Before I begin, let me make my stand clear. I have never read any piece written by Shakespeare, and if things go according to plan, I never will. Also, I am not really sure which of Shakespeare's works had this quote, but I am quite sure someone will make it a point to enlighten me. My education was in a course where English literature was not considered to be of prime importance, so I was able to escape from the agony of reading page after page of texts written in a language that vaguely resembled English but was something I could never quite comprehend.
Anyways, I digress from the topic. This particular quote has always been something that got on my nerves, ever since I came across it. I could never agree with anyone who feels that a name is not important. Sure, I get the point that a name is immaterial as the innate characteristics of a person/object would remain the same no matter what it is known as and the whole look at the bigger picture etc. But, at the same time I believe that a name is immensely important and that it needs to be given its due priorities.
I am obsessed with my name, and as far as I know, most people I know are very attached to whatever they are called. A name is a part of one’s identity and in most cases is the first thing used to refer to any person. Names of important people transcend a simple identification method and become an adjective/brand. Most brand names that exist are actually named after people or their families. Since cars and weaponry are a couple of things that I am very interested in, most of my examples will be of those two products.
Names form a lineage, and you start associating certain characteristics with them. Most large brands are named after their founders. Most car companies like Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Porsche, Toyota etc are named after their founders. A Ferrari is not just a fast car, it can be anything that is fast and has a very high performance. Almost all designer brands are named after their founders, and the name now stands for something. Recently an advertisement (a very sad one at that) used the name of a demi-god like cricketer as an adjective. ‘Beejon ka Tendulkar’. (I say Demi-God because living people cannot be gods).
Working in a marketing role, I feel that I understand and appreciate the importance of names more than what I did earlier. Whenever a new product is created, a name normally intends to represent the characteristics that it has and/or the characteristics it aims to have. So, if you have a new car being created, the chances of it being called snail or sloth are extremely low. On the other hand a name like Mustang or Diablo makes a lot more sense. Many companies choose a particular naming philosophy and it is actually very interesting to look up the meanings of names of many of the cars that exist. Lamborghini names its cars after famous award winning bulls that have participated in legendary bull fights. This also fits with their logo which is called the Raging Bull. So, Murcielago, Diablo, Gallardo and the latest Aventador have all been very famous bulls. I was curious as to what Estoque, which was a concept that was introduced a couple of years meant and I discovered that it was the name of the sword that is used by matadors in order to sleigh the bull at the end of the fight. Another concept by the same company was called ‘Sesto Elemento’ which means Sixth Element. The concept exhibited a new technology which had extensive use of Carbon Fiber (Carbon being the 6th element in the periodic table).
Similarly, all weapons that exist have historic and powerful backgrounds. The US Air force arms its helicopters with Hellfire missiles. Some of their famous aircrafts are Raptor, Eagle, Hornet, Warthog and Viper. They use a drone called the Predator and cruise missiles called the Tomahawk. I don’t foresee a weapon called something like butterfly or bunny or a pillow being developed anytime in the near future.
The Indian Armed Forces have a brilliant naming system for their indigenous weapons as well that uses our rich cultural heritage and uses names derived from Sanskrit. The missiles like Prithvi, Agni, Nag, Shaurya, Nirbhay and Trishul exude a certain character that is expected from defence equipment. Tanks like Arjun and Bhishma, aircrafts like Tejas and Dhruv, drones like Laqshya are all synonymous with characters and characteristics linked to valour, power, skill and victory. Indian ships have a different naming convention ranging from names of cities, rivers, mountains to hand to hand weapons. One of the best names for weapons that I came across was during the Republic Day parade when an underwater stealth drone was displayed, which was called the Mareech, as it is a decoy drone (Refer to the Ramayan if you don’t understand the significance of this one).
Computer games, another product that I love, use names that give an idea of the type of game they are. So, quake, doom, prey and crysis refer to large scale disasters. ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Company of heroes’ refer to war and organised military. Command and Conquer refers to a strategy game where there is an army at your disposal. Age of Empires, Age of Wonders, Caesar, have a historical backdrop. Need for Speed, Blur and Burnout are racing games. You won’t easily find a game called stuffed panda which would be excessively violent or have a historic backdrop (Well, you could, but you don’t).
