His parents have named him Wise. Similarly her name is Beauty. Incidentally, Wise is one of the dullest fellows in the class and Beauty is one of the ugliest girls. Thus names create laughing stuff even. There is a gulf between name and reality. There is hardly any relation between an individual and their name. Shakespeare says in his great play Romeo and Juliet "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet " A child is named generally by its parents to have an identity. In India during cradling ceremony naming or christening takes place soon-after a child's birth. In western countries parents would be ready with names that would suit to either a female or a male child that would be born before its birth. As soon as the child’s birth takes place , it is named too. It is this name, which becomes a part parcel of that family in the beginning and gradually it spreads among the people living in its surroundings. Day by day the name depending upon child’s social nature, behavior, activities, and popularity more and more people come to know of its name. In the school classmates, and teachers, would be familiar with its name. If the child is more intelligent and talented than other children of its age,it receives recognition and its name generally needs no introduction at all. Similarly during adulthood, or college days, if one adds feather to their cap through their achievements automatically their name gets well spread all over.One could become well known either by their good or bad deeds . As one grows, one becomes more ambitious and tries to establish their name in their field . Some want to earn more and more and become richer and richer. There is no end to their lust. Through their riches they want to establish their name in the society. In case of children, some parents want them to acquire wealth, some want them to be well educated and some want them to be great sports person, some want them to be musicians depending upon their mindset . One thing is certain most of the parents want their children to excel and bring fame and name to them. The joy that one would have when their children accomplish something that they had desired certainly would have no bounds at all. That is the case with majority of adults in the world too. They strive for a name because they think that it is name that always counts. There are people who are ready to go to any extent for a name.They are even prepared to lay down their life for a name. Further, many people are of the view that if they do not earn a name they are a nonentity in this world and their life is futile. In fact, one faces rivalry on account of name they earn. A name creates jealousy too.
John John John. There are thousands of John in this world .We cannot recognize a particular John unless he has earned a name . Majority people depending upon their mindset and abilities want to be an eminent lawyer, a doctor, an engineer or want to thrive in their business and become a wealthy man to leave behind their name or identity.It is a craze from time immemorial. All their efforts would be augmented and directed to achieve this goal of establishing their name. We could always find an urge within them to climb the ladder of hierarchy. In other words everybody desires to leave behind his or her name. Everybody is after fame and name. Fame and name always go hand in glove. Just like some people who would like to accumulate wealth and the desire of people who are after name or fame also never diminishes and they sail in the same boat. Thirst of both these two types of people could never be quenched easily. It lasts till the end. Law of diminishing utility does not apply to both these categories. Wealth is not permanent. “Name” lasts relatively longer than wealth at anytime. It is name that makes one great. Only, a few people can carve their name permanently either with their contribution to humanity or with their achievements.
Institutions also want fame and name. If an institution has a name, it attracts many. Question is who does not want name or fame? A product goes in the market with a brand name. Legal battles take place for the sake of a brand name. The sale of a product in the market depends on company’s name or reputation. If the name of company has gone in the market means its reputation has gone and is an uphill task to regain the same. It is always shrewd not to rely completely on name. We must try and experience and then rely.
By hook or crook some people want name or fame. It is their dream. Names of dacoits, terrorists, dictators, corrupt and fraudulent persons names are remembered for their cruelty and evil practices. People are filled with fear and tremble even when names of bloodthirsty devils like Phoolan Devi; Brigand Veerappan fall on their ears .It is the name that does the entire trick. The great personalities like that of Mahatma Gandhi, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Florence Nightingale, and Madame Currie whom we can call also as awe-inspiring personalities. Their names have become immortal on account of their contributions. Names of Ketan Parekh, Harshad Mehta, and Hiten Dalal are known for their fraudulent transactions in Indian stock markets.
