Apparently, the topic of my name was the subject of much discussion between my father (who was Thai) and mother (who was American). They wanted to give their children simple names that would be valid in both languages. My maiden name, transliterated from Thai into English, is “Chairatana.” You can only imagine the number of ridiculous variations that can be derived from those letters. Over the years I have been called chair-and-sofa, catch-a-tuna, carry-a-ton-a, cherry-and-tonic and a myriad of other painful mutations. My father, Lanjul, not long after entering college in the U.S., resorted to introducing himself as “Joe Chi” in order to circumvent many an awkward social interaction.
My brother’s name had come easily enough: Tim. It’s common in both languages, is easy to pronounce by humans (and some intelligent animals), consists of only three letters, and is the shortened version of a name that means “honoring God.” Excellent. When the time came to name me, after much cogitation, my parents finally settled on Nina (pronounced Ny-nah), which is an accepted variant of “Nee-nah” in Kentucky, where my brother and I were born. The pronunciation “Ny-nah” approximates “Ny-ah-nah,” the name of a glamorous Thai movie star of the day. Big bonus: it is only four letters long (yes, I realize my name is a four-letter word). To reduce complexity and accommodate most reasonably sized forms, my brother and I were not given middle names.
Despite my parents’ best intentions, I have experienced a certain amount of botheration regarding my name, mostly due to people’s preconceptions of the name or a deficit in phonics skills. “Neen-ya!” many say when they see my name, assuming I am a Latina. Sometimes I am asked, “Why did they give you a Russian name?” Know-it-alls correct me. “Oh, you mean Nee-nah!” they say with a slightly patronizing air, as if I had previously been unaware of the appropriate pronunciation. At times “Nina” morphs into Tina, Gina, Diana, Dinah and, sadly, even to the Myna bird.
Not having a middle name was also a source of hassle, as forms would get rejected, delayed or returned when the initial field was left blank.
And then…I married Eric Kylstra. Not Eric Smith or Eric Lee. Eric Kylstra. I opted to change my last name because at least I could drop a few letters. When Eric and I were newly engaged, my sister-in-law once suggested I hyphenate my last names when I got married. Then we laughed and laughed.
To complicate matters, the name Kylstra contains the letters “str,” which is very difficult for Thais to say, since this combination of sounds does not exist in that language. It is a twisted source of amusement for me to watch my Thai friends make faces and shake their heads when they see the name and try to sound it out.
Now, more often than not, I am Nee-nah Crystal or Kyle-star or Kill-ster. I have learned to concentrate hard, listening for any possible variations of my name while waiting to be called at the doctor’s office or at Starbucks.
There are some perks to having a somewhat unusual name. When I hear someone pronounce my name correctly, I realize immediately they know me reasonably well. I have been able to dodge a number of telemarketer calls by hearing a mangled pronunciation.
I NEVER get my credit report mixed up with anyone else’s. I don’t worry about my name being on the no-fly list, unlike Eric’s stepbrother, who must always arrive at the airport early in order to explain to the TSA agent that he is NOT the James Davis with a criminal record.
I fared no better with my nickname, I’m afraid. Upon my triumphant arrival home from the hospital, my brother christened me with a nickname I later disliked. I was envious of Mike Zimmerman in high school who went by “Zim-zam.” How cool is that? Fortunately, my nickname has been forgotten over the years. No, don’t bother asking Eric what it is, because he is sworn to secrecy.
Names are given great weight in the Bible. God would sometimes provide instructions regarding names, conferring with them a role, title or trait. Isaac, John the Baptist and, of course, Jesus spring to mind. In other instances, God changed names to establish an identity, character or destiny. Notable examples would be the change from Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, and Simon to Peter.
Name changes are still a common practice. We frequently modify or append letters to them following a major change of status or event, such as marriage, adoption, or gaining a new citizenship, honor or qualification. Nicknames are given for achievements or characteristics, and their use generally connotes a close relationship or familiarity. Someone I knew once called Jesus’ nickname for James and John (sons of thunder) their WWE wrestling name. I like that.
The wonderful thing about our God is how intimately he knows each one of us. He knows our names and, I have no doubt, pronounces them perfectly! Not only that, he knows our thoughts, our feelings, our struggles, our joys, and even how many hairs we have on our heads. Psalm 139 bears ample testimony of this. Consider the following:
Verses 2-4: You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.
Verse 15:
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
And what does God do with this comprehensive knowledge of us? He lovingly provides us with what we need to sustain our life and our relationship with Him. He uses it to guide us in our journey through this treacherous world. This concept is beautifully illustrated in the image of Jesus as the Great Shepherd:
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep "Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." — John 10:1-3
As important as it is to us to be known by our name, it is even more important that we know and call upon the name of God. His promises to us if we do so are numerous. Joel 2:30 is repeated again in Romans 10:13:
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved...
Jesus himself instructed us to pray in His name, for through His sacrifice for us, God has granted Him supreme authority:
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." — John 14:12-14
How and what prayers are answered is a lengthy discussion for another day, but the main point is the name of Jesus is the key to entering into the presence of the Most High God.
Someday, when my journey is done and I see Jesus, I will find out what his nickname for me is. I’m sure it will be better than the one my brother gave me.
Click here to spend a few minutes in worship with the song, “He Knows My Name.”
Nina Kylstra. Member of the LifeWay body of Christ for 22 years. Wife of the lovable Eric Kylstra for 30 years. Life-long follower of Christ.