of what importance is a name?

Answer 1

you need a name, unless you want to work around with people shouting oi you!

Answer 2

Well, initially you would think there is little to no importance. It seems like a very superficial thing, but sometimes I feel that there may be something much more important going on with names. Names are so central to ourselves and our being; it really becomes a part of you and you of it.
I think that giving your child a specific name may have some sort of great spiritual significance. It may be like a tying of yourself to some aspect of divinity or spirituality that we can barely understand. For example, if you are a Christian, naming your child Michael, like St. Michael who defeats Satan, may be like a very special prayer and dedication to St. Michael and the divine that works through him.
The same could be said for a Muslim who names their child Muhammed or a Jew who names their child David. It seems like there is just something there. Some power exists in a name, although we might not be able to say exactly what it is.

Answer 3

Very important. Im not sure whether or not you mean the meaning of a name, or the importance of having a name.

Answer 4

...of much importance sometimes:

Nominative determinism (ND) is a term popularized by the magazine New Scientist. It refers to amusing instances where people's names coincidentally reflect some aspect of their jobs, professions or lives. Synonyms include aptronym, apronym, aptonym, jobonymns, namephreaks, onomastic determinism, Perfect Fit Last Names (PFLNs), psychonymics, and classically nomen omen or όνομα ορίζοντας. ND researchers are comiconomenclaturists.

Technically "Mr. Bunn the baker" is ND but real examples are more highly prized, the more obscure the better. Thomas Crapper could be cited as the grandaddy of all ND references, but that is partly based on popular myth - as the Chinese invented the flush toilet. But Thomas Crapper did invent the ballcock.

Answer 5

When Moses asked God for His name, he was given a name by which God wished to be known and worshipped in Israel, the name that expressed His character as the dependable and faithful God who desires the full trust of His people. That name is so sacred that Jews frequently refer to God as The Name. It is important in choosing a name that something of the nature or character of the person concerned should be conveyed -- sometimes more a case of what the parents hope for than what actually develops in the course of time. Names are very important, as they remain our identification tag for the rest of our lives. They are frequently identified with the religious background of the bearer and very often when a person converts to another religion he/she finds it necessary to adopt a new name. People converting to Roman Catholicism, for example, who do not happen to have a Biblical name or that of a saint will be required to adopt a baptismal name for the purposes of admission to the Church. Curiously enough, it is possible to change one's name to something which does not fall within the conventional category of forename and surname, as in the case of one gentleman who officially changed his name to The Bandit, which remained his name for all official purposes.

Answer 6

Having a name is very important. It identifies us from other people. And just as a name is important to us, so is God's name important.

PSALMS 83:18 - Yahweh / YHWH / Jehovah

By using His name we identify Him from other gods.

Answer 7

A name defines an object, person, or idea. Without a name a person has no definitions, an object is just that, and an idea remains uncrystalised. A name can conote power, disgust, or a million other reactions (Hitler...); a name can also denote many sublte things about a person.

Answer 8

my patient once said to me " thankyou for taking that name band off me because now I am me, my spirituality has come back" She had put a name on her name band that she rarely used because it was unusual, and she thought that if she used an unusual name then she may get better treatment in the hospital, she was elderly, deaf and short sighted and vunerable- after comming to the hospice she then found herself again, so a name is important as it means identity.

Answer 9

I guess it depends on the situation. For example:

If a child goes to the house where his/her father is watching football with other guys, (new friends from work that do not know the child) and asks for his/her father (all of the guys are fathers), how will the guy who answers the door know which man to go get, if the child just says "my father" instead of John Smith?

Or, if I wanted a person's attention (the person is in a group of ten) and I shouted "Hey You!," how would any of them know who I was talking to? But, if I called out "Hey Bob!" only the Bobs in the group would answer. (Hopefully there is only one Bob in the group (smile) Or "Hey Billy Bob" would get better results. (grin)

Or with all of the gods that are worshiped around the earth, how would you know which one someone worshiped, if they just use the title "God"?

A name distinguishes one from another. It helps to make us who we are. To be a real friend (of a human or of a god), one would not only know the friend's name, but would also use it. To not use it, could be taken as a form of disrespect.

Answer 10

some people believe our name has some effect on our personality as well and therefore when naming a child, choose a name that has good meanings religion-wise.

Answer 11

It is everything you are! Think about it. If you lie, you become a liar by name. If you are virtuous, you will be known by the same.