The Meaning of Your Name
Names are powerful. When we are still in the womb, our parents or caregivers begin to get an idea of who we are or who we might become. They begin to imagine us. This is captured in the ritual of choosing a name.
Whenever I talk with expecting parents, I ask them about the names they are choosing between and what the names mean. I ask them about what resonates with them? I sometimes ask friends, family members, and colleagues this too. It can be an insightful process.
Thinking about our name is important. It is something that uniquely belongs to us. There is a psychological explanation of this called the "cocktail party effect" which underlines the importance of our name. We can be in a crowded and loud room. If someone 40 feet away mentions our name we immediately hear it and can focus in on what is being said. Our names are that powerful.
Names have meaning to us personally too. We can, in some ways, choose what our name means (and the same applies to those of you who have chosen your name). The brain processes over 950 billion bites/units of information a day. Proactively thinking about our name can help us with the story we tell about ourselves. Here is how you do it:
1. Write down your first, middle, and last name. (Your chosen name is good, too!)
2. Google or ask AI what each name means.
3. Organize them into a sentence or a sequence that makes the most sense to you.
4. Reflect on the meaning of your name in the past and what it means for your story going forward.
We are big on anonymity here so don't share your real name, but feel free to share the gist or the meaning of your name, what it means to you, and how it influences your sense of past and the future.
I'll start. Here are my elements or name blocks (I can rearrange them):
-a secluded narrow valley - connection to the land, peaceful
-lion strong
-navigator
Here is my meaning: I'm a strong navigator with a connection to the land that lives in a secluded valley. That actually fits! I am mostly a monk living close to nature in the trees. I work with you all to navigate the Good Ship 7 Cups (sometimes through treacherous waters).
I've probably done this exercise with a couple of dozen people. Part of it is the meaning is loose or ambiguous enough that it can be used pretty flexibly; and part of it is that it also "just fits" the person some of the time in an unexpected way.
Again, if comfortable share your reaction to this exercise in general sense. Please don't share your real name. And, thankfully, multiple names can share the same meaning, so it isn't super obvious how to decode things. Bonus points - ask your family members or friends and share what they feel/experience in the exercise.
@GlenM
hesitated to engage.
The name I have is easy to decode if given an AI interpretation.
would love to participate but I’m sure it’s within your access, just look at my name and tell me how it’s avoided someone decoding it?
could be undue paranoia, or warranted. Who’s to say?
Beyond it being heavily pagan oriented I say no more as my anonymity is something I am unaccountable for.
@LabeledBPD no worries at all! Sounds like you are being smart about it. The exercise is designed to bring meaning to you. I hope it accomplished that :)
In ancient times, stars were seen as divine messengers and navigators, Stella suggests someone who shines light for others, even in darkness. Together, my name reflects a soul path of shining light for others, living authentically, nurturing with compassion, and igniting transformation wherever I go.
I think this reflects my personality really nicely. It truly shows how powerful names can be.
Thanks for this fun activity🤗
@StellaIsHere very cool! and what a great name for you in your role as a trained active listener!
@GlenM this is such a unique and reflective exercise - thank you for sharing it with us🥰
The meaning of my name, with the help of ChatGPT:
- gentleness, strength through compassion, and healing energy
- heritage, guardianship, and duty
A healer descended from guardians.
“She who heals with the strength of her ancestors, a guardian whose power is compassion, and whose compassion is power.”
I was/am very connected to my name, and felt connected to others sharing the same one. It was given to me by my aunt who passed away during the pandemic, which really impacted me in a way of me wanting to know more about my ancestors and let them live through me - which is really fitting for these results of the meaning of my name.
Going forward, I want to live by this affirmation: "I am (...) — a healer descended from guardians. My strength is compassion, my compassion is strength. I carry gentleness and resilience in balance, honoring my roots while creating my own path."
@asjafocus this is really beautiful. I haven't seen an emphasis on our ancestors yet. I like how you highlighted that and wove it in. We are all carriers of a much larger story and this historical context helps to show that. thank you for sharing!
@GlenM
In other culture my name mean someone who is a charming and beloved ruler, with a strong sense of being a pillar or foundation for others
I swear that's what it means lol that what google said 😁🤣
@Tulipsmile I fully believe it and what a great name!
@GlenM
Ohhh Glen thank you so much for your encouragement words and kindness 🙏 💕 I appreciate that
@GlenM
from a meadowland in a Royal Fortress. A Lilly or Rose of the field. Someone approachable with strength, dignity and purity.
@AlaskaRNSK5 love the emphasis on nobility and approachability!
To emulate or strive to equal and deriving from Latin, my first name was given to Roman daughters of aristocracy who were expected to ‘work hard and be diligent’. My middle name means cascade or waterfall! My last name means white waters related to a location in whales, but when I researched my last name, I found ancestors had changed it and it was Scottish in the original. That original name shows connection to a high king on the isle of skye or that region - all that info to say I just finished a trilogy of King Arthur lore historical fiction hahah
@bestWest5740 haha how cool that the trilogy wove into the meaning of your life. A lot of water - waterfalls and white waters. Thank you for sharing!
My name means love and pure affection 🤍🩷
@wisteria28
Ah that's so sweet 😁💜💕
Like a nice big hug!
@GlenM my name says I am very resilient, kind, protective and renewal, rebirth and fresh starts with a lot of energy and power, it is pretty spot on!!
@rationalOwl8933 very thematic! cool how they all hang together!
@GlenM I am a god that used to be a man, so if people want to believe God was a man it was probably true.
@rationalOwl8933 I’d definitely like to see a more elaborate version of my own name. Let me look and kyp.
@GlenM
My first name carries the meaning of contentment, inner peace, and acceptance; a quiet strength that doesn’t need to announce itself but guides my choices and actions. It represents a sense of calm that I have often drawn on in difficult situations, moments when the world felt overwhelming or unfair. My last name, on the other hand, evokes the image of a lion: courage, leadership and a presence that cannot be ignored. It is a reminder of resilience, of standing tall even when the path is uncertain or challenging.
When I think of my name as a whole, it feels like 'the peaceful lion'. It is someone who balances strength with understanding, who approaches life with bravery but also with a reflective and gentle heart. Looking back, I can see glimpses of this in my own story — times when I chose patience over conflict, moments when I quietly persevered and situations where I had to be courageous to face fears or defend what I believed in.
Looking forward, the meaning of my name inspires me to continue this journey of balance. It reminds me that my path is not about being loud or forceful, but about leading with integrity, remaining calm in chaos and finding courage in vulnerability.
@technicolourki that is really beautiful - peaceful lion. reminds me of the statement that if you have power then you don't have to tell people you have power. Kind of like a lion! So much is communicated without words. Thank you for sharing!
Kiara means princess in Swahili <3
@jesusredeemedme2425 very cool! And you seem like someone that knows royalty!
Hehe does the Lion King count? <3
Actually… I do. My Father is the King of Kings. <3
