Somehow my sixth grade class got into a discussion on how many of the students in class had names I had never heard of before or seen spelled so uniquely. Every year there are a few that show up but as I thought about it, this year seemed unusual. I have 29 students in that class and I counted 13 that fit into the category of original names.
Some of the names are from areas of the Spanish world that have not come north of the border until now. I would guess they come from Maya, Aztec or some other Meso-American culture. Others are from the black culture that seems obsessed with coming up with original spellings and hyphenated strange sounds. The mix contained no Armenia or Asian names. 13 out of 29 is almost half.
I wonder if the number has been increasing. I think so. Does it say something about our culture. Part of it is just the healthy influx of new ideas. Part of it is ignorance. Part of it is rebellion. What makes it harder is that as I struggle to get the names right some kids will change the pronunciation depending on the day.
I like to ask them what their names mean. Most don’t have a clue. I will sometimes share how in some cultures you are not given a permanent name until something happens to label you. Thus some of them I say would be called “Perpetual Lips” or “Day Dreamer”. When they ask me what my first name is I tell them, “To you, Mister.” When they ask me what my middle name is I tell them “and” as in Lord and Master.
Sometimes I think they are mumbling special names for me under their breath.
homo unius libri
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