The purpose of this activity is to offer a simple way to introduce oneself and inspire introspection about the cultural values reflected in one’s name. Each time that we have used this activity, we have found that it allows us those engaging in the activity to connect in a more meaningful way then typically happens during an initial encounter.
If you are facilitating a gathering, you invite each participant to share their full name, the cultural origins or literal meaning of each part of their name and/or how their name is personally meaningful to them. It’s helpful you offer a model to initiate the sharing process and then invite others to share. Below is an illustration.
Model: My full name is Christa Lee Olson
The last name, Olson, is my name of origin passed on by my father’s family and is Norwegian in
origin. My great grandfather immigrated from Norway and his son Elvin found his way to the
Dakota’s where he met my grandmother whose family was British. They moved west to
Washington state. My last name signals the strong influence of Northern European cultural
traditions upon our family. My given name, Christa, was a name my father liked. It has “Christ”
as it’s root and reminds me of the powerful message of loving one’s neighbor, a message
important in the Christian faith, but also in many of the other faith traditions drawn upon by
Unitarian Universalists. My other given name “Lee” comes from my mother’s side of the family
and aligns me firmly with a strong line of women.
If you would like to share your full name and how it is meaningful to you, for potential inclusion as another illustration, use the following form: