# The name you were given and it's influence on your life.



## Indiana Dan (Jun 11, 2013)

It is quite obvious to me that our names dictate a lot about us and our personalities. I really don't fully understand why; but it is a very intriguing concept. I don't really know how to elaborate on this, or I don't care to, but I was just wondering what everyone thinks. I wonder if I would even be an INFJ if I had a different name. (I know that's a bold thing to say..) The name just holds SO much for us, yet we hardly stop to think about it.


----------



## Bluefireluv (Jun 17, 2013)

I personally dont think that it affects our personality, but it does give us an identity. Well actually, maybe people who have more unique names tend to have more self confidence, or at least get noticed more. (I know this girl named J-Lin, she's cool!)
What's interesting is that we tend to have a certain image associated with certain names. Samantha would most likely have Sam as a nickname, makes them sound like tombiys xD (Coincidentally my sister's more rough in terms of personality xD) And people's names would be very intriguing to people like me who loves researching names and their meanings xD Especially when theyre the opposite of what their name means, the irony hahahas! xD

I've known several people sharing my first name and what I do notice is that we tend to be shorter/smaller and more quiet/private


----------



## Persian (Jul 16, 2012)

Fatima is a pretty white name. People never guessed my race from my name and looks.

My name was also respectable because of the lady of Fatima. 

This is the first result that I get when I search my name.


----------



## Kaitlin Lilith (Aug 13, 2013)

I don't know if my first name had much of an effect on me, but I'm pretty sure my middle name did.

Lilith. In mythology, she was Adam's first wife. Also a succubus. 
I'm not a succubus :tongue:, but I'm definitely inspired by my namesake's rebellious autonomy.


----------



## AiyokuSama (Jul 2, 2013)

Names influence our personality? 

God dammit! The kitties are eating the memos again!

Seriously though, I don't think it works that way at all. My name (Erin) means "peace". I'm not remotely peaceful. At all. And while I'm not a fan of drama, I'm happy to discuss the touchy subjects and will not back down from a difference of opinion. If anything, I piss a lot of people off because I try to dissect the reasons for that difference.


----------



## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

Somewhat, depending upon cultural spelling (my first name could be Scottish, Spanish, Italian or English just based upon a few letters altered) so I would imagine racism or stereotypes may come into play, for example if it is known or seems that a name is of Gypsy descent... When I actually went to South Wales there seemed to be a strong cultural dislike of the British, yet when an uncle with a Welsh surname travelled there customer service and social acceptance seemed better.

My personality...not so much..well surnames often did since I had 2 then later a third when I legally changed it seeking my own identity, knowing family and cultural identity was lacking (seemingly very common for Brits to have little if any cultural awareness of their heritage), instead wishing to create a new definition of self not offered by others in histories or shared family trees (well my surname is now 'Welsh' rather than Londonian or 'Irish') but I see it as more like an expression of individuation needs.


----------



## Jennywocky (Aug 7, 2009)

AiyokuSama said:


> Names influence our personality?
> 
> God dammit! The kitties are eating the memos again!
> 
> Seriously though, I don't think it works that way at all. My name (Erin) means "peace". I'm not remotely peaceful. At all. And while I'm not a fan of drama, I'm happy to discuss the touchy subjects and will not back down from a difference of opinion. If anything, I piss a lot of people off because I try to dissect the reasons for that difference.


Yeah, I'm not sure how much the name really impacts someone. I think it impacts people differently depending on who they already are. (For example, if your name aligns with your personality, then it's a good fit; if not, you end up feeling "misnamed" and have related issues. Or if you have a unique name and like feeling special, you'll resonate with it; if you don't like sticking out, though, you'll find coping mechanisms to deal with it.) People also actively take nicknames to avoid dealing the ramifications of a name that does not fit them, so they have an opportunity to tailor their name more in accordance with their personality.

I don't think a quiet, gentle boy who is named Spike by his parents, for example, becomes a Type A bully; he downplays his name or finds a workaround. Meanwhile, someone who likes their name will play into it.


----------



## Accidie (Jul 11, 2013)

I don't think our names influence our inborn personality, but if it has meaning attached, like a girl named Chastity, they may feel the need to live up to it.


