Names are identity, it is unique and not at the same time, the reason is that multiple people can bear one name and anyone can take a new name at any point in time. I thought about this a long time ago and concluded that the reason why we have first, middle and surnames is because they give every human a unique identity. I haven't seen two people who bear the same first, middle and surname but it is possible for people to have two similar names.
According to my culture, every child gets a name seven days after birth. The event is called naming ceremony and it happens in different parts of the world.
I got very few names during my naming ceremony and my mom hasn't still told me why because my siblings got lots of names. As a matter of fact, I might be the person with the smallest number of names in the world because aside from my three compulsory names, I only have two names and I feel cheated because my siblings don't have less than four extra names.
Regardless of the numbers, I love my names and don't have the intention of changing any. Among my names, "Ayotomiwa" is my favourite because of the deep meaning that comes with it. In English, it means "Joy came to me" and there are only a few people who call me that because it's not my first name. I will save the story behind the name for another day because it's a lengthy story.
My names are George Adedamola Ayotomiwa. These names carry deep meaning for those who understand Yoruba and I will try to explain the meaning the best way I can.
My grandparents are Catholic and the name George must have originated somehow from there but I am not really interested in the story. Adedamola is the name most people call me because it is my first name and it means "The combination of crown and wealth". The presence of "Ade" in names signifies royal which means either or both parents are from a royal family.
My mom is from a royal family but she doesn't have anything to do with royalty because of the fetish lifestyle and the problems in the royal families, I believe Nigerians will understand better why many people just do away with this royalty stuff.
Despite not having anything to do with royalty, the presence of it in my name makes it feel special. Not everyone calls the name in full, many just call me "Damola" which is fine by me because I also don't introduce myself fully always except I want to brag.
The "Dee" in my username is from Damola.
Adedamola is not a common name, you can hardly get five people bearing the name out of a hundred so whenever I hear the name, I always look around to see another awesome being who shares the same name with me. It is a unisex name so don't be surprised when you see a female that bears Damola.
"Ayotomiwa" is my middle name and I said the meaning earlier. I love being called "Tomiwa" but only people who are very close to me know the name.
I used it for almost all my social accounts just because of how much I love the name. Some people believe it's a female name and they ask questions I just make it clear that any gender can bear the name.
The combination of these names is my unique identity, I feel proud whenever my mom calls it all. Last year, I was at the immigration office for my passport renewal and one of the officers couldn't resist the charm in my name. She called every other passport applicant with their first and surname but when it got to my turn, she called it all and everyone turned around to see who bears those wonderful names. It happens often though so I don't blush every time, my names might be few but they are luxurious. They define my personality and I am grateful to my parents for the great names.