What’s In A Name?
- Apr 19, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 8, 2025
Written by Dawn Bates, Writer, Author Coach and Publisher
Dawn Bates is a true international bestselling author multiple times over on five continents. She specialises in developing global leaders into real authorities who wish to give a voice to the voiceless whilst working with them to create brand expansion strategies through activism and authorship.
Whether we are naming our book, the characters in a narrative, our children or our business, getting the name right can cause joy and intrigue, as well as confusion and frustration.
In my latest book Faith: Leaving Religion To Save Your Soul, the main character’s brother is called Malak, but due to the lack of understanding and knowledge of names of Arabic heritage, the confusion with another individual called Malik, resulted in a traumatic event which changed the lives of many forever more, and not in the best of ways either!
With migration around the world becoming increasingly fluid and families more culturally and ethnically diverse, it has never been more important for us to understand the meanings, concepts and heritage of names, as well as how and why we name people, places and entities in the way we do.
To speak of cultural diversity, inclusion and equity is simply not enough if we do not comprehend the basic etiquettes of spelling and saying someone’s name correctly as written about in Stephen Covey’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Take my company for instance, I use my name Dawn Bates followed by the word international.
Why do I do this?
Because to do so holds me to the highest levels of honesty, service, integrity and accountability possible as I never want to dishonour myself or my family, nor do I want to hide behind a brand name that oftentimes doesn’t actually mean anything.
As someone who values honesty and transparency in all areas of life, I want people to be able to associate my name with these traits, as well as accountability, integrity and honour.
What I do find amusing, and very flattering, is that my name is fast becoming a call to action for many around the word because they find themselves asking, “What would Dawn do?” when faced with a challenge.
To have messages come through from my readers and distance learning students who I often never know about telling me that by reading my books or completing my 7 Week Author Course they often ask themselves this question, humbles me.
And what an accolade to have!
With the evolution and origin of language being a hotly contested topic, with some languages tentatively traced back to the Paleolithic era, we really need to know our stuff these days.
However, when looking at archaeological and written records, we see they extend the history of language into ancient times and the Neolithic period. The distribution of languages has changed substantially over time, and for those of us who speak multiple languages, we can often map out the discovery of the world due to the great explorers and sailors of yesteryear.
Linguistic evolution has fascinated me for a long time and not just because I am an author!
We all know that evolution is a natural process that occurs as a result of various factors, such as cultural interactions, technological advancements, migration, and even generational differences. Languages have been gradually modified over centuries due to these effects and results in the emergence of new linguistic traits, while older ones become outdated or convert into something new.
Great for publishers of dictionaries and amusing for those of us who love a game of Scrabble and need to keep up with the evolution and coveted high scoring words!
As someone who has lived and worked in forty-four countries, speaks multiple languages, I am able to gift my author coaching clients a unique service no one else in the publishing industry is able to give them – and more importantly, their readers.
With cultural perspectives, insights into the nuances of language and how it is used, I can free my clients from the restraints of language. The books we write together come with a global awareness, which helps when it comes to translating the books into multiple languages for when the time comes.
Language and literature go hand and hand, and in the words of Jacques Derrida (1992a 36) ¹ Literature can be thought of as being the institution which allows one to say everything, in every way”, but does it?
Especially when we consider Descartes theory that language, “is not something we simply use. Language governs what we can say as much as we govern or use language. It is not simply an instrument: we are, unavoidably, agents of language. Moreover, we are, more precisely perhaps, secret or double agents of language: we just do not necessarily know, from one moment to the next, how we are being used by language or where it might be leading us.”
Languages, like organisms, change throughout time in response to environmental constraints and expansions. They adapt to their speakers' changing requirements and surroundings ² and often in the merging of families and tribes. How words are used and implied changes, often to suit a government narrative or agenda.
I could go into the semantic lexicons of grammar which helps us retrieve family heritage, such as in Icelandic and Arabic naming practices, but this is not a scholarly article.
Looking to the history of our names, the meanings associated with them, we are often gifted insights and some beautiful energy to play with, not to mention have a smile spread across our faces, and perhaps a cheeky giggle!
Take my first name for instance, Dawn. It means sunrise, day break, first appearance of light, and who can forget Eos – the Greek Goddess of the dawn who rose alongside the river Oceanus to deliver light and disperse the night.
(She was also known to have an insatiable sexual appetite, but that is another story for another book and platform!)
When we look at the word (and name) dawn in Portuguese, we discover it translates to Aurora, so obviously I had to head north whilst in Canada to see the Aurora Borealis which is effectively my name in lights.
And who doesn’t want to see their name in lights!? Especially when we want to create positive social change in the world.
In Italian, my name is Alba, the Gaelic name used by Scots to describe Scotland, which lends itself to my Scottish ancestry.
All a coincidence? Well, if you believe in coincidences, you could think that, but let’s explore a little further, shall we?
When we look at the historical origins of my family name Bates, which in French is Bate and means ‘boat’, is there any wonder I have always wanted to sail the world and live at sea? Something I have achieved to the tune of 20,000 deep blue ocean miles.
When it came to naming my children, I wanted them to have names with strong and powerful meanings, which are sadly lacking when it comes to English names. I didn’t want them to have religious names, because who am I to force a religion upon my children?