----------



## AiyokuSama (Jul 2, 2013)

Jennywocky said:


> Yeah, I'm not sure how much the name really impacts someone. I think it impacts people differently depending on who they already are. (For example, if your name aligns with your personality, then it's a good fit; if not, you end up feeling "misnamed" and have related issues. Or if you have a unique name and like feeling special, you'll resonate with it; if you don't like sticking out, though, you'll find coping mechanisms to deal with it.) People also actively take nicknames to avoid dealing the ramifications of a name that does not fit them, so they have an opportunity to tailor their name more in accordance with their personality.


Oh don't get me wrong. I LIKE my name. I just find the "meaning" of it rather ironic. And the shortened form of my username "Ai" (which is what most of my online friends call me) means love in Japanese. Again, it doesn't really fit, but I like it just the same


----------



## Jennywocky (Aug 7, 2009)

AiyokuSama said:


> Oh don't get me wrong. I LIKE my name. I just find the "meaning" of it rather ironic. And the shortened form of my username "Ai" (which is what most of my online friends call me) means love in Japanese. Again, it doesn't really fit, but I like it just the same


What's weird with our kids is that the names we picked for them (including the middle name) actually fits their personalities and they like their names. I didn't expect it to work out so well. The names were chosen before birth, and even before they understood what their names "meant" or knew their middle names, they were acting in accordance with it. *spooky music*

Sometimes I wish my own name wasn't so commonplace. Then again, it still fits me, both the sound as well as the commonplace nature (as I'm accessible and down to earth), more than maybe a really unique name would be. So I just kind of accept it.


----------



## Mouse222 (Jun 29, 2011)

Names are words used to classify and organize people.


----------



## LadyO.W.BernieBro (Sep 4, 2010)

l think the meaning of my first name fits me, but the actual name is horrendous.

My ideal name would be Miranda or Veronica. Or Sharon.

Or Karen.


----------



## Devil (May 12, 2011)

I have two names (no middle name) and people have been calling me either one of them for most of my life. By this logic, I should exhibit two sides and both names would influence me. 

One's the name of my birth certificate that my associates call me by, the other's the name that my family and close friends know me by. And I've had both names present in school records, though not at the same time.

I also use a nom de plume for something work-related.

I agree with the first reply, it doesn't affect our personality but perhaps our identity. I am much more relaxed around those who call me by the name my family calls me due to the association though it's not a 'relaxing' name.


----------



## Bluity (Nov 12, 2012)

My name is far too noble for me. It's etymology goes back to French royalty, Hindu gods, and the stars. 

People see my name and expect someone of a different race. So much so, that they will look right past me when calling for me. And when I come forward, they have this look, as if to say "This is you?"


----------



## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

My name means "victory of the people".

I have an illustrious career as a demagogue ahead of me. I'll overthrow the establishment in bloody revolution, put the bourgeoisie to the sword, declare the country the People's Republic (with me as its "democratically elected" Chairman), have mass rallies in which I sway the people with my incredible charisma, purge the country of unwanted minorities, modernise the country's industry with ambitious 5 Year Plans, erect golden statues of myself that revolve to face the sun, rename the months of the year after myself, institute a reign of terror with secret police abducting dissidents in the middle of the night & listening devices in every house, turn all art into propaganda, make the people believe miraculous stories about my birth and my ability to control the weather, conquer neighbouring countries with robots and giant death rays, and one day rule the entire WORLD! Then the conquest of space, with bases on the moon and Mars.

I need cool facial hair first, though.


----------



## Accidie (Jul 11, 2013)

My first and middle name together mean "flower girl", like I'm a hippie. Thinking about it, if I were born earlier, I might've been one. Or not. Too much of a loner, probably.

More often than not, I don't want to stand out, so having a common name works out well.


----------



## claude (Aug 20, 2009)

I know I'm bumping a dead thread but hopefully no one cares...

I always found my name ironic because it means the might or strength of god and I'm not the most typically aggressive or assertive person but maybe the strength of god doesn't translate into that sort of strength. I've also heard once from mullah when I was a kid that "children get a portion of their names" or we take on our names in some sense, and I sort of kind of believe it but really have no evidence or reasoning to back it up.

