Several people I know have changed names at some point in young adulthood -- either choosing a new or altered name for themselves in the process of forging theor own identity, or taking on a new name with a marriage relationship.


What do my names mean to me?

Ecca ... relationship, sisterhood, humility, intimacy, responsibility, companionship (my sister gave me this name when we were tiny; the full version is “sisu ecca”;
-“behold” (coincidence with Latin “Ecce”),
-openness, newness, wonder;
-accesibility; being named minimally, by universally-pronounceable sounds
-essence, uniqueness, roots, deep connection

Erica Ritter: reliability; strength; consistent "handle";
-“heather” (Erica=Latin botanical name/ science / Scottish connection);
-“power,” “leadership” (Eric / Germanic chieftanship / feminate);
-“knight” / rider (German, warrior, horse connection);
-respect for parents, for convention (accepting others’ need to have a name for me, yet feels slightly external to my own shifting self-identity);
-continuity with past achievements (Aloha drama, OMSI work, UGGS, Hampshire, signature on art, financial ID) and relationships;
-recognizability; boundaries; being defined from outside.

I’ve been offered other names --
-middle names Katharine and Joy evoke saints, emotions, and living namesakes;

-“Kat” as a nickname evokes familiarity, feral grace, independence, catlike qualities of claws and leaps and fascination with bugs; naps and purring sensory indulgences. “Kat Ritter” evokes less attractive connections with clumping pebbles of clay. I have relinquished this name for that reason, and am unlikely to use it again because there are other Kat / Kate / Kitty names in my family now.

-Chinese and Japanese characters used to phonetically create a name for me have their own meanings:
Ai Ri Jia; love beautiful good;
Ai Ri Te; love XX XX;
Ey Ri Ka, power something strength...
“Miss Erica” was a playful form of address among co-workers; it seemed to create interesting awareness of ego, fondness, and humor...

Wordplay connections have been made with aikido, esoterica, erotica, eirianna.

I respond to similar names if I’m not listening carefully; these include Eric, Arthur, Ardath, Erin, Greg, Derek, sometimes Rick, Terry ... the commonality seems to be the “AR” or “ER” sound, with a glottal stop of some kind. (The last syllable’s “ka” can be pronounced “kh,” “guh,” or simply choked off in a sort of “kgh”)
I also respond to the names of close relatives and friends, such as sisters, mother, aunts, cousins ... knowing that people sometimes mix up names for similar relationships.

As I develop my self-understanding, will I acquire other names?
Would I ever choose a new name, as a gesture of redefinition?
Would I replace, add to, or retain my family name in marriage?
Will other nicknames be given me by friends, or defining names by mentors?
Will any of them “stick” to the point where I use them to introduce myself?

How common is it for people to question, or feel some sense of distance from, their given name?

I'm already boring myself with this topic, and probably you as well...time to go be productive.