What's in a Name?

My namesake, not look-a-like!
(internet image)

  Why do you have your name?  Did you ever wonder why your parents gave you your name?

  I was named for the Old Testament King David (his name means beloved).  I never asked for their reasons, but I suspect I was given a "D" name because my two cousins already had "D" names; three cousins to come also had names starting with "D"; and so did my sister.  An aunt gave her kids names starting with "E," so at least she followed the alphabet.

  The first Sunday in March became namesake day in 2015 with the idea we ask how our name came to fruition.

  For our kids, we decided we wanted names starting with "M," then began going through various resources to find ideas.  Ultimately, we followed my parents lead, choosing names from the Bible when we were blessed with boys.

When asked about our children, we replied Matthew and Mark, but no Luke or John.  Two Gospels were enough.

My grandfather was originally named Rudolph, but during World War I he didn't want an obvious German name so started going by Ralph.  Infamous names (Adolph, for one) disappear from the landscape.

Just recently I read that women and girls named Alexa now want to be called something other than the name used to beckon our robotic assistant.  I don't blame them.

If you had someone in your past who did you harm or was unpleasant, anyone you meet with the same name conjures bad memories.  Safe to say you wouldn't give it to someone you love.

Loving your name isn't necessary, but it is nice to hear people use it in pleasant tones; to invite you somewhere; or to share good news.

Years tend to cycle names naturally.  Names that went out of fashion return as we recall our grandparent, uncle, or aunt whose name we enjoyed.  I saw this play out in person recently when I met young women named Lydia and Pearl.

What's in a name?  Quite a bit, although I agree with the Bard who wrote that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."