Because it was so understandably common, I never questioned my parent's name choice or the specific meaning behind my name. This commonality had only contributed to feeling like just another fish in the sea, often envious of those who went by names I desired like “Xavier” or “Hunter”. I mainly attribute this to growing up in an extremely ethnic and Indian area of Central New Jersey, where there were at least a handful of Rohans at every local high school. 

This predicament often leads to me being called by my last name, Giri. This last name allowed me to stand out more, as it was surprisingly less common amongst the Indian crowds and separated me from the other Rohans. Ironically enough, I would still encounter the occasional mispronunciation of ROH-HAN (like a hand without the d) instead of the proper ROH-HAHN. It was recently that I swam into foreign waters to discover the true meaning of my name, not just for this essay but to learn more about my identity. The first surprise of this adventure was how popular my name was. It was ranked consistently in the top 1000 names in the United States, peaking at #480 in 2004 (coincidentally the year I was born) and at #828 in 2023 (The United States Social Security Administration). While I knew my name was popular in my local area, I had no idea of the national scale it had truly encompassed. 

A true highlight was coming across the meaning of my name. Most accurately, in Sanskrit (as my name originated from India), my name means "to ascend" or "to rise" (Ancestry). The discovery of this deeper meaning became a source of motivation that I always had right by my side. All of a sudden, my once basic name had been given a new dimension, and I hoped to put my twist on it through my unique journey of prospective achievement. 

As someone who had to overcome a steep learning curve when it came to academics, exemplified by my decision to transfer from Northeastern University to the University of Michigan, I feel as though my name accurately describes my journey, serving as a quick summary of the challenges I faced when trying to grow as a student and a learner. It was as though my name had always served as a driving force working in the background to propel me to a better life, as this revelation was further confirmed upon discussion with my parents, who had blessed me with my name in hopes of my success in the United States.

Works Cited

Origin and meaning of first name Rohan | Search Family History on Ancestry®. (n.d.). https://www.ancestry.com/first-name-meaning/rohan 

The United States Social Security Administration | SSA. (n.d.). Social Security. https://www.ssa.gov/.