It's one of those things that I feel like I have an intuition towards it being true, but I'm not on board with just trusting my intuition because I see people claim with certainty certain views I find terribly untrue or inhumane and they claim they just have some sort of strong intuition about the subject, which usually means they can't be convinced otherwise.


----------



## INFJRoanna (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm not certain what my name, Roanna, means for certain. I've read somewhere online that it's Latin for 'a flower' which would suit me just fine because I love flowers and nature. :happy: I enjoy having an unusual name, but what I don't enjoy is the amount of people who cannot pronounce or spell it correctly.


----------



## Baldur (Jun 30, 2011)

*Ståle* from Old Norse _Stáli_, originally an epithet, formed from _stál_, 'steel, weapon'. 

Some kind of manly warrior I guess. Kind of a common theme in Norse names. 

I don't know if it has influenced me though. It might have given me a bit of confidence when defending the things I believe in, but I don't think having another name would have made me a weakling.


----------



## Hurricane Matthew (Nov 9, 2012)

I'm named after a fictional character from some TV show that my mom really loves ((her favorite character)). I never saw the source material so I'm not sure how close to said character I am in personality, but the name is really unusual and I've never met anyone else with the same first name as me. Often at school, people would pronounce it wrong since they aren't sure how to approach it, which is something that can affect a kid after a while and I know has affected me. I've always been "different" from everybody else just as much as my name is "different" from the names everyone else has. But on the other side of things, I'm obsessed with fictional characters. I enjoy creating them and I really love closely analyzing characters created by others. I'm working on a novel now with my own characters and creating/developing my characters is the part I enjoy most about having a novel of my own. I often feel like I was born to create fictional characters and in a creative story group with a few friends, they say my characters are the highest quality of all our characters. I am told that the characters I create motivate them to develop their own characters more deeply than they ever had before. Sometimes I may hate my first name, but when I think about it more, I realize it suits me in some weird way, even if the character I'm named after isn't one I'm actually familiar with ((I guess I never wanted to see the source material and then see that said character is totally shit and terrible lol xD Sometimes my mom's taste in television gets really weird)).

My middle name is just one of those passed down through family lines. I don't think it suits me at all and sometimes I forget what it even is since I just don't associate with it at all.


----------



## Elveni (Feb 22, 2012)

I dunno. I'm the only sibling without a white-trash name and I'm probably going to be the most successful. I'm always paranoid about sharing my name on the internet because it's quite an uncommon name.


----------



## FearAndTrembling (Jun 5, 2013)

Elveni said:


> I dunno. I'm the only sibling without a white-trash name and I'm probably going to be the most successful. I'm always paranoid about sharing my name on the internet because it's quite an uncommon name.


I am just curious as to what a "white trash" name is? You mean like a generic anglo-saxon one? 

I really don't think it matters. I do like my name though, my last name, because it is very uncommon. It is Hungarian. But this had absolutely no influence on my life. I had friends with German surnames, Italian, whatever. I admit, I wouldn't want a generic name like Kathy Johnson or Mike Smith or Bill Cooper, or something, 

Maybe if you have a really weird first name. Like I went school with a girl named "Sunshine". I called her "Moonbeam" and said her parents were hippies. But for most people, no.


----------



## Aryn2 (Jul 25, 2013)

FearAndTrembling said:


> Maybe if you have a really weird first name. Like I went school with a girl named "Sunshine". I called her "Moonbeam"


:laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## Aryn2 (Jul 25, 2013)

My first and middle name together mean "descending peace" - it was also significant to me that I was born during a flood in a desert town that hasn't had rain like that since I was born. I know it's definitely far-fetched, but it felt like a sign when I was more actively religious. Like, I was supposed to be this tool by God to bring peace like he brought rain.


----------



## Elveni (Feb 22, 2012)

FearAndTrembling said:


> I am just curious as to what a "white trash" name is? You mean like a generic anglo-saxon one?


Example: my oldest sister's name is Darla Jean. They all have _very _southern sounding names.



FearAndTrembling said:


> Maybe if you have a really weird first name. Like I went school with a girl named "Sunshine". I called her "Moonbeam" and said her parents were hippies. But for most people, no.


