Contrary to Shakespeare’s famous quote about names not amounting to much, for most people, names are pretty important—it’s what defines their identities. And while some people like their names and are happy to live with it their entire lives, others are desperately waiting to change their names the first chance they get. Here, a few people tell us how they feel about their names.

Samikshya Adhikari, TV presenter
Honestly? I love my name. While I only used to like it before, I have to admit I didn’t actually understand its importance until a few years ago. I guess when you start working in the field of media, you see your name in places. And you realize its value. Samikshya means pretty or lovely. But it also means gathering thoughts and concluding an idea. As someone who enjoys listening and participating in public speaking, I really like what my name stands for.

Abhilekh Bhurtel, Student 
I like my first name Abhilekh very much but I would gladly get rid of my surname and opt for something else like Jung Rana or Kapoor or something perhaps a bit more common and not as eye-catching as Bhurtel. The thing is, in school I was mocked a lot for having an unconventional surname and I think my life would be simpler if it were different. However, in case of my first name Abhilekh—which means inscription—I haven’t seen many people with this name so it makes me feel unique and pretty good about myself. I feel pretty lucky that my mother came across Abhilekh and decided to name me that. 

Sakshi Acharya, Student 
As a matter of fact, I don’t like my name and sadly, I myself am to blame for that. When my father was living in Japan, he had decided that in case he had a daughter, he would name her Yuki. And so, when I was born I was called Yuki. But when I was in kindergarten, I found my name to be too unique and wanted a name that was similar to that of my friends. And so, my name was changed to Sakshi. Now, my name is so common that there are hundreds of people named Sakshi. Be it in class or anywhere else, I never really know if someone is calling me or someone else.

Piyush Lama, Founder of Needle and Thread
I think ‘Piyush’ is a pretty great name to live with and I’m very glad my parents decided to name me this. I like it a lot and I’ve never thought about changing it even once. The word itself is taken from Sanskrit and means ‘amrit’ or the elixir of life. It’s a pretty common name though—in both India and Nepal—and sometimes when my friends come across Indian TV serial characters with the same name, they start teasing me about it. I don’t mind that much because I know it’s in good fun.

Soniya Khatun, Model/student
I really like my name. This might be because at this point I’m very familiar with my name and I haven’t found a reason not to like it yet. My father named me after the Indian politician Sonia Gandhi as she is one of his favorite politicians and is someone he respects a lot. I also like the meaning of my name. The word ‘Soniya’ is an Arabic word that translates to mean ‘wise’ in English.

Nimbus Shrestha, UI/UX designer
I really like my name. It’s unique and it has a good meaning. Nimbus means “dark, rainy cloud” or a “halo”.  But most think it’s an alias of some kind. Elderly people have a hard time writing down my name. Spelling errors are something I’m used to now. Potterheads, obviously, think that my name has something to do with the Harry Potter universe which, I assure you, it doesn’t. The first book was published in 1997. And I was born in 1996. Perhaps, I could sue J.K. Rowling for copyright issues.

 
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• identities