WRