Recently, I picked up “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and came upon numerous days in which your name is celebrated. Knowing my own name was important to me, I learned that I’m “somewhat” of an onomastic.
Let me explain. I’ve always been called Carole, but when I was 12 years old, with nine older siblings, I found my birth certificate. It stated I was born on Oct. 1, 1940, which was true, but the name said Carolyn Ann. In my childhood mind, I decided I was adopted. Although I half-believed this, during my rebellious teenage years, I would have sworn that I was adopted.
It wasn’t until I graduated from high school that I found out my mom not only changed my name at baptism, but all the sisters’ names. She just never reported it to the Department of Vital Statistics.
Another thing I did as a teen was copy the family tree names from our large Bible, adding my siblings and their offspring. As an adult, I did more research and presented my aunts, uncles and siblings with both family trees.
I even enjoyed going to cemeteries every summer with my parents and finding the family names on tombstones.
During my teen years, I tried to get my peers to call me “Chris” (from my maiden name “Christman”) as a nickname. It never caught on. Later, in marriage, when I was beginning to get published in magazines, my husband suggested I use my maiden name as the middle name in my stories. I did just that.
Today, I get a little annoyed if someone knows me and forgets to add an “e” to Carol. It simply doesn’t feel right.
I’ve done lots of research on my name just for fun. The gender of the name, Carole, is feminine. It is a variation of Carol, a French song of happiness. My name was listed among the top 1,000 favorites from 1928 to 1971. The website HowManyOfMe.com states there are 108,331 people in the U.S. with my first name. Statistically, my name is the 504th most popular first name. There are now 17 total people with the name I now have, Carole Koch.
I love hearing “Carole.” I love seeing my name on a coffee mug. I love the wall hanging of my crocheted name given to me by my sister-in-law, Millie. And now, I love hearing, “Are you the Carole that writes?”
Thus, I think I have the right to claim I’m “somewhat” of an onomastic (the study of the history and origin of proper names).
I may only be a novice in the art of onomastics, but the American Name Society has promoted the study of names and naming practices, both in the U.S. and abroad, since 1951. The website says, “A non-profit organization that seeks to find out what really is in a name, and to investigate cultural insights, settlement history, and linguistic characteristics revealed in names.”
Although I cherish my given name, I don’t think anyone can beat Jerry Hill (www.namesuniverse.com) as an onomatology hobbyist.
Hill told me: “My interest in names began when I was a child. I learned of another ‘Jerry Hill’ and rather than worry thinking that I’d somehow instantaneously become less unique, the experience made me wonder about names. There was no internet at the time but our library had a huge collection of phone books from various cities (including some overseas books). I’ve always been a library person and while at the library I’d thumb through various phone books just to see what variety of names I could find. Guess I was a nerd in training, awaiting the advent of the internet.”
Through Chase’s calendar listing of “Celebrate Your Name Week,” Hill has connected with folks from all over the world.
Hill and his wife even gave their daughter a very unique name (before the internet).
“Overall, my daughter says her name has been an asset but it has its moments when she’d just as soon be Sue or Donna or whatever name people can grasp,” he said.
He won’t tell me her name, since she’s the only one with it, and he doesn’t want her internet privacy invaded.
Celebrate Your Name Week, is March 6 to 12. Here are some ideas from Jerry Hill to celebrate your name all week:
March 6 is Namesake Day. Ponder your name. Were you named after someone? Explore your birth name as well as your surname. Find someone with the same name and contact them.
March 7 is Fun Facts About Names Day. Look up interesting facts and tidbits on names. Amaze your friends and share what you find.
March 8 is Unique Names Day. Honor those friends and relatives who have unique names. Appreciate them for not finding their names on key chains or coffee mugs. If you know someone with a unique name, ask them about it.
March 9 is Discover What Your Name Means Day. Check out the many sources online and otherwise, about names and naming. Give your name its own meaning that reflects who you are.
March 10 is Name Tag Day. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, wear a “Hello, I’m ________ (your name)” nametag.
March 11 is Middle Name Pride Day. Use your courage and tell three people who don’t know your middle name.
Lastly, March 12 is Descendants Day. Check on your family tree through genealogy. Discover all the branches of your family tree.
If you wish to continue and maybe become an onomatology hobbyist yourself, you might wish to check Jerry Hill’s web site of “99 ways of celebrating names.”
Carole Christman Koch grew up in Berks County and has been published in numerous publications. She has a passion for writing and has many stories from growing up on a farm to everyday stories.