Names

This summer has made me think about names and why we have the names we have. Ok, the answer might be obvious, in most cases we have the names our parents gave us, but why exactly this name? The reason why I have been thinking about it this summer is that I have come upon names that to me seem very unusual and/or funny.

For all the differences between Philippines and Zimbabwe, the two countries have actually more similarities than I would ever have guessed (more on these similarities and differences in a later blog). For example both countries are to a rather big part English speaking, although it is not the “native” language and many have English names, but not only the average John, Mary, Jack and Jill. No, the namnes are much more creative, and the fact that they are in English makes it possible for me to understand them. In both these countries I have met people named things like; Lovely, Precious, Lovemore, Energy, Honest, Prudence, Marvelous and Godwell. That made me wonder if the name has any influence on who we become, or if it is only the hope of our parents that are reflected in the names they give us, and that they might in some cases get very disappointed...

Someone told me, that here in Zimbabwe the name might reflect the situation or feelings at the time of birth of the child. That makes you really wonder what went on the day the Godknows was born. And it makes you kind of feeling sorry for poor Loveless…

I also wonder if we would have been the same persons if we had other names. Both in the Philippines and in Zimbabwe people very often ask you for your name. Ok, if it is someone I know and someone I know I will have more contact to of course I take the time to explain my name, but for some small talk in the taxi or in a line or a shop, I just cannot be bothered making anyone understand my name. And I can assure you that if I would have persisted on giving the staff at Starbuck’s my normal name, I would have had to drink cold coffee the whole time in Manila… So, what I have done is that in situations like that I have used my second name, Susanne, which is much more internationally viable. It is really my second name, so it is not as if I am lying, but that is exactly the way it feels.

The first weekend in Manila I was out travelling together with a Swedish guy I met on the plane to Manila. He had much the same problem, his name is Torben. He also used the same method. He used his second name Michael. So there were not Gudrun and Torben travelling together but Susanne and Michael. Does it matter??