We should never be after fame or name, when it comes, it comes automatically.We should do our duty and forget. If we expect something and if it does not materialize despite of our best of efforts, we naturally become disappointed and disgusted . The best thing that one could leave behind in this world is a name. It is better than any wealth. It throws a responsibility on heirs to preserve the name so earned. A name never walks to anybody. The name has to be earned. It demands large amount of toil , sacrifice and talent. A name carries with it one’s honor, prestige, and every thing. Often we find disputes among heirs to share the wealth that is left behind but this is not the case when a name is left behind. Heirs can en-cash a good name left by their elders. It is the duty of heirs to at least to maintain the reputation or name that ancestors have left behind for them even if they could not make any contribution for glorifying it. Elders always advise us not to do any act or involve ourselves in any act knowingly or unknowingly that brings bad name to our country, town or parents and on the contrary it is no matter even if we do not bring any fame or name. This is applicable to all heirs too.
A name can have suffixes and prefixes. One can have a nick name too. Nick name is a name added to or substituted for the proper name of a person. A nick name one may get due to affection, or due to familiarity. Sometimes, a nick name is given to ridicule a person also. Formerly, it was easy to make make out to which religion, community, caste, one belongs to. Surname used to help a great deal in this context. Further, some people used to add middle name even. Sometime people used to add their place name even. Bigger the name, people find it difficult to pronounce or remember a name. But this is all required; otherwise it would be very difficult to identify a person because thousands or more number of people bear similar names like John, Richard, Peter, Edwards, George, Ram, Krishna, Gracy, Mary, Sita, Parvathi, and Elizabeth in this world. We can identify which country they belongs by their names in case of only some countries.That is how we identify a Russian, Chinese and German also. Emperor and kings names are followed by roman numerical like George IV, Edward III, and John II . It is believed by Hindus that if their children bear the name of God, it helps them indirectly to remember God and chant the name too. There are many mythological stories which establish the fact that by chanting name of Almighty thus particularly at the time of death many have found a place in heaven. That is why most of Hindus bear name of their God. Vaishnavas, who are followers of Lord Vishnu, bear one of His innumerable names whereas, Shaivas, bear the names of Lord Shiva or his sons. Similarly, females are named; they bear the name of Goddesses. People tremble even to spell the name of certain Gods in whom they have immense faith especially like Sri Manjunath Swamy of Dharmasthala, Kollur Mukambika, and Nagadevatha of Manjeshwar in our part of southern India.A family name or reputation used to be much effected if a member of family married somebody who belonged to some other caste. Society was also not encouraging such marriages.
Now a days, people do not want to be known by their caste or creed. As such, people in India now a days omit surnames. Identifying a person is becoming difficult day by day. Everything is changing in the modern world and even name. A day may come , when it may be difficult to know with one's name whether it is a man or a woman. How many people we come across in this world ? Is it possible for us to remember their faces leave alone their names? When life is busy, when one is more concerned about themselves , they cannot remember either name or any other particulars about others
It is not enough if one gets a name , they want their son and grand son also to get a name . It is a craze. It is ambition of innumerable people to establish a permanent name in encyclopedia,or Guinness book of records, or world history or such other books. In this respect stiff competition takes place among them. The race naturally generates rivalry. The rivalry may give room for jealousy and may end up in a quarrel or a fight or a tragedy also. How the events would take a turn God only knows. In their enthusiasm to have a name many people forget all decency.They forget all ethics.They forget what is good or what is bad. They resort to all sorts of foul methods as a consequence. Everyone of them spares no pains and tries to turn every stone that they come across. Now-a-days athletes use steroids and such other drugs in their attempt to break records and in the process they get caught and lose their medal and their name This is true with regard to participants in other sports and games too. That is why elders say do not be after name, make sincere efforts and leave the results to God. If you are capable and deserve any praise your name would be an automatic choice and would certainly find a place. If one does not get a name it does not matter, it is always better than a bad name.
