Today in class, I taught the students about branding - the importance of it and why companies are spending millions of money trying to build a brand name. With that, I also ask my students what do they think of their own name. They had lots of fun telling me the associations they had with some names - say "ROBERT", "ANGELINE", "ISABELLA", "GRACE" etc.
I remember that nailing down that name for my children was one of the most painful and well most time consuming first few decisions that a parent had to make for their children. Being chinese doesn't help - apart from English name, we have chinese names and we also have a dialect name that our children can have.
Similarly to "What should I wear for my Prom Party", people HAVE lots of things they want to say about your decision of your child's name. Sometimes, they do not say, but their facial expressions tell you all and then you sort of will think twice and put it in your list of names for the family pet instead list.
To make things easier, let's just analyse my boys' names.
My firstborn was named Myles (pronounced as Miles). Many people will like, " what is your son's name again? They try to pronounce it with some luck or no luck at all. Then, it makes me wonder,
1) DON'TANYONE SING THAT SONG?
If you miss the train I'm on, You will know that I'm gone, You can hear the whistle blow 100 miles. Lord I'm 1, Lord I'm 2, Lord I'm 3, Lord I'm 4, Lord, I'm 500 miles away from home.
Myles or Miles is a common word that does not require you to frown for days and go "huh, huh, huh" all the time.
2) PHONICS CLASS PERHAPS?
Because, miles is not MOUSE. I can accept it if you are like 3 year old but if you are 30 and you still crack that, MOUSE AH? MICKEY MOUSE AH? Then basically I do not know what to do with you but send you for phonics class.
The meaning of Myles:
In Latin it means, "Soldier" and that basically means that I want my boy to be a fighter, to win wars. For God, for men, for himself. To defend, to love, to protect ( his faith, his family, his beliefs, his passion)
Of course, of late, I googled and realised that there could be another meaning of Myles which is " Uncertain, perhaps peaceful" that I burst out laughing because, Myles adopts more to this name at his phase of life right now because, he is always in his world, dreaming, thinking, imagining and although I call him blur, he probably feels rather at peace and feeling peaceful.
My 2nd child is named Callum.
That is pretty straight forward. Less pronouciation pain for people -it is of Scottish origin and it means 'DOVE" . Peace loving and all kindness encompassing. I do hope that no one calls him "COLUMN" and if they do, I blame it on our Singapore's educational system which I am a part of.
Painstakingly, I chose my names for my boys. I hope one day when they grow up they will not-
1) reply, "I DO NOT KNOW WHY MY PARENTS GAVE ME THAT NAME"
2) ask, " MUMMY, IS IT OKAY IF I CHANGE MY NAME?
3) become, A COWARD as opposed to a soldier or a TYRANT ANNOYING BRAT THAT DESTROYS rather than being a dove that brings peace and gentleness.
I remember that nailing down that name for my children was one of the most painful and well most time consuming first few decisions that a parent had to make for their children. Being chinese doesn't help - apart from English name, we have chinese names and we also have a dialect name that our children can have.
Similarly to "What should I wear for my Prom Party", people HAVE lots of things they want to say about your decision of your child's name. Sometimes, they do not say, but their facial expressions tell you all and then you sort of will think twice and put it in your list of names for the family pet instead list.
To make things easier, let's just analyse my boys' names.
My firstborn was named Myles (pronounced as Miles). Many people will like, " what is your son's name again? They try to pronounce it with some luck or no luck at all. Then, it makes me wonder,
1) DON'TANYONE SING THAT SONG?
If you miss the train I'm on, You will know that I'm gone, You can hear the whistle blow 100 miles. Lord I'm 1, Lord I'm 2, Lord I'm 3, Lord I'm 4, Lord, I'm 500 miles away from home.
Myles or Miles is a common word that does not require you to frown for days and go "huh, huh, huh" all the time.
2) PHONICS CLASS PERHAPS?
Because, miles is not MOUSE. I can accept it if you are like 3 year old but if you are 30 and you still crack that, MOUSE AH? MICKEY MOUSE AH? Then basically I do not know what to do with you but send you for phonics class.
The meaning of Myles:
In Latin it means, "Soldier" and that basically means that I want my boy to be a fighter, to win wars. For God, for men, for himself. To defend, to love, to protect ( his faith, his family, his beliefs, his passion)
Of course, of late, I googled and realised that there could be another meaning of Myles which is " Uncertain, perhaps peaceful" that I burst out laughing because, Myles adopts more to this name at his phase of life right now because, he is always in his world, dreaming, thinking, imagining and although I call him blur, he probably feels rather at peace and feeling peaceful.
My 2nd child is named Callum.
That is pretty straight forward. Less pronouciation pain for people -it is of Scottish origin and it means 'DOVE" . Peace loving and all kindness encompassing. I do hope that no one calls him "COLUMN" and if they do, I blame it on our Singapore's educational system which I am a part of.
Painstakingly, I chose my names for my boys. I hope one day when they grow up they will not-
1) reply, "I DO NOT KNOW WHY MY PARENTS GAVE ME THAT NAME"
2) ask, " MUMMY, IS IT OKAY IF I CHANGE MY NAME?
3) become, A COWARD as opposed to a soldier or a TYRANT ANNOYING BRAT THAT DESTROYS rather than being a dove that brings peace and gentleness.
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2 comments:
Has Mao ask why his Chinese name consist of so many strokes?
No. His name is pretty straightforward. Once you know how to write one side, you will know how to write the entire word - his name, like callum's is symmetric!
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