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An Odyssey of Names

Games Our Parents Played:

The Romance of Names (by Weekley, Ernest)
Sobriquets and Nicknames (by Albert R. Frey)
Onomasticon anglo-saxonicum; a list of A... (by Searle, William George)
A Dictionary of Names, Nicknames and Sur... (by Latham, Edward)
A List of Christian Names, Their Derivat...
Staten Island names ; ye olde names and ... (by Davis, William Thompson)

Decades after our births, when we introduce ourselves to strangers or unconsciously doodle nicknames in the margins of notebooks, our names and how we represent them take hold. They can be austere and religious or playful and delicate, but names, and the associations we have with our names, shape our identities.

Nicknames are usually given, not chosen, and can be related to physical appearance, personality, mental characteristics, or the titles we hold. A person with an authority over others may be dubbed “Chief.” A classmate whose physical appearance remains consistently thin can be called “Slim.”

Names that attribute virtues are self-explanatory: Faith, Prudence, Charity, and Hope all presume that an individual will attain the traits their names suggest.

Our personal names are who we grow into. Religion, class, race, education, education, and political ideology often influence the decisions of parents to name their children. The World Public Library provides extensive lists detailing the world’s most popular names and the meanings behind them.

Biblical names, however, often follow specific trends. Hebrew names referring to ‘El’ (God’s might or power) include Elishua (“God is my salvation”) Ezekiel (“God will strengthen”) Elizabeth (“My God is oath”) and Ariel (“Lion of God”). These ‘El’ theophoric names, strong and bold, emphasize parents’ religious devotion, and additionally the devoutness desired in their offspring.

Many Celtic names have been created in the tradition of anglicization, the process of aligning names with English norms. Quinn, derived from the Gaelic surname O’Cuinn, represents wisdom and intelligence. Chad, medieval in origin, represents a warrior spirit, and may be an abbreviation of the surnames Chadwell or Chadwick. Logan, which has become an increasingly unisex name, takes a Gaelic definition “from the hollow.”

Albert R. Fray’s Sobriquets and Nicknames provides a litany of given names, nicknames, surnames, and their origins. His writing helps us to understand the intent behind our parents’ decisions. For more information, context, and possible inspiration, check out Alfred Kuranchie’s study concerning Student Nicknames: Their Sources and Effects on Learning and William George Searle’s Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum: A List of Anglo-Saxon Proper Names.

By Logan Williams