Years ago...
Me: Dad, why did you name me Christabelle?
Dad: I watched this film in the early 90s, and one of the movie's characters was Christabelle. I thought it was such a lovely name, and I decided that when I had a daughter, I would name her Christabelle.
Last week...
Me: Good afternoon, how are you doing today?
Patient: I'm well, thank you, and yourself?
Me: I'm fine. My name is Christabelle.
Patient: Oh... what a lovely name.
Me: Thank you.
Hi Friends,
It's another week, and after procrastinating for two days, I'm finally completing this today. Motivation and discipline are things no one can ever have enough of, right?
This week, I'm trying something different—nothing on career or orthotics, but rather my thoughts on a random topic. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!
What's in a Name?
Growing up in an Igbo community, I realized how important names were to my people. Names tell a story, communicate history, showcase personality, and, in some cases, demonstrate competence.
But my name, Christabelle, as you can tell is not Igbo at all. Igbo people pay great attention to the names they give their children. A child's name often signifies the circumstances surrounding their birth. For example, my brother was briefly called 'Chinagorom,' which means 'God is defending me,' but my mom changed it to Dabirichi (lean on God) to better express how she felt about the circumstances surrounding his birth. My baby brother, now 14, is a miracle baby. My mom did have God fight for her, but above all, she learned to lean on God through the process.
Another great example is my partner, Chizom (God saved me). He told me how his father had to choose between him and his mother at his birth. For the love of his wife, his father chose his mother, but somehow God saved him, and here he is today—very keen to get a mention in this week's newsletter—lol.
My name doesn’t have a similar backstory, but it has shaped who I am. When I was older, I was curious to know what my name meant. A simple Google search revealed that I am indeed a 'beautiful Christian'. From the root names Christina (Latin- Christ follower) and Belle (French- beauty), Christabelle has become a popular female name but still preserves its allure and charm. Hence why my name gets so many compliments every time I tell someone my name.
I have always used Krista because I thought it was a shorter nice version and I’ve used ‘K’ because I like the letter. I’d like to know your thoughts:
Christabel Pankhurst
One day at church, I introduced myself to a woman as Krista, and told her it was short for Christabelle, and she was so excited about my name that she gave me a history lesson on Christabel Pankhurst (22 September 1880 – 13 February 1958).
Christabel(a name variant of Christabelle) Pankhurst was a British suffragette born in Manchester, England. A co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), she directed its militant actions from exile in France from 1912 to 1913. In 1914, she supported the war against Germany. After the war, she moved to the United States, where she worked as an evangelist for the Second Adventist movement. Pankhurst lectured and wrote books on the Second Coming. She was a frequent guest on TV shows in the 1950s and had a reputation for being an odd combination of "former suffragist revolutionary, evangelical Christian, and almost stereotypically proper 'English Lady' who always was in demand as a lecturer."- Read more
When this lady told me the story and had me do some research myself, I was in awe. Such a legacy! Could I live up to the achievements of those who bore this name before me?
Why Should Women Change Their Names?
Another thought I've had on names is the one given to me through lineage—Asoluka. I remember my grandma telling me that Asoluka meant 'one who did not hide talk/truth.' Oh, how I revelled in this. I have remained the outspoken one—the one who would not shy away from calling out falsehood, and with age, I have tempered this with wisdom—refraining from being too blunt or possibly rude. But this is to say that I love my surname.
What I know about name changing—women taking up their husbands' family name—is that it is predominantly Western culture, and I'm not sure this matches up with Igbo traditions. I would very much like to keep my surname.
We become our names by answering to them when we are called, and in doing so, we allow ourselves to be named. Each time we identify with the names we are given, we undergo a process of deep internalization that bonds us with the historical, social, political, and personal dimensions of that name. At that moment, the person who calls for us creates us. — NORMAN BRANNON
This Week, I urge you to...
Live by your name, I say! If your name doesn’t embody who you are or who you want to become, change it—I know it sounds ridiculous.
This week, be better than me and try not to procrastinate. I found this new app (you know I like apps) called Structured app—it's a simple way to organize your day.
Save too! Guys, save. My conversation with my aunt Pam inspired me to get Moneybox and start saving towards my house.
This week, read! I love how Osagioduwa challenges me by reading physical books—she’s reading "The Courage to Be Disliked," and if you know me, that's one of my top 3 books of all time.
Until next week,
Christabelle
low-key find it interesting that you this is an essay about names and you didn't write anything about one of the most interesting names on here, "osagioduwa." well, off to osas's deehems. this was a lovely read though, i think about my name and how it tethers me to igbo culture a lot (and i can't believe i used to be ashamed of this name).