What's In a Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
~ Juliet in Romeo and Juliet

Working in customer service for a few years, I came across some very interesting and unique names.  Some of my favorites:  Dr. Mi Kwak, Dr Payne, and Dick Withers.  Then there were the foreign names that I did not even attempt to pronounce, and the one that had 22 letters and only 2 vowels.

But what is a name, really?  Is it a title to live up to?  Is it something to strike fear in our hearts upon hearing in its entirety?  Is it a torture tool for cruel children (and some very immature adults)?  My kids both have monosyllabic names so that I don't trip too much over my tongue when yelling at them.  The name given to a child has the potential to be detrimental to social and emotional health and must be considered with great care.

For those who don't know, my full name is Ariel Paige Sebastian Boyer.  Growing up, I wasn't impressed with my name.  It was far too easy to make fun of.  The Smurfs were popular in my young years and I was frequently called Asreal.  Then there was the less imaginative Air-head, and probably my brother's favorite, Scary-smell.  In addition to hating my sibling-given nicknames, having Paige for a middle name always make me feel like a book ~ "Ariel" and "Sebastian" were the covers and "Paige" was in the middle.

And then, the absolute worst thing for name happened ~ Disney released The Little Mermaid.  As if sharing my first name with the main character wasn't bad enough, my last name shared the limelight in the movie as well.  Let the mermaid jokes begin.  In high school I made a bet with my friends that I would give $50 to anyone who could tell me a mermaid joke I hadn't already heard.  I have yet to pay out.  I have often joked (only half-joked, really) that I would love to sue Disney for pain and suffering.  As a performing artist (in high school, at least) I should have at least gotten a job at Disney with no questions asked.  The name Ariel was in the movie Footloose and in Shakespeare's Tempest but does anyone make that association?  I hated wearing my name tag at my after-school job because anyone who came in with a little girl would bend low to their daughter and say, "Guess what her name is!"  Can I tell you how happy I was to marry young and change at least my surname?  What was once a beautifully unique name has become as common as next, high schools and college campuses are teeming with Ariel's, and we owe all thanks to Mr. Disney.

There is another lesser known, yet very popular, place to find the name Ariel.  Isaiah 29:1 says, "Woe to you Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled."  Yes, Ariel is in the Bible as an alternate name for Jerusalem, God's chosen city, the City of David.  (Granted, the city is being cursed in this verse, but if you take a moment to read the chapter, there is a happy ending.)  Jerusalem was the city God chose for his permanent earthly dwelling, where Solomon built the Lord's temple.  It was in Jerusalem that the Lord saw fit to fill the temple with His glory.  It is an interesting parallel that Christ has chosen me, Ariel the person, in which to make an earthly dwelling, as well.

In it's original Hebrew, Ariel means "lion of God".  The city Jerusalem was in the land of Judah ~ Jesus is often referred to as the "lion of Judah".  I like the idea that I have this tie to Christ.  The lion is king of the jungle, Christ is King of His followers, and my name suggests that I have very large paw-prints to fill.  Taking a female slant, the lioness is the huntress, the fighter and protector of her pride (family).  That doesn't sound like me, does it?  Yet, the lioness submits to her mate, the ultimate head of the pride, the lion ~ just as I, a believer, am to submit to my King.

All things considered, Ariel is a great and powerful name, one to be worn with grace and pride.  Hopefully, I can live up to it.