Your Name – Its Significance in a Multicultural World
Why is my name important, you may ask? Your name is distinctive and significant for so many reasons. It is the first — and perhaps the most important — thing anyone will ever give you.
Naming Conventions
In Western cultures, parents commonly name their child, but in other cultures, naming a child may be a communal effort. Somehow, you receive your name at birth. That name will be with you forever unless you consciously decide to change it. You are stuck with it whether you like it or not.
To be clear, we are talking about given names, also known in Western cultures as first or Christian names. That would be a name given to a child at or shortly after birth and is usually, but not always, different from those of anyone else in the child’s immediate family. Family names are typically the same for all immediate family members.
(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)
Restrictions in Choosing Names for Children
Whoever chooses the newborn child’s name must consider the language of the country or local community where the child is born. The sounds and spelling of the name must adhere to the rules and restrictions of the language. Otherwise, significant complications could arise that will be difficult or impossible to overcome. We will see examples of these later in this essay. The culture and history of the region go hand in hand with language.
There may also be legal restrictions on naming a child. For example, in Japan, there is no space for a middle name on a child’s official birth registration, so only one given name is allowed. Also, pretty much every year in Japan, someone tries to register 悪魔 (Akuma) as a child’s name. The registrar always rejects that name as it means “devil”. So, apparently, even though anyone can become a parent without special training, there are restrictions on what moniker you can give your child.
Naming Children in Western Cultures
In Western cultures, there are only a few standard ways parents choose names for their children. Often, it’s as simple as what they like the sound of. Or it could be the same name as someone they’ve known previously. Some parents even name their children after former girlfriends or boyfriends. Naming a child after a famous person is also popular. There is often a significant increase in the use of the name of a currently popular movie star or sports figure in any given year.
Conventional parents might take the naming process more seriously. A family tradition may involve naming a child after a parent, grandparent, or another well-respected relative. However, this can sometimes confuse others.
When I was a teenager, I had a best friend named Doug. Whenever I phoned to speak to him, I would invariably be asked, “Do you want to speak to Doug Sr. or Doug Jr.?” Really? I had nothing to say to the father. Doug’s parents could have avoided the need for that question if they had just been a little more creative with the kid’s name.
Why Your Name Is Important
The main reason that your name is important is that it distinguishes you from other people. Your name is not unique and is very likely quite common. There may be hundreds or even thousands of other people in the world with the same given name as you, but you still have a different name than most of your friends. My name is Craig. In my whole life, I have only met two other people named Craig. Now, Greg is a different story. Although it is pronounced similarly, it is a different name and much more common than Craig.
Now, the situation in the picture below is different. There is virtually nothing to distinguish these fellas from each other. Only their mamas know who’s who.
Your name is a part of who you are, how people relate to you, and perhaps even who you will become. Their name is something that most people take pride in. It lets others know your culture of origin, your beliefs and values, and how to interact with you in everyday situations. Your name may give them a hint as to what you are willing to joke about and what is very serious to you. It can be a summary of who you are.
Names Require Respect
As mentioned above, the language of your parents determines to a great extent how they choose your name. Your name can be a problem if, in the future, you travel or choose to live somewhere where the population speaks a different language.
It may be challenging for people to pronounce your name or for you to pronounce theirs because of sound restrictions in your respective native languages. However, you and others should avoid using that as an excuse to pronounce unfamiliar names poorly. Everyone should respect others’ names and identities and always try to pronounce them correctly, as they are pronounced in their native language.
In her YouTube video, Neetu Garcha discusses anglicizing the pronunciation of her Punjabi name to fit in better as she grew up. Sadly, some people don’t agree with what Neetu says in this video, which is also the concept of this essay. But, as you can see in the comments under the video, racists will be racists.
As an ESL teacher, I have seen this often throughout my career. When I was teaching, some foreign names were almost impossible to pronounce. Still, I always did my best to pronounce them correctly. Korean names are especially challenging because some sounds in the Korean language don’t exist in English. However, that’s no excuse not to try. It always saddened me when some students thought they had to have English names to fit in. People from other countries or cultures shouldn’t have to change their identity to make it easier for others.
My Name
It’s also somewhat annoying, though occasionally amusing, when people mispronounce my name. My name is Craig (pronounced as /krayg/). It has always been Craig, and I’m sure it always will be Craig. There! You’ve seen it three times, which should be enough to remember. I’m often called Greg; as mentioned earlier, Gregs are a dime a dozen.
I’ve also been called Crag, Crik, or Crak. Oddly enough, the same person has used those three variations interchangeably over the years I have known her. Yeah, you know who you are! Close, but no cigar. Oh, wait. If you rearrange the letters of my name (c r a i g), you can also make the word cigar, but I can’t remember ever being called that.
