Spring and summer weddings bring name changes and then babies bring more. How many names do you have? Birth name? Nicknames? Work names… The list goes on and on.
But have you ever thought about what your names mean? How they describe you or how they affect the way other people perceive you?
If you start at the very beginning, your first name is chosen by your parents. In today’s world, most new parents put a lot of time and thought into the name they choose for their baby, but was it always that way?
I have 6 or 7 names that I will answer if called. My birth name was given to me in 1962… Debra Jean Hostettler. The only person who ever called me Debra Jean consistently was my dad… And that was ok because I didn’t love the “Debra” part. Not sure where that came from (possibly Debbie Reynolds who was a popular actress in the early 1960s). Jean was from my mom’s favorite niece, so she called me Jeanie, and I was ok with that. I am happy I was not the first born because I might be Gertrude after a favorite aunt. Who are you naming your kids after? Will they be happy about it in 50 years?
Soon after my birth name came my first nickname. My mom and I were part of a “playgroup.” My mom had a lot of friends who had completed their families but had one more surprise or oops. I was the only girl in the group and for some reason was given the nickname “doozie.” Again, very few people call me by that name.
As time went on, Debbie was the name of choice by me and most of my friends. Every once in a while, Deborah would pop out of someone’s mouth (yuck!). In college, another nickname emerged… Debbers. Not sure where it came from but it stuck with my husband and some other family members. I became Deb to some very close friends and I love that name, but only with those close friends. If you don’t know me very well, Debbie is just fine. In 1984, I became Debbie Cullman and moved to Centerville, Ohio where some of my favorite names were yet to come.
Naming our babies was a big deal. The first name I chose after a few beautiful, kind women with the same name. The next daughter, my husband chose the name based on a song he loved. Eventually came my new name: Mom. I am not sure the first time I heard it, but I am sure my heart exploded. At first, it was Mama. And how we love that name, in the beginning, it is the sweetest sound there ever could be. As they grow older, it’s filled with love, teenage anger, hopes, dreams, fears… But always love, unconditional love from the one who was given that beautiful name… Mom. The name that will stay with us forever. But, there’s still more to come.
As much as I love my Mom name, and really all the names I have been given through the years (although at school sometimes when 10 students are all calling “Mrs. Cullman” at once I threaten to change my name!), the very best name was given to me in recent years by this sweet little voice that said “Mimi” first. It was not the name I had chosen for my grandma name, but the minute I heard it, my heart melted, and I knew the best name ever was bestowed on me and the best truly was yet to come.
What’s your favorite name?
Author’s Note – A new book that just won a Caldecott Award for Children’s Illustrations “Alma and How She Got Her Name” by Juana Martinez-Neal is a great conversation starter with elementary age kids.
