To a self-respecting Osage husband and wife, the ceremonial naming of their first three sons and their first three daughters is of the utmost importance. The couple regard the performing of the ceremony as a sacred duty to their children which must never be neglected.

Each of these sons and daughters must be named according to the rites prescribed by the ancient Non´-hon-zhin-ga. Until the ceremonial naming the child has no place in the gentile organization, and it is not even regarded as a person.

Every one of these three sons and three daughters has a special kinship term which can be used only by the father, the mother, and the nearest relatives. These special kinship terms, as observed in their sequence, are as follows:

All the sons born after the third one are ?a´-zhin-ga, and all the daughters born after the third one, Çi´-ge or A-Çin´-ga.

To each of the first six children belongs a distinctive gentile personal name, spoken of as: in-gthon´ zha-zhe (In-gthon´ name), mi´-non zha-zhe (Mi´-non name), etc. These names must always be ceremonially conferred upon the newly born child. All the other sons and daughters are named without any formality because the ceremony performed for the ?a´-zhin-ga and the Çi´-ge serves for the other children that may follow. These distinctive gentile names may be designated as gentile birth names.