I have a complicated relationship with Kesha’s “Die Young.” My name, Dayoung, derives its meaning from two Chinese characters. Da (多) means many, and young (英) means corolla — the most shining part of the flower (“Statistics”). The young in my name is also the same one used in the words hero and genius in Korean (Lee). My parents believed that I was a special and beautiful flower with the ability to accomplish so many wonderful things in life. 

Unfortunately, growing up with such a name in America certainly did not make me feel great. Much less special. My name definitely did stand out — but for all the wrong reasons. I always had the one name everyone chuckled at during roll call because it was mispronounced. Not to mention being consistently told that I would “die young” whenever Kesha’s song played over the speakers. The name simply felt like a major hindrance in my life. 

However, as I grew older, I truly came to appreciate my name in its entirety for its significance in developing my identity. I spent a mere five years in Korea before moving to the United States. As the number of years I lived in America slowly began to overtake the time spent in my motherland, the greater I realized the importance of keeping in touch with my roots. Actively using a Korean name constantly reminded me of where I came from, and I could thereby maintain a solid Korean identity, which is an integral part of who I am. And the uniqueness of my name is no longer an obstacle but rather an advantage. My name is what distinguishes me from everyone else around me and creates a lasting impression, setting me up to bloom and become the remarkable blossom that my parents hoped I would grow to be eighteen years ago.

Works Cited

Lee, Jaemyung. “문화가 있는 한자 英 (Chinese characters with culture) (영) (Young) : 꽃부리 (Flower beak).” Kyungsang Ilbo, 24 May 2012, www.ksilbo.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=369863#:~:text=%EC%9D%B4%EB%9F%B0%20%EC%B4%88%EB%AA%A9%20%EA%B0%80%EC%9A%B4%EB%8D%B0%20%EA%B0%80%EC%9E%A5%20%EC%95%84%EB%A6%84%EB%8B%A4%EC%9A%B4,%E8%8B%B1%E9%9B%84. Accessed 26 October 2023.

“Statistics on the Name Dayoung.” NAMEChart, 2022, www.namechart.kr/name/%EB%8B%A4%EC%98%81. Accessed 26 October 2023.