ISSUE #1: Welcome to Spring4th's first issue
What’s in a Name?
“The world will ask you who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you.” - Carl Jung
Enquirer: What does your name mean?
Me: (Flustered and rambling about how I’m Northern Nigerian, and we’re mostly named after elderly relatives)
I inherited the name of my paternal great-grandmother, someone I never got to meet. Knowing the meaning behind my name never meant more than that.
My birth certificate and credentials show Rabi’atu, and until recently, when I pivoted to Rabi’a, I’d always introduced myself as Rabi.
The name is derived from Arabic: Rabi’ah. The ‘tu’ addition is a common way of turning it into Northern Nigerian (e.g. Aishah – Aishatu, Salamah – Salamatu, Sa’adah – Saa’adatu).
In 2010, during the first week of A-Levels, I sat in a classroom, nervously awaiting the arrival of other students. For the first time, I felt like an ‘other’ – from my skin to my scarf to my accent. As I ruminated over what other facets of myself would differentiate me, a boy bustled into the classroom, looked towards myself and my fellow newbies, then he asked,
“Who is Rabi’atu?”
He’d seen my name on a list.
I pointed to myself. I think I stood up too.
He enthusiastically said, “That is a cool name!”
Rabi’atu. A cool name.
Growing up, I felt it was archaic and stood out among a sea of more modern names.
Outside Northern Nigerian circles, I kept getting the same question: “What does your name mean?”
Eventually, I searched online.
Doctor Google, Ph.D., led me to two interpretations: Spring and Fourth Female.
Naturally, I chose the ‘spring’ interpretation.
Fourth female, what? Interestingly though, while I’m not the fourth female in my family, I’m the fourth member of my nuclear family – so there’s a fit, I guess.
I made the decision to open a Substack three months ago and agonised for months about an appropriate name. I wanted something meaningful, something that would convey growth, resilience and shadow the twists and turns of life. Some of the ideas I came up with were:
· The Serrated Quest
· The Fluid Compass
· Questitude
None of them clicked.
Inspiration hit me when I remembered the meaning of my name: Spring & Fourth. The words also give a nod to ‘spring forth,’ to grow, emerge, and embrace life.
For three months, I searched for ideas when I could have simply looked at myself.
So, welcome to the Spring4th!
Prompts
If you don’t know the meaning of your name, search for its meaning.
Think of a time when your name triggered an interesting conversation.
Watch
The Moment You Learn The Meaning of Your Name - Participant
The Power In Your Name - TED Archive
Thank you for reading!