Ha! That reminds me of the fact that my friend's cousin is named Moonshine.


----------



## runnerveran (Dec 19, 2011)

TerminalDancer said:


> It is quite obvious to me that our names dictate a lot about us and our personalities. I really don't fully understand why; but it is a very intriguing concept. I don't really know how to elaborate on this, or I don't care to, but I was just wondering what everyone thinks. I wonder if I would even be an INFJ if I had a different name. (I know that's a bold thing to say..) The name just holds SO much for us, yet we hardly stop to think about it.


Freakonomics » How Much Does Your Name Matter? A New Freakonomics Radio Podcast

If you ever happen to visit a library, the chapter on names in "Freakonomics" is quite interesting.


----------



## dragthewaters (Feb 9, 2013)

I have the same first name as a bitchy TV character who was very popular when I was growing up. Everyone used to tease me about it as a kid. I think part of the reason why I was a bitch and violent as a kid is because I felt like I had to live up to the expectations everyone had of me based on my name.


----------



## Necrox (Jul 28, 2013)

My first name means man but I am one of those soft-hearted INFPs. It's more of a joke than anything.


----------



## OldManRivers (Mar 22, 2012)

My given name is derived from a noble calling. My surname might as well be Donegal -(it isn't, but is common there)
However, there was an actor, a portrayers of clumsy oafish characters in the movies of the 30's and 40's that had my given name - that is not me, but was a first impression of others. . .long ago. And I was called by my first and second name in 3rd grade because there were three others. . . and it came out so trivially sounding. Ugh!
So the influence is primarily, I think, from the impressions of others based on the assumed character of the name. I did have a nickname, pronounced as in French Henri Richard. Why, I do not know.


----------



## pretense (Jan 2, 2013)

I was named after a character from the movie Point Break. I guess it rhymed with a few words I would rather it hadn't but other than that it has had very little effect on my life.


----------



## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

My name is caila. My mother named me after the calla lily and my sister laurel, after laurel tree, and the flowers I suppose. Obviously my parents are stoner hippies. My mom is also just creative I guess. I love this thread btw, I've never thought of this before. I feel fear when my name is called. The full name was Caila rebecca Lane. My sister's full name was laurel elizabeth lane, so when my mom would yell our full names out of anger, hers did not sound right, but mine fit perfectly with her angry yell of my full name. Sometimes when someone says my name, like someone I love, it feels comforting but said out of anger, I feel this huge fear go through me. 

I am told it's unique and I don't like that. I don't want to be a sore thumb sticking out tbh, I wish I were a heather or sarah, or jennifer. Those are pretty names. My name usually gets spelled and said like "Carla" (Wtf? There's no R in there, meng.) "Ceila" Ugh. Or people spell it "Cayla" Or "Kayla" I have heard my name spelled this way but often with asian women. I mean, you just Say Calla, with an i. :/


----------



## Children Of The Bad Revolution (Oct 8, 2013)

My name is Katherine, so it's not unique or original. Don't think it's made any influence on my life really.


----------



## cheburashka (Jan 4, 2013)

my name hasnt had an effect on my life either. it is elziabeth esther and i love it a lot but it is a very common name. i think esther gives my nam e character though because it is old-fashioned and when i get published i am going to get rid of my last name and shorten it to just those two because they are very pretty together. i have also gone by a lot of nicknames and i worry that some of them arent pretty enough and.y eah


----------



## Velasquez (Jul 3, 2012)

There's a section about this in Richard Wiseman's _59 Seconds_. Apparently your name may actually have an affect on your life. Like, there are a disproportionately high number of lawyers named Sue, etc.. I can't remember much of the info but I'll go and dig it up at some point.

Edit: Also, there's a bit about it in this article from cracked.com, which is the world's most reliable source - http://www.cracked.com/article_20223_5-bizarre-factors-that-secretly-influence-your-opinions.html


----------



## heaveninawildflower (Feb 5, 2012)

I was given the female version of my dad's first name, and sometimes people assume by looking at my name that I am a male. I hate it when that happens. Other than that, it really has had no effect on my life.


----------



## Chas23 (Sep 25, 2012)

I think my name comes close to matching my personality. My first name is Latin for purity and innocence while my middle name is French for desire. I've been described as cute and innocent but mischeivous.


