The Name Project

I’ve always been fascinated with names. Whenever I meet someone for the first time, one of the first things I ask is: “What does your name mean?” A lot of people find this weird because (a) they don’t know what their name means, (b) they don’t care what their name means, or (c) they just think it’s weird of me to ask what their name means.

I think it’s sad when someone doesn’t know what their name means, and I think it’s just tragic when they don’t care. Names are names for a reason. They have meanings, and I think that it makes a difference in who we are.

Don’t believe me? I’ll give you an example.

Have you ever been called something “beautiful”, “gorgeous” or “handsome”? How about “stupid” or “useless” or “idiot”? “Geek”? “Genius”? I’ve been called one or more of those one or more times in my life, and they had an effect on me. If I was called positively, I felt great. If it was an insult, I felt angry, and sometimes even rejected. Now, think about this: what if you were called something repeatedly? Back in college, when my friends and I began calling each other “gorgeous” as we would call each other “friend”, we all felt gorgeous after a while! I mean, if someone said you were something everyday, wouldn’t you begin to believe it?

The same applies to given names. Names have meanings, and they affect us, one way or another. I think our name tells us what our parents wanted us to be when we grew up. Sometimes, it can affect the way we see ourselves. That’s why I think it’s cool if we know our names. Although it does not dictate our identity, it helps a whole lot to know what you’ve been “branded”.

Hmm…

I’ve always wanted to do a group writing project like Darren Rowse usually does. I think I’ll start right now. Let’s call it the Name Project because that’s exactly what it is.
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