Why Names Matter

Amber Jasmine L. Castro

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet.” This is a quote from one of the famous English poets, William Shakespeare, in
his equally famous work, Romeo and Juliet.
Imagine if we didn’t have names. What if we were codes instead? For example, if
you’re from the Philippines, the first part of the code would be PH. I was born on the 17 th
of June 2004, and perhaps I was the 20th baby to be born that month. My code would
then be: PH0617200420. What do you think? Does it sound good? Does it give you an
idea of my identity? No? Well, hello, my real name is Amber Castro, and this is why
names matter.
The two main points I shall be making today are the first impression, and then the
identity.
Our names define who we are and even if you are not present in the situation; it
can bring different reactions. Names can reveal cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and
marital status. Using prefixes like Dr. or Mrs. can denote gender or profession. It is
generally the first thing a person learns about you.
What is a first impression? According to our good friend, the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, it is “an often distinct or imprecise notion or remembrance”. Simply put, it is
what we think of someone the first time they show up in our lives and can either be a
good or bad mark left on you.
“Hey, that seems scary, getting exposed so easily to judgment. What if I just
don’t reveal my name first?” People will still assign a name to you, whether it be based
on your physical appearance or something memorable you’ve done, like “Mr. Baldy” or
“that crybaby in math time”. You can never really escape the labelling, so it’s best to get
ahead of all this by stating your name with confidence to make a statement.
Labelling, in itself, is nothing wrong because it helps us remember who is who
better, but when labelling is partnered with prejudice, that’s when conflicts can arise.
Prejudice is the “preconceived judgment or opinion forced without grounds or
sufficient knowledge”. It’s usually showing irrational attitude of hostility against an
individual or a whole race. It’s alright to be wary of someone since a level of trust by
means of communication is needed but to ostracize someone based on their name is
absurd. Take the Montagues and Capulets, for instance. Their deeply rooted prejudice
against each other has clouded their judgments that the moment they get in the same
area, harsh words and swords shall be exchanged. And to think that they don’t even
understand how the rivalry had started.
 Now, after all these verbal and nonverbal introductions and judgments, we arrive
at the point where we make a stand to clarify ourselves, our identity. It is composed of
many factors, like culture, religion, and trends. Let’s see how they’re involved in the
creation of our names, starting with culture.
In the Philippines, before the popularization of Western names, many kids’
names had a touch of Spanish, seeing how we were colonized by the Spaniards for 333
years. There was Casimiro, Jose, Laigo, Buenaventura, Isabel, and more. There was a
time when it was popular to add Maria to a girl’s name, like Maria Carmen or Maria
Lourdes.
With religion, parents would just look up the calendar and check the name of the
saint whose feast day was the same as the day their kid was born. This explains why
there used to be plenty of Aguedas, Bartolomes and Pedros in previous generations.
Now, parents have become choosier when it comes to names, since they’ve
seemed to realize that it can reflect upon the child, that it is difficult to undo an
unflattering name. Naming your kid Judas will definitely turn some heads. Trends affect
naming kids, like when Pope John Paul II came to visit Manila, and many babies were
christened with the name John Paul. And with the current pandemic, I won’t be
surprised if some parent decided to name their kid as Covid.
All together now, we talked about first impressions, then identities, particularly
how and what factors affect the naming system. So, Juliet, William Shakespeare,
names are important when not in the pursuit of love, but instead in the realm of
socialization and self-expression. Keep your names close to your hearts but do not
drown in them. That is all, thank you.