What’s In A Name?

Some people own their name in a way that defies all others. For example, when you read “Elvis” on this page, mostly likely your mind goes immediately to that Mississippi boy who would become the King. You don’t need any more clarification than his first name to come to that conclusion.

There are others. Cher, Sting, Beyonce, Prince, Adele, Oprah, Bono, Rihanna: All these shining stars of stage and screen. And history finds Plato, Voltaire, Dante, Rembrandt, and Aristotle. There is nothing about any of these individual names that is unique. But when you hear one of these names, a name that might be shared with millions, you probably don’t think of your great uncle Ringo, a childhood neighbor named Madonna, or your best friend’s pet cat, Liberace. You think of a particular individual who has set himself or herself apart by accomplishment or reputation.

The technical term is “mononym”…