Victoire Ndong
English 105: Writing Across cultures
Instructor: Suzan Johnson
This essay was very fun to write because I got to interview other people in the class
and get to know the stories behind their names. I compared my own story to theirs and saw that
there were similarites and also differences in the way we were name. The important thing in this
essay was also that I got talk about my own name which means a lot to me. I wanted to show to
people the different reasons for my name and the effect my name has on my personality.
I did more editing and I change the last paragraph. I talked more about the meanings of the
names and how my name lifts my spirits.
STORIES OF NAMES
What's the story behind a name? The dictionary defines a name as a word or a group of
words by which a person, thing or place is designated. That definition of a name can change
from one person to another or from one culture and society to another. Names chosen by parents
can hold a family meaning, a religious meaning or even a mere aesthetic meaning. After
interviewing two people from different cultural backgrounds and different religious views, I
came to realize that the way we think of a name in Senegal is quite different from what people
from other cultures think of it.
My name is Victoire Ndjik Ndong, “Victoire! Sophisticated” would many people say
when they hear it. I was born of Michele and Joseph: they have biblical names. The story of my
name is interesting. While pregnant with me, my mother had many complications and her
pregnancy was very difficult. When she finally gave birth, my mother decided to name me
“Victoire” which means victory in French. It was her way of thanking God for giving birth to a
Victoire Ndong
English 105: Writing Across cultures
Instructor: Suzan Johnson
healthy baby and also to say that God won over the evil forces. I also happen to have the same
name as our national cathedral “Notre Dame des Victoires” which is one of my mother's favorite
churches. I grew up with that uncommon name which made me feel unique but also a little
lonely. None of my friends had that name. They were sometimes Victoria's and Victorines but
never Victoire.
In my culture a name doesn't usually bear a particular meaning or significance. Family is
a very important matter and many people are named after a family member or somebody who
has fad a significant impact on their parents’ lives. That's why I have the middle name “Ndjik”
which is my maternal grandmother's name. However, that is not the case in Zimbabwe,
Patience's native country.
My Zimbabwean friends often tell me how odd it is that in my country, the names don't
bear specific meaning like “Joy of her mother” or “waited for”. Patience was born In Zimbabwe
and her parents, like many others, wished to have a male first born. When they had their first
baby (a girl) they said”we shall be patient” and they named her Patience. Just like my own story,
her name reflects her parent's feelings about her birth. Even though we were born in different
places the stories of our names have similarities. Patience wouldn't change her name, she likes it,
but she also wouldn't mind having a middle name like Linda or Lindiwe because they sound
pretty to her. Those middle names don’t connect her to family like mine.
Let's go now to a different culture: the American one, which is one of the most difficult
to understand. In the US one can't make generalizations about culture or religion. The American
society is diverse and very liberal; there is no specific cultural or religious trend for names. Zoe
Isis Burris was born in Oregon, North West USA. Zoe is a liberal person and a little religious
Victoire Ndong
English 105: Writing Across cultures
Instructor: Suzan Johnson
too. When I asked her what the story of her name was, she told me that Zoe is Greek for life and
her parents liked it. However, apart from that, there is another reason to her name: “everybody's
name in my family starts with a Z so my parents picked Zoe”. So that name was chosen to satisfy
the aesthetic desires of her parents. Zoe also told me about how important it was to her parents
that people don't call her Zo-e with the “e”. They didn't want her to have a childish name in the
future. Zoe likes her name and wouldn't change it for any reason; she thinks it suits her perfectly.
I learnt that in different places and for different people, names hold different meanings
and significance that can be religious, cultural or social. However, there are also many
similarities (Patience and I). In many other countries in the world, people name their children the
same way it is done in Zimbabwe. The question now is: Is a name very important? Or is it just
superficial? To me what is really important is the person. You can have a name that make people
think of you in a bad way but when they get to know you for who you are (not your name), they
will see that you define your name: “one defines his or her name not the opposite”. However, a
name gives a first impression of the person if you don’t know her personally yet! For that reason,
parents should think twice before tagging their children for life. Some people may not want to
know more about someone whose name they don’t like, or even with job applications or other
important things, they might have less chance just because of their name. I am happy my mother
was wise to give me a name that would make me stand out in a positive way and not a negative
one.
I feel attached to my name because it’s unique and it was chosen by a person that means
a lot to me: my mother. Every time I feel sad I just think of my mother telling me the story and I
feel better. My name reminds me that there somebody, somewhere who loved me so much she
called me Victory, she chose it for me to be a winner In life and that lifts my spirits.