My Name

My name and the History behind It
Before my mother told me the reason she picked my name for me, I thought that a name was nothing more than a label, something to easily separate me from all the other children. As I contemplated about her reason, I concluded that a name is a representation of who we are – a personal title that applies to us, identifies us and is the sound we respond to. It amazes me how some people would take the time and effort to come up with a name that best suits their child. My parents, Veronica and Salvador Bejo, decided the name me as Angelica Melissa B.
It confused me for sometime why my parents picked out this name. It did not sound as graceful verbally as it looks written down. Even then, people would constantly misspell or mispronounce my name and correction was always in order because their errors bothered me. My name somewhat disgusted me; others loved it. As a young child it was a definite fence that was not easy to get over.
After my mother told me the significance of my name, it made me think. She told me that my first name Angelica originated from my grandmother’s name, Angelina, and the ‘ica’ from her name, Veronica. My middle name Melissa came from the combination of my mom’s fathers’ name, Meliton, and my dad’s mothers’ name, Elisa. This gave me a constant chill because I did not realize what my named represented and how connected it was to my family, more specifically, to my grandparents. I only have one grandparent living: my mom’s mother. My mom’s father passed away six years ago. Sadly, I did not have the opportunity to meet my other grandparents because they passed away before I was even born. Even so, I am in some way connected with my grandparents from my parents.
My new interest in my own name caused me to go deeper –I asked myself if my name meant something more than multiple names composed together. It said that my home and family are likely to be a strong focus for me, perhaps the strongest focus of life. I am...