Shakespeare, in his play, Romeo and
Juliet, wrote a line now famous.
Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
This short
line sums up the struggle and tragedy of the drama. Juliet loves the man, not
the name and for Juliet’s love, Romeo rejects his family name.
As of this writing
date, a fifteen year old girl in Iceland is suing the state over her given
name. The one her mother provided her at birth is not on the official
government approved list. According to the government, the teenager is listed
as the no-named girl.
Iceland
isn’t the only country to require parents to accept an authorized government
name. Fortunately for us in the United
States, we are free to christen our babies with whatever nomenclature we
desire. And some of us have weird ones, but they are ours. We also have the
freedom to change our name if we aren’t fond of the one our parents chose.
Have you
ever wondered how authors select names? When authors begin a story, appellations
are carefully considered. Will readers relate to the heroine’s name? Does the
hero’s designation imply strength? Are the names pronounceable, memorable? Do they fit the personalities of the main
characters?
What names
from literature you remember? Ichabod
Crain? Robinson Crusoe? Romeo? Heidi? Lassie? Nancy Drew?
The most
important and unforgettable name ever given to man is the name Jesus. The Father gave His Son a name that is above
every name, and at His name, every knee will bow. But Jesus is not fictional; He is a real,
living person with a name that brings salvation.
Any
thoughts on human or fictional birth tags?
How did you choose your children’s names? How did you parents choose what you are
called? Who is your favorite fictional
character?
When
writing the series about a dyslexic angel, I selected the name Sarah. A Biblical name, one easily pronounced, and
one I hope will be remembered as a series. Two new Sarah books are due in 2013,
and I’m hoping more to come.
I have an odd name. I've learned to appreciate the fact that I was named for my wonderful grandfather Carl. The natural choice for me, than, would seem to be Carla. However, my mother wanted to name me something "different." Please, moms-to-be, have mercy on your daughters! Give them names people can spell and pronounce. -Carlene Havel
ReplyDeleteI've come to like and respect your and your name. I gave our daughter an odd name. Lanissa. No one knows how to prounce it. When they see it in print, some call her Laneesa--with a long e. Some say Lanica with a long i. Some say Lanissa with a shor i. It can be confusing to say the least.
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