How did name-giving rites connect children with dead relatives in Finno-Ugric belief?

In Finno-Ugric belief, name-giving rites served as a vital mechanism for maintaining continuity between generations through the concept of reincarnation. When a child was given the name of a deceased relative, it was believed that the child received the personality of that ancestor.1

This practice functioned as a way to bridge the gap between the living and the dead, effectively integrating the ancestor into the new life of the child. If this process was perceived as unsuccessful—perhaps due to the child failing to exhibit the expected traits or characteristics of the deceased—a name-changing rite could be performed to rectify the connection.1