“Wait did you say Marsh, or is it more like how the planet’s pronounced?”. I go by the nickname “Marce” and it is very rare that I don’t get a funny look or response whenever I meet new people and tell them my name. At first it would bother me that people couldn’t pronounce it properly and that it would usually follow up with a laugh. I used to wish I had a normal name like most kids did at school. However, I learned to embrace the fact that my name was unique because not everybody could say that. I’m the seventh Marcial De Sautu in my lineage. It holds value in my family and has become a point of pride in my eyes. 

My first name has a Latin origin and pertains to the word “martial” in Spanish and Roman. The name can be associated with Mars, the Roman god of war (Meaning of Marcial). Although my name may symbolize this, I like to think that it doesn’t because I have never been the person to lean towards aggression to solve an issue. Instead, I try to relate to others and settle situations in a more peaceful manner. However, the “Sautu” portion of my last name is very popular in the African region of Tonga of Zambia and signifies “salt” (Unique Baby Name). I find this so interesting because my high school’s motto my senior year was to “be worth your salt” or to do what you can to make the world a better place than it was beforehand. This motto was really important to me last year because it motivated me to participate in most of the activities I was involved in, such as service projects, fundraisers, and toy drives. 

My first or last name may not be in the top 1000 most popular United States names dating all the way back to the 1900s, but I have grown to take ownership of my name regardless of its popularity because that is who I am (The United States Social Security). Everyone is unique in their own ways and that is what makes each and every one of us special.

Works Cited 

“Marcial - Meaning of Marcial.” Marcial - Meaning of Marcial, What Does Marcial Mean?,

www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Marcial. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023. 

Moss, Jennifer. “Sautu.” Name Meaning, Popularity and Info on BabyNames.Com, 17 Sept.

2023, babynames.com/name

sautu#:~:text=The%20name%20Sautu%20is%20primarily,Zambia%20origin%20that%20

eans%20Salt. 

The United States Social Security Administration, www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi.

Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.

“Unique Baby Name Sautu Meaning, Country, and It’s Zodiac Sign.” Unique Baby Name Sautu

Meaning, Country, and It’s Zodiac Sign, babynamesunique.com/babyname/sautu.

Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.