----------



## Ice_Queen (Oct 10, 2013)

I just looked up the meaning of the name, Jenny, and I would have to say it has no effect on my life. Well, except that I have guys tease me in relation to Forrest Gump's Jenny.


----------



## Jennywocky (Aug 7, 2009)

Bluefireluv said:


> What's interesting is that we tend to have a certain image associated with certain names. Samantha would most likely have Sam as a nickname, makes them sound like tombiys xD (Coincidentally my sister's more rough in terms of personality xD)


Yeah, I don't find the literal "meaning" of names to be as useful, if people don't even know what it is. However, I think the way the name is used in the culture currently and the image associated with it has a much larger influence. Sometimes there are nicknames for a name that are far more sociable. (For example, compare David to Dave. The former sounds more quiet and contemplative, taking long to say, and being "softer" in some ways; the latter is shorter, brighter, more casual, sounds more sociable. Or compare Liz to Elizabeth to Beth to Lia; all evoke different things.)

I do think that people gravitate towards forms of their names that better fit their personality, so they can tweak their presentation a bit based on preference.

I've had three kids and I was more surprised at how the names and personalities actually seemed to mesh, since we picked all those names before the child was born or adopted, but they ended up being suitable. With our one kid, his first and middle names meaning "fire brand" and/or "brave bold man even in his youth," and he's an ESFP, the only extrovert in our family as it turns out, and he's always been the brightly burning one who stands up for causes and convictions. It was kind of scary how well his name fit him, even though we had no idea when we picked it.

I did actually change my name for personal reasons at one point, but it's funny to me that my prior name and my current name are actually pretty much the same culturally in terms of popularity and in the image/feel evoked.



Ice_Queen said:


> I just looked up the meaning of the name, Jenny, and I would have to say it has no effect on my life. Well, except that I have guys tease me in relation to Forrest Gump's Jenny.


Yeah.  "Yoah mah gurl, Jenneh."

Or "8-6-7-5-3-0-9." Sigh.


----------



## Maryll (Sep 12, 2013)

The only definite impact my name had on me was that i was often annoyed because noone knew how to pronounce or write it or simply could not keep it in mind. I have been
Called a myriad of names that sound familiar. It is a not very difficult french name, but yeah ...


----------



## saturnne (Sep 8, 2009)

My name means 'wise and beautiful' but I don't think I'm wise or beautiful.


----------



## Lemxn (Aug 17, 2013)

My name means the "Divine Forze", and I think it's pretty much connected with my spiritual life.


----------



## Aya the Abysswalker (Mar 23, 2012)

Lemxn said:


> My name means the "Divine Forze", and I think it's pretty much connected with my spiritual life.



Name meanings are so.much fun. Mine means Gracious Pearl. I don't think it has much to do with me.


----------



## Missed Connections (Nov 12, 2013)

My first name, middle name and surname are all common, generic white names (and quite boring). My parents said that boys don't want to have an unusual name that attracts attention to them. I beg to differ. My sister's name, Tamsin, is quite unusual and nice I think. Damn sexism.

One thing I would say is, people should avoid trends in names. If a name's hot and new now, it's going to sound dated in decades to come and will date the person like a stamp. My grandfather's name sounds horrendously old. Worse still is when people choose an old-fashioned name for their child. The best names IMO are the ones that stay out of trends as much as possible and are at least fairly unusual.

Going back to the original post, I did read an article that said that children with unusual names tend to have parents who value their child's individuality and children with common names tend to have parents who want them to blend in.


----------



## Chamberlain (Dec 28, 2012)

Mine is hyphenated. First part is an Asian name which could mean justice or Reason, the second part is a French name whose meaning is yet to be definitely figured out. 

Most people (read: people who don't speak French) can never get my name right haha. I got used to it though, I usually have to repeat my name once or twice, then people would usually say that it's cute or (sometimes) very pretty. roud:


----------



## sankgreen70 (Feb 2, 2014)

hello everybody In Italy can have two surnames one of mothers otherof father otherwise can you choose one of them what do you think italian system?


----------



## CatchTwenty2wo (Feb 10, 2014)

My name represents bravery. With that I've never paid much attention to it, but I do feel as if it has cultivated resilience!


