Do you know why your parents gave you your name? If you have children, why did you give them their names? Learning about your name can bolster your sense of identity and connect you to your ancestors.
FamilySearch has created a couple of activities to help you learn more about your name. The first is found within a group of short activities designed for families called In-Home Activities. It provides the following discussion prompts:
- Ask a parent about the story of how you got your name.
- What do you want your name to stand for? What do you want people to think of when they hear your name?
- Talk with your family about your family’s name. Where does it come from? What legacy do you want it to have?
- Ask a parent or grandparent if any of your ancestors share your name.
These would be great conversation starters at the dinner table or while riding in the car. I always knew I was named after my great-grandma Alice but when I started asking my parents and looking at my family tree I learned there were several Alice’s who were my direct ancestors. Learning more about them made me want to live up to the name and carry on their legacy. You can read more about my experience here.
Another fun tool provided by FamilySearch is the All About Me discovery activity. It shows things like the meaning of your name and how many people in the world share your name.
Learning more about your name and helping your children learn more about theirs is a meaningful way to do family history in 5 minutes. Try it today!
