Not Just A Name Not Just A Name Not Just A Name

By: Suraya Boggs

I have always been attached to my name Like anyone else, my name holds my identity– it is what people know me as Names are so much more than something you are called by They hold meaning, and to some religions, they lay out your future characteristics and destinies I grew up with the influence of two cultures and subsequently two religions: Christianity and Hinduism Regardless of the differences in these religions, both have deep connections between names of children and their prospective lives. In Christianity, naming children after Saints and biblical figures is done in hope of instilling some of these divine traits in their children. In Hinduism, astrology is a huge part of the process of naming, and even if it is not used in the initial naming process, it is used afterwards to provide some insight into their lives as they grow up

While Christianity did have some influence in my life, particularly in my last name, I cannot say that it had any effect on my first name – it was either going to be Suraya or Maya, and my mom won the battle on that one However, Maya is a Christian name; it comes from the biblical name “Maria” and in Judaism, it is Hebrew for “from God.” I wonder if my identity would have been different if my name was Maya instead of Suraya. Would it have made my life easier? Harder? Would I harbor as much frustration from people constantly mispronouncing my name? Would that lack of frustration have steered me away from the path of life that I am currently on? I truly cannot know that, but what I do know is that it would have made my experience at Starbucks a whole lot easier

While my dad may not have intentionally picked the name Maya because of his faith, a lot of families do For those who are particularly close to their religion, naming a child in a Christian tradition is done in hopes of later allowing the children to see their connection to God– no matter what path they choose in life.

Other families use the Christian naming tradition in order to pre-determine their child’s path; for example, naming a child “Matthew” may be done with the intention of creating a person that aligns with the meaning of their name– “Gift of God.” According to the parent’s faith, they have now chosen their child’s destiny and instilled in them divine traits.

The other religious influence in my life was Hinduism, and I would say this is the stronger influence on my name and the culture surrounding it. In Hinduism, astrology has a huge influence on what people name their children; oftentimes, a third party astrologer will suggest names to parents based on the alignment of the stars and the meaning of that alignment They can even suggest what sounds the name should start with, which influences the family’s naming process It is also common for people in the Hindu religion to have multiple names; they have their name that was given at birth and then they have what is known as a “calling name ” For example, my mother’s given name is “Sati” and her calling name is “Gai.” This tradition is similar amongst all of her siblings as well. Unlike a nickname, a calling name has meaning and is not just a shortened version of someone’s given name.

Another name that people usually have is called a “Raasi name.” This one is not used by others to call someone, but it is used in religious sessions by a pundit (Hindu priest); after giving them your Rraasi name, they look in a book that is produced yearly based on the alignment of the stars and can tell you key things about your life For example, my Raasi name is Mohini, and my Nana (grandfather) who’s a pundit can look in the book and tell me things to do and things to watch out for on a monthly basis. This can range from “be careful of falling in June” to “save your money in August.” They can also tell you when to do specific poojas (prayer sessions) to specific Hindu gods/goddesses in order to avoid these problems or make your life easier in some way. I have to admit, while I do have some skepticism about this tradition, I cannot deny that sometimes these readings can be scarily accurate

As I said earlier, I am quite attached to my name Although I sometimes wished to have a nickname in middle and high school just so it would make it easier for people to pronounce it, I have realized that shortening or changing my name for other people was denying my identity “Suraya” is an alternate spelling of the name “Surya,” which is the name of the sun god in Hinduism. Subsequently, the meaning of my name is “ray of light.” Persian cultures, however, hold my favorite meaning of my name– “princess.” I have truly grown to love my name and the uniqueness of it. Sorry Dad, but I’m so glad Mom won the naming battle.