My name is Octavio and for almost my whole life I never new the absolute definition to my name. I have looked it up and mostly what was said is that it means “eighth”. I know there is more to the literal definition but I cannot find what the entire meaning is. Perhaps I am being lazy in finding the meaning because it hasn’t been much of a bother to me. Actually, most of my life I haven’t been called Octavio. Most of my family and friends have called me Tavo, which is my nickname. I am so used to being called Tavo that I sometimes forget that I am Octavio. That is funny because I forget my own name and that shouldn’t happen to a person. I don’t think I have been called Octavio since elementary school so that probably helps me forget sometimes as well. I actually wouldn’t mind if people called me Octavio but one pet peeve of mine is when people mispronounce my name and that happens more than I like in a place where people who don’t speak Spanish are the majority.
I was originally going to be named Julian. The day before I was born, my mom said that she was sure that would be my name but it didn’t happen. My father wanted me to be named Octavio because of his brother, my uncle, who died when they were both kids. My father didn’t say much about who my uncle was but he said the name was a strong name. Based on my life experiences I can agree with that statement. Most of my life, I have seen struggle in my family and myself. I wont get into detail about the struggles but I can say that it wasn’t easy growing up in my family. I didn’t let those struggles bother what I wanted for me. I wanted to be the one that did something special and different. I didn’t want to be a guy that didn’t do anything with his life. I wanted to be the hard worker that does well in school, basketball, and be there for the family. All my hard work is paying off and I see results because I am doing what I want. My friends and family have noticed and they take pride in knowing me. I am the only “Octavio/Tavo” that they know so people of my generation understand who I am and what I am doing. One of my sisters named her son after me because of who I am and what I have done.
Based off my life experiences, I can say my name means strength, hard work, and unique. That is what people know me by back home and I hope people can see that when they hear my name.
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ReplyDeleteIt is really cool to be named after someone in your family. Being named after someone is an honor. I like my name, but I sometimes wish I was named after someone because that ties you to that person in a unique way. My sister Laura's middle name was chosen after my grandma, Marie.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how some families have generations of certain names that they keep alive. It is a way to honor one's family history and keep one another connected.
Sometimes I forget my real name is Miranda too, since most everyone calls me Mandy. Back in elementary school I used to play softball, and one year my coach and the whole team called me Miranda even from day 1 and I didn’t ever correct them. It took me a while to get used to being called Miranda, but I kind of liked it.
Sorry about the deleted comment, I tried to edit this comment after I posted it but apparently you can't edit once you post unless you delete it altogether.
Tavo, I respect the fact that you are named after someone in your family. It is a blessing to have to carry such a great honor as to having to make a name for yourself yet uphold the original in a manner that will be looked at as a good thing. In my post I talked about me being named after my father, who is a pastor and an all around great person. I have to live up to that as well, yet make a path for my own life. Coming from struggling backgrounds and finding your way is difficult but if you can manage to deal with things that sometime can be out of your control, well I can say that your name would be remembered and respected for generations to come!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I am named after my uncle. It's a bit different, because the way my name is spelled is different from my uncle, but the connection is still there. When I was growing up, it took me a long time to finally realize where my name came from. My father kept telling me that I wasn't named after my Uncle Ricky, but having the same name makes it to obvious. I used to not like my name, because I knew that there was someone else close to me with the same name. But, as I grew older and perhaps wiser, I discovered that I enjoy being named after someone in my family. I've been told that my father wanted to honor his brother (who is still alive, so a living memory) by giving one of his children his name, and I'm glad it was me. I am trying to make my own path in life, like you are, and I think having the name of someone I love is special, a connection for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteDitto on what the others said about being named after a family member: it's cool. Mostly, though, I found it completely awesome that your full name is Octavio. I've always liked the name Octavius, which is I guess the Latin version of your name. Perhaps because I associate that name with Octavius Ceasar (who changed his name to Augustus, the silly man), the name has always seemed to exude strength in all its forms – Octavian, and of course your name, Octavio. I'm glad that you have found a balance between your full name and your nickname, and that you are able to create your own meaning from your name – one that is uniquely yours, even if it used to be an uncle's.
ReplyDeleteI admire the way that you have taken your name and made it your own--creating its reputation among your friends. I also enjoyed your story about the way you were named. Here's another Octavio for you to know: Octavio Paz, one of the most important poets in 20th century Mexico, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1990. He's also the author of a study of Sor Juana de la Cruz, which inspired the film we watched in class.
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