What's in a Name?

Ever wondered if there was any meaning in your name? My podcast explores all things onomatology... the study of names!

What's in a Name? is a education podcast hosted by What, with 138 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

What hosts What's in a Name?, a education show with 138 episodes published.

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  Episode #139

  S6.05-139 - "Misty" - Marriage Name Changes and Personal Identity

  Sep 19, 202639 minS6

  Summary An identity transformation coach who has studied handwriting analysis, graphology, and letterology for 15 years explains what she believes happens when a woman changes her last name. She describes losing her own outgoing personality over the year after she married, getting it back over the year after she took her maiden name again, and how that experience sent her looking for answers. She also talks about the meaning behind a name that literally refers to mist, how her parents chose it, what she has observed in clients who struggled after a marriage name change, why children sometimes feel a parent became a different person, what the name changes in the book of Genesis suggest about identity, and why she thinks goals fail when your identity is not aligned with them. If you are deciding whether to keep your maiden name, trying to understand why you feel different after a name change, or curious how names and signatures connect to self perception, this conversation lays out one practitioner's framework and the personal story behind it. Key Takeaways A name that appears simple on the surface can carry layered symbolism, in this case mist, fog, mystery, transition, and hidden truths, and a person can choose which part of that meaning to live into. Having an uncommon name can be an advantage in childhood, because hearing it called means you know for certain someone is speaking to you. Learning the story behind why your parents chose your name can be underwhelming or even funny, and that does not have to diminish what you have built under that name. In this coach's experience, her extroverted personality faded over roughly a year after taking a married last name, and returned over roughly a year after she reclaimed her maiden name. She argues that how you sign your name reinforces patterns in the brain that shape how you see yourself, which is why she treats a signature change as an identity change. No two name changes produce the same outcome, and some women describe their lives improving significantly after marriage, which is why she says the question is simply whether it worked for you or not. She has met clients who trace the loss of a job or a shift in a relationship back to a name change, and says naming that possibility can relieve years of self blame. Children and adult children sometimes sense that a parent changed after remarriage, and she offers the name change as one lens for understanding a relationship that shifted without explanation. Reading the name changes in Genesis as deliberate identity shifts suggests that renaming someone is a way of redirecting who they are becoming, not just what they are called. Goals tend to fail when your identity does not match them, so the identity work has to come before the decision making, or old habits will win. Timestamps 02:43 – Finding out what your own name actually means 04:33 – The symbolism behind a name that refers to mist 07:08 – Where a name came from and why parents chose it 11:40 – When a personality disappeared after a marriage name change 13:29 – Getting your former self back after reclaiming a maiden name 14:22 – How signing a new name can reshape self perception 16:42 – A client who lost her dream job after changing her name 18:47 – Why a parent can seem like a different person 24:43 – What the name changes in Genesis suggest about identity 30:05 – Why goals fail when identity is not aligned Keywords changing your last name after marriage, keeping your maiden name, identity after divorce, handwriting analysis, graphology, letterology, name meaning and personality, identity based habit change, name changes in the Bible, feeling like a different person -- Refine your purpose and leadership skills by joining the Intentional Leadership Network:  https://www.intentionalleadernetwork.com/a/2148165226/4EW66BNT -- You can find Misty's book on Amazon for FREE...  "You Can Heal Your Life With Handwriting": https://www.amazon.com/You-Heal-Your-Life-Handwriting-ebook/dp/B08J49MNKC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0 Connect with Misty:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/misty-cogdill?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DCuNng4rM/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram: Misty Cogdill - Identity Transformation Coach (@mistycogdill_handwriting) • Instagram photos and videos TikTok: mistycogdillofficial on TikTok

