Celebrate Your Name Week was established in 1997 by American onomatology (the study of the history and use of proper names) hobbyist Jerry Hill. Hill wanted the week to be a time for everyone world-wide to embrace, appreciate, learn about and celebrate his or her name.
Everyone has a name and names can tell us so much about ourselves, our families, and our history! We can celebrate our names by learning all about them this week.
Ask your grown-up what they know about your name!
- Were you named after someone? Was it a famous person or a family member?
- If your name is unique to you, was there something that inspired it?
- Does your name have a meaning?
- If you have a middle name, what about that?
- What about your last name?
- Is there anything special about your name that comes from your culture?
My first name is unique to me but was inspired by my mom's nickname and my aunt's middle name. My middle name was my grandmother's name. My brother was named after our dad, who was named after our grandfather. There's just so much to learn and so much to take pride in!
As we celebrate our varied and unique names this week, let's read some fantastic picture books all about being proud of your name!
Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal
When Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela asks her father why she has so many names, she hears the story of her name and learns about her grandparents.
Your Name is a Song written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & illustrated by Luisa Uribe
Saddened by her classmates' and teacher's mispronunciations of her name, a girl is empowered by her discovery that names are like songs when she and her mom celebrate the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names.
The First Thing My Mama Told Me written by Susan Marie Swanson & illustrated by Christine Davenier
Even though seven-year-old Lucy is now too big to use a stool to reach the sink and to write on the floor, she will never be too big for her name, which follows her everywhere, and she will always love her parents, who chose the name "Lucy" just for her.
After Unhei moves from Korea to the United States, she is anxious for her new classmates to like her, so to find a name they can more easily pronounce, they decide to help her by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from.
Make sure to look out for these other titles too:
