What’s in a Name? …Everything!
I’m sure Earth got its name from somewhere too! :)
Shakespeare once quoted “What’s in a name?” Well, if I had a chance to meet him today, I’d probably say, “Everything”. Right from the first cry of the baby all the way to the tombstone, our world revolves around names.
As Maya Sarabhai would probably sophisticate a simple ‘Bhel’ by calling it crispy puffed rice drizzled with aromatic cilantro and chefs secret micro-greens, bathed in luscious dates and rare chillies, seasoned with a sauce of sweet tamarind tossed in finely diced potatoes and crunchy round wafers.
Phew! And why not, when a name such as this can make a simple dish sound so extravagant!
Right from fancy baby names to naming brands, cuisines, organisations, clubs or studios, names have the magical ability to conjure up images, create personas and tell stories.
Speaking of baby names, it’s almost a competitive scenario now. Expecting couples spend months figuring out the best and the most unique name for their child. Looking up name books to searching history to even attaching a pre-supposed value to the child — the list just goes on. Names come from different sources — countries, languages, forces of nature, ancestors, to even names of gods & goddess, Indian, Greek and so on. It ends up becoming an integral part of them and somewhere become synonymous to who they are.
We follow big names. We are constantly inspired by them. Their work, their intellect and their myriad achievements. Imagine a world without names of Emperors, Leaders, Artists, Scientists, Philanthropists and Teachers, who have inspired us for generations and have been a part of history!
Names play a pivotal role in the world of brands too — to an extent where brands are synonymous to name. We are surrounded by a sea of brands day and night, and it's chaotic when it comes to choosing one over the other . Brand names are the soul of what the brands stand for. Apple stands for innovation, Rolex stands for class and craftsmanship, Tata stands for trust and so on. Names have the magical power to stick to your brains and pop-up when you need a product or service — or what we call ‘top-of-the-mind' recall. It takes imagination, hardwork, passion and of course investment to be a brand or a name. Strategies are developed around naming a brand, for the end result has to be magical & ownable.
They say names have power. And, as I’ve always believed, power is subjective based on how one uses it. Big names have risen and fallen, have seen power and are now powerless. People swear by big names, they perceive that big names come with big successes as a package. Well, I don’t completely agree.
There’s a darker side to the world of big names. There are those who are burning the midnight oil, pushing boundaries and have unmatched passion but so often ignored and over shadowed by the bigger names in every walk of life. It would only be fair that they get a chance to shine through almost like dark horse or an artist behind the camera. They deserve to be known, they deserve the spotlight too! They deserve to be a name too!
In conclusion, names are about people, personas, stories and imagination.
Names have magic. What’s in a name you ask? Literally, everything!
My name’s Siddharth :)