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  Episode #138

  S6.04-138 - "Benedetto" - Part Two - Using Your Name Meaning To Build Confidence

  Sep 12, 202643 minS6

  EPISODE DESCRIPTION Summary This is a one year follow up conversation with a returning guest who first learned that his name means blessed and well spoken. He explains what actually changed after that discovery: how he used the phrase well spoken as a practical tool to speak up after decades of shyness, how he stayed honest in a discouraging job search instead of telling hiring managers what they wanted to hear, and how he redefined the word blessed so it means something real rather than decorative. Along the way he talks about what happens when a passion becomes a job, why he has given away nearly two decades of concert photography for free, what he has learned working backstage with teenage athletes on the most overwhelming day of their lives, and whether parents should pick names based on meaning. If you are trying to reconnect with work you used to love, or wondering whether a name meaning can genuinely shape identity, this conversation gives you concrete examples instead of theory. Key Takeaways Turning a passion into paid work can make it difficult to enjoy that same activity off the clock, and getting the enjoyment back takes deliberate effort rather than time alone. Spacing out creative work and being intentional about when you do it can keep a passion project from quietly becoming an obligation you resent. Offering your skills to people who cannot pay for them can be a practical act of service, and being underpaid or having work stolen does not have to change your reasons for doing it. Constant online noise can replace your real interests with a borrowed group identity, which is often why people feel dissatisfied without being able to name the cause. Answering interview questions truthfully, rather than performing the answer you think a hiring manager wants, can make you the candidate they remember even when you do not get hired. Leaving an unsuccessful job fair or interview does not have to be interpreted as a personal failure, and reframing it that way protects your willingness to try again. When someone is overwhelmed by a major life moment, the most useful person in the room is often the one who wants nothing from them. Silence is sometimes better support than another question, especially for people who have already been asked to explain themselves repeatedly. Learning that his name means well spoken gave him a repeatable way to practice confidence, and treating it as a muscle meant it did not have to work every time to be worth doing. Parents can choose a name with real intention, but sharing that meaning with a child too early risks handing them a template to perform instead of room to become themselves. Timestamps 02:25 – When a hobby becomes work and stops being fun 04:11 – Losing enjoyment in a long running passion project 05:33 – Choosing to give creative work away instead of charging for it 08:45 – How constant noise replaces real interest with groupthink 10:05 – Staying authentic during a discouraging job search 12:20 – Supporting people through an overwhelming milestone day 17:32 – Knowing when silence helps more than conversation 19:44 – Using a name meaning to rebuild confidence after years of shyness 21:04 – Redefining what being blessed actually means 29:30 – Whether parents should choose names based on meaning Keywords name meanings, name meaning blessed and well spoken, identity and self worth, creative burnout, concert photography career, job search confidence, authenticity in interviews, naming a baby with intention, finding meaning after setbacks, podcast about names Refine your purpose and leadership skills by joining the Intentional Leadership Network:  https://www.intentionalleadernetwork.com/a/2148165226/4EW66BNT

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  Episode #137

  S6.03-137 - "Shana" - Say It Right: Names, Meaning, and Respect

  Sep 5, 202619 minS6

  Refine your purpose and leadership skills by joining the Intentional Leadership Network:  https://www.intentionalleadernetwork.com/a/2148165226/4EW66BNT Follow Shana on Instagram: @rhymeswith__babynames EPISODE DESCRIPTION A baby name consultant and former tech manager talks through what a name actually does in real life: how much the dictionary meaning matters, why some parents cross a name off the list the moment they learn its definition, and what it feels like when people you work with every day never bother to learn how to say your name. You will hear how one name can carry Hebrew, Irish, and Gaelic roots at the same time, how the Social Security name database is used to research popularity and spelling variants, and how to find something useful in a name whose meaning sounds negative in English. The conversation closes with why names change in the Bible and what those changes are meant to signal. Key Takeaways One first name can carry several unrelated origins, and Shana traces to Hebrew, Irish, and Gaelic roots meaning lily, wise or old river, and God is gracious. Meaning is a deciding factor for many parents, and a beautiful sounding name gets cut from the list once a definition like bitter shows up. Mispronunciation from a stranger rarely stings, but repeated mispronunciation from a colleague reads as a lack of effort rather than an honest mistake. Putting a phonetic spelling in a work profile or chat bio does not guarantee people will use it, so correcting others out loud and repeatedly is usually what actually works. Legally respelling a name for easier pronunciation is an option, but the original spelling is often tied to family history and no longer looks right once changed. Children who grow up hearing what their name means may lean into those traits, while people who never heard the meaning are unlikely to be shaped by it. A name that looks negative in English often has more to it, since dark can suggest depth and bitter can work as a reminder of what to avoid becoming. Baby name consulting combines personal taste with data, using decades of naming records to check popularity, spelling variants, and trends over time. Growing up with an unusual name can become a core part of identity and shape lifelong interests, including a career built around names. Name changes in scripture, such as Sarai to Sarah and Saul to Paul, mark a transformation significant enough that the old name no longer fits the person. Timestamps 00:28 – Leaving a tech career to consult on baby names 01:24 – Knowing only part of your own name's meaning 01:43 – Hebrew, Irish, and Gaelic roots behind one name 02:39 – Why parents reject names that mean bitter 03:22 – Using naming data to research popularity and spelling 05:59 – When repeated mispronunciation starts to feel disrespectful 07:32 – Why saying a name correctly signals respect at work 08:26 – Choosing a replacement name that still fits you 11:11 – Whether a name's meaning influences how you act 12:19 – What name changes in the Bible represent Keywords name meaning, baby name consultant, mispronounced name at work, how to pronounce someone's name, choosing a baby name, names and identity, baby name data, biblical name changes, unique baby names, name pronunciation etiquette

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  Episode #136

  S6.02-136 - "Haley" - Does Changing Your Name Change You?

