What's In A Name?

I have been posing this question to friends and co-workers for the last month or so. Is our identity created by the name we were given at birth? I continued on my quest today asking my co-worker and friend if she thought she would be different had her name not been Michelle. She thought about it and quickly responded with "of course, it would be fun to change my name, then I could assume a new persona". I asked if given the choice what would she change her name to? This is the question few can answer. She said she didn't know but she really liked the name Moxie, that if your name was Moxie you would have a lot of spunk. We then dove into a conversation of names for potential children (haha children, like I'll ever have one of those!).

I know had I given birth in high school my family would have been blessed with twin girls named Summer and Autumn, thank God that phase passed, I also moved through a period of loving Mitt (pre-Romney please) and am currently stuck on Asa and Greta. My boss grew up with Happy McIntosh and I had a friend in college whose sister was Reign Beau Dark (you can't make this stuff up). Do names like these create our personalities? Do people like Cash Warren have something to live up to?

As fate would have it, I began reading Freakonomics today, and there is a chapter of the book devoted to a topic much like this one, I'll update my thoughts on this as soon as I read the chapter Perfect Parenting, Part II; or: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?

Overall, I know that Ann was in serious consideration for my own name. I often think that if I were an Ann that I would be far more straight-laced, less creative and outspoken. Although my name isn't one I would have chosen I certianly don't know who else I'd be, kudos to my parents I'm glad they defined me this way.