----------



## Superfluous (Jan 28, 2014)

My name stands for healer, and my middle name means Joy. My parents always said they did a great job naming because cause I got to live the meaning lol


----------



## AddictiveMuse (Nov 14, 2013)

sankgreen70 said:


> hello everybody In Italy can have two surnames one of mothers other of father otherwise can you choose one of them what do you think italian system?


i'm Italian yet never heard of that, sounds cool if your parents divorce, you can choose which ever one you stay with...i don't really know the process of divorce and stuff
i however dislike the last names, i got stuck with one that everybody mispronounces, is a little bit annoying


----------



## Aubbs (Jun 12, 2012)

Aubree. 

I always got "That's such a pretty..." Blah, blah, blah, but I barely go by it because of nicknames and such. 

It is a name, it's a thing that I made significant, and please spell it correctly.


----------



## Tzara (Dec 21, 2013)

Mine means a peak no one could climb,
I dont think it had any affect on my life.

My last name however means "mr know it all" which perfectly defines me. Actually, it defines the whole fathers side of the family quite well.


----------



## Gossip Goat (Nov 19, 2013)

My name is astrid, its supposed to mean divine strength but within me currently, I don't have an ounce of divine strength, its quite sad.

I don't like my name its not THAT uncommon where I live but to me it sounds old & dull & people sometimes distort it & come up with mean nicknames.


----------



## Gossip Goat (Nov 19, 2013)

Persian said:


> Fatima is a pretty white name. People never guessed my race from my name and looks.
> 
> My name was also respectable because of the lady of Fatima.
> 
> This is the first result that I get when I search my name.


My moms name is fatima <3 & my second middle name is fatima. I quite like it bc of my mom & the lady of fatima


----------



## Gossip Goat (Nov 19, 2013)

Elveni said:


> Example: my oldest sister's name is Darla Jean. They all have _very _southern sounding names.
> 
> 
> :O I find Darla Jean to be so pretty <3 :kitteh:


----------



## Ianius Darkstar (Feb 13, 2014)

I was given the name Ian, which curiously is Ne if you switch the syllables. Ne is definitely my dominant brain function.

On a less random note I've considered that my name sounds friendly and nonthreatening and I turned out that way.

I've also considered that if you give a child a long name that they struggle with saying as a baby it could be as a means of imparting the notion that they're a highly complex entity, vastly more complicated than chair or lamp


----------



## blackout (Jan 11, 2014)

Sunshine Boy said:


> It is quite obvious to me that our names dictate a lot about us and our personalities. I really don't fully understand why; but it is a very intriguing concept. I don't really know how to elaborate on this, or I don't care to, but I was just wondering what everyone thinks. I wonder if I would even be an INFJ if I had a different name. (I know that's a bold thing to say..) The name just holds SO much for us, yet we hardly stop to think about it.


Well, everyone else with my name that I've known was some kind of Fe type. By that logic, I should be ExFJ.


----------



## EmileeArsenic (Jun 8, 2012)

I don't know that my first name has changed my personality (since I haven't answered to it since I was about seven years old because it's a ridiculous name and I hate it... ... ... Gah! I just realized I forgot to order the change-of-name forms AGAIN! It'll have to wait until March now so I can afford the whole process... *grumbles*), but it HAS most certainly created a ton of problems for me.

I have one of those "unique" (read: "African American trying to sound French and failing miserably, but stubbornly sticking to awkward spellings which render it completely un-pronouncable unless you've heard me demonstrate") first names. Every time I go to a restaurant, I get asked by a puzzled waiter "Er... How do you say your name?" when they're returning the paid bill with my card. Doctor's offices are fun, too. I get to sit in the lobby and play the "Is this a butchering of my stupid-ass first name?" game every time someone in scrubs shows up with a list and calls someone into the back because even though I put my middle name on everything, places like that enjoy pulling my name off of records, where they stubbornly list my first name as the one I answer to. I hate the name so much that I dread opening my wallet because I'm legally required to have it on my Driver License, I.D., and bank cards. People asking me how to say it, and then telling me it's pretty or unique just makes it worse because I disagree and actually am embarrassed to be linked to it. Just hearing it makes me grimace, even when pronounced correctly. Don't bother asking me what it is, I won't tell you.

