by Kim Russell

Created on: October 31, 2009

Lucius Jacobia Parcenel. Imagine you are a headhunter accepting resumes for a professional position with, say, a highly visible and lucratively successful law firm. You have Mr. Parcenel's resume in front of you alongside the resume for Andrew Michael Thompson. Both resumes are replete with equal successes and accomplishments. In this day and age, we would expect that both would be treated fairly. But, really? When you first read the name Lucius Jacobia Parcenel, was your first thought about his nationality? Remember, the law firm is your client. Not Lucius. Which resume are we programmed to consider more appropriate?

Of course names affect children's lives, not only as children but as adults. When having to respond by phone to a correspondence from Jamie Thompson, do you call and ask for Mr. Thompson or Ms. Thompson? Or not make the call at all? In a professional setting, some would find it quite difficult to take someone seriously initially whose moniker is Jimmy Corode. (It is pronounced ka-ro-dee, by the way.) But Jimmy is his birth-given name, and Corode, fortunately or unfortunately, is family name.

I think as a society we have become accustomed to girls named David, but we still may be somewhat surprised when we encounter Ms. David. We certainly have come in contact with men named Lesley, although we may still snicker a little under our breath. I, obviously, have a traditional Caucasian, gender specific name, although I did date a boy in high school whose name was also Kim. My accountant's name is Alllyn. She is always having to explain how her father wanted a boy. I graduated law school with a man whose first name is Trippe (pronouced trippy). Are you hiring a lawyer out of the phone book named Trippe? A friend of mine used to work in an office which dealt with mother's on state's assistance. He said that many of these women named their children after their fathers. Jamesina (pronouced ja-ma-see-na) was the worst I ever heard.

All of these examples represent to me selfishness and self-indulgence of the parents. When choosing a name, parents must consider the longterm effect on their child for the entire course of their lives - not the parent's lives - and how that initial choice of label will be accepted by the child's community. We cannot escape the fact that we are a society of labelers. Either innocently or intentionally, labeling comes natural for us. Yes, I realize this is a form of discrimination and it is wrong. I am not saying I agree with it. I am saying it is a fact of our lives.

Lucius' parents wanted to name him after his two grandfathers. How nice. To further add insult to injury, at age six, he is referred to as Lu. Really? I hope he is tough, because the playground surely cannot be an easy place for this child to be. It reminds me of an old (very old) Saturday Night skit with Nicholas Cage as the guest. He and his wife are sitting around trying to decide on a name for their upcoming baby. He knocks down every name she suggests based on how the kids at school will respond. Things like, "Sam, Sam, just a big fat ham;" and "Art, Art, just a big fat fart." He does this with every suggestion his wife makes. The pizza deliver guy arrives and says he has a deliver for the "A*holes." Cage responds, "That's A-sho-lee."

I hate that we are inclined to attach negative connotations, but it is ingrained and inescapable.. It's may not be right. But it really is all in the name.

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