"What's in a name?" said Shakespeare.
"A lot !!!" said me. :-D
- Have you ever voiced out your like/dislike for your own name ?
- Does having a "good" name impress everybody ?
- What is the definition of a "good" or "bad" name ?
- Do you also have two names - "official" and "nickname" ? :)
- Given a chance today, would you change your name for something else ?
It equally scares and excites me on how a name, bestowed by your loved ones, can go on to define your individuality. To tell the truth, I never liked my name, as a child. It is a South-Indian Iyer household tradition to pass on the paternal grandparents names to the grandchild of each gender. And so, I inherited my paternal grand-mom's name - 'G' and my baby bro inherited our paternal grand-dad's name - 'S'.
Back in the '90s, my opinion was that all my friends had the "good" names while I was stuck with an old-fashioned one. Though there was a nickname too, it was not to be used for official records. The nickname was used only in front of family members and at home.Even today, this interesting thought fails to settle as to why, unlike me, none of my other 4 cousin sisters and 2 cousin brothers used their inherited names for school or college records. For them, the inherited name was always sidelined by their respective nicknames. Their nicknames were official.
As time flew, my name settled into my life. When I look back, it was silly to be wary of a name. But now, it feels great to be a 'G'. :)
I read the book and watched the movie - 'Namesake' last week. It was surprising to note how the young "Gogol" never connected to his name. His name disturbed him for the most part of his life. He failed to understand the emotions of his father; he failed to realize the importance behind his name.
Every parent should explain to their children - the reason their name was chosen. Not to justify the name in itself but to help realize the feelings behind it.
"Better to see the face than to hear the name." - An unknown source.
"A lot !!!" said me. :-D
- Have you ever voiced out your like/dislike for your own name ?
- Does having a "good" name impress everybody ?
- What is the definition of a "good" or "bad" name ?
- Do you also have two names - "official" and "nickname" ? :)
- Given a chance today, would you change your name for something else ?
It equally scares and excites me on how a name, bestowed by your loved ones, can go on to define your individuality. To tell the truth, I never liked my name, as a child. It is a South-Indian Iyer household tradition to pass on the paternal grandparents names to the grandchild of each gender. And so, I inherited my paternal grand-mom's name - 'G' and my baby bro inherited our paternal grand-dad's name - 'S'.
Back in the '90s, my opinion was that all my friends had the "good" names while I was stuck with an old-fashioned one. Though there was a nickname too, it was not to be used for official records. The nickname was used only in front of family members and at home.Even today, this interesting thought fails to settle as to why, unlike me, none of my other 4 cousin sisters and 2 cousin brothers used their inherited names for school or college records. For them, the inherited name was always sidelined by their respective nicknames. Their nicknames were official.
As time flew, my name settled into my life. When I look back, it was silly to be wary of a name. But now, it feels great to be a 'G'. :)
I read the book and watched the movie - 'Namesake' last week. It was surprising to note how the young "Gogol" never connected to his name. His name disturbed him for the most part of his life. He failed to understand the emotions of his father; he failed to realize the importance behind his name.
Every parent should explain to their children - the reason their name was chosen. Not to justify the name in itself but to help realize the feelings behind it.
"Better to see the face than to hear the name." - An unknown source.
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