A lot!

Hello, everyone! I’m sorry for not sticking to my promise of writing three days in a row. Yesterday was a bit hectic, but I’m back and with a vengeance.

As you can see, today’s topic will be names.

During one of the first weeks of classes, we talked about the importance of naming in African cultures. I have always grown up knowing that my name means something, but I don’t think that until this discussion I actually thought about how it plays a role in my everyday life. This entry will take you on the journey of my personal “name story” by answering a series of questions.

 

Who named you?

I guess you can say my name was sort of a compromise. I was always told that my mom chose my first name and my dad got to decide what my middle name would be. My last name, Griffin, which is Irish in origin, was obviously passed down from the paternal side of my family.

 

Why are you named what you are?

In my opinion, the reason for my name is a bit complex. Let’s start with my first name. My mom chose my name for a few reasons, the first of which is because she liked the name. My mom was never supposed to be able to have kids. Before she got pregnant with me, she had a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. When it was removed, the doctors told her she would never be able to have kids; when she got pregnant with me, they told her I would be mentally challenged (I’m the oldest of two and both my brother and me function at full mental capacities). The word “autumn” means a time of harvest and I think she felt like after defying all of these odds, I was her harvest. Additionally, my mom chose the name “Autumn” because it is racially ambiguous. I can walk into any interview or room knowing that unless my potential employers have seen a picture of me, they will not automatically assume that I am black, and in a lot of ways, I’m grateful for that.

My dad chose my middle or second name. The name “Adia” is a Swahili term for “a gift from God.” My dad was with my mom the entire time she had the tumor, the day it was removed, and when the doctors told her she would never be able to have kids. He witnessed the entire journey. He knew what it meant to her to be able to have a baby, and so he chose the name he felt was most appropriate.

My last name is a bit of a mystery to me. I know it’s not the name my ancestors were brought to Africa with. It is a typical Irish last name, but is Greek in origin, as it is the sign we attach to the mythological animal the griffin (half lion, half eagle). Besides the fact that it’s the name my dad gave to me, I don’t hold it in very high esteem. I know that it was most likely given to an ancestor who worked in the fields as a slave after he was stripped of his own surname. It will one day change and I (and my future kids) will adopt another European name, which says nothing of our African heritage.  For these reason, I prefer my first two names to my last.

 

What does your name mean to you?

My name means so much more to me than most people will ever realize. First and foremost, it’s a symbol of how much my parents loved me, even before I was born. They took the time to carefully think about a name that would shape my destiny and personality.

If anyone who is reading this knows me, they know that my first name fits my personality perfectly. I can’t really explain it. I wasn’t born in the fall, so I know that’s not the reason my name holds significance. There’s something about the fall that’s inherently artsy. It surprises you each time it comes around with different colors, different weather, different scenery. Each year, says goodbye to the unbearably hot days of summer and welcomes you with its crisp air. I can’t quite put into words what I want to say about it, but I’m hoping you get the connection.

My middle name signifies the expectations I have to live up to. If I’m expected to be a gift from God, I’ve got to act in a certain way at all times. I can’t do things that disappoint or God. I’ve got to live up to the standards that were set for me.

 

What does it mean to other people?

Most people don’t actually know what my name means. They hear “Autumn” and assume “fall” and they’re typically baffled about how they even pronounce “Adia” (a-dee-a – both are short “a”s). To my family, though, it means a lot. My family has always told me that I’m destined to do great things and throughout my time abroad, I’ve been reminded by almost everyone of what my middle name means and that they’re proud I’m living up to my name. In my family, like in many African cultures, my name was something I was always destined to grow into. It was someone I was to become since birth, without question.

 

 

 As I continue to grow and learn, my life experiences will continue to reveal to me things about my name. There’s one thing, I know for sure though: Autumn Adia Griffin is exactly what I was supposed to be named.

Location: Rosebank, South Africa