The article focuses on historical and social background of English name giving process. Proper names are considered as a leading group of onomastic units due to its extra linguistic component and direct connection with a human being. The processes of globalisation influence on all spheres of life and name giving process is not an exception. Challenges of nomination are explained in the article. The actuality of the paper is defined by the authors’ point of view who cling to the idea that in modern globalized world only a proper name could be an only identifier of the national and confessional identity of an individual. Historical milestones that impact on name giving process are mentioned and social factors which influence name giving process are classified and described. Proper names have passed a long evolutionary way from a word – the identifier of a person among similar to legally significant sign of a linguistic personality, a register component which defines a social status and position of the individual in society. The research is relevant in the linguistic, social, national and cognitive aspects, as it demonstrates an interaction between language and society. At the modern stage of the English anthroponymics progress, the researchers described social factors influencing name giving process.