Students reflect on the significance and impact of their given names on their lives
Joseph Ellien Berry Wyne
Joseph Ellien Berry Wyne, a senior from Maryland majoring in secondary education, said parts of his name came from one of his ancestors, Joseph Barry Lindsey, who fought in the Civil War.
“So, [by being naming me Joseph Barry, my father] wanted me to remember my family history as well as bring good fortune,” he said.
According to his father, Joseph Berry Lindsey was shot and wounded in one of his legs but miraculously survived, said Wyne. He explained a bullet went through his leg and Lindsey survived an infection. Wyne explained his life has been also been fortunate and he has witnessed many protections living up to his ancestor’s name.
His middle name, Ellien, is his grandfather’s last name, said Wyne. He explained his grandfather’s original last name was "Ajay," but because his family could not pronounce Ajay, his grandparents changed the name to Ellien, a famous name in his family’s immigrant heritage.
“My grandfather is a very important person to me because he sacrificed so much for my family,” Wyne said. While experiencing extreme poverty from immigrating out of Syria, he said his grandfather ate “basically half a can of beans to sustain himself [for breakfast and lunch].”
Wyne said having a Middle Eastern origin from his immigrant Syrian grandfather and European immigrant background from his Italian grandmother helps him connect and relate better to international people.
Taotaotuaaleamomuaaletuiatua Ipu Moafanua Sanerivi
Her second name, Ipu “means a dish or a cup,” and her first name is inspired from a well-known chief’s daughter from the village Lotuamiu, in Upolu, Samoa, said Taotaotuaaleamomuaaletuiatua Ipu Moafanua Sanerivi, an alumna of BYU–Hawaii. Sanerivi said she was born in Oahu but grew up mainly in Samoa, working as a digital banker.
She said when she was young, she said many people called her “Ipugi,” meaning teacup, and said she originally hated it at first, saying, “I am not a teacup!” Once she grew older, she said she thought it was cute and wondered, “Who would care?”
Sanerivi said "Ipu" is a simple, short name but represents to everyone she meets where she is from, her background, her family and her ancestors.
She shared the chief’s daughter was very loyal to her father and followed him everywhere, whether he was attending meetings and visiting villages. Through seeing her course of life events, Sanerivi said, “I see why [my parents] named me after that.”
She said she learned how important it was to be with her family during the trying time of the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she continued to participate with and work near her family despite the heartbreaking adjustments to her original plans of staying in California to pursue her career path. But, she commented, “I knew Heavenly Father had a better plan for me.”
After completing her master’s in graphic design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, during the pandemic, she said she returned home, supported her father’s calling as a church bishop and helped serve BYUH students.
“All the accomplishments that I have done was to remember my roots and remember my family and our struggles,” said Sanerivi.
She chuckled, recalling a memory of feeling sorry for the elders who once gave her a blessing. She shared while serving as a missionary in the Tegucigalpa Honduras Mission, she got sick and asked for a blessing. When preparing to give her one, the elders asked her, “Okay, can you write [your name]?” and she wrote her full name on the blackboard for them.
Chit Pyone Hninsi Shin
Chit Pyone Hninsi Shin, a sophomore majoring in information systems from Myanmar, shared her first name, Chit Pyone Hnisi, means love – smile – rose.
She said her mother chose her name one-by-one, according to what she felt about her. After she was born, she said her parents were taking time deciding what to name her. She explained her mother saw her smiling whenever she listened to her mother’s footsteps approaching her, said Shin. Her smile reminded her mother of a rose, leading up to naming her love – smile – rose in Burmese, Shin explained.
Coincidently, her mother was listening to a singer singing the lyric “love – smile – rose” in the exact order of her name, in a television show about a year after naming her.
As part of the Buddhist culture in Burma, Shin explained it is more common to request a child’s name from the monks, who determine the name according to astrology, aligning the name to the day of the week. “If the child was born on Monday, they [follow] the specific alphabet which aligns with the day.”
However, she said her parents, not being part of the Buddhist belief, “They want me to be who I am,” love – smile – rose.