Even superheroes use creatures or powers that people like, fear or respect. You have Superman, Spiderman, and Batman etc. But you won’t find characters like Bunnyman or Koala Kid anywhere except in something like Southpark or Whose Line is it Anyway.
There is of course another naming system that is used which is purely functional and relies on practicality. An example of the same would be the one used by BMW or Mercedes, which use numbers or an alphabet and a set of numbers which tell you the class, engine type and some other details about the car. This relies on a certain amount of presumed knowledge in order for people to make sense of it.
Almost every religion has an important ceremony whenever a child is named. The event has very high significance and everyone names their children after characteristics that they hope that the child would imbibe or after people who exhibited these traits in religious/historical lore.
Even the nicknames that people assign to their friends, which are generally not supposed to be flattering represent some trait, in case the nickname has some meaning. Of course, most are just an abbreviated version of the name, which can then mean anything at all.
To me, a name is also important for a first impression. In case I meet someone that shares a name with an earlier acquaintance, I tend to assume and associate certain common characteristics with each name. So, if I meet someone who shares the name with a jerk from school, I will assume that the new person could be a jerk. This is not a sensible practice, but a bit of a habit.
All in all, names may or may not make sense, but in most cases a lot of thought goes into the entire naming process. I always feel bad for people who have silly names, as it is something that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. I love my name as well as my nickname. I can’t accept it if it is not given due importance. So, Mr. Shakespeare, no matter what you write, no matter how much people appreciate your work. You should know, there is a lot that goes in every name. And you can't just belittle it with your blanket statements.
Name [neym]
–noun
1. A word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known.
2. Mere designation, as distinguished from fact: He was a king in name only.
3. An appellation, title, or epithet, applied descriptively, in honor, abuse, etc.
4. A reputation of a particular kind given by common opinion: to protect one's good name.
5. A distinguished, famous, or great reputation; fame: to make a name for oneself.
6. A widely known or famous person
7. An unpleasant or derogatory appellation or expression
8. A personal or family name as exercising influence or bringing distinction
9. A body of persons grouped under one name, as a family or clan.
10. The verbal or other symbolic representation of a thing, event, property, relation, or concept.
Anyways, I digress from the topic. This particular quote has always been something that got on my nerves, ever since I came across it. I could never agree with anyone who feels that a name is not important. Sure, I get the point that a name is immaterial as the innate characteristics of a person/object would remain the same no matter what it is known as and the whole look at the bigger picture etc. But, at the same time I believe that a name is immensely important and that it needs to be given its due priorities.
I am obsessed with my name, and as far as I know, most people I know are very attached to whatever they are called. A name is a part of one’s identity and in most cases is the first thing used to refer to any person. Names of important people transcend a simple identification method and become an adjective/brand. Most brand names that exist are actually named after people or their families. Since cars and weaponry are a couple of things that I am very interested in, most of my examples will be of those two products.
Names form a lineage, and you start associating certain characteristics with them. Most large brands are named after their founders. Most car companies like Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Porsche, Toyota etc are named after their founders. A Ferrari is not just a fast car, it can be anything that is fast and has a very high performance. Almost all designer brands are named after their founders, and the name now stands for something. Recently an advertisement (a very sad one at that) used the name of a demi-god like cricketer as an adjective. ‘Beejon ka Tendulkar’. (I say Demi-God because living people cannot be gods).
Working in a marketing role, I feel that I understand and appreciate the importance of names more than what I did earlier. Whenever a new product is created, a name normally intends to represent the characteristics that it has and/or the characteristics it aims to have. So, if you have a new car being created, the chances of it being called snail or sloth are extremely low. On the other hand a name like Mustang or Diablo makes a lot more sense. Many companies choose a particular naming philosophy and it is actually very interesting to look up the meanings of names of many of the cars that exist. Lamborghini names its cars after famous award winning bulls that have participated in legendary bull fights. This also fits with their logo which is called the Raging Bull. So, Murcielago, Diablo, Gallardo and the latest Aventador have all been very famous bulls. I was curious as to what Estoque, which was a concept that was introduced a couple of years meant and I discovered that it was the name of the sword that is used by matadors in order to sleigh the bull at the end of the fight. Another concept by the same company was called ‘Sesto Elemento’ which means Sixth Element. The concept exhibited a new technology which had extensive use of Carbon Fiber (Carbon being the 6th element in the periodic table).
