Your Name or Not Your Name, That is the Question

I think it would be safe to say that by now, there has been at least one instance where we absolutely despised our name. This does not include our middle name, or lack thereof, or our last names, though I’m sure many of us would have paid long ago to change that. Going back to the times when you could have killed your parents, most likely middle and high school, did you ever actually think about what your name meant or what it would feel like to have a different name?
 
Let’s start with my name for example. In the first few crazy, disorienting minutes after my birth, my mother got it in her head to name me Sasha after mishearing my dad’s suggestion. I hated it all throughout my childhood and early adolescence. I could and would have strangled my parents with the umbilical cord if I’d known what they were doing. I always wanted a more normal name like Nicole or Samantha. But no, I got stuck with a unisex Russian name that actually is my father’s name in English, Alexander (or in my case Alexandra) thus making me even more hateful towards my name because I essentially share it with my dad. Then, one day I was bored and decided to look up the meaning of my name and found that Sasha means “defender of mankind.” Pretty cool, right? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that my name actually suits me; I tend to defend people when they are being slandered or hurt. It’s not necessarily defending all of mankind but one small act of kindness can lead to more, or so I have been told.
 
The meaning of your name can say a lot about you. Samantha means “listener of God,” and all of the Samantha’s I have ever met were religious. The name Aidan means “fiery,” and my nephew is nothing short of a little demon. One day my mom was feeling sad, so I looked up the meaning of her name and found that it means “hope.” Just telling her that her name meant hope made her feel better. So if you’re still unsure about your name, look it up on one of the many sites on the internet. You never know, it may surprise you.
 
 If you know the meaning of your name and it doesn’t satisfy you, try something else that I have done. Stand in front of a mirror and call yourself by the name you’ve always wanted, or have a friend call you by it. Many times we find that while we don’t like our name, we realize that we “look” like it. I don’t look like a Nicole, and I’m sure many others, men and women alike, don’t look like the Brad or Ashley that they wished they had been named. I say embrace your name, because at least you don’t have to look like an Apple, Blue Ivy, Sage Moonblood, or Memphis Eve.
 
If all else fails, you can always change your name but remember that your name is a part of who you are. When your delirious mother and overexcited father decided to name you after one of their hare-brained ideas, it wasn’t because they wanted you to be horribly embarrassed at school, but because deep down they love you and quite possible wanted you to be different from everyone else. They probably were slightly insane, because all parents are right? So again, embrace your name. Cuddle with it, hug it, get used to it because unless you want to take the time and money to change it, you’re stuck with it your whole life. Just be thankful your mom didn’t name you Jelly or Unicorn.