Discussion Of My Name, Its Role And My Attitude To It
This essay is a reflection on my name and the way I feel. My name was inspired by a woman whose identity I do not know, but I only remember her name. My dad gave me the name of his mentor, which was much to my mother’s disapproval. She wanted it to reflect my other ethnicity. Samantha in various languages means “a listener who is great”, “a bloom”, and even “God’s heard”. My first name is more meaningful than my middle name. It’s beautiful, and it has a great meaning. Despite all these reasons for loving my name, it still makes me feel guilty to prefer Samantha over my middle.
The most plausible theory is that Samantha is more easily pronounced. It is hard to admit that I prefer Samantha over my middle name, Chinemerem. I think it implies that I am resentful of my origin. Please don’t get the wrong idea, I still like my middle-name, but I feel relieved that in America people can easily pronounce and recognize it.
Sometimes, I feel that my identity depends on the name that is given to me. Samantha represents both my American citizenship and my reserved side. While researching my name, it surprised me to discover that my name’s meaning reflects my personality. Samantha means God has heard me because I am religious and pray often. My name is too perfect for me to change.
My name was pronounced two ways because I grew in two different cultures. I was called SA-MA-TA by some people, which sounded like someone dumping a stainless bottle of water on a concrete slab. SE-MANTHA sounds like the sound of a piano playing a mezzopiano. Funny thing is, I worry about my name’s pronunciation while everyone else just abbreviates because it has a lot of letters. Sammy, my parents’ name is what I am called by most people.
I am grateful to be able to choose a nickname that accurately reflects who I am. The name I chose is also widely accepted in my area. One day, I hope I will be able enjoy both my names equally. My name represents someone who is both introverted and observant, but also not afraid of standing up for themselves.
