There is a defining characteristic which every human being share. This is a unique identity that separates one person from the other. A very profound feature that makes YOU and I special.
There is a great deal of difference from one culture to another on how names are given. And this brings me to the Daily Prompt Say Your Name.
Every new born go through the initiation of a name. You will agree with me that there is power in given names. Everyone responds when their names are called.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
“A name is a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing.”
OR “A word or symbol used in logic to designate an entity.”
A name is the grouping of several letters of an alphabet, or other symbols, which represents the identification of a person or an object.
Therefore, your name is utterly powerful and a very significant part of your existence.
I believe so much in my names and their meanings. I believe that I am a Star!
I also believe that when there is life, there is hope – the meaning of my traditional Ibo name.
The concept of names during Baptism is quite significant. A child is named after a Saint on whose feast day the child is born or any English name that is affiliated with Christendom.
It is the norm at the time of my birth to give English names to babies born into Christian families. My parents, as Roman Catholic Christians, carried out this duty. At Baptism, approximately three months after I was born, the name Stella was added to my given names. Prior to being baptised, I was given a name or rather names according to the Ibo tradition 21 days after birth. These names were not frequently used as only my Parents, grandparents, and very close family members, mostly of the older generation called me by those names. Most of these people are no longer alive today. My Mother is the only one who still call me by my traditional name.
But Stella remain her favourite.
My name is Stella. Or rather, my Baptismal name is Stella. As I became older, I added the missing “Maris” to Stella. I thought “Stella Maris” was nicer and more stylish. This was my own version of the name my parents gave me. My parents called me Stella but I liked it more when friends called me Stella Maris or Maris.
However, this has changed over time and now I answer to several names ranging from nicknames to special names, and recently to my online names.
Find below some of the nicknames taken from my beautiful name – Stella.
Stel or Stels
Stelly, Stellie, Stelli
Star, Stellar, Esty (ST)
I have been nicknamed and called – Stel, Stelly, Star, Esty or St or Stee.
Research have shown that my name originated from the Latin word – Stella, which means STAR. The name was used in England during the 16th century by Sir Philip Sidney, when he used it in his sonnet – “Astrophel to Stella.” However, it became commonly used as a given name in the 19th Century.
Stella is used in various ways. It is interesting to note also that a Latin term for the Virgin Mary is “Stella Maris” which means “Star of the Sea”. The name Stella is also used in reference to the brightness and beauty of the Star. The Spanish and French name for Stella is Estella. And all these names have one common meaning – STAR.
In Nigeria, and I suppose in other parts of the world, the names we are given act as our identity. Names have historical significances. Names can tell where a person hails from, they reveal your roots, the part of the world you come from or even the family you are born into. Some names give away your nationality. It reveals the language and dialect you speak.
I would like to mention that some very close friends and family members have their unique names for me and I answer to all of them too. My dear cousin and friend, Sandra will not cease to amaze me with the name “Egyptian Queen”. She loves calling me this name and I enjoy the sound of it every time I hear it. A set of other friends call me “Simple Dimple”. While some others simply call me Stel or ST… I answer to all of these names. I enjoy the eclectic mix my name represents.
Finally, what is in a name you’d ask?
A name is simply more than the physical you. It has extended even to the Social Medias and to the online world. Names are taken to represent an online presence and they become your identity and who you are. Take the blogosphere for instance, I am called “Simple Dimple” or “Giggles and Tales”. Now, I respond to these new online names which is fast becoming my new identities.
How do you prefer to be called? The names given to you by your parents or your new adopted names?
Say your name!
Peace and Love!
This is wow!
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Thank you, Henry! 🙂
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My name doesn’t represent my nationality (my parents needed to ask first, for some months I hadn’t a name). But it does represent the family I was born.
I’m very proud of my name and I do everything I can to make it justice. Nícia means victory. Also, it has a story behind it. Well, two stories.
