Sunday Summary: 7.21.19Time for a revolution.

This article says it so well: Names That Are Unfamiliar to You Aren’t “Hard,” They’re “Unpracticed.”

The author was named N’Jameh by her Gambian father. She writes “They named me out of boundless love. In that love is a pride of culture and heritage. And yet, my name is treated like a white elephant in society — an exotic interruption to the conversation among Kristins and Emilies, whose names may be forgettable, but most assuredly don’t make a stir.”

It’s true that I can’t say every name correctly. Unusual names can be harder to remember, and when they require us to pronounce names differently than we anticipate, it can take repetition and focus. But it matters. It’s a question of seeing the worth and dignity in our fellow man – no matter how different their names than our own.

The next time you meet someone with a name that stands out, a name foreign to your own, or maybe even to everything you know about names, greet it with curiosity. And make an effort to pronounce it as best as you reasonably can.

We sacrifice too much when we don’t take this step.

Elsewhere online:

 

 

  • Dean is one of those boy names making a comeback way before you’d expect it to cycle back into favor. Thank you, Gilmore Girls, Supernatural, and Harry Potter. Oh, and maybe The Real Housewives franchise, because the Potomac installment includes Ashley Darby, who just named her son Dean.

 

 

 

 

Image by Biplob Kor from Pixabay

Boy Names: 7.21.19 Girl Names: 7.21.19

 

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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3 Comments

  1. I LOVE Antigone – and you could use the nickname Tig after the awesome comedian Tig Notaro too (though her given name is Mathilde).

    1. Ooh, good thought – and I don’t think I ever realized Tig Notaro was born Mathilde – how cool!