Celebrate Your Name Week!

Celebrate Your Name Week runs Sunday through Saturday each first full week of March. This year, it's March 1-7! Here are suggested activities: 

Sunday, March 1 - Namesake Day: Today, explore where you got your name and if you were named after a particular person, place, etc. Ask a parent or relative what they remember and how they may have made a decision. Plus, try using Google (or another search engine) to see if there are other people with the same name as yours! How are they similar and differnt than you? 

Monday, March 2 - Fun Facts Day: Celebrate names today by discovering fun facts about names. Visit CYNW founder Jerry Hill's exhaustive archived "Name fun facts..." for fun lists and muse philosophical aspects at the Museum of Names.) What other facts can you find out on the Internet or at a library? 

Tuesday, March 3 - The Wide World of Names Day: This is a day to notice and appreciate the wonderful variety of names in the world. Do you have friends, acquaintances or loved ones with names that seems unusual to you? Are those names common in another location or culture, or truly unique? Names are often associated with specific cultures and places. Can you identify names commonly associated with your location or culture? 

Wednesday, March 4 - Learn What Your Name Means Day: Many names have meanings rooted in ancient languages.  There are many online sites, like www.behindthename.com, that can help you discover the linguistic roots of your name. Visit and consider how that meaning may feel relevant - or not - to you and your life.

Thursday, March 5 - Nametag Day: Ever thought about how names welcome new friendships? Today, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, if it's safe, wear a "Hello, I’m [your name here]" nametag. In a playful mood? Rename yourself for the day - try what it's like to wear a name that's not your own! 

Friday, March 6 - Middle Name Pride Day: Today’s middle name celebration requires honesty and boldness. Tell three people who don’t already know what your middle name is! Do you have a middle name - or more than one? Does everyone you know have one? Throughout the world, names follow all different patterns - some people even officially have only one name. How many names do you have? 

Saturday, March 7 - Genealogy Day: Join in on one of the world’s fastest growing hobbies and celebrate names at the same time. How does your name connect you to your family and ancestors? What happens when you enter your name at Ancestry.com?