How important is a name?
Reputation or Identity?
Certainly, we all recognize the importance of reputation when it comes to surnames. No one has a goal of having their name plastered on wanted posters at the local post office, or in the Police Record section of the newspaper. Remember the campaign that included pictures of lost/abducted children on milk cartons? What about people who choose names for their children with pre-conceived associations? Jessie James, or Kandy Kane, or Nixon, or Elmo, Elvis, Bart, Barney or…?
We have friends who named their children by listing the characteristics they wanted to see develop in their children then searching for names with meanings that supported or described those traits. Their children are still quite young, but I am interested in seeing the future results. Perhaps those names are associated in the parent’s minds with the traits that they will foster as the child grows. Or do names really have that much influence?
My Name Origins
I believe my own name story did influence my life. I was named Haila after my Grandfather’s maternal Aunt. Her given name was Mahala, but family stories indicate that she did not like the name and insisted she be called Hala. My mother wrote to Aunt Hala when I was born, asking if she would mind me becoming her namesake. The family story is that she agreed with the condition that they use her nickname. For some unknown reason, my mother stuck an “i” in the middle of the name, leading to a lifetime of mispronunciations for me! Aunt Hala lived several years past the age of 100, and they say her mind was sharp throughout. I can only hope to have inherited THAT gene.
While I never met her, I grew up knowing I was named after the Aunt that raised my grandfather after his mother died in a flu epidemic when he was very young. Aunt Hala raised him until his father remarried, and he was always close to her. I treasure the stories he would later tell me about his childhood, no doubt prompted by the good memories my name recalled.
Other Hailas? What?
A current day search will give various global meanings, but I was always pointed toward the Biblical origin. Mahala means “tenderness” in Hebrew, and in the Old Testament, Mahalah was one of five daughters of Zelophehad in the book of Numbers. I was surprised to find, through the power of the internet, that from 1880 to 2017 the Social Security Administration has recorded 83 babies born with the first name Haila in the United States. I am not unique, after all! But, in almost 70 years, I have not met one of the other 82 individuals!
Oh, well, at least the current favored meaning is “something amazing,” so there is that.
Naming Thoughts
I have generally appreciated having a name that is different, if not exactly unique. But I also appreciate the history of my name. My sister is named Ruth, as was our Mother and Grandmother. It is a standing joke to claim that our family will never be considered “ruthless”.
On a semi-related note, I was always told not to name horses, or any pet, names like Killer, Wild Child, Tornado, etc. The theory is that you unconsciously have a mind movie related to the words, and you will play the movie, encouraging troublesome behavior as a result. This makes sense to me, especially with horses, since they have a highly developed method of reading emotions. But, that said, one of the best horses I ever had was called Trouble. And except for the normal horse issues, he certainly did not live up to the name. Who knows?
What has been your experience with names; human or animal? Does it make a difference? Comment to share your favorite name story! Thanks for hanging out awhile.
Thanks for stopping by!