Anne Sophie Beck Knudsen

This paper asks how large-scale economic transformation affect social networks affects identities. To study this question, we use first names as markers of identity and examine changes in naming patterns following the centralized rollout of the railroad in 19th-century Sweden. Prior to a railroad connection, people frequently chose names that were locally common, presumably reflecting an identity embedded in their local community. After becoming connected to the railroad, the share of locally common first names sharply declines. This change is accompanied by overall homogenization: as parishes get connected to the railroad network, the distinctiveness of their naming patterns decreases and parishes become more similar to each other. The causal interpretation of our findings is supported by an instrumental variable strategy based on least-cost paths. The observed changes in identity are driven by structural transformation and shifts in the marriage market.