Identity, one of the major components of who we are is crucial to our being. When parents decide to reflect their heritage in the name they choose for their baby they should proceed with tenacity. Because we are proud of our heritage, as we should be, we also want to be aware of societal considerations that may affect our choice. We all probably agree that it shouldn’t make a difference, but in reality a difference is made. Be prepared to provide your child with information which will honor their cultural history. Our ancestry and origin is reflected in a name that reflects our heritage, what a proud badge we wear when we honor our ancestors.
Choices are Numerous
There is so much help on the internet and from books that can guide parents through their name choices. One tool that has become very popular are names that are categorized by ethnicity. The list of names generally provide an interpretation or meaning for the names, which is a valuable tool parents can use to define their intentions. Choosing a name that reflects the origin of any culture gives respect to the influences and traditions that make up our world. We must keep in mind that baby names that reflect our heritage may be “strange-sounding” or exotic to others, but that should not bear too much weight on our choice. It is your decision to honor your cultural history and move forward to promote acceptance of our differences of each other as people of the world.
Important Considerations when Choosing
The choice to use names from our heritage should involve a lot of research and many factors are reflected in the decision. Identity is who we are and your child’s names will embody just to name a few:
- Issues of identity building
- Cultural layers
- Geographical markers
Names that define our heritage preserve national and ethnic groups in our society and play a role in keeping windows to our background open to future generations.