What's in a Name?

This episode explores how to learn what your first name means, where it comes from, and whether that meaning affects how you see yourself. The conversation covers the Germanic origin of a classic name and its meaning of resolute protector. It also covers the Hebrew meaning of another name, the chall...

This episode explores how a person’s first name, its origin, and its meaning connect to identity, community, and the way someone shows up in daily life. The guest, a Columbus, Ohio benefits consultant and HR association membership chair, shares what he knew about his name, what he learned from its G...

This episode answers two questions: what can a first name's meaning tell us about who we are, and how can friends and family truly help a parent who has lost a child. The first part looks at the origin, history, and symbolism of a name and why people often grow into a name's meaning. The second part...

What does your name mean, and does it affect who you become? This conversation looks at how a name’s meaning, origin story, and pronunciation can shape self-image, creativity, and the way other people treat you. It covers growing up with an uncommon name, learning to embrace it as an adult, and how ...

A business systems analyst from Calgary, Alberta learns for the first time what the name Monica means and shares the story of how she got it. Born in China with the birth name Meng, she moved to Canada at age 12, and her parents picked Monica from a list of English names in the back of a dictionary,...

What does the name Melissa mean, and can a name's meaning influence who we become? In this conversation, an Indianapolis empty nester learns that her name comes from the Greek word for honeybee and reflects on how bee symbolism, including hard work, community, sweetness, and healthy boundaries, mirr...

A returning guest joins the show two years after his first appearance to talk about how the meaning of his name became a guiding value, and how that value carried him through the sudden loss of his wife. Listeners will learn why choosing a child's name with intention and sharing the story behind it ...

Summary An HR leader with 20 years in the field discovers that his first name is Hebrew and means beloved, cherished, and dearly loved, and then works out what that meaning actually requires of him in practice. The conversation covers why so many people research their last name and never look up the...

Summary A professional speaker and entrepreneur who had never looked up his own first name finds out that it is Hebrew and means God has heard, then works through what that actually asks of him. The conversation covers what hearing means beyond sound, why he treats good listening as a standard for h...

Summary An identity transformation coach who has studied handwriting analysis, graphology, and letterology for 15 years explains what she believes happens when a woman changes her last name. She describes losing her own outgoing personality over the year after she married, getting it back over the y...