The Significance of Family First Names and Surnames

Discover the stories your name has been carrying for generations.

Photo by wr heustis at Pexels

Have you ever thought that perhaps your family name created history? Surnames and given names often originate from occupations, places, or even an ancestor's characteristic. A surname ties us to our ancestors, their stories, their origins, and their languages. A given name might reflect an effort to carry on a mother's surname. Names can be sources of pride, shame, curiosity, or mystery. If you write a poem about your name, you'll have to dig into your ancestry to learn the hows and whys of the origins of your name, right? When you conduct that research, you're also learning more about yourself and how your name shapes your identity, both public and private.

📚 Poems and books inspired by names

• Julia Alvarez’s Naming Myself, Watch/Listen to the poem on YouTube.

• Natasha Trethewey’s Native Guard: Through elegiac verse (elegy) that honors her mother and relays her own childhood, Natasha Trethewey confronts the racial legacy of her native Deep South, where one of the first black regiments, The Louisiana Native Guards, was called into service during the Civil War. (NOTE: this is an affiliate link to BooksAMillion. You won't pay more, but I'll receive a commission for sending you to their online store. Thanks!)

• Carl Sandburg’s The People, Yes

• Jehanne Dubrow’s Sun Salutations with Betrayal and Departure: This is a different type of naming poem. Dubrow taps into Sanskrit, emotion, and yoga to pull together a complex re-naming and re-assessment of life's aspects.

🖋️ Poetry Form Spotlight: Acrostic Poem

In an acrostic poem, the first letters of each line spell out a word. Perfect form to test on your surname. For instance, the first letters in each line in this poem spell out my surname:

Grandpa Goin said our surname came from

our urges to travel, to constantly move

in and out of towns and states of mind.

Nomads we were, and continue to be.

How to write an acrostic poem from Poetry For Kids (yeah, that's the easy way to learn!).

✅ Checklist

☐ Research the origin or meaning of your surname
☐ Write down memories tied to your name
☐ Experiment with acrostics using your family name
☐ Include stories about how the name has been used or changed
☐ Ask relatives what the family name means to them

✍️ Mini-Prompt

Write an acrostic using your surname. Each line should include a story, image, or feeling that connects to your family identity. I'm sorry if you have a long surname, but you'll be a better acrostic poet in the long run!

💬 Call to action

Don't write your poem alone! Sit down with your family to write an acrostic poem. You might be surprised how this exercise will lead to other name poems. Additionally, you may inspire others to explore the roots of your name with you and uncover stories you've never heard. HAVE FUN.