Slave Name

I think that you know the concept.

Once Upon A Time, a pugnacious strand of African-American political activists came to the conclusion that their Anglo-Saxon names and last-names were a by-product of the enslavement process - "It was the name that the hog farmer [that bought him] chose for my great-grandfather".

They were right, in this appreciation.

Then, a lot of them converted to Islam and chose new, Islamic names for themselves.

Which made smile many that were also familiar with the history of slavery, as Arab Muslims made their share of money in the trade.

So, the likely name of the hog-pen guardian that kept chained  great-granddad  to work in a Missouri farm was replaced by the name, likely, of some guardian in the slavers caravan that brought the animist ancestor from his capture place to the Ship that would have carried him through the ocean.

I stiill maintain that, sometime questionable choice of names apart, they were right.

In reality, we ALL have "slave names" - names that, usually, have nothing to do with us as persons.

Our last names have an history of their own, that sometimes we would very like to dismiss altogether.

As for first names...

These are chosen to "honor" great-parents, great-uncles, or  - worse - some character our parents loved (I hope the various Frodo around the world will find in their heart to forgive their parents),  a most delicious type of steak ("Kobe", really?) , the car we were conceived in (LeB[a]ron, [Alfa Romeo] Giulia,  Mond[e]o) or any other stupid idea our parents had crossing their mind, the moment the guy from the social security bureau asked our name ("E.L.I.S.A - Eterna Libera Idea Socialista-Anarchica"... ["Eternal free socialist-anarchic idea"], "Fiamma Socialista" ["Socialist Flame"], "Five years plan in four years").

Everybody knows someone with a ludicrous name, if he is not that someone himself.

It is inevitable... when our names are chosen, there is no way for anybody to know how will we turn out.

Atheists named Jesus, Christian or Muhammad if not abound - because, atheists are a reduced percentage of the population - can still be found around, some poor sap called "Stalin" by his parents  may be going around as an orthodox priest in some corner of Russia and a lot of Benito became communist, in the '50s.

It is not a case many artists use pseudonyms - to them, the name is not just a somewhat useful label, it is a promotional instrument.

If it doesn't work, it must be replaced, like any other tool of the trade. 

And the truth is, a lot of names does not work.

Some countries recognize it, and allow to change name with no fuss.

In others, it  is a lot less simple...

Anyway, the most amazing thing is that, usually, when one wants to change his name - because he doesn't really suit him - the parents feel it like a reproach.

Come on, every name is crap... it is just part of human nature, giving shitty names to our children.

We should all chose new names when we reach the legal age.

Clearly, bureaucrats wouldn't like it much... but it would feel freeing, would it not?