What is in a name? Do names have connotations? Why would people want to have their names changed? Some of us have, at some point in time, caught ourselves wondering the reason people are called by certain names. We sometimes wonder why people would respond to certain names.
As odd or as pleasant as they may sound in the next person’s ear, names are a very striking feature of our personality. It is usually the immediate point of reference when people want to mention another person and sometimes the first foundation of building familiarity with the next person.
Names can tell where their bearers come from, their status in the society or community to which they belong, their faith (religion) or their race. Beyond that, some believe names have an impact on a person; names can tell how a person behaves and even determine their fortune – Yes.
A study from the American Economic Review found that people who had “white-sounding” names had higher chances of gaining employment from companies than those with African-American names. For some, names are just names – a mere reference to a person.
Names are fluid. They can change as and when their bearers want to have them changed. So it is not shocking to find people, for varying reasons, growing up to take on new names. At some point, people decide what/how they want to be called. They want to be known and called by a different name from what was bestowed unto them at birth. It could be for religious, socio-political reasons or sometimes a mere dissatisfaction with the name given to them at birth.
In the case of slaves, a name change was a marker of freedom – a new autonomy that afforded former slaves the freedom of choosing how they wanted to be known and called and also signified an end to bondage.
By giving themselves new names, especially surnames, they have cut themselves free from anything that bound them to their masters. While many people would choose to retain their birth names even after acquiring freedom, these brave black people thought it was better to drop their ‘slave names’ and adopt new names.
Names were not just for reference. They signified strength. They signified a voice. To these black people, names have power!
Anthony Madu, the 14-year-old Nigerian dancer from Lagos who gained admission to a prestigious ballet…
Actor-host Wayne Brady recently opened up about his early financial struggles in his now thriving…
Mia Arianna, also known as @mia.ariannaa on TikTok, helped her son become an honorary team…
Alvin Gauthier, a Grand Prairie USPS postman, recently went above and beyond to brighten a…
Maj. Gen. Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed is the first female commander of the air force and…
Benjamin E. Mays High School brought together its 272 senior class members for a meeting…
Afrika Owes' emotional response to learning that she had passed the bar exam on her…
A 49-year-old New York attorney was on April 26 sentenced to 10 years in federal…
During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Wednesday, pop legend Cher opened up…
Authorities in Florida said an 11-year-old boy was accidentally shot and killed by his 14-year-old…
The famous Taylor Schlitz family is making headlines once more as the youngest of the…
Sony Pictures Entertainment has appointed Tahra Grant as its Chief Communications Officer. She replaces Robert…
Meet Ashley M. Fox, the founder of Empify and the first in her family to…
Tyra Banks, the iconic former host of Dancing With the Stars, has made a delightful…
A Brazilian woman named Érika de Souza, 42, is under investigation for manslaughter after authorities…