Growing up in a country that's both religious and multicultural often comes with a curious mind. You find yourself constantly wanting to know the ideas that shaped certain practices, the importance of your culture and the story behind one’s name. And when you finally learn these things, something about your perspective changes.
For me, I grew up mostly around christians and traditionalists. Even though their beliefs rarely aligned, something they had in common was the significance they tied to names. To them, names weren't simply labels given to kids or oneself because they sounded cute. They believed names should be a unique identity that reflects a defining story of one’s life journey, whether before birth or later in life.
So whenever I heard people’s names, I always wanted to know the backstory.
What does it mean? Was your family going through a difficult time before your birth? Did you become the good-luck charm after you arrived? Or did a turning point in your life make you change your name?
I asked these questions often, especially because most people who lived around me bore indigenous names. Even the christians gave themselves or their children at least one of such names. Sometimes, you had to get the translation to understand its meaning, which was a reminder of how diverse the country is.
Interestingly, this way of naming has influenced how people coin their nicknames and usernames today. Some sound deep and intellectual, while others sound fun and puzzling. But in the end, they all reflect something about the person: their traits, story, or a sense of identity.
HOW I CHOSE MY USERNAME
I started out as that kid who was known only by her first and last name. This usually meant that I had no native name(which was a bit unusual at the time). But surprisingly, I did have one; it just never made it to my official documents. It didn’t mean much to me until after high school, when I started using social media actively and wanted a unique username.
I tried a few times but I never came up with anything creative until 2021. Then, one day, I was just sitting and staring into space, letting my mind wander, and voilà! My username came to me.
IF YOU WERE WONDERING...
My username "Yechee" is a shortened(absolutely cool) form of my real indigenous name, which broadly means - a person guided by a God. All I did to piece it together was omit the first two syllables and repurpose the other half, with the addition of more vowels. This rework makes it look different on paper. But the fun part? It sounds exactly like my real name: same pronunciation, same feel but just a little sleeker.
And every time someone compliments me for being a creative genius for coming up with it, I honestly feel on top of the world!🥰
IF I COULD CHANGE MY USERNAME
It would be “little wallflower" because it speaks so well to my personality.
I’m introverted, though I occasionally exhibit some level of extrovertedness. I love being the one who stands out in a crowd. This doesn't happen by will, but by nature. I’m never too much of anything. Not too loud, not too cheesy, and definitely not too dramatic (unless I’m in my private space, of course🙃).
I also like to observe things from the sidelines and I’m that thoughtful, sometimes quiet friend or individual who's capable of supporting people from a distance without feeling the need to cross boundaries. So yes, I share many traits of a wallflower.
When you add the fact that I’m petite, you’ll probably see why the name fits perfectly! Proof that usernames truly do carry stories, we just have to listen closely enough to hear the tales.
MY FIVE NOMINATIONS:
I nominated y'all because each one of you has a unique username that I'll love to know its origin. So if you would like to share the story about yours, I'll be more than happy to read so we can learn more about each other.
You can find more details about this challenge here. It's a guide to help you participate, if the idea of this challenge appeals to you.
Many thanks to 
All photos featured in this post are mine. When they're not, I make sure to credit the source.