Even getting it legally changed won't stop this, as I'll always in some way be associated with it, at least as an "alias," even though I've never gone by it, and no one calls me that, and potential employers wonder what's behind name changes and consider them red flags, even though legally you can't change your name to escape debt, commit fraud, etc etc etc, so there's nothing to worry about.

I could go on for a month about how much I hate this name, but I'll stop there. 

Basically, I'd be willing to bet it's lost me jobs in the past, too, as studies have shown that "Black" sounding names do, indeed, get passed over more readily when it comes time to go over resumés.


----------



## BlackDog (Jan 6, 2012)

My name is long and sounds fancy. I _hated _it growing up. Everybody said it sounds royal and I was such a tomboy I despised it. Teachers would always draw attention to it on the first day of class and I'd immediately correct them with my shorter nickname that everybody calls me. 

Oddly enough, I now put my full name on my business cards. I'm not sure why I do that - I guess it's not super common and I figure it might help people remember me a bit more. Also, my shortened name is unisex and I think sometimes a female name on a card could trigger someone's memory so they'd remember my face or our meeting, etc. Also it's longer and looked nicer on my letterhead. :/

So I guess I got over my name-loathing for business reasons, because now I actually don't mind it. Still, *nobody* calls me that, ever. Unless my dad is making fun of me or something.


----------



## EccentricSiren (Sep 3, 2013)

I've never liked my given name, and I think that has negatively impacted how I see myself. I think part of the reason I don't like it is because I grew up overseas, and while my name sounds ok in English, it sounds absolutely awful in Spanish, so much so that I cringe when I hear it. And since I'm very musical, and therefore very in tune with how something sounds, that makes it worse. To combat that, I decided to adopt a more French-sounding version of my name, particularly when I interact with Spanish-speakers, and just that has made me feel like a more likeable and desirable person.
Because of that, I have this theory that how someone perceives their name influences how they see themselves. I don't really think the name itself changes the personality. After all, there are enough Matts, Sarahs, Jessicas, and Daves in my generation to be evenly distributed among the 16 MBTI types. But if your name is Sarah, for example, and you think of Sarahs as being a certain way or as having desirable or undesirable characteristics, that can really affect how you see yourself.


----------



## ScientiaOmnisEst (Oct 2, 2013)

My parents were apparently ahead of their time: when I was born no one shared my name - people would often ask if I was named after some relative or something. In the last ten years, however, my name is now in the top 10 names being given to baby girls. This has its downfalls: I can't tell you how many times I've been in a public place, heard someone say my name, or a form of it, and I instinctively turn around, being used to being the only one with that name....and find that the addressee is half my age _at most_. It's weird.


----------



## OutOfThisWorld (Nov 4, 2013)

My first name is of Chinese roots and taken from ancient Chinese astronomy classification that is still used today: Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of Chinese Calendar 

Basically, my name means dragon year, as I was born in the Year of the Dragon. 

Growing up, I hated it because people always pronounced it wrong, assumed that it was a misspelling of an English name (it's not...just a Romanization of the characters that happened to be similar...didn't help that my parents also took that English name and gave it to my younger brother...), and butchering it up in every way possible (and then some). 

Was extremely self-conscious about it for the longest time(due to teasing), but nowadays, I like it. Though, it does annoy me a tad bit that I have a Chinese root name for my English name and an actual Chinese name (middle name) that people in my culture would call me by. I was always envious growing up as my peers got a real English name along with their given Chinese name or that their Chinese name was their English name, but I had a "fake Chinese name" for an English one with a real Chinese name. 

It does make me very unique as I think I'm the only Chinese person I know to have "two" Chinese names. Don't think my parents thought it through when they named me, but I'm appreciative that my first name is extremely unique and references my culture, despite the nonsense that I had to put up when I was younger. 

First name = Dragon Year
Chinese middle name = Prideful Literature (literal translation)/Excellence in Education (meaning)

Not sure either name fits me to a T, but I do see aspects from each in my personalityroud: Don't like school that much, but I do extremely well (when I put my mind to it:tongue


----------

