What’s in a name? Shakespeare asked that question. It mattered during his time, and it matters now.
Suppose you ask someone’s name and hear Rockefeller’s last name, which immediately conjures up associations. If you hear the name Obama, that will also call images and connections to your mind.
Last names can tell you about people, but first names can also. We will talk about how and why names matter in the following article.
Your Name Reveals Your Parents’ Mentality
There are websites now where you can discover popular baby names by state. You can go on them and peruse the popular baby names in Kentucky, for instance, or Idaho. Maybe you like following trends. If you’re expecting a child, you may name them by looking at the most popular names and choosing one that tops the list.
Maybe you’re a contrarian, and you name your child something that goes against the grain. You don’t meet many Belindas these days. If you name your child Agnes, she’s probably the only one in her kindergarten class.
As someone walking through the world with a first and last name, you can’t alter those unless you legally take on a nickname or change your name. This second option takes time and effort. You might do it if you feel very strongly about your name or family, but most people never bother.
If you tell someone your name, though, for better or worse, it probably reveals quite a bit without you saying another word. If you have a famous last name, people will probably recognize it. If you say you have the last name Bush, it’s almost inevitable someone will ask whether you’ve had any relations in politics.
Meanwhile, your first name potentially reveals your parents’ mentality. It shows what they thought or wanted for you when they named you.
If your parents named you Starshine Moonbeam, it’s obvious they had some hippy tendencies. Maybe you grew up in a California commune and are a vegan. If you have Joseph or Daniel, perhaps you had religious parents.
People will make judgments about you because your name conjures up certain imagery. You might not always like that, but it’s the truth.
You Can Accept Your Name or Fight Against It
If you have a name that makes people think certain things about you, you might accept it or fight against it every day. We mentioned changing your name, but most people don’t do that. It’s simply too difficult. The name change might not take long, but then you must reintroduce yourself to your whole circle.
Also, if you choose another name, you might disappoint your parents and other relatives terribly. Maybe you have some unusual name, like Balthazar, but your parents named you that to keep the name in the family. Perhaps you had a great uncle Balthazar or something along those lines.
You might break your parents’ hearts by changing your name, and likely you don’t want that. If you don’t like your parents at all and don’t care about how they feel, you can always go that route. Maybe you had a thoroughly traumatic childhood, so you want this name change.
Even if you don’t change your name, you can fight against it. A child with a name like Starchild Wildfire might not become a hippy. Instead, you might become a coldhearted industrialist. You may do it so that you defy expectations.
You can also accept the name and even embrace it. If you have the name Joseph, maybe you have become religious. If you have a name like Sparkle, you might sell crystals and potions while living in a beachside hut. It’s your call.
Some Names Carry Unpleasant Associations
You might also feel like some names carry unpleasant associations. If so, you might change your name because you are compulsive.
A name like Vladimir might make you think you sound like Vlad the Impaler, who spawned the Dracula legend. You might call yourself Vlad or go by a middle name. If neither option seems palatable, a name change makes sense.
You might have a family name. Maybe you’re Peter III, named for your father and grandfather. Perhaps you don’t like your father, though. Maybe he walked out on you at a young age or cheated multiple times and broke your mother’s heart. If so, a name change might make sense, or you may use a middle name you like more.
Recently, certain names have taken on positive connotations, and others have taken on negative ones. The name Chad currently means a dominant male. You might embrace that and act that way.
The name Karen has negative connotations at the moment. In some circles, it means a privileged person who constantly complains. Some even think the name Karen means someone intolerant.
Of course, this is just a current societal trend, and these meanings probably won’t stick around. For now, though, these names conjure up particular thoughts. You must realize that when you introduce yourself. Expect meaningful glances when you first utter your name or even snide comments.
Your Name Only Controls Your Life if You Let It
If you let your name control your life, it can drive you a little crazy sometimes. If your parents named you Michael Jordan or Michel Jackson, you might let the jokes bother you, or you can let them slide right off you. It’s the same when considering name changes or using middle or nicknames.
You can do all those things and are perfectly within your rights. Remember that people will judge your actions more than your name. If you act as your name dictates, that’s a choice you’re making. You can ignore a name entirely and forge your own identity. Often, that’s the best possible choice.
