In modern Thailand, kids are called Ball, Bank, and Oil

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In Thailand, children are given playful nicknames that stick with them through adulthood. Traditional nicknames have included Yaay (Big), Moo (Pig), and Dam (Black).

But in a rapidly changing, globalized world, more parents want "modern" nicknames for their kids—names that derive from TV, Hollywood, and other foreign influences. Some kids have been nicknamed Mafia and Seven (as in 7-Eleven). One teacher has students named Tomcruise, Army, God, Kiwi, and Gateaux (yes, that's the French word for "cakes"). A survey of students in one city found that the most popular English nickname was Ball—possibly after famous Thai tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan—with Oil and Bank following behind.

As often happens when globalization spurs cultural change, some people are working to preserve traditional culture. The Thai Ministry of Culture is putting together a booklet of thousands of old-fashioned Thai nicknames. As the aforementioned teacher explains it, however, "Thai names are from 20 years ago."

Thai purists shouldn't be sweating too much, though. This allure of the "modern" may just be a phase. In many parts of the world, people eventually come around: They want to rediscover their long-lost "roots" or find a way to assert their identity. In the United States in the early 1970s, for example, African-Americans began choosing names that were distinct from those of Caucasians. As much as people yearn to be part of a larger group, they also have a counteryearning to be seen as unique individuals.