The ‘transforming’ power of a name: Learning to embrace the unique name I was given

My name is Akshaj Mehta. My name is a synonym for the creator of the universe for a Hindu mythological god, Lord Vishnu.

I don’t know much else about it. My name was picked by my parents even before I was born. My name kind of sounds similar to my 8-year-old brother’s name, Atiksh, it starts with “A” and has six letters. It means “king of wisdom,” which I know he lacks right now.

I can totally see his friends and classmates having a hard time calling his name and mispronouncing it most of the time, the same way it was for me.

There have been many days where I have felt that maybe it would have been easier to get along with my peers if I had a more common and simple name. My name is often used for something to poke fun of, which has diminished friendships fast.

Even with friends, it still is tough trying to get them to say my name. They often use nicknames. I have been hurt and offended on numerous occasions where students were calling me insulting things and misusing my name.

Since I started upper elementary classes, I am having mixed feelings about my name. It’s not just another ordinary simple name that is easy to say for either adults or students.

One example of an incident: When I was in fifth grade, a new student joined the classroom and I wanted to be friends with him. As I could see, he looked anxious and nervous. He didn’t know anybody or his way around our school.

I didn’t want him to struggle with pronouncing my name, and I didn’t want my name to get in the way of anything. So I introduced myself with a fake name to get things started. I did tell him my real name but told him to call me “Bob,” to put things at ease for him. Now, when I look back, I feel how it was affecting me mentally.

To this day, there are times where I still contemplate not correcting others when they are struggling to say my name.

Despite what I just said, I would still not want another name. It would be a letdown to my culture, people and, especially, my parents. They wanted a powerful name that they thought would impact my character.

I have had this conversation with my parents. They shared their reasoning for choosing my name, and I was pleasantly surprised by their explanation. According to them, there is power behind the words and the labels that attach to us.

So, changing my name would be hiding away my true self for validation from others. I have seen many others do that, and I just don’t feel right about it at all. I have started to strongly believe that our name is a pivotal factor in developing our sense of self and future. On the bright side: I have a unique name that no one else in my entire school has.

To end this article, I would like to quote Stefan Zweig, who was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer: “Names have a mysterious transforming power. Like a ring on a finger, a name may at first seem merely accidental, committing you to nothing; but before you realize its magical power, it’s gotten under your skin, become part of you and your destiny.”