The origin of my Name
I had to write a paper on the etymology of my name for a Lexicology class that I’m taking, and I thought it was interesting enough to post here!
The origin of my name: Alejandro Romero
I never liked my name. I always thought it was rather common and unremarkable. This became more apparent during high school, when I shared most of my classes with others whose first names were “Alejandro,” and others whose last names were “Romero.” That, along with the fact that I was never given a middle name, made it hard for me to distinguish myself. So, while I may resent the ubiquity of my name, I hope to find some new appreciation for it in it’s etymology.
My given name, Alejandro, is the Spanish version of the name Alexander, which comes from the Greek name “Alexandros,” meaning “Protector of men” (Koltach 1980, 12). The name was made famous around 340 BC by Alexander the Great and since then has been the name of saints, martyrs, and Scottish royalty (Duckling and Gosling 1983, 7). Nearly every European language has a variation of the name: In French, Alexandre; in Italian, Allessandro; in Russian, Aleksander; and even in Gaelic, Alasdair. So, essentially, it’s been around for over 2000 years and is extremely popular.
My surname may be a bit more interesting. The name “Romero” comes from a Spanish nickname given to people who would go on a pilgrimage to Rome (Hanks 1988, 456; Smith 1956, 461). It is a combination of the name of the city of Rome and the Spanish suffix ‘-ero,’ which is generally used to form an occupation or group from a noun. It is the 28th most common Hispanic surname in the United States (Platt 1956, 16). That’s it. All I can conclude from this etymology is that at some point, I had an ancestor who travelled to Rome once. While it is interesting to know that I had an ancestor who was devoted enough to travel from what was likely Spain all the way to Rome, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed.
While my surname is something that I’ve inherited, my given name is something that my parents had a choice over. Why would they call me “Alejandro?” Did I have an ancestor that they loved and respected enough to name me after him? Did they want me to grow up to become a “Defender of Men?” Did they want me to carry some great legacy? And so I asked the one who named me to reveal the logic and reasoning behind my name:
“Hey, Mom, why did you name me ‘Alejandro?’”
“Oh, it just sounded nice.”
Reboot
I really want to start using this again. I really want to start doing some serious blogging. I have so much to just shout at the world that cannot fit onto a twitter or facebook post. And I really want to build my writing skills. This ought to help, right? I’ve just been too damn busy. Busy with school. Busy with work. Busy busy busy. But dammit, I’ll find time, much like I’m doing now! Dammit! No more procrastination! No more excuses! Goals! I need goals! I’ll try for one post a day, if not every other day. But I want to do more than talk. I want to show! I need a decent camera! My iPhone will do fine for now, but I need something that’ll take serious pictures while being something I can carry with me at all times. I’ve had my eye on the Canon PowerShot S95! I just need some money. I’ll take on extra hours at work! But if I work more, I’ll have less time to blog….. and so I’m back where I’ve started…
