Jay-Z and Beyonce named their kid Blue Ivy. To my knowledge they have not explained the meaning behind the name, although gossip bloggers have presented dozens of stupid interesting humorous guesses. It of course provoked the usual public criticism from traditionalists (as if “Jay-Z” is traditional) and the expected celebration from fans of the Unofficial Celebrity Child-Naming Competition (trademark pending).
Since Giles and I have been working as family genealogists over the past few years we have both taken a greater interest in the story and heritage of names. Last week I chaperoned our sophomore students on a day retreat. The facilitator focused part of her presentation around the theme of personal identity. Using Rob Bell’s Name Nooma video as a starting point, she encouraged the students to reflect on their identities in every facet.
At the heart of this content is our own name. Every aspect of who we are (height, personality, culture, faith, etc.) can be communicated in some way by the mention of our name. Have you ever had someone say “is that his name? He looks like a Mike to me.” This most likely occurs because they know a Mike that has a similar personality and appearance as the subject.
Names matter.
Over the next few posts I am going to share about my own name and the people and stories that have helped inform my own identity. I hope you are willing to join me and share your own stories too.
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