Our names are how our souls sound, to us and to others. 🙂
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Wow! You have a beautiful name, Nicia – Victory! We all want to be victorious in life. I love my name and don’t think I would have preferred any other name. Our names over time, represent who we are. Your views are always appreciated. Much love! 🙂
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I won’t change my name either. I was said it was poetic, and I agree. 🙂
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Except when a name means something bad, then one may begin to consider changing it. But our names are beautiful. 🙂
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I think it depends on the perspective we take on looking at the name. There’s no really such thing as bad. 🙂
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Well, it depends. From where I come from, some traditional names can mean something bad based on the circumstances surrounding one’s birth. There are cases of people who grew up and changed their names because of the meanings. Some parents name their children based on their ancestral belief, names of deities or gods. And in this new age, some of these names are believed to be ancient names… hence the need to change them.
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I understand. Here we don’t change names that often, even if the name seems ancient. And there’s only a tradition I’m aware of that is to call Luís to whoever born with the umbilical cord on the neck.
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That is the interesting thing about cultural diversity! Change of names doesn’t occur regularly and it’s not out of place to consider a name change.
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I love the history of the names. I learned a lot here. My name is Elissa but many call me lis, lissa, etc. I have friends who call me Ginger and many other nicknames over the years. My mom’s family down south calls me lissa Beth because my middle name is Beth. But I love that my name is spelled different than the typical Alyssa. Makes me unique.
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Thank you, Elissa! I’d love to call you Lis too. Such a lovely name! Names are our identities and makes us unique and different. If you hadn’t given this clarification, I would assume your name was Elisabeth! Lol. Thanks for the read and wonderful comment. 🙂
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Thanks for checking out and following my blog! Since you are a star named Stella it makes me want to call you Stellar! 😉
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Haha! That’s fine by me. It doesn’t change the sound of the name. Blogging is about connecting with others. I’m glad I found your blog. 🙂
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This was a fun piece to write about, and I have enjoyed reading yours. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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You’re welcome, Jamia! I have a friend called Mia and I think both names are beautiful. I have enjoyed writing the post and glad to know you enjoyed the read. Thanks for your visit. I look forward to reading your next post. Cheers! 🙂
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I really enjoyed this post Stellar, very informative and interesting, i also feel to some extent that it depends on the perspective you take concerning the meaning of our names, I for one have the name Lynda which means beauty, some interpretations say ‘beauty of a serpent’ and being a Nigerian it raised concerns amongst people who i believe genuinely cared about me, because of the serpent part attached to the meaning, i contemplated changing my name but at some point i decided that it wasn’t to a large extent my name which defined who i was, it was my belief system, i am a christian and i believe what the word of God says about me, i became comfortable with being called beautiful because i am in actual fact beautiful both inside and out because thats how God has made me.
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It all depends on how people feel about their names. It’s a personal thing. For you, you overlooked the ‘serpent’ aspect and called your name beautiful. Because you see your name in that light, that is what it will be – beautiful. And indeed, you are a beautiful person! I am a witness, lol. People change their names when they do not feel comfortable with it. And some traditional names call for a rethink… It was nice having your voice on this post. I’ve enjoyed your viewpoint. Thanks for stopping by my dear friend. Cheers! 🙂
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I was born with a different name than the one I have now! My first one meant “first light of dawn”, and the one I’ve now had for about 15 years means “healing” in Arabic. 🙂
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I am glad you stated about your name change. Though you didn’t state the reason for the change but I presume you acted with reasons. Both names sound nice to me. Thanks so much S.H. for the follow. I hope to interact more with you. Cheers! 🙂
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Actually, it was changed because although my first given name had quite a beautiful meaning, when we immigrated to Canada, my 2nd grade teacher advised that its ending sounded like a swear word here! Needless to say, my parents were quite shocked, and obviously didn’t want me to be bullied in future years. I was 7 or 8 at the time, and it’s kind of cool that I had a say in what my name, for the rest of my life, would be.
