Category: 31days

Toi Thomas’s 2014 contribution to an annual, 31 day, writing challenge that takes place in October and was created by Myquillyn Smith (The Nester). The history, origin, and meaning of names.

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31days

Day 8- Blessing: What’s in a Name? #write31days 2014

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Term of the day: blessing: favor, gift, benefit.

Thoughts:

I often wonder if a name can be a blessing. Do people who have the prettiest sounding names have some kind of advantage over everyone else with simple, common, or even unique names? The term “plain Jane” comes to mind. Does naming a girl Jane make her plain and simple or did a bunch of simple women just happen to have the name Jane? Why is Bob overlooked, but Rob is sought out? I’m sure these are all perceptions and preconceived ideas, but I wonder how much truth they really hold?

Name of the day: Paul Thornton.

Breakdown and meaning:

Paul is a popular name. It has origins all the major romance languages. For the most part Paul means “small or little”, but not always necessarily in size. In some cases the name Paul means “young”, “small spirit”, or “humble”. In Biblical terms Paul is a convert, the humble one, who seeks to save those once persecuted.

Thornton, with Gaelic origins as a given name and English origins as a surname, means “thorny town” or “from a town of thorns”. I don’t really know if this meaning has any bearing on the character of the person bestowed it. I don’t think it really says much about the person at all, but since it’s English it ties in quite well my character, from It’s Like the Full Moon, because he’s English.

Well, that’s it for Day 8. See you tomorrow.

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Go back to the beginning to see all the posts in this series.

Outside of my own personal search throughout the years, basic meanings and definitions of the terms used here can be found at the following websites: http://www.meaning-of-names.com/, Google search http://en.wikipedia.org/, and  http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Learn more here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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31days

Day 7- Brand: What’s in a Name? #write31days 2014

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Term of the day: brand: a distinguishable mark; to distinguish with a mark or words.

Thoughts:

There are so many concepts and ideas surrounding the subject of branding, unfortunately many of them are not good. I won’t go into a long draw-out debate about slavery, but branding was taken to a whole new level during that tragic time of U.S. history. Needless to say, not all brands have to be physical or visual marks. Sometime a name is all that’s need to convey the meaning and essence of a complete entity. When that happens, it’s a sure sign that someone truly understands the power of branding.

You don’t have to see the golden arches to know what I’m referring to, but when you imagine them and actually see them, I bet it makes you hungry for fries and burger. And what about that name, McDonald’s? I don’t think anyone has said, “I don’t like McDonald’s” and then there was a debate about who or what McDonald’s is.

Names, images, and even descriptions can be brands. As a writer, I’ve been told and taught that I too  can become a brand. I’m still leery, but steady working on it. I just don’t know how often one truly becomes a “Martha Stewart” or a “Tyler Perry”. Like them or not, these names, these people, have become more than who they are and what they do. They are brands.

Name of the day: Rebecca Tinsdale.

Breakdown and meaning:

With Hebrew origins, Rebecca means “servant of God” or “knotted cord/strong”; the name also means captivating. I like the name Rebecca because it is commonly shortened to “Becca” as a pet/nickname, but that’s a topic for another day. Rebecca is the name of the main character in my upcoming romance, It’s Like the Full Moon, though this isn’t a traditional romance.

Then there’s the name Tinsdale, similar to Tisdale, but not as popular. I originally picked the name because I liked the sound of it.  In my search I found that Tinsdale was associate with fine craftsmanship and some type of, what I assume is, a purification process called Tinsdale Argar Base. I guess I should have paid more attention in chemistry class; I could be totally wrong about this. Also, I did find in my research another use of the full name, Rebecca Tinsdale, in a romance from the mid-90s. While my character is in no way associated with that one, I like the idea that this character’s name is unique, although, not completely original.

Well, that’s it for Day 7. See you tomorrow.

Go back to the beginning to see all the posts in this series.

Outside of my own personal search throughout the years, basic meanings and definitions of the terms used here can be found at the following websites: http://www.meaning-of-names.com/, Google search http://en.wikipedia.org/, and  http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Learn more here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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31days

Day 6- Character: What’s in a Name? #write31days 2014

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Term of the day: character: reputation; quality or level of morality or ethics.

Thoughts:

There are certain names that automatically bring forth the idea of a particular character trait. Some people have become so famous or infamous that their names are now associated with character traits in others. To be called the Gandhi of your time would suggest that you are an honest, fair, and peaceful person willing to sacrifice for the peace and freedoms of others. To suffer the Napoleon syndrome could mean a variety of things, but ultimately, you are smaller than your ego and perhaps you are taking things too far.

Character is important and impactful. Sometimes the name you are given can shape your character and sometimes it can be an obstacle to rise above.  Icabod, derived from the Hebrew Ichabod is not necessary a name with great character implied. The name means “woe to God”, “the glory of Israel is gone” and “son with no family or god”.  This may be why more people haven’t been name this as of late, but not everyone does their research. Thanks to the popularity of the new “Sleep Hallow” TV show, in about five years I’m sure there will be quite a few Icabods starting kindergarten.

Name of the day: Abraham Kingston.

Breakdown and meaning:

Abraham is another strong name with Hebrew origins. The name means “exalted father” or “father of nations”. I guess President Lincoln’s parents had done their research before naming him, but they probably didn’t realize what a blessing and calling they had placed on their new-born son at the time. Abraham is not only the name of one of the U.S. “founding fathers”, but is also the name of a pivotal personality in the history of the three major monotheistic religions.

The name Kingston is something I just like the sound of. It, for obvious reasons, makes me think of island life, but it also makes me think of royalty, European influence, and something grand. The name actually means “from the king’s village or estate” and has English origins. Kingston is typically used as a boys first name, but I’ve used it as a surname which was popularized in the U.S.

Abraham Kingston is a major character in the first book of my Eternal Curse Series. With an Italian mother and an English father, both immigrants, Abraham’s name is a melding of his two cultures.

Well, that’s it for Day 6. See you tomorrow.

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Go back to the beginning to see all the posts in this series.

Outside of my own personal search throughout the years, basic meanings and definitions of the terms used here can be found at the following websites: http://www.meaning-of-names.com/, Google search http://en.wikipedia.org/, and  http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Learn more here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords