The power of naming

NAMES are not just a random collection of letters. Rather they are sign posts that point to who we are and where we come from.

From the moment we are born, our names begin to shape our identities.

They somewhat predestine us positively or negatively.

But what if your name carried more significance than just being a label or you?

What if it held the key to your future? Understanding the meaning and significance of a name is like unlocking a treasure trove of understanding the bigger picture beyond naming a thing.

Whether we realise it or not; our names hold a great deal of power. They can influence the way we are perceived by others, our sense of self-worth and even our life paths. Since time immemorial, naming has always had been treated with paramount importance. “What is your name?” is a question that you are likely to answer time and again in this life.

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Aside from making social interactions awkward as well as fostering a way to remember information, names reveal striking information about human psyche, cultural changes, familial lineages as well as geographical variations, among others. This makes our understanding of the power of naming a necessary evil for all us.

And you ask, is this necessary? Well, your answer is here and now. I trust your questions will be dealt with and you will appreciate why you need to embrace the power of naming. Allow me to draw to your attention to the fact that naming can have a huge impact on how you perceive and interact with the world around you. The people, food, places and other things that you know is a result of naming. You can make your differentiations and distinctions of things through naming. Naming is, therefore, a rich and complex process.

When we start naming the environment and the things within it or the universe correctly, the way we perceive ourselves and our sphere of influence, immediately changes. Just think of the power of saying, “I am a child of God”; “I am a winner”; “I am a leader” or “God is my father.” Hey! Such a mindset will not just help you with a name, it is an identity and a relationship with yourself, your environment and your maker.

What then is naming? Let me start off by defining what naming is. Understanding the meaning of naming and significance of our names is like looking up at the sky — it connects us to something more beautiful than ourselves. And just like looking at the sunset, it changes our perspective.

Acknowledging and embracing the truth of a name changes our perspective. Undeniably, understanding the meaning and significance of naming also helps us to see our place in the world and our relationship with God. Pedantically, naming is assigning a name to something. Culturally, naming can be seen as a ritual or ceremony in which a person’s name is given or announced. 

God formed beasts of the field and birds of the air out of the ground and brought them to Adam so that Adam would name them. The names Adam gave are the names for the beasts of the field and birds of the air to this day. Genesis 2 vs 19b reads, “He brought them to the man to see what he would name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” And to us, the names we give or we were given, have a certain aura they create for us. When you grasp the significance of your name, it is like you have discovered a piece of your identity that was hidden from plain sight.

Some names have negative or unfortunate meanings, which can be quite a burden to carry around. Imagine having to live with a name like that! But even in those cases, there is an opportunity for redemption. In Isaiah 62:2 there is a line which reads, “And you will be called by a new name.” People can take ownership of their names and redefine what they mean. They can turn their bad news name into a symbol of their resilience and strength or power.

It is all about how you choose to approach your name, is it not? There are so many things that are supposed to be yours but the problem is they have no names. Suppose you are a parent and you give birth and name your child as is the norm, that child has been sealed as your own and all things being equal no one can come and claim that child from you unless you are an abusive parent. Suppose you want a wife, a car, a house or any other thing, you need to name the things into existence. If you cannot name it and if you cannot picture it, then you cannot have it.

I want you to understand that the nomenclature process encompasses a wide range of disciplines such as etymology, onomastics, toponyms (names of places) and anthroponyms (names of people). Your name did not come by accident and what you do not have is also not by accident. You need to rise up to the occasion and name something.

Naming creates critical pillars of our individual as well as collective identity and stirs emotions, fosters connections and promotes inclusivity. The critical canons of this life, opine that, “experience is the best teacher.” We need to be extra cautious when it comes to naming. The names you give are more like rubber stamping a behaviour or character and before you know it, the telltale signs will emerge and will be difficult to thwart.

Suffice it to say, names are an incredible part of identity. Name encapsulates identity. What names are attracting your social capital? Well, this is food for thought. Stay intrigued!

• Takudzwa Noel Phiri is a holder of BA-English and Communication, a freelance researcher, author, an English teacher in Chihota. He can be contacted on +263 775 650 515 / +263 717 178 523