What’s in your name? -interesting insight on significance of a name

There is a great secret hidden in name, be it the name of a person or a thing, and it is formed in relation to the past, present and future conditions of its object…

 The meaning of a name has a great influence upon its possessor as well as upon others. From the sound of the letters and the word they compose the mystic can understand much about the character and the fate of a person. An intelligent person generally gets the idea from the sound of letters that compose a name, whether it is beautiful or ugly, soft or hard, consonant or dissonant, but does not know what makes it so; the one who understands knows why it is so.

 Letters singly or together are either pronounced smoothly or with difficulty and have their effect accordingly upon oneself and upon another. Names that are smooth and soft sounding make a soft effect upon the speaker and listener, whereas hard-sounding names have a contrary effect. Man naturally calls soft things by smooth names and hard things by hard-sounding names, as for instance flower and rock, wool and flint, etc.

 Language, and especially name, shows the class of people and character of families, communities and races. Vowels play a great part in the name and its influence. E and I denote jemal, the feminine quality of grace, wisdom, beauty and receptivity. O and U denote jelal, the masculine quality of power and expression. A denotes kemal, which is significant of the perfection in which both these qualities are centered. The above-named vowels in the composition of the name have an effect according to their place in the name, whether in the beginning, center or end.

 Fate in Sanskrit is called karma, meaning the rhythm of past actions. The influence of rhythm suggested by a name has an effect upon the entity whose name it is, as well as upon those who call him by that name. Evenness of rhythm gives balance, while unevenness causes lack of balance. The beauty of rhythm beautifies the character of man.

 By rhythm is meant the way in which the name begins and how it ends, whether evenly or unevenly, on the accent or before the accent. The accent falling on the beginning, middle or end varies the effect which plays a part in a person’s character and fate. The rhythm of the name suggests the main thing in life: balance or its lack. Lack of balance is a deficiency in character, and causes adversity in life.

 The number of letters plays a great part in the name of a person. An even number shows beauty and wisdom, and an odd number shows love and power. Number plays a great part in life, and especially in name. Each letter in the constitution of a name has a numerical value; in oriental science it is called jafr. By this system not only are names given to buildings, objects and people, conveying their period of commencement and completion, but the combination of these numbers conveys to the seer its mystical effect.

 Every letter, either singly or when grouped in a word, produces a picture which tells its secret to the seer. For instance ‘X’ makes a cross, and ‘O’ zero, both of which have a meaning. The alphabet used in modern times is a corruption of the original ones. The old Arabian and Persian writings which are found on arches, walls, hems of garments, on brass vessels and carpets, are of most perfect and beautiful design. A great symbolic significance may be seen in the Chinese, Japanese, Sanskrit and other ancient scripts. Every line, dot and curve has a meaning. The ancient used to write every name not with different letters, but as a picture signifying what they wished to express. The picture was divided into different parts and each part was used to represent a certain sound, and in this way the alphabets were made. By this break the true picture was lost, but a certain likeness may still be traced. Even in the present day, although we have a most corrupted form of writing, still from the appearance of a certain name a person’s life, fate or character may be read in whatever language it may be written. For instance, a name beginning with I shows a steadfast and righteous ego, uniqueness and love of God and the pursuit of truth. E shows a shy and backward nature and an interest in three directions.

The Christian name has a greater influence than the surname. Sometimes a nickname has a still greater effect. The effect of the name is according to its use; the more it is used the greater the effect. Shortened names such as May for Mary, Bill or Willie for William lessen the effect of the name. The names given by the holy ones have a double effect: that of the name itself and that of the will of the one who gave it.  There are many instances to be found where a change of name has brought an entire change in a man’s life. We read in the Bible that the blessing of Jacob was the name of Israel given to him by the angel.

By Hazrat Ihayat Khan, A Sufi master