What's in a Name?

Theophilus Michael Simon

It has a beautiful, melodious sound, doesn’t it? That’s the name one of my friends would have chosen, had she been blessed with a son. It literally means “lover of God” (Theophilus) “who is like God” (Michael) “hearing, listening” (Simon).  

A lot to live up to – but, oh, what a way to start life! Reverencing the Creator, yet acknowledging from day one that the Creator’s very image is stamped upon His humble creation. Realizing the importance of not only hearing but truly listening to said Creator’s still, small voice and thereby, walking in tandem with Him.

The Intent of Names

Most parents bestow names on their children thoughtfully and lovingly. When my sisters and I first learned we were expecting, we chatted endlessly about the names we were considering for our already adored children. Even before I was old enough to start a family, I remember practicing for motherhood by making lists of names for the offspring I hoped to one day bear. 

While some choose ill-advised names that seem more devised to make a statement about the parents’ state of mind (or lack thereof) at the time their children were born, I would venture that the vast majority put much time and thought into this enduring process.

Because that’s what names do, isn’t it? They endure. In the 1996 film version of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, Daniel Day Lewis brilliantly portrays John Proctor, a Puritan who must falsely confess to witchcraft to save his life. He soon realizes, though, that he’s losing much more than his self-respect by signing his name to lies. When asked why he won’t hand over the forced confession for public display, he cries piteously, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life!”

This tortured character realizes the value of the name his parents gave him and refuses to cheapen that name by attaching it to lies. Sadly, there’s a disturbing trend these days which seems dangerously close to what Proctor was warning us against.

Whose Name Is It Anyway?

I find it disheartening to witness a widening social movement – discarding one’s name upon “changing gender” and replacing it with one typically associated with the opposite sex. There’s something terribly sad about young people cavalierly dismissing the very first gift their parents ever gave them after their moms and dads selected it with so much joy and care. The name is then relegated to the grave of all things – henceforth known as a dead name, and not to be used under any circumstances. More about this phenomenon of “deadnaming” and all it entails in part two of this article.

Understandable Reasons

Are there ever valid reasons to change one’s name? Women do so commonly when they marry. Many a woman, though, chooses to keep her maiden name or its first initial as part of her married name. Names may also be changed upon adoption. These situations reflect the embracing of new names for time-honored reasons, as opposed to rejecting them due to what may be a passing phase.

A case could be made for discarding one’s name if it were associated with great shame. There’s a reason no one names a child after Hitler, and it would be understandable for a person with such a “loaded” name to seek a new, less infamous one. And we must acknowledge with sorrow that some have been so damaged by their early lives at the hands of their parents that they need to cast off all remnants of those traumatizing years – including even their names. But I am not talking about such extreme situations. 

Names in the Bible

Abraham. Sarah. Jacob. Peter. What do these heroes of the faith all have in common? God changed their names to express a change He intended to make in their lives. 

Names mean a lot to God. He assigns them before birth at times (John the Baptist, Isaac, Hosea’s three children, even Jesus) and sometimes changes them afterwards at HIS discretion and for HIS purposes – not ours.

In a few cases, the Bible records people changing their own names in response to impactful life events. Saul, whose Hebrew name means “prayed for”, switched to using his Roman name, Paul, after meeting Christ on the road to Damascus. There are several possible reasons for this decision; one may be because Paul means “little” or “small”, perhaps reflecting the apostle’s understanding of his stature in the eyes of the God who saved him while he was still resting on his credentials and using them to persecute Christians.

The Scriptures document various other instances of name changes which are beyond the scope of this article. It is noteworthy, though, that when a Bible character adopts a new name, the process entails serious thought and well-considered reasons. This is not a leap taken by capricious children whose minds are in ever-changing flux until the brain's “little gray cells” settle into patterns of adult thinking. 

I believe the Biblical model suggests that names should be considered respectfully both by those bestowing names and the ones who receive them.

In part two of this article, we will discuss the larger picture surrounding name changes as they occur in today’s society. Stay tuned.