Names

Holly Snow.

My name generates a lot of comments, especially this time of year. I get a few people questioning if my name is REALLY my name, comments about how Christmas-y my name is, and most people asking if I was born around Christmas.

Just yesterday I was asked (again!) if my birthday was at Christmastime.

Nope.

I was born in March, and my name has nothing to do with boughs of holly or having a holly jolly Christmas. Instead, I was named after my mom’s best friend, Holly. I always loved that. I loved that my mom cherished one of her girlfriends so much that she wanted her own daughter to have the same name.

I began thinking about the significance of a name.

Your name really becomes your identity. Your last name ties you to the other members of your family, making your first little tribe. The same last name creates connection, a place where you belong. In school, your last name gets a reputation, for good or bad. Some teachers eagerly anticipate another Snow, while others brace for the impact. Wherever you go, your last name has a history, and your choices direct its future. That is not a small thing.

First and middle names are no less important. Parents never name their child after someone they hated. It doesn’t happen. You aren’t named after the guy in high school who picked his nose and wiped it on the wall, I promise. 😂 You may be named after a favorite singer, or a beloved grandfather, or a best friend. You might be named after a city your parents loved, or your mom’s favorite season. Whatever the name, it was significant to your parents, and it should be to you, too.

I’ve thought a lot about my names. Although I never met my mom’s best friend, Holly, I try to live up to her memory. My middle name is Haddock, and I think of those ancestors and their characters, their values, and their beliefs. I stay true to that legacy. When I got married, I took Brian’s last name as my own. Not only was I committed to my new husband, but also to my new name. Now I had new examples before me. I had more people to admire, to learn from, and to love. My names (Christmas-y or not) help me remember who I am, and who I am trying to become.

If you don’t know where your name came from, you should find out. Learn the story of your name, and then decide to live up to it.

It matters.