Naming our children and the characters within our books, we often choose names associated with our own lives. The bullies we knew at school or those we dated may put us off choosing a name for our children, but we eagerly use their names when naming a villainous character in a book. When we need a name to represent a positive and powerful person, we think about those in our life who represent these characteristics.
Names are a gift, and they have deeper meanings that many of us actually take time to think about. Within small, isolated communities for example, the anthropological aspect of human nature leads us to the laws of reciprocity where we refer business to those we have either tribal, sports, or familiar ties with.
Reciprocity has been traditionally treated in sociological and anthropological theory as a force of integration that keeps network members tied together through a complex web of obligations and interdependencies. ³
When we look at the sociological impact of bringing people together through shared values, a business name can attract a community of like-minded individuals, but if the name doesn’t ring true, it can lead to negative press and the collapse of our company.
If we are smart, we will harness the power of the bad press and up our game, but not everyone is smart. Take, for instance, the Good Earth café brand of Canada. The name is misleading and fraudulent in many ways because the products they sell are not promoting good earth practices through farming, healthy eating or community endeavours. When I enquired about the food sources after their eggs made me feel sick, I found out the only good earth thing about them were their recycling policies.
The various names of tribes across the British Colonies, which was renamed as the Commonwealth for a more palatable name and distancing from the slave trade, we see names such as Indian, Amerindian, Indigenous, First Nations – and depending on where you are, and on which side of equity and cohesion you stand, it will depend on the name you use.
The term Amerindian was coined by the American Anthropology Society back in 1902 and has been controversial since it was coined from the words ‘American’ and ‘Indian’. ⁴ Knowing which terminology across the Americas to use can be a minefield, especially due to the oppression by Colonisers and the use of words the Indigenous communities use themselves. ⁵
Words and phrases such as mixed race has been replaced by blended heritage, with the terms ‘half-breed’ and ‘half-caste’ being almost removed from civilised society, with some preferring to themselves as a ‘special blend’ or a ‘fusion’.
When it comes to literature, naming our books can create confusion, fear and anxiety because we may choose a particular name which happens to be the title of another book. Take for instance the poems by Ted Hughes and William Wordsworth named ‘Daffodils’. The poems have the same name, but they have two meanings and are written from, and offer, quite different perspectives.
As an authors and business owners, we have to consider whether we are going to hide behind brands or pseudonyms to protect ourselves and our families, or are we using our name as a public brand to hold us accountable to do our best in honour of ourselves, and our families, as I have done?
This theory trickles down to job titles, which can be motivators to become more than we ever thought possible, or an ego rub just to make ourselves look better than others.
When it comes to the publishing world, we find that those who are self-published are still often snubbed and looked down upon by traditional publishers and those who have been published by them.
With the snobbery comes the impression that self-published authors cut corners and produce inferior quality books. And whilst this may be true of some, there is a larger percentage of us who harness the power of being an entrepreneur and produce works of literary art that give the big four publishers a run for their money – and we author books of a much higher calibre than many who have been signed by the big boys.
‘Foreign’ names as book titles, such as my second book Walaahi, attract an audience familiar with Arabic culture and language, as well as those who are intrigued by the word. Introducing an unfamiliar word from one language into another one when it comes to literature is no different from the French word ‘entrepreneur’ being introduced to the world of business.
Eventually they become part of the mainstream language of their adopted home, such as ‘nada’, ‘gracias’ and ‘mi amore’. Sometimes, they will become a verb such as ‘doing a walaahi’ as my publishing manager and I now say when it comes to publishing a book in super quick time.
As you can see, there is much that goes into a name, and depending on which language you think in, the various cultures and social circles you move in, names can give us vastly different experiences – and may impact how we are seen in the world.
I call myself an activist, but others would call me an advocate. Many call me a change maker, thought leader and influencer, but ultimately, at the end of the day, I am Dawn – and I know I bring the light to the darkness in many areas of life.
So, who are you, and what does your name mean?
Dawn Bates, Writer, Author Coach and Publisher
Dawn Bates is a true international bestselling author multiple times over on five continents. She specialises in developing global leaders into real authorities who wish to give a voice to the voiceless whilst working with them to create brand expansion strategies through activism and authorship.
Profound truths, social justice and human rights underpin everything she does, and at the core of her soul is a passion for being of service to humanity, giving hope, courage and confidence for others to stand in their truth and live a life of conviction.
She writes for various magazines, sails around the world on yachts as a digital nomad and is currently working towards her PhD in Human Rights and Social Justice with the University of Oxford, whilst also hosting her own podcasts The Sacral Series and The Truth Serum.
Her books are powerful and comprise of solo compilations and multiple collaborations of the highest caliber. Dawn brings together the multi-faceted aspects of the world we live in and takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, whilst delivering mic dropping inspiration, motivation and awakening. Her work captures life around the world in all its rawness.
Dawn’s expertise and insights will make you rethink your life, whilst harnessing the deepest freedom of all: your own truth. She’s an authority on leading others to create exceptional results by igniting the passions and fires deep within to speak and live powerfully.
Sources
[2] https://www.98thpercentile.com/blog/linguistic-evolution-how-language-changes-over-time:~:text=Evolution%20of%20Languages,migration%2C%20and%20even%20generational%20differences.
[3] Offer, S. (2012). The burden of reciprocity: Processes of exclusion and withdrawal from personal networks among low-income families. Current Sociology, 60(6), 788-805. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392112454754
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_name_controversycite_note-30
[5] https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/impact-words-tips