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Great! I appreciate that you explained the need for the change. And this was very understandable and a story I can relate to with my immigrant experience. It’s common thing when people immigrate to have their names either abbreviated or shorten or spelt differently just so it will make for easy pronunciation. You are a good sport. Thanks a ton! 🙂
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You’re right, it’s common. But I also do have a great degree of respect who keep their name from their own culture and language. It’s what makes the world more interesting and diverse after all. And I love reading or hearing stories behind a person’s name and its meaning; whether it be from Jamaica, Arabia, Germany, or anywhere else.
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Ditto! How boring the world would have been without the different cultural heritage of the multi-nationalities that make up the peoples of the world?
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And I look forward to it too! 🙂 Your blog is inspiring.
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Thanks so much!
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This is a class article! The kind whose author I would like to have been!
What is in a name, you ask?! A little anecdote: My parents assumed that my mother would name me. Back then no one knew the answer to the “Boy/Girl” question. And after 5 boys, my parents had quit wondering how I would enter the world. Long story short. I was a preemie and my mom was “out of it” after my arrival. So, the maternity nurse asked my dad what my name was to be. He said “Yvonne! (after the actress, Yvonne De Carlo…yes, the original “Lilly Munster) . Duly noted, birth certificate filled out and filed. Boy, did my dad have some explaining to do when she asked the nurse when she could see her little “Robin”!
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Thanks a ton for your kind remark. Your Dad gave you a beautiful name and your mum accepted it so even after the explanation, lol. A number of famous people are named Yvonne. I may not know Yvonne De Carlo but I know Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the South African Singer. Your name tickled my fancy due to her in my younger years because her music blasted the airwaves at that time. Really nice to have your voice on this post. I appreciate that you took the time to read and express your views. Thank you! 🙂
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Stella (simpledimple), I feel I know you much better after having read this story which reveals a lot about you and your background. I did not join in the “name” writing prompt this time because I wrote one in December. If you are interested and have time go see http://onetahayes.com/2015/12/16/a-might-have-happened-story/ Will see you later.
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Yes, I’d love to read your version of the prompt when I wake up. Right now it’s past mid-night here though am still up. I agree that the post is quite revealing and I’m glad to share my story. Now, you know the person behind this blog, yeah! Always a delight to hear from you. 🙂
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You have a beautiful name. I hadn’t thought about all the names. My favorite was my Grandpa who called me his Million Dollar Smile. I hadn’t realized how much that name still means to me. I was named Debra Lee at birth. Debra/Deborah means “bee.”. I was called Debbie through childhood, and started going by Debra in my 30’s. Was given “mo sah thi wey ney” as Indian name and chose Jaguar Woman as my own spirit name based on my affinity to jaguar totem. I didn’t realize I had so many names. Thanks for sharing this.
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Haha @ you didn’t realise you have so many names. Your name is beautiful. I have a couple of friends who share same name. Some are called Deb, Debra, Debby, Debbie and DB, Lol, all culled from Deborah. I love all the pet ways you all are called. Names play a significant role in our lives. Thanks so much for visiting and reading. My warm appreciations! 🙂
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Thank you for calling attention to this. It really gave me a lot to think about. in lak’ech
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You’re most welcome! 🙂
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Great piece and very informative too …all in the bid to say your name…haa…haa. It was fun reading your post. My mother’s English name is also Stella…now i know that her name means (STAR). My name is Adebisi meaning Crown increases…literally. The Ade comes from been born to a royal family. My friends call me Ade square…busybee and so on. Names are definitely powerful. Nice meeting you Simple Dimple…lovely and cute name. Thank you for visiting my page. my newest post- https://femininematerz.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/stepping-up-the-game-its-our-day-iwd/
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Yes o, I got to say my name and depict the distinct culture of my people. I apologise for responding late. Had a pile of pending comments and today is D-Day to reply. Indeed, names are powerful and always have a story behind them. It’s sweet to hear I share same name with your Mum. Wow! Star babies, lol. Your’s is equally a beautiful name with a glorious meaning – CROWN…! What else do we aspire for in life but to increase in every aspect. Now, I have a new sister on board. Hope to connect more with you. Thank you for taking the time to read and leave this heartwarming feedback. Blessings to you! Btw, I’d love to call you Busybee! 🙂
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