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Monday, September 6, 2010

What is in a name?


Usually when I meet people for the first time, the conversation goes something like this:

Stranger: Hi, I'm  -----, it's nice to meet you.

Me : Hi, I'm Maxine, very pleased to meet you.

Are you ever tempted to use a different name? After all, you might never meet this stranger again. As you have guessed already, my name is Maxine. Maxine is an english name of Latin origin and the feminine form of Max and it means "the greatest". Uhm, how awesome is that? Hello! I was named after a Baptist Missionary who's service in Ghana was so exceptional that my parents fell in love with her servant spirit! I still keep in touch with her and she's like another grandma to me. Guess what too? She is a Nurse! I had no idea what profession she was untill my second year in Nursing school! Coincidence?

Now seriously though if you're African like myself, you know the the meaning of your name has a bearing on the kind of person you are expected to be in life and you had better live up to it. It always buffles me when people tell me their names because I immediately wonder what it means. I love being a Maxine even though it is a really old name :) Hopefully the name will make a comeback soon. I already have about 3 Maxine's named after me! Have you ever wondered if you would act or live differently if your name had been different than what you have now?

What do you think is in a name? Has your name had any impact on your life?