What’s In a Name?

Having moved from Timberland High School  last year, senior Mercedez De La Cruz is the youngest of six children. Mercedes, a common Spanish name, was a slight inspiration for De La Cruz’s parents, as her dad was from Mexican origin. But that wasn’t the only reason they chose the name Mercedez. “I was always told my mom found it unique, and she wanted a car and instead of getting a car she...

It’s not uncommon to find people with the same last name, especially if it's of common English descent. Identical names, however, are a whole other story. Math teacher Dylan Thomas has an identical twin— by name, that is. Thomas has been teaching math for seven years, having been a teacher at Lafayette since 2020. He was in elementary school when he first learned about the famous poet from the ...

Freshman Roosevelt White is the third Roosevelt in his family. The tradition of naming the youngest son Roosevelt started with his grandfather. “They wanted his name to be proper. So when he would apply for jobs, they’d be like, 'that name sounds more proper,’” White said. Another story told by some family members is the name came from an actual meeting with President Roosevelt. “[My...

Peaking in the 1960s and holding strong for 10 years, the name Karen made the Top Five popular baby names list. Now, nearly 57 years later, its popularity is on the rise again. Since 2020, it has also been a popular meme with a “Karen” typically a middle-class white woman who uses privilege to get her way, with a “speak to the manager” attitude. Though being called a “Karen” is what people...

Some people live their entire life with the name given to them at birth. Some feel more comfortable with a nickname or change to a name that better identifies them. For senior Thaddaeus Etters, the name he was given at birth was nothing to be talked about — literally. “When I was born, I was actually nameless for two weeks, because my mom went into a coma. My dad said if I was born a boy, she...