead single, "Feelin' You (Part II)". The song failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, but reached number three on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales and Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.^[13][14] Solo Star was released on January 21, 2003 in the United States, where it debuted at number 49 on the Billboard 200 and reached number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[15][16] Solo Star had a mixed critical reception: William Ruhlmann of Allmusic called it a "state-of-the-art contemporary R&B album", but deemed Knowles "lost somewhere in the mix".^[17] As of mid-2008, the album had sold 112,000 copies domestically according to Nielsen Soundscan.^[16]

[edit] 2004–2008: Career break and Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams

After the release of her debut album, Knowles started acting in films followed by a career break.^[18] When she was married, her family moved to Idaho, and, while staying there, resumed writing songs including the singles "Get Me Bodied" and "Upgrade U" off her sister's second solo album, B'Day.^[18][19] Knowles earned the R&B and Hip-Hop Song accolade for "Get Me Bodied" at the 2008 ASCAP Awards.^[20] She had also written songs for Destiny's Child, and members Rowland and Michelle Williams.^[4] In 2004, while pregnant with son Daniel, she made a cameo appearance in Destiny's Child's music video for "Soldier".^[21]

After the divorce, Knowles returned to Houston to began working on her second album. Knowles renewed her management, signing a record deal with Geffen and a publishing deal with EMI.^[22][23] Knowles finished working on her second studio album in 2008 and titled the project Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams. It includes production by Cee-Lo Green, Soulshock & Karlin and Mark Ronson as well as an appearance by Bilal. A collection of 1960s- and 1970s-influenced songs,^[24] it is seen as a departure from her pop-oriented debut,^[25][26] with what Billboard magazine called "more of a modern twist on hip-hop and R&B flecked with tinges of blues and jazz".^[16] The album was released on August 26, 2008 in the United States. By December 2008, the album had sold over 114,000 copies according to Nielsen Soundscan.^[27] The album was positively received by critics,^[28] some of whom considered it far better than her debut.^[29] The album's lead single, "I Decided", was released in April 2008, and reached the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play;^[27] Rolling Stone magazine labelled it her breakthrough single.^[30] In support of the album, Knowles began the Solange Presents Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams Tour in Britain in November 2008.^[31]

Knowles announced, via her blog HadleyStreetJournal.com, that she will be releasing a series of mixtapes, to coincide with the album. The first mixtape, "I Can't Get Clearance...", includes the leaked track "Fuck the Industry (Signed Sincerely)". On this record, Knowles expresses her views on the current state of the music industry. The lyrics to the song name check some major artists such as Mary J. Blige, Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, and Beyoncé, although she made a point of stating that it does not have "a negative light to any of [them]".^[32]

2009–present: Third studio album[link]

In an interview with MTV in 2009, Knowles revealed that she was determining the type of sound for the follow-up to Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams.^[33] Knowles also parted ways with the Interscope-Geffen-A&M record label group. She will now release her third studio album independently.^[34] Early in 2010, Knowles traveled to Australia to work with Australian rock band, Midnight Juggernauts on her third studio album^[35] Knowles plans to release the album in summer as revealed on her official Twitter account in 2009^[36] She also revealed on her Twitter account that she rented a house in Santa Barbara, California to get into a certain state of mind while writing and making music^[37] On 7 May 2010, Knowles made a guest appearance on the popular children show, Yo Gabba Gabba! for a "Mothers Day Special" where she performed an original song called, "Momma Loves Baby".^[38][39][40] In an interview with Vibe on 7 July 2010, Knowles said she suffered "a little bit of a breakdown" while recording her new album: "I literally gave up my sanity for a while to do this record. [...] We literally were waking up in the morning and just making music all day and all night. [...] It just started to wear on me in so many different ways. I started having these crazy panic attacks." Knowles explained how she made sacrifices "mentally, emotionally and financially", and continued, "It’s more than an album to me. It’s a transitional time in my life." Regarding the musical direction of the album, she said the inspiration came from New Wave music and stated, "This is a dance record, but the lyrics can get pretty dark at times."^[41] The singer has also worked on songs with Chromeo and long-time collaborator Pharrell.

Other ventures[link]

Aside from recording, Knowles ventured into film, modeling, and entrepreneurship. According to her father Mathew Knowles, her goal of merging music and film was part of the overall plan for her career.^[42] Knowles appeared as a nubile teenager in the 2004 comedy film Johnson Family Vacation, starring alongside American actors Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams and Bow Wow.^[10] She provided a song for its soundtrack—"Freedom", a collaboration with the Houston-based funk-jazz band Drop Trio. Although the reviews were generally negative, Knowles earned praise from Variety magazine: "Solange Knowles is nearly as dazzling as big sister Beyoncé and does little more than smile winningly in her first bigscreen outing."^[43] In 2006, she starred as a cheerleading captain in the film Bring It On: All or Nothing, the third installment of the Bring it On series, alongside American actress and singer Hayden Panettiere. What little critical reaction the low-budget, direct-to-DVD movie got was negative,^[44] and Knowles was described as an "affordable young starlet".^[45] Knowles uses her full name for her acting, rather than just the first name she uses when singing; for Bring It On: All or Nothing, she was billed as Solange Knowles-Smith,^[46] reflecting her married state at the time.

