What's in a Name

Being named after someone who has passed away isn’t easy, but Oteisha Barrett continues to carry on her brother’s legacy through her name.

BY ELAINIE BARRAZA

“I had an older brother who, when my mom was about six months pregnant with me, was traveling with some friends and ended up getting into a fatal car accident. His name was Otis. When my mom had me, she wanted to honor him and named me Oteisha. I don’t know many people who lose a child while bringing another one into the world. My mom is a really strong person for doing that.”

“It’s a badge of honor to have his name intertwined with mine. It’s crazy because growing up, I didn’t like my name. Before I knew the meaning of it, I was upset because my siblings have more traditional names. Once my mom told me the story, it made me really grow an appreciation for my name, and now, it’s my favorite thing about me.”

“[Otis] was about 22 when he passed, so he was my age now. It’s a privilege to be able to be here and do things he may have been able to do. It kind of feels like I’m living for the both of us, and I’m carrying our legacy and family name.”

“It’s a lot of pressure sometimes because I feel like I’m living for two people, which makes me a lot harder on myself. On average, when someone does something that they’re not really good at, they might brush it off or move on to the next thing. It hits me really hard because I feel like I have to be good at everything. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a perfectionist, so sometimes, living for two makes me a little overwhelmed. I have to remember the end goal — where I’m trying to go and who I’m really doing it for.”

“I’m the youngest of my parents’ children, so sometimes, I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, I technically don’t have a legacy.’ For me, it’s been even more important to establish something. One of my biggest fears is that the family culture and my family dynamic will die with me. Being the only one that wasn’t born in Jamaica, I’m never going to experience a lot of the stories my parents told me and be able to tell my kids or grandkids about them. My mindset is that I want to establish myself as much as possible so that I don’t have to worry about that legacy dying or my culture dying. It’s a lot about the people that come after me. Who else would you be doing it for?”