Anyway, the point of this essay is that your name is part of who you are, and you and your name deserve the respect intended when you received that gift.
The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.
Vocabulary
- communal – adjective; relating or belonging to a community; with the community
- consciously – adverb; aware, knowing, intentional; on purpose
- stuck with – verb; be unable to get rid of or escape from; be permanently involved with; have forever
- stuck with – noun; a name given to a child at or shortly after birth; a first name; a name given to a child at birth
- immediate family – designating those of closest relation, usu. parents, children, spouses, and siblings; when you are a child, your parents, brothers, sisters, and you; when you are an adult, your spouse, your children, and you
- family name – noun; a surname; a hereditary name common to all members of a family; the name of the family; written last in most Western cultures but first in many Asian cultures
- adhere to – verb; (foll. by to) behave according to; fit into to
- hand in hand – adjective; in close association; together with
- middle name – noun; a person’s name placed after the first name and before the surname; any given name after the first name
- moniker – noun, slang; a name; a slang word for a name
- conventional – adjective; conforming to social conventions; usual, traditional, normal; usual or normal in that society
- invariably – adverb; unchangeable; always the same; always
- distinguishes – transitive verb, 3p sing; see or point out the difference of; makes different
- unique – adjective; of which there is only one; unusual, remarkable; one of a kind; the only one
- take pride in – verb; be proud of; are proud of
- respective – adjective; concerning or appropriate to each of several individually; proper to each; to each one
- anglicizing – transitive verb; make English in form or character; to make English-like
- a dime a dozen – idiom; very cheap or commonplace; literal meaning: 12 of something costs $0.10; figurative meaning: common or very cheap
- close, but no cigar – idiom; (of an attempt etc.) almost but not quite successful; literal meaning: a cigar was a prize for guessing the correct answer at a carnival game; figurative meaning: almost correct, but not quite
- cigar – noun; a cylinder of tobacco rolled in tobacco leaves for smoking; large, brown, wrapped tobacco for smoking
Comprehension Questions
- The number of given names a person has varies from culture to culture. How many given names do you have?
(a) one, (b) two, (c) three, or (d) more than three - What guides what name will be chosen for a child?
(a) language, (b) culture, (c) history, or (d) all of a, b, and c - Do you know anyone who was named after a movie star?
Yes or No? - Have you ever had a friend named Doug?
Yes or No? - Is your given name common in your culture? If no, have you ever met someone with the same name?
Yes or No?
If No to the first question, Yes or No? - Can you pronounce my name?
Yes or No?
Resources
- Wikipedia – Name
- The University of British Columbia – What’s in a name?
And Now For Your Listening and Viewing Enjoyment
Here is a novelty song from the mid-1960s. It’s very dated now, but it’s representative of its time. Here is Shirley Ellis with “The Name Game”.
Lyrics
"The Name Game"
performed by Shirley Ellis (1964)
written by Shirley Ellis and Lincoln Chase
The Name Game!
Shirley!
Shirley, Shirley Bo-ber-ley
Bo-na-na fanna Fo-fer-ley
Fee-fi-mo-mer-ley
Shirley!
Lincoln!
Lincoln, Lincoln, bo-bin-coln
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fin-coln
Fee-fi-mo-min-coln
Lincoln!
Come on everybody
I say now let's play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme
Out of anybody's name
The first letter of the name
I treat it like it wasn't there
But a "B" or an "F"
Or an "M" will appear
And then I say "Bo" add a "B" then I say the name
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then I say the name again with an ""f" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then I say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Arnold!
Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold
Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold
Fee-fi-m-mar-mold
Arnold!
But if the first two letters are ever the same
I drop them both, then say the name
Like Bob, Bob, drop the "B's", Bo-ob
Or Fred, Fred, drop the "F's", Fo-red
Or Mary, Mary, drop the "M's", Mo-ary
That's the only rule that is contrary
Okay?
Now say Bo
Now Tony with a B
Then "Bo-na-na fanna" and "fo"
And then you say the name again with an "F" very plain
Then "fee fi" and a "mo"
And then you say the name again with an "M" this time
And there isn't any name that I can't rhyme
Everybody do Tony
Tony, Tony, bo-bo-ney
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fo-ney
Fee-fi-mo-mo-ney
Tony!
Pretty good
Let's do Billy!
Billy, Billy, bo-gil-ly
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-fil-ly
Fee-fi-mo-mil-ly
Billy!
Very good, let's do Marsha!
Marsha, Marsha, bo-bar-sha
Bo-na-na fanna, fo-far-sha
Fee-fi-mo-ar-sha
Marsha!
A little trick with Nick!
Nick, Nick, bo-bick,
Bo-na-na fanna fo fick
Fee-fi-mo-mick
Nick!
The Name Game!