  Aug 29, 202625 minS6

  EPISODE DESCRIPTION Most people know a one line definition of their name and never look further. This conversation goes past that. A guest who briefly went by her middle name in college talks through what it was like to answer to two different names, why one version of herself felt more outgoing than the other, and what actually drove that change. You will hear the fuller meaning behind a name usually reduced to "hay meadow," including its Old English, Irish, and spiritual interpretations, and how learning that meaning later in life landed differently than it would have at twenty. The second half turns to a question few people ask out loud: why does Scripture record so many name changes, and why did the practice largely stop? If you have ever wondered whether a name shapes a person or just labels one, this episode gives you a practical way to think it through. Key Takeaways The name Haley traces to Old English for meadow or clearing, while some Irish sources connect it to being clever or ingenious. Spiritual readings of the name point toward peace, groundedness, quiet strength, and steady leadership rather than a loud presence. Most people stop at the first surface level definition they find and never learn the fuller history behind their own name. A middle name chosen for spiritual reasons can become a lifelong reminder, especially during seasons when that quality feels hardest to practice. Going by a different name in a new setting can make you feel more outgoing, but it does not resolve the underlying identity questions. Using a different name for a few years can permanently split your relationships into groups who know you by two separate names. Major transitions, like moving from homeschool to public school, reshape personality far more than a name ever does. Given the choice today, she would pick a name that reflects growth already lived rather than returning to the one she used before. Repeated misspellings of a common name tend to feel like carelessness rather than disrespect, particularly when the correct spelling was already provided. Scripture repeatedly ties a name change to becoming a new creation, from Abram to Abraham and Simon to Peter, which raises the question of why that practice faded. Timestamps 01:28 – What most people actually know about their own name 02:27 – The Old English, Irish, and spiritual meanings behind a common name 04:31 – Adjusting how you come across in an unfamiliar region 06:19 – How parents pick a name and what gets left out of the decision 07:01 – Living up to a middle name you did not choose 08:24 – Why she switched to her middle name in college 10:06 – Whether answering to a new name makes you a different person 12:55 – What name you would choose if you had to start over 14:17 – How it feels when a common name is constantly misspelled 17:06 – Why the Bible records so many name changes Keywords meaning of the name Haley, what does Haley mean, changing your name, name and identity, going by your middle name, biblical name changes, names in the Bible, name meaning and personality, middle name Faith, identity and self awareness Refine your purpose and leadership skills by joining the Intentional Leadership Network:  https://www.intentionalleadernetwork.com/a/2148165226/4EW66BNT  

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  Episode #135

  S6.01-135 - "Zaria" - What Does My Unusual Name Really Mean

  Aug 22, 202629 minS6

  EPISODE DESCRIPTION This episode follows one guest through the full process of tracing an uncommon name back to its origins and figuring out what, if anything, it says about her. If you have ever looked up your own name and found three or four conflicting definitions, or wondered why a name that no one can pronounce still feels like the right one, this conversation walks through it in detail. It covers where the name came from, how the meanings differ across Arabic, Hebrew, and Slavic origins, why a child might beg to be given a different name, and how that same person grows into confidence about it as an adult. It also gets into the practical side that rarely gets discussed, including how to handle mispronunciation without embarrassing anyone, when to correct someone and when to let it go, and why so many people with unusual names quietly hand over a nickname or a middle name at a restaurant counter. Key Takeaways One name can carry several meanings at once, including princess in Arabic, flower or blossom, God has helped in Hebrew, and dawn or sunrise in Slavic and Russian. Parents often pick a name from an unexpected source, such as a television character, and then confirm it against family heritage before committing to it. A name can end up describing the work a person actually does, as with a guest whose career centers on bringing spaces to life and who once performed as a Disney princess. Children with uncommon names frequently ask to change them, and that discomfort is usually about identity and belonging rather than the name itself. Theater classes and similar confidence building activities can move a child from hiding a name to introducing it clearly. Adults with often mispronounced names learn to judge case by case whether correcting someone is worth the interruption. Offering a nickname, a single initial, or a middle name in low stakes settings is a practical workaround rather than a rejection of the real name. Travel changes how a name sounds, and a foreign pronunciation can become a lasting nickname. Searching for other people who share your full name can reveal unexpected overlap in careers, hobbies, and life direction. Name changes in scripture, such as Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah, suggest names have long marked transformation rather than simply labeling a person. Timestamps 00:00 – Why an unfamiliar name draws constant questions 01:11 – Conflicting meanings found for a single name 02:37 – Tracing one name across Arabic, Hebrew, and Slavic origins 03:36 – When a name seems to predict the career you choose 06:31 – How parents land on an uncommon name 09:16 – Whether people who share a name share traits 10:40 – How other languages create new nicknames 12:10 – What mispronunciation actually feels like over a lifetime 15:48 – Building confidence after wanting a different name 20:34 – Why names change in biblical stories Keywords meaning of the name Zaria, what does my name mean, name mispronunciation at work, unique baby names, name and identity, how parents choose a baby name, Arabic and Hebrew name meanings, name changes in the Bible, growing up with an uncommon name, nicknames for hard to pronounce names Refine your purpose and leadership skills by joining the Intentional Leadership Network:  https://www.intentionalleadernetwork.com/a/2148165226/4EW66BNT  

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