I’ve always been struck by people’s names. It may have to do with the fact that people are often struck by mine. I don’t know how many times I’ve been told that ‘Laura Major’ is a cool sounding name. It could be because there is the same number of letters in my first name as there is in my last. Or maybe it’s because the word ‘major’ conjures up feelings of importance. I suppose that’s crucial to a good name.

Several months into my full-time freelance career, I finally decided to seek out affordable health insurance. (Off topic, it can be done. I’ll save that for another post.)  The salesman kept commenting on my name.  Whether he was sincere or not, I’m sure he figured it couldn’t hurt his sales pitch. Lucky for him, I’ve heard it before and not always in a sales situation. He kept going on and on about how “cool” it sounded. Without missing a beat, I replied, “Yeah? Try living up to it.”  I hadn’t expected I would say that but I realized that I have been living up to my name in some ways. I do remember my father proudly saying, “You’re a Major…” and to me that implied that it was expected that I would succeed and do my best. I’m sure I took it too literally, maybe all he meant was in whatever you do, your reputation is at stake. Generations not that long ago, your name and your reputation were the same thing. The whole family could be tarnished or honored based on what the individuals carrying that name did. I never worried about embarrassing or disappointing the Major family, worrying about how my actions would reflect on me was enough.

Recognize that your name represents you. It may be all someone has to determine value, that is why regardless of what you do or what field you’re in, your name is your brand. Be sure to define it well and define it for yourself.

Related Posts:

• Good Names
• The Culture of Name Meanings
• Multicultural Identities: Naming Characters