I don’t know why I never discovered prompts until now. I spent the better part of my week reading through daily prompts from 2015 until date. One of the most interesting prompts I found was one where bloggers were asked to write about their first name. You can read what other people wrote here. It’s been quite nice reading other blogs. I feel like there is a whole untapped community out there 🙂
One funny post I stumbled on was about a lady who was named ‘April’ but she was born in May (hilarious right!).
People who met me before 2010 know me by a different name – my first name. Unfortunately, I never really liked my first name. I just never really connected with it.
My first name is Olámidé which I always thought meant ‘my wealth has arrived’ until I had a conversation with my dad last year and he said it actually meant ‘my honour has arrived’. It was in fact Olàmidé that translated to ‘my wealth has arrived.’ Now both may look the same to you but notice the intonation marks on the ‘a’ – Yup! in Yoruba language, one change in intonation mark could give a whole new meaning to words spelt the same way.
Anyway, 2010 came and that was the year I decided to go officially by my middle name Amina. Not only did the name have a beautiful history, it also had a meaning I connected to. Amina means safe one – someone who is protected from all that causes fear. I remember that year being the one I finally let go of a lot of fears.
So, this leads me to the question – Does your name define you?
“Names have power
– Rick Riordan”
I watched as this tiny person wriggled in my arms
Fragile
And Delicate
Every tear, every cry
Made me want to hold her even closer
Her eyes
Bright as the rising son
Her smile
Just like her fathers
My child
I sat there
Imagining all the things
You could be described as
I hope you would be
As brave as a lion
Forever happy
And daring
Staring
Into your gorgeous brown eyes
I remembered
All the wonderful stories
The ones my mother told me
Of brave women warriors
And of the ones
Who bore great men
Those wonderful stories
Of women
Who were noble and free
Who ruled
And reigned
Who were great scholars
And legends
I smiled
Not just because the stories made me happy
But because at that moment
I knew
That your name would be inscribed
In the great history books
My daughter
My Amina
———-
So tell me, what is your name? What does it mean?
———-
** Photo credit for Featured Image – Sheroes
ameena's musings 
Oh, this is good! I believe names do have power…the word has power…the sound has power…having your name called everyday over yourself should bring out that meaning. My name is “God is full of grace” and of grace He is full with me.
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Aww I love your name. I also believe names have power. Where I come from every name has a meaning.
Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂
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This post is so good! I don’t know what my name means but I will be sure to find out. I never knew you told everyone your middle name! Have a wonderful day. 🙂
Lauren
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Ah Lauren my blogger friend 🙂 I kinda always look forward to your comments.
I’ve always loved my middle name. Only seemed right I made it what everyone called me.
You should definitely find out what your name means (Google perhaps??)
And ofcourse thank you for reading. Have a lovely day too x
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Great post! Yes, names have power! My first name is Laura – which is derived from Laurel, the laurel wreath and means “Victor”. My middle name is Ellen – nicknamed Ellie – which means shining light. I’ll take that! I don’t often feel like a shining light or a victor – but it gives me hope for a better tomorrow.
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Wow! We don’t even realise the impact our names have on us.
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My first name is Ebelechukwu meaning Mercy of God, usually shortened to Mercy. Frankly, my heart is always filled with mercy to the point that it often gets in the way.
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Aww bless you and your merciful heart 🙂
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Amen but you should also pray that it should learn to have boundaries.
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Hey, Ameena! I nominated you for a blogging award. If you’d like to participate, check out the link: https://musicteacherlifestyle.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/lets-get-it-on/
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Oh why not. Thank you very much 🙂
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Hi Amina! I really like your post about the first names. My name is Maria and I didn’t use it until I moved to my husband. He loves it a lot though when we met he called me Majka as many of my friends. I like both names, Majka means “mother” in Bulgarian language and Maria is “Loved by God”.
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Aww Maria has such a beautiful meaning!
Thank you for reading and taking the time to drop a comment 🙂
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My pleasure Amina! ☺ Have a beautiful rest of your week!
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I agree. Your name becomes your inspiration and guide in dark times. Ra’eesah means a “woman of wealth and leadership. A Princess”
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That’s such a wonderful and unique name. Never heard it before
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Thank you😜🙌 here in South Africa there’s so many of us we forget it’s a strange name
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😂😂😂
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Yes, it does.My name DEKYI means ‘ content and happy’. I have always been that
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Names defiantly have Power. Mine is Owl associated with wisdom. I think we define our names though they may influence us.
great post and layout!
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I wish i had read these before publishing my blog …my name was the same as yours for the post I changed it but i don’t know how to “fix” it.
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If you go into your WordPress account and click ‘EDIT’ you should be able to make changes to the name of your post
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Thank you Owl… I agree our names do influence us sometimes.
Thank you for taking the time out to read and comment 🙂
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Hi Ameena,
I enjoyed your post. I am a psychic with the ability to channel baby souls within their mother’s womb. When I help a mother choose a name for her baby I can feel how certain names or combination of names affects the soul’s energy in this life. Some names make them stronger while another can keep them down. So I totally agree with you that names have power.
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Oh wow! What an ability you have. That is so amazing.
Thank you for reading 🙂
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All of my names start with the letter K. 😀 And my first name means ‘pure’, ‘innocent’.
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Lovely!!
So many of you with such beautiful names 🙂
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Loved your post! So well-written! My first name is Tanya, a shortened version of Tatiana. It means Fairy Queen.
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Great post! And thanks for pointing out the subtleties in ola.
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Thank you for reading Aby 🙂
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This is great! Both of your names are beautiful and I love that they have a strong meaning. I remember as a kid in grade school having to do a similar assignment where we each looked up our name’s meaning and shared it with the class. I loved all of the names that had a strong meaning like ‘virtuous’ or ‘messenger of God’… Unfortunately, not my name. My first and middle name together mean ‘honeybee fairy palace.’ My parents must have been hippies. 😉
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Lol at hippies …. I think your name has an equally beautiful meanings … I mean who doesn’t like a bee that makes honey – and ofcourse they sting to protect their own!!
And common – fairy palace… Isn’t that every child’s dream place to be 😉
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