Etymology

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

--William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

I have developed, over the years, a slight obsession (is there any such thing as an "obsession" that is "slight"?) with names. It's easy to see where and how it started. My father is from Iran--born and raised there, and came to the US when he was in his 20s. When my parents began having kids, they used the following naming strategy: they gave us all short, easy first names, all Biblical, so that they would be as easily recognizable to my father's Iranian relatives as they were to my mother's family. But for our middle names, they chose Persian names. So though my first name may seem ordinary--even boring--the 3-name combination (first, middle, and now-maiden name) was a great conversation-starter. My last name (now my maiden name) was long and interesting--I was constantly correcting people on its pronunciation and spelling throughout my childhood (not that I minded, though--I loved my name).

Unfortunately, the name Ariana itself (unlike some of my other siblings' middle names, which are more obviously Middle Eastern) doesn't necessarily spark a question of origin, since most people have heard it in some form or another. Internet searches have frustrated me, because all I could ever find was websites that list it as being of Greek origin (meaning "holy one") or Welsh (meaning "silver"). Yet my parents have always told me it's an Iranian name, meaning "from the tribe of Aria." At last, I found my Internet proof...

From Wikipedia...

The name Ariana has its root in the Persian language, where it means "light of the Aryans" or "of Aryan stock." Typically, it was given to females born in Aryan territories of the Persian Empire (Iran), including Afghanistan. The name also can be found in the Italian simplification of the Greek name Ariadne ("most holy," "Holy one"); Cretan Greek αρι (ari) "most" and αδνος (adnos) "holy")[3], and a Welsh name meaning "silver" (derived from Welsh arian, "silver"). [4]. Ariana can also come from the root "aria" meaning melody or song, in which case, the name would mean "singer," "like a beautiful melody."

I also love its relation to the word "aria"--I've never drawn that parallel before, but I love it. "A singer, like a beautiful melody." Fabulous.

Anyway, back to my name obsession. I have always, unashamedly, loved my middle name, and consequently, as a child, I was always asking friends for their middle names. I was surprised and a bit saddened to find that most people seem to dislike their middle names--or are at least indifferent. Whereas I was always fascinated with names, asking "Why did your parents choose that name? What does it mean?" And again, I was baffled when friends would tell me they didn't know the meaning of their names or why their parents chose them. How could you not know something like that?

My name obsession was renewed a few years ago when I happened upon some baby naming message boards on AOL. I had no intention of having kids at that point in my life, but I enjoyed the discussions. I loved learning new names, their origins, their meanings. It's one thing to hear a name and think "Oh, that's pretty." But it's absolutely thrilling to find out that that pretty name has an equally gorgeous meaning and/or history.

It was while I was a member of those message boards that I chose a new e-mail address for myself. I didn't want to choose something boring, so I combined 2 names that I adored. One is another name that, like Sara, means "princess." The other is a Persian name that I just loved. People often ask me what my e-mail address means, and I love to tell them what the names mean and why I chose them.

I also love meeting people with unusual and uncommon names--usually among my first questions is some kind of question about their name's meaning/origin. I can't help myself--I just love names. Learning a new name is like opening a Christmas gift--that same little flutter of excitement, that same "Ohhhh, it's so lovely!" Even when I'm watching a reality show on TV and I see a contestant with a name I've never heard, I'm compelled to go research it.

And so when I became pregnant and was faced with choosing a name, I did not take it lightly. I won't get all up on my soapbox here, but let's just say that Tony loves to tease me about what a "name snob" I am. I don't think I'm a snob, per se, but I do think that choosing the perfect name is an important task. I don't understand when people pick names out of thin air, let someone else name their baby for them, and things like that. I'm not saying there's neccessarily anything wrong with that, but to me, a name carries so much weight and meaning, even aside from whatever the name itself actually means.

I knew, obviously, that our child would bear Tony's last name, not mine (just to clarify--I took Tony's last name when we got married, so we share the same last name now, but you know what I mean). I grew up with my father's last name--it was a name that made it obvious to anyone that my heritage extended beyond the boundaries of the USA. And while Tony's last name is not as plain as Smith or Jones, it is quite obviously not at all Middle Eastern. I wanted my child to bear some mark of his/her Iranian heritage in his/her name, so choosing a name became a very big deal. We toyed with the idea of doing what my parents did--picking a common first name and then picking an Iranian middle name--but somewhere in the process we settled on Ariana. We chose Juliet not only because it was pretty (hey, nothing wrong with just liking how the name sounds), but also because it reflected my love of literature (I have a Bachelor's and Master's in English/English Education).

I'm not sure what we'll do with any future kids. I don't feel the need to stick to the same formula--it doesn't have to be an Iranian first name and a Shakespearean middle name, for example. But I am pretty committed to the idea of throwing an Iranian name in there somewhere--after all, if my kids' last name can't be Iranian, then some other name has to be--it's only fair, right? And I love the idea of using family names, as well. If Ari had been a boy, she most likely would have had the middle name Charles, after Tony's father and my grandfather (I love that it's a family name on both sides). I am also deeply in love with my mom's middle name, which she loathes (I don't know why--it's a beautiful little name).

I could go on and on about names I love, but I need to stop rambling. The point is, I love Ariana's name--not only for how lovely it sounds as it rolls off the tongue, but also for the family history behind it. I can't wait until the day she asks me (or the day I get too impatient waiting for her to ask, and just tell her) what her name means and why we chose it. I will be more than happy to share that information with her, and teach her to love her name and its history as much as I love mine.

What's in a name? It's more than just an arrangement of letters. A name can tell a story all by itself--a story of the history of the world as well as the history of a family. A name can be passed on like a family heirloom, to honor ancestors and carry on family traditions. A name becomes a part of who you are, the way you identify yourself throughout your entire life.

So... what does your name mean? And why did your parents choose it? And don't tell me you don't know...