Similarly, all weapons that exist have historic and powerful backgrounds. The US Air force arms its helicopters with Hellfire missiles. Some of their famous aircrafts are Raptor, Eagle, Hornet, Warthog and Viper. They use a drone called the Predator and cruise missiles called the Tomahawk. I don’t foresee a weapon called something like butterfly or bunny or a pillow being developed anytime in the near future.
The Indian Armed Forces have a brilliant naming system for their indigenous weapons as well that uses our rich cultural heritage and uses names derived from Sanskrit. The missiles like Prithvi, Agni, Nag, Shaurya, Nirbhay and Trishul exude a certain character that is expected from defence equipment. Tanks like Arjun and Bhishma, aircrafts like Tejas and Dhruv, drones like Laqshya are all synonymous with characters and characteristics linked to valour, power, skill and victory. Indian ships have a different naming convention ranging from names of cities, rivers, mountains to hand to hand weapons. One of the best names for weapons that I came across was during the Republic Day parade when an underwater stealth drone was displayed, which was called the Mareech, as it is a decoy drone (Refer to the Ramayan if you don’t understand the significance of this one).
Computer games, another product that I love, use names that give an idea of the type of game they are. So, quake, doom, prey and crysis refer to large scale disasters. ‘Call of Duty’, ‘Company of heroes’ refer to war and organised military. Command and Conquer refers to a strategy game where there is an army at your disposal. Age of Empires, Age of Wonders, Caesar, have a historical backdrop. Need for Speed, Blur and Burnout are racing games. You won’t easily find a game called stuffed panda which would be excessively violent or have a historic backdrop (Well, you could, but you don’t).
Even superheroes use creatures or powers that people like, fear or respect. You have Superman, Spiderman, and Batman etc. But you won’t find characters like Bunnyman or Koala Kid anywhere except in something like Southpark or Whose Line is it Anyway.
There is of course another naming system that is used which is purely functional and relies on practicality. An example of the same would be the one used by BMW or Mercedes, which use numbers or an alphabet and a set of numbers which tell you the class, engine type and some other details about the car. This relies on a certain amount of presumed knowledge in order for people to make sense of it.
Almost every religion has an important ceremony whenever a child is named. The event has very high significance and everyone names their children after characteristics that they hope that the child would imbibe or after people who exhibited these traits in religious/historical lore.
Even the nicknames that people assign to their friends, which are generally not supposed to be flattering represent some trait, in case the nickname has some meaning. Of course, most are just an abbreviated version of the name, which can then mean anything at all.
To me, a name is also important for a first impression. In case I meet someone that shares a name with an earlier acquaintance, I tend to assume and associate certain common characteristics with each name. So, if I meet someone who shares the name with a jerk from school, I will assume that the new person could be a jerk. This is not a sensible practice, but a bit of a habit.
All in all, names may or may not make sense, but in most cases a lot of thought goes into the entire naming process. I always feel bad for people who have silly names, as it is something that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. I love my name as well as my nickname. I can’t accept it if it is not given due importance. So, Mr. Shakespeare, no matter what you write, no matter how much people appreciate your work. You should know, there is a lot that goes in every name. And you can't just belittle it with your blanket statements.
Name [neym]
–noun
1. A word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known.
2. Mere designation, as distinguished from fact: He was a king in name only.
3. An appellation, title, or epithet, applied descriptively, in honor, abuse, etc.
4. A reputation of a particular kind given by common opinion: to protect one's good name.
5. A distinguished, famous, or great reputation; fame: to make a name for oneself.
6. A widely known or famous person
7. An unpleasant or derogatory appellation or expression
8. A personal or family name as exercising influence or bringing distinction
9. A body of persons grouped under one name, as a family or clan.
10. The verbal or other symbolic representation of a thing, event, property, relation, or concept.
2 comments:
Nice work Ant! This post coming from you makes so much sense considering your obssession with your name. And great research you have put in though some of it would have been known to you earlier anyway!
completely agree with your views
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