This episode explores how a person’s first name, its origin, and its meaning connect to identity, community, and the way someone shows up in daily life. The guest, a Columbus, Ohio benefits consultant and HR association membership chair, shares what he knew about his name, what he learned from its German and Hebrew roots, and how his parents chose it. Listeners will hear how a name can be mispronounced without ill intent, whether a name’s meaning may quietly shape behavior, and why stories about name changes in the Bible are often read as a fresh start. If you are curious about researching your own name or why names matter to belonging, this episode gives practical ways to start.
Key Takeaways
Looking up the origin and meaning of your first name is a simple way to learn more about your identity.
A name can carry more than one meaning across languages, such as the German meaning of tribe leader and the Hebrew word for road or path.
Symbols tied to a name, such as tribe and road, can reflect values like belonging, shared identity, and personal growth.
Many people never ask their parents how they were chosen for their name, and the answer can reveal family history.
Most people do not strongly want to change their name, even when they can imagine other names they like.
Mispronunciation of a name usually comes from unfamiliarity rather than bad intent, and handling it with good humor can build connection.
The meaning of a name may influence behavior in subconscious ways, even if it is hard to point to exact examples.
Small moments at networking events, such as a shared name or a joke about it, can help people remember you.
Welcoming others and helping them feel included is one way a name’s meaning of community can show up in everyday life.
Name changes in the Bible are often interpreted as a new chapter, a blank page, or a change in a person’s story.
Timestamps
01:40 – Do you know the meaning of your first name?
02:56 – How the Hebrew meaning of a name adds new context
04:48 – How parents choose a baby’s name
05:35 – Wishing for a different name growing up
07:02 – Handling a mispronounced name with good humor
08:04 – Does the meaning of your name shape your behavior?
09:30 – What name changes in the Bible can signify
10:53 – Why understanding your name builds appreciation
12:10 – Final reflections on learning more about your name
Keywords
meaning of my name, first name origin, name meaning and identity, how to research your name, German name meanings, Hebrew name meanings, does your name affect your personality, name changes in the Bible, mispronounced names, how parents choose baby names
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[00:00:00] Hey there, I'm Jayma and over the past few years I've become very interested in onomatology, the study of names. I've never really liked my name until I researched the meaning of it. My name means paradigm shifter and I'd like to shift your paradigm by shining a light on onomatology and how it can potentially help you find your purpose, help you communicate better
[00:00:25] with others or even both. In each episode I ask someone eight basic questions regarding their first name. So sit back, relax and try to shift your paradigm with this next episode. Alright so on this episode I'm excited to have this conversation. I've been asking this person
[00:00:47] to be on my podcast for quite some time now and I met him through an HR association in Columbus, Ohio. Really great person, so excited to have you on the podcast, Dysheen. Hi there, excited to be here. Awesome. Well if you, before we jump into the questions if you could share where you're podcasting from and a little bit about yourself. Sure, so I am podcasting from Columbus,
[00:01:16] Ohio where I met Jayma at Harako Human Resource Association in Central Ohio. And everybody thinks that's my main time job, my main gig because it does take a lot because I'm the membership chair for the association there. Or as I like to say, the chief experience officer.
[00:01:39] And I'm also a benefit consultant and how I like to explain my job is educate when I can, mitigate when I can't. And so I just believe education is the best tool we have and I try to do my best to educate people on better health care options and help them increase their access to care.
[00:02:03] Awesome. All right, cool. Well very good. Let's go ahead and jump into the first question, question which is, without using Google and prior to me asking you these questions, did you know the meaning of the name Derek? So I have looked it up a number of times in my life. And I know the general
[00:02:28] meaning, I know it's German, like, derived and it means leader of tribe or tribe leader of some sort, like that. I did refresh my memory before I jumped on here but, so I kind of cheated but I had,
[00:02:50] I had learned that before. Yeah. You've got an amazing name, like the meaning is so cool. I love it. I found that it means power of the tribe and it is German. It's not very popular in the US. It's like, it ranks as 552 right now. And I did look up the word tribe and what that symbolizes. And it said
[00:03:20] that a tribe symbolizes deep belonging, shared identity, mutual obligation, and collective survival rooted in kinship and shared values. And then I also found that there is a word in Hebrew, Derek, which is a noun and it means road, path or way. And so I looked up the symbolism of road
[00:03:48] road. And road symbolized the journey of life, personal growth and critical decisions we must make. So with that information, I'm curious, like, what are your thoughts? I'm wondering if you looked up dominoes because I remember growing up people would always be like, hey, it's Dysheen with the dominoes. Which is an old joke probably for, you know, the,
[00:04:14] the boomer crowd. But I did not know the Hebrew. I hear a lot of things that kind of speak to me, right? Tribe, looking out for the tribe and being part of the community. I think I'm a big community person. A lot of what I do is about the community. So it sounds, sounds accurate.
[00:04:40] Yeah. Okay, cool. All right. And so I take it you like the meaning? Yeah, I'll take it. Yeah, I'll absolutely. I don't think I want to change my name at this point. So yeah. I like it. Yeah, that's good. Yeah. Original spelling too. I don't know if you looked up the different kinds of spelling, but no, just the way that you spell it.
