The Fame's in the Name

My name is the most unique, visible part of me. My personality is pretty weird too but that can't really be put on paper. My parents wanted to be cool and hip so they picked Madyson. I don't know the actual reason, but I do know there aren't that many people with the name Madyson so I think they achieved their goal. From Think Baby Names, the name Madyson means "son of the mighty warrior", which is definitely not me. I think my name is pretty cool. It's unique in the US and in Vietnam. Since my full name is Madyson Quynh Ho, I feel like it's all pretty uncommon in the US. I could probably never want to change it either because whatever I change it to would be either #basic or really weird. I would say a name is just an arbitrary label but for some things there really is an art of naming. Otherwise, there wouldn't be 20 different shades of orange crayola crayons...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lissalou66/2360901963/

http://www.factslides.com/imgs/Backrub.jpg

I read another article about what's in a name for big companies such as Google. Google used to be called BackRub, and I could never imagine what it would be like to go and say "Let me BackRub that real quick". Best Buy used to be called Sound of Music. They were a music store in the beginning and after a tornado hit the largest store, they hosted a "best buys" sale in the parking lot which led to the adoption of the name Best Buy. Nike used to go by Blue Ribbon Sports until the company's first employee proposed they change the name to Nike after the Greek goddess of victory.



I guess a name can make or break a company. Based on the article, the name is a label that can define what a company does, their story, what they are trying to achieve. We all know what Google is and what it does. The images attached to the name make it memorable and iconic. Whenever I think about names and labels, I think about fashion labels. They are more important to society than we like to believe. It does make a difference that a shirt is from Dior or Yves Saint Laurent and not Walmart. 

"Fashion is a $1.2 trillion global industry, with more than $250 billion spent annually on fashion in the United States, according to industry analysts. Fashion and apparel industries employ 1.9 million people in the United States and have a positive impact on regional economies across the country" (According to This Document from the Joint Economic Committee). 

People take branding too seriously -- they just want the luxury associated with a tag.

http://fashionovert.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Top-Popular-High-Fashion-Clothing-Brands-Names.jpg

Anna Quindlen's essay, "The Name is Mine" was interesting to me. She addresses the problem that most women will have in their lifetime -- choosing to become part of a whole or not. The thing about being an individual and being part of a larger whole is that the choices I make are influenced by both. As an individual I think I can be more spontaneous. I worry less about fitting in and worry more about what I want. Being a part of a larger whole means that the choices I make have to benefit everyone. This can affect my morals and ethics because it involves the other person's emotions and values. The pressure of needing to conform and fit in is typical to be part of a whole.


The only dilemma I can remember about being an individual was during my freshman year. I was part of GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance)  and I liked it because a lot of my friends were part of it. I supported LGBT rights but my Dad didn't. He didn't want me to participate but I went anyways because I couldn't leave my friends. As an individual I would rather be part of the GSA whole than my family's whole since I didn't agree with them. Everyone has to be a part of a whole to some extent, but I guess choosing which whole  is what individuality is for.