And Your Name Shall Be...

What’s behind your name? Have you thought of that, or does it even matter to you? But I believe we can agree upon that your name is important, whether you’re interested in the etymology or not. I don’t think it’s possible to be indifferent towards your own name. It’s one of the first things we get to know about yourself, and it follows you for the rest of your life. Unless you decide to change it. And that is something that is not easily done. Well, the official procedure is quite simple, but try to get your father to call you Douglas after you turned 30, when he thought he christened you Michael and consequently has called you that for as long as he’s known you.

My name, Karin, is according to the website Behind the Name:

From the Greek name Αικατερινη (Aikaterine). The etymology is debated: it could derive from the earlier Greek name ‘Εκατερινη (Hekaterine), which came from ‘εκατερος (hekateros) "each of the two"; it could derive from the name of the goddess HECATE; it could be related to Greek αικια (aikia) "torture"; or it could be from a Coptic name meaning "my consecration of your name". The Romans associated it with Greek καθαρος (katharos) "pure" and changed their spelling from Katerina to Katharina to reflect this. The name belonged to a 4th-century saint and martyr from Alexandria who was tortured on the famous Catherine wheel. Another saint by this name was Catherine of Siena, a 14th-century mystic. This name was also borne by two empresses of Russia, including Catherine the Great, and by three of Henry VIII's wives.

So, following my own free interpretation, I must be something like “pure torture”? (To myself or everybody else?)

And why don’t you check out your own name? You might learn something exciting or new about yourself...