A name cannot reach the zenith of its own. It must contribute or subscribe to world in one or another way. In memory of his empress Mumtaz Begum, Emperor Shah Jan got built Taj Mahal. The monument for its beauty and splendor has become world famous. The names of Shah Jan and Mumtaz Begum have become immortal as a result. Sachin Tendulker has scored more number of centuries than any other cricketer especially in one-day cricket and it is not easy to erase his name from the record books. Don Bradman is no more but his name ever remains with cricket. His records are hard to beat. Similarly the name of great footballer Pele of Brazil is ever remembered for his achievements .Our hockey wizard Dhyanchand’s name always finds place with hockey greats. Adolf Hitler of Germany is remembered for being instrumental for world war and butchering Jews mercilessly. General Dyer is known for JallianWallahbaug massacre in India. The name of South African cricket captain Hansie Cronzie would be remembered with match fixing and so too that of Md Azhurddin of India. Once the name of a person gets spoiled the entire honor, trust and confidence that is reposed in that particular person all vanish in no time. It is very difficult to regain a lost name. If wealth is lost it could be retrieved but not the name. That is why some people, when blemishes occur, when their name is at the verge of being tarnished, unable to bear the situation commit suicide. Especially female folk are of this category in India. Those who give paramount importance to their name and who consider their name as their prestige, anything that affects their name would imbalance them. However there are people when everything goes awry and everything is lost including their hard earned name and there is nothing to lose for them thereafter. So they go on the offensive and act without any forethought . Whether such people would rise again from the scrap?
The reputation or name of a family depends on the good or bad deeds that a member of that family does. In this context, we must always remember a Scottish proverb. It says "A bad wound may heal, but a bad name will kill. "The blemishes that the family receives do not wash away so easily they affect the descendants for long depending upon the gravity of misdeed. Similarly the name and fame of a country relies on the behavior and achievements of its citizens. World consists of all kind of people. There are good as well as bad people in this world. There are people who do not not only care for name or fame but also who are ready to stoop to any level. They do not have either self-prestige or self-respect. They are called anti social elements or rowdies if they are at lower strata of society. At upper strata of society also they prevail. One can easily earn a good name with his or her behavior and conduct. The saying if character is lost everything is lost particularly holds well as far as one‘s name is concerned. Name is sometimes elusive. It is ambiguous or inexplicable too. Sometimes for somebody’s hard work and good deeds, someone else gets name and fame. Sometimes for somebody’s misdeeds some other person gets a bad name. Thus name spoils all the sport.
In U.S.A., generally a house bears a number not a name. It does not even bears the nameplate of person who lives in. Only a few buildings bear name in U.S. A. Whereas, majority of houses bear a name in India. Husband and wife sit, discuss and after much deliberations they choose a name for their dream house which they got constructed with a lot of planning with their hard earned savings. Thus, houses bear the name of child, father, mother, Goddess, God, so on whom they revere or who are their affectionate. In the process, we come across houses with some names being repeated quite often. However some people are very innovative and come out with names like Nest, Nisarga, and Praktuthi. Since cities are not planned and developed in India, house number and name help us to locate it. In India , in villages there used to be two or three big houses and rests were huts in olden days. Those big houses belonged to joint families and those joint families were not bearing any names even . They were known by the name of head of the family or by the surnames indicating their castes or profession. It was their family name also and much importance was given to it at least in that part of country. Anything-good or bad thing done by any member of that family used to affect name of that family. Empires bore also names like Mauryas, Moguls, Chalukyas, and Pandyas in ancient India. These names are found in Indian history also.
Not everything or everybody has a name in this world. Name is not everything .Name does not fill one's belly.In fact, many times more the name more the headache one would have. Nobody earns a name overnight however talented and capable they may be. Success never knocks at one’s door with ease. Opportunities and efforts are quite essential to succeed in life along with talent and capability.After much toil and sacrifice only one generally becomes famous. In fact, great personalities do not hanker after name and fame. This fact is obvious from life of many great people. How many difficulties that melody queen Latha Mangeshkar might have undergone before attaining pinnacle of glory? Same was the case with Late Sri Sunil Dutt. Majority of famous names have a story to tell. Further, nobody wants to get their name tarnished because only after enormous toil , they get their name established. Of course, there are people who try to tarnish others name. Generally, it is due to jealousy and rivalry only.
Further, nobody in this world wants to have a bad name too. A rogue does not want to be recognized as a rogue.A prostitute does not want to be identified as a prostitute. Everybody wants to leave behind their name. While making any purchase also one looks at the brand name of a product.A legally protected brand name is called a trademark.The word brand has continued to evolve to encompass identity -it affects the personality of a product, company or service. It’s a Brand, Brand, Brand World. Name does the magic there . Name fools everybody there. People forget quality and price too. Name and its craze are bound to increase further even in future also. People are ready to move heaven and earth for a name because they think that it is name that always counts. In a way craze for name is good. It keeps one always busy and brimming with activities.