"If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it." Just about everyone knows the words of Beyoncé. But where did this tradition come from? 

Like a lot of old traditions, the exact history of wedding rings is murky. But one belief dates back to ancient Egypt.

Egyptian pharaohs believed rings symbolized eternity, because of their circular shape, with no beginning and no end. Egyptians also believed in the "Vena Amoris" or the "vein of love." They thought a vein in the fourth finger on the left hand connected directly to the heart. That's why it's still common to wear a wedding ring on that finger. 

When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, Greeks adopted the tradition of gifting a ring to show devotion. The tradition carried on when the Romans conquered the Greeks.

Some accounts say the Romans viewed the ring as a symbol of a husband's ownership over his bride as opposed to a sign of love. 

As time went on, the types of rings and motifs shifted. Rings became more popular in the West during World War II.

Men going off to fight gave them to their wives-to-be, as a promise to wed when they returned. During this time, more men started wearing rings, too. Men wore them while deployed, to remind them of their spouses back home. 

For many years, rings had different types of stones. In 1947, the diamond company De Beers helped popularize a diamond ring thanks to its famous slogan. 

The marketing strategy popularized diamond rings for wedding and engagement bands. According to a survey from The Knot 86% of engagement rings in the U.S. include a diamond center stone today, and the average ring costs $6,000. 

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How often does your middle name come up? For most of you, middle names aren’t used until it’s time to sign for something or identify ourselves. But what are they really for? 

History says middle names began in ancient Rome — when many Romans had three names. A praenomen was your personal name or what we call first names today.

A nomen is a family name and lives where middle names currently sit. And the cognomen, which identified what branch of the family you were from, similar to what last names do today. It was a practice mostly reserved for men. Women had two names, and slaves had only one. 

Historians said more names during this time earned more respect. But the use of middle names has evolved. Historians say elite European families in Italy revived the Roman tradition in the 13th century. Many honored saints by giving their children a second name after them in hopes it would bring protection.

But as German immigrants came to America in the 18th century, genealogists say they would begin to write a new story — slowly moving away from religious middle names and getting more creative. John Quincy Adams was the first American president with a middle name taken after his great-grandfather. 

Today, Americans are still sifting through family trees to find middle names — just not as much. 

A recent YouGov poll found 43% of Americans are named after family members, while 24% say their parents just liked the way it sounded. Lineage-related names are still a male-dominated practice. 

YouGov found 32% of men say they were named after a family member, compared to 21% of women. And men’s first and middle names are mostly taken after their fathers. 

So, while old traditions seem to be dwindling, it appears that families still aren’t done passing the torch. 

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