This paper explores the semantics of proper names and specifically focuses on the so-called “given names”. It draws on recent theoretical work in the field (Van Langendonck, 2007; Vaxelaire, 2007; Hebert, 2004; Caprini, 2001, among others), my own lexicological and socio-anthroponymic corpora studies of birth certificates, and a sociolinguistic survey. A discussion of the issues leads to the following conclusions: a) proper names are a part of the lexicon of a language and, as such, have meaning; b) the concept of norm is central in the determination of semantic content and functioning of proper names, and c) there is no absolute distinction between the lexical categories of common nouns and proper names, but rather a “name threshold” (Fabre, 1980) that, if crossed over —initially in use, afterwards in the language— enables us to move from one category to the other along a continuum.