The Importance of a Person’s Name

We assign names to identify just about everything in our lives to establish a label and meaning. Projecting names and labels onto items is how we make sense of our world, and people’s names are no different. We select our children’s names carefully in hopes of encompassing a fragment of that person’s character, in addition to allowing them to introduce themselves to everyone they will eventually meet. To quote established rock band Talking Heads, “…names make all the difference in the world,” and here is why.

Respect

Using someone’s name in conversation is a show of respect and an easy way to make a solid first impression. It is a tactic that most customer service providers utilize to make their customers feel heard and ensure quality assistance. It shows you are focused on engaging with them and listening to what they have to say. Simply remembering a person’s name can make them feel important and foster a more positive relationship, however brief.

There are tips to help us remember a person’s name and incorporate it into our lives more often, including:

• Use names in emails. This makes your message a touch more personal and establishes a connection to them. Just verify you have the correct spelling before you send it.
• Clarify. It is okay to confirm that you remember someone’s name right. This shows that putting their face to a name is important to you, and it’s an opportunity to make sure you are saying it correctly. It also ensures you are using their preferred name, should that be any different than their given name. You may seem to nullify the importance of a person’s name when you mispronounce it or address them incorrectly without making an effort to fix it.
• Commit to learning first names. When meeting a new group of people, memorizing an abundance of names can be difficult. Dedicate times to introducing yourself to each one, repeating their name back to them to increase name-to-face association.

Symbolism

First names are often associated with gender, race, or religious backgrounds. A child’s name may allude to a story of how they came into the world or reference a symbol that applies meaning to their name.

Surnames often indicate ethnic background but do not always represent cultural background. The relation of a surname to the individual depends on how closely their upbringing relates to its origin. For those who hold pride in their name, inscribed items are not uncommon. Labeling items like a baby photo album in the nursey or having a custom engraved humidor at the home bar is a prime way to individualize these materials and make them stand out in your home.

Kustom Products emphasizes the importance of a person’s name by offering customizing services so that you can proudly add your individual or family name to items around the home.