[00:05:06] Yeah. There's the extra R or the ICK. Or, well, I guess you kind of have the Rick in there, right? So, and you didn't call me a derelict. So that's a win too. Nice. What do you know how your parents chose your name? So my older brother is named Kirk, and I think he was named after the baseball player, Kirk Gibson,
[00:05:36] or Captain Kirk. They say they, they waffled on that. And then I came along and I know my middle name is James. So that came from my father and my grandfather. But I don't know how they, I think they just like Derek. I don't, I don't know why. My father would call me Deeks growing up. That was my nickname. So, and my brother took liberty with that in a lot of different ways that
[00:06:05] I don't care to share with the world. But yeah, we're close now. So that's good. All right, cool. Cool. And thinking back when you were growing up, did you ever have the thought cross your mind? Oh, I wish I had a different name. I don't know. I never know if I considered that as an option, you know? Okay.
[00:06:32] I don't think I ever, no. I don't think I ever wanted to change it to anything else. Awesome. Something longer seemed more sophisticated, but yeah. No, I don't think I ever, you know, maybe add on, add a hyphen. But I don't think so. I don't think I ever thought about it to be honest. Okay. If you were forced to change your first name though, is there a name that you really like that you would want to change it to?
[00:07:03] Maybe like an Alberto or Alfonso or, um, um, uh, no, I don't think so. I mean, if I had to, um, yeah, something like that might be fun, but Ben, uh, I always thought Ben was an easy name, Benjamin, something like that. Yeah. Okay.
[00:07:26] Jeremiah. I used to be a big fan of Jeremiah Johnson. So, um, the, uh, the mountain man. So that may be Jeremiah. I don't know. That always seems similar to Derek, you know? Yeah. And I'm curious. So has your name ever been mispronounced? And if so, how did it make you feel? Um, yes, it has. Um, I always liked he enunciated and then, um,
[00:07:56] have fun with it. I mean, I'm always, uh, I never think it was dotted malice, always in ignorance more. Right. So, uh, like Derek, um, you know, just sounds like, um, uh, foreign, you know? So just, yeah, maybe, maybe a little special, maybe, you know, they, they know me as somebody different. So, um, yeah, yeah. Okay. It's also pretty easy. I think most people get it. Yeah. It's not one of those really difficult names.
[00:08:26] No. No. Okay. My second to last question. This is like one of my favorites. Do you think that the meaning of your name has any relevance whatsoever on the way that you act or the way that you see the world around you? And if so, how? I'm sure it does, but it's like one of those subconscious things that you
[00:08:49] don't can't wrap your arms around. Um, so, uh, I'm sure it does in a lot of ways that interact with the community and interact with people every day. Um, there's, uh, a person that I've met out at networking events. I always see him, his name's Dysheen too. He's a CEO of his organization and he always makes a joke, uh, with me that, uh, I have a great name. So I started beating him to that joke.
[00:09:16] Uh, and then he remembered my name. So, um, that's little things like that that happen all the time. Right. So, um, I think it absolutely does. I just can't tell you how or, or where or when, um, it does, but yeah. Well, I will say from personal experience, you've always made me feel welcome when I see you at like an event or, um, just, you know, always kind of like come up to me and talk to me, make me feel
[00:09:43] part of the group. So I really appreciate that. I would definitely say the meaning of your name describes you well, which is good. Well, that makes me feel good. I always try to make people feel included because that's what I like to be. So, um, I feel like, you know, to be part of the tribe is, a pretty great thing. So, um, yeah, I'm doing what I see it there. I set out to do. So that's, that's fantastic. Yeah. Awesome. My last question. So when I first started this podcast
[00:10:12] over two years ago, I wanted to know what were famous books saying about the significance of names? Like, do they mean anything and what, what are other people saying? And so I just decided I was going to Google what is the bestselling book of all time. It happens to be the Bible. And there's actually quite a few people in the Bible where it talks about their names being changed. And I was
[00:10:37] just curious about your opinion. What do you think the significance is of the stories being told about the people changing their names? What do you think the significance is? Uh, changing their story. Uh, maybe it's a fresh start or maybe, um, the next chapter. Um,
[00:11:01] but I think you're changing the name, um, to change the storyline. Right. So, um, that would be my significance of changing it. Right. You like pages ahead. Right. So, um, changing the name changes your, your, your story. Yeah. I'll say that. I'll leave it. Sure. Awesome. I love it. That's awesome. Well, those were all my questions. Did you have any
[00:11:30] questions for me? Um, what have been the best, um, conversations about names that you've had so far? Um, if you were to think back. Yeah. Oh gosh. I've had so many now. So over 130 people. Gosh, I love like the fact that starting this podcast and getting to know new people has really unveiled
[00:11:58] like this whole new world of appreciation for a name, especially with my own, because I love my name now. I love the meaning. I love the way it looks and I appreciate it more just because I understand it better. And I think that when I help other people understand their names better, there's been quite a few people where they didn't even know what their name meant. And by understanding
[00:12:23] better, they're just like, wow, this is opening up something so new to me that I want to, I'm just going to continue to explore and like really tap into it. And I think that that's an exciting thing for me, for sure. I think it's great. I think, uh, you did that for me in a way because, um, I've never thought about it beyond my name. So, um, I can definitely appreciate that. And these conversations are fantastic. So thank you.
[00:12:52] Thank you so much. Well, it was a pleasure to have you on the podcast. Thank you, Dysheen. Sorry. I made you wait so long. No, you're, you're good. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to subscribe or follow the podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps me continue bringing you meaningful conversations with remarkable guests. Don't forget to tune in next time for more insightful
[00:13:19] discussions and inspiring stories until then. Thank you for listening and keep striving to make a positive impact wherever you are. And don't forget to tap into the meaning of your own name to find a deeper sense of confidence in your purpose.
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