First of all I would like to say that French has no relevance to my name whatsoever. Now that that is clear, I have two names on which I wish to speak on. These are my first and middle names; Donovan and Xavier. However first, I first would like to say that in our culture I still believe that names are of some importance. In the older times and even now your name was your identity and you would like for it to reflect you as an individual. One would work strenuously not to taint the name as people would no longer treat you with respect. In other cultures, such as Native American culture, your name describes you, whether it was one instance or your daily actions or habits.
Donovan. 7 characters, 5 letters, 3 syllables, 1 name that means so much. From the lineage of my family I know the name Donovan came from my grandfather's father. I know this because my grandfather's name is Donovan Jr. From his bloodline there is Irish ancestry. Wouldn't you know that Donovan is an Irish name? It's Irish meaning is "Dark Brown" (I don't think that's racist... 8-D) but its greater meaning, which is derived from the Celtic language, means "Strong Fighter". I do believe that I and my grandfather are strong fighters. He is strong in strength and wisdom while I am strong in my beliefs (some people might call it stubbornness).
Xavier. 6 letters, 4 syllables, 2 meanings, and no other like me (can't believe that worked a second time). Xavier is the name I go by most often. I have no real interesting reason why I prefer it to Donovan other than my parents called me it. My mother gave me the inspiration for the name. She named me after Professor Charles Xavier from Marvel Comics' X-Men franchise. It's pretty cool to be named after a comic book character (on more than one occasion she has admitted to almost naming me Kal-El, the Man of Steel himself). Xavier also comes from the Catholic Saint Francis Xavier, which is where he was born. The name was derived from Basque meaning "new house/home" (Personally I enjoy the first meaning better). I don't necessarily let these names define me (although I do feel like I have no alternate identity when taking on my grandfather's name) but rather I define these names. I make the image for myself that I want everyone to think of when they hear my name.
Over the years I have been called certain nicknames such as Otis (an elementary school alter ego that my friends and I each created), Zay (a short section in my name), Prof(essor) X, X-man (from the Marvel franchise), Xavier (pronounce with a French accent), Jasvier (Spanish accent), or just simply X. However, I like to keep it Xavier (though I am taking a fondness to Xavier [with a French accent]. Though, I have taken to a new name, Panke (Pronounced Pan-Kay). I created this name in Myrtle Beach one year during family vacation. It started off as Pankæ, and evolved into Panké, and finally Panke. I then used this name to portray my fun, and amazingly creative YouTube personality in February of 2012. After this I actually found that this name is connected to a space/café in Berlin that supports edgy creativity that happens away from mainstream culture. This was a perfect matchup for what I had set out to do.
I feel as though sometimes I am two however, as if each name has its own identity. For Donovan, I feel as if part of a group or a larger whole. Donovan is connected to my grandfather and his father meaning I'm a part of that line. However if one looks at the name Panke, it is a name uncompromised by others, it has not gained much of a status (which means I can build it from the ground up), and it is where I can be truly me, the individual that dreams.
These names, as I said before, do not define me, rather, I get to support and create an image that people will think of when they see me. Donovan, Xavier, or Panke. 3 names, 2 lives, 1 explanation, and 0 others like me (3 for 3 [if you were counting]).
Very cool post- loved reading this!
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