In an October 2023 workshop facilitated by ASU Project Humanities, Reverend ellie hutchinson guided 20+ attendees through reflection and discussion of their names and personal name histories. Some participants shared reflections on their name’s etymology and gender, while others shared stories about their family heritage and resistance to assimilation.
This “What’s in a Name?” workshop took place at Afri-Soul Education Center which houses Grassrootz Bookstore and Juice Bar, a bookstore, and multiple communal spaces highlighting Black voices and African art. The welcoming environment of this space embraced each attendee and served as the space for attendees to connect over one of the most intimate, yet public, facets of our identities — our names.
Mainstream culture dictates certain naming conventions, such as spelling and pronunciation that follow US-American English. Some individuals are left out of name-related niceties because of these norms, while others are left feeling rightfully defensive of their names. One attendee shared that she often corrects people who shorten her name; she cherishes her full first name — Suzzanne — and its unique spelling, which she inherited from her grandmother. Dr. Neal Lester, the Founding Director of Project Humanities, lamented that he could never find his name spelled correctly on souvenirs! — but if anyone spots a Neal vs. Neil keychain, bring it to our Project Humanities office! Some attendees had fun subverting others’ expectations relative to their names. One attendee with a traditionally masculine name – Ryan – finds thrill in surprising people with her appearance.
Many attendees shared cultural bonds; whether by luck or intuition, attendees gravitated towards others with the same heritage. Several attendees pondered the Americanization of their names. One pairing shared anglicized Irish names; they also shared the trait of having second Catholic names–Terri and Theresa. In Catholic tradition, individuals take on the name of a saint at their Confirmation. Attendees shared that they rarely use this name, but it has strong spiritual significance in that their saint guides them through life. Often, these names reflect cultural ties too. One attendee had an Irish first name after her mother’s side, Ryan, and an Italian Confirmation name after her father’s side, Cecilia.
On the topic of chosen names, Pastor hutchinson noted that some of the most meaningful insights they received from conducting this workshop across the years came from trans individuals with self-chosen names that embodied their self-image. One attendee, Rae, shared their journey to choose a name that represented them well. Though we all came from different backgrounds, many attendees were taken on journeys by their names; growing into them, defending them, shortening them. No two individuals have the same journey, but many could find a point of connection in the private histories that follow our names.
Project Humanities’ workshops create spaces where individuals can self-reflect upon their place in the greater culture, and many attendees accordingly had stories to share about assimilation into American culture. One participant shared that her parents, when migrating to the United States, were recommended to take on anglicized names and to give their child a typical “American” name that would be easy for people to pronounce. This earned some shaking heads and frowns of sympathy from others, yet she shared a note of happiness in this story: her parents wanted to hold onto a piece of themselves, so they changed the spelling of her name slightly — giving her the unique name, Stephaney. Her family makes this name ever more special by pronouncing her name with Spanish phonetics. This was a beautiful nod to the private world behind our names. Other attendees had also evidently been touched by assimilation; some dropped the accents on their names, like Therese. One fluidly used both the Spanish and English equivalents of her name, embracing both Mary and Maria. Participants shared how assimilation influences our identities, yet many also shared how this made their name more precious to those who share their culture.
Our names guide us head-first through the world. The “What’s in a Name?” workshop gave attendees a unique opportunity to ponder our places in their world and how our names situate us. More importantly, attendees expressed pride and love for their names, for the places they came from, for the people they have grown to be. In the end, it was a heartwarming celebration of names, cultures, and the beautiful tapestry of people that make our world so wonderfully diverse.