Knowles also appeared in several television series. In 2002, she lent her voice for the character Chanel, the cousin of the protagonist Penny Proud, in the episode "Behind Family Lines" to the animated television series The Proud Family.^[47] In 2004, she guest starred in the episode "The Catch" to the sitcom One on One.

Knowles and sister Beyoncé model for their families' clothing line, House of Deréon, named after their grandmother, Agnéz Deréon. She also helped launch Deréon, a junior apparel collection and a sister line to House of Deréon.^[48] Both sisters model for Deréon, and are featured in most of Deréon's marketing campaigns. They were featured in a "Got Milk?" campaign ad, while still wearing House of Deréon. In 2008, Knowles was named as ambassador for Giorgio Armani's younger diffusion line, Armani Jeans. Armani said Knowles epitomizes the style, which is a "vision of a young, independent, casual lifestyle with a strong and cool, fashion sensibility".^[49]

Knowles has been promoting Baby Jamz, a hip hop-styled toy line for pre-schoolers.^[19][50] It was inspired by her son, Julez, who is fond of hip hop music.^[23] She is the executive producer of the CD, composed of updated hip hop inspired nursery rhymes, which is featured in all of the toys.^[19]

Also, Knowles has been known for her work in the award-winning children's TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba!. She performed "Momma Loves Baby" during the live performance when it toured the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. She also performed "Mama Loves Baby" during a 2010 episode called "Baby".

In 2011, Knowles along with Alejandra Ramos Munoz and Zooey Deschanel, was announced as the new face of Rimmel London.^[51]

In February 2012, Solange became VOGUE.COM's Today I'm Wearing guest blogger sharing a photograph of her outfits daily for one month.

Personal life[link]

Knowles married Daniel Smith in February 2004 when she was 17 and he was 19.^[52][23] On October 18, 2004, Knowles gave birth to their son, Daniel Julez Smith, Jr.^[53] Knowles has partly expressed regret that she bore a child at an early age, but calls her son the greatest unplanned blessing. A song she wrote for her baby, "6 O' Clock Blues", was included on Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams.^[54]

After Daniel Julez' birth, the family moved to Moscow, Idaho, where Knowles' husband continued studying in college.^[26] In October 2007, Solange confirmed in an interview with Essence magazine that she and Smith had divorced. Both of them co-parent the child.^[4][23] After the divorce, Knowles and her child moved to Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, where they established their new home.^[25] They have since relocated to Brooklyn, New York.

Artistry[link]

Knowles cites as her influences Motown girl groups such as The Supremes and The Marvelettes, and Martha Reeves, lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas.^[4] She also listened to the music of English pop singer Dusty Springfield, and according to Knowles, her "greatest music influence" is her mother, Tina Knowles, who was a one-time member of the 1960s harmony group The Veltones.^[4]

Knowles says her first passion is writing songs. She has been doing this since she was nine years old, and has collaborated with a number of songwriters and producers.^[3] On her debut album, Knowles had no control over which kinds of music to produce, because "when you're 14, everyone else is older and more seasoned and you trust their decisions".^[11] Knowles was more concerned with pleasing her record label by submitting to their desires.^[23] Her musical influences were better expressed on Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, when she considered herself mature and was able to write and produce songs as she wished, without worrying about the expectations of others.^[11] Knowles' lyrics tackle relationships, world issues, and deceased friends,^[23][54] with her second album focusing on events in her life, such as marriage, divorce, and parenthood.^[23]

Aside from recording, Knowles occasionally paints as her hobby: "I think that painting, for me, is such an affirmative expression in that sometimes you don't know what the outcome is gonna be and each stroke and each brush for me is an emotion and, in the end, it comes out as a piece which is the most amazing thing. ... It definitely provides a different outlet."^[25]

Public image[link]

Knowles has always been compared by the media to her sister, Beyoncé, whom she considers one of her role models. She has expressed her opinion of the comparison in the lyrics to "God Given Name": "I'm not her and never will be"^[11][55] — which was purposely set as the album's opening track to show their differences.^[56] In his review for the album, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone magazine referred to the lyrics a declaration of independence.^[57] In an interview with the Daily Mail, Knowles commented: "People think there should be this great rivalry between us, but there's never been any competition. There's a big age gap and we are two very different characters."^[4] In another interview, Knowles said that she would not live by her sister's level of stardom, stressing that she and Beyoncé are artistically different, even stating that blogger Teddy Birmingham was "disrespectful" for saying she was living in her sister shadow on his website "Teddytalks" in June 2009.^[23] Beyoncé was unwilling to bring her sister into the recording industry, reasoning that it "involves a lot of pressure". Knowles countered by saying, "It's good to have her advice, but we really have different goals".^[11]

Discography[link]

• Solo Star (2003)
• Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008)
• TBA (2012)

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Solange Knowles
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official website
• Official blog