What’s In a Name

Romeo and Juliet has never ranked among my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays, but I have to admit there are some lines from it that have stuck with me.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title.”

Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2

It’s a beautiful sentiment Juliet expresses here, explaining that Romeo’s name, the hated name of her family’s enemy, doesn’t matter to her. It’s Romeo’s self that has captured her heart. If he changed his name, it wouldn’t change who he is.

But as the story plays out, the pair are unable to shed the burden of their names, which ultimately results in tragedy.

Names carry a lot of meaning in literature, especially in folklore, fairy tales, and mythology.

Names were often used as a shorthand. In a short story, or a tale shared orally and not written down, a name would help the audience understand quickly and concisely who a character was. Names were more than what a person was called – they were a summation of who they were. That’s why so many fairy tales don’t even bother with names, relying more on archetypes: the king, the princess, the troll, etc.

Names Establish Authority

In a number of ancient stories, names hold literal power. Those who know another’s name have power over them.

Rumplestiltskin is perhaps the most well-known example of this. He outright challenges the girl he’s turned into a queen: She has three days to discover his name, or he will take her child. While the situation is more tied to his pride and sense of superiority, he’s so incensed at being beaten at his own game that he becomes his own downfall.

In Egyptian mythology, the goddess Isis secretly poisons the sun god Ra, offering to heal him if he tells her his secret name. He resists for a time, knowing that the name will give her power over him, before ultimately giving in.

In the same vein, one of the cardinal rules of interacting with fae is to keep your name hidden, as sharing your name puts you under their power.

Names Represent Inner Self

One of the reasons names hold power is that they are often considered to be a reflection of a person’s true self. If you know a person’s name, you know every bit of them.

In many cultures around the world, like Akan and Yoruba tradition, names are carefully chosen for new babies. They can contain the child’s family history, facts around their birth, and hopes for their future.

Fairy tales, like I mentioned before, often used names as a shorthand. Sometimes they relied on archetypes (the king, the witch, etc.), but sometimes they used a name that conveyed something about the character, like Beauty in Beauty and the Beast, known for her looks, or Little Red Riding Hood, who is immediately shown to be both vulnerable (little) and visible (wearing a bright red hood).

Names can also reflect a change or transformation in a character or their circumstances.

Most of us are familiar with the story of Persephone in Greek mythology and her journey to becoming part-time Queen of the Underworld, but did you know that Persephone wasn’t always her name? Originally it was Kore, which means “maiden”. After her change in station, she became Persephone, which has several meanings that people debate, such as “bringer of destruction” and “bringer of light”, while others tie its etymological origins to corn or grain and harvest.

This practice of renaming features heavily in the Bible too. Abram and Sarai make a covenant with God and become Abraham and Sarah. Their grandson Jacob wrestles with a mysterious figure (sometimes thought to be an angel, sometimes believed to be God) and gains the name Israel as a promise of the nation he will found. Saul, after encountering Jesus on the road and turning away from his prosecution of Jesus’s followers, becomes Paul.

When A Name Is Lost

Because names are so important, the loss of a name is just as significant.

If we return to Greek mythology, in order to be reincarnated, souls were required to lose every aspect of their former selves, bathing in the River Lethe and forgetting every part of who they once were, including their names.

Cinderella is another example of this. She is badly mistreated by her stepfamily, to the point that they refuse to use her actual name, giving her the cruel moniker of “Cinderella” because she’s forced to sleep in the ashes of the fireplace and is perpetually covered in cinders. The loss of her name is a symbolic reflection of her loss of status.

Sometimes, the loss of a name can be an intentional move. Take Voldemort, for example. Harry Potter’s archnemesis is disgusted by his own history and bloodline, so he takes up a new name and goes to great lengths to both bury the old name and establish the power of his new one. And he’s very successful, creating so much fear around his new identity that people refuse to even speak his name. Talk about a power play.

So, what’s in a name, after all? A great deal, it turns out.

What are some of your favorite names in myth and legend? How do they tie in to the characters?

Until next time, word nerds!