Final answer:
The sign names of family members are crucial for creating standardized kinship charts, which facilitate the comparison of family structures across cultures and help preserve the social status and legacy of families, especially in royal lineages.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sign names of family members, such as those used in kinship charts, are special because they provide a standardized way of depicting family relationships across different cultures. These charts allow us to compare how different societies structure and understand family relations. For instance, symbols and abbreviations like father (FA), mother (MO), son (SO), and daughter (DA) represent the nuclear family. Extended family is represented with compound terms such as mother's brother (MoBr) or father's sister (FaSi). These charts not only help in studying anthropological kinship but also serve as a visual representation of the family's history and lineage, which can be important in various cultures for maintaining social status.
In families of royalty or those with strong ancestral traditions, common names may be passed down through generations, which can create a lineage of shared names such as "Henry the Eighth". This tradition serves to honor previous generations and maintain a family's legacy. The naming conventions and the use of numbering clarify the lineage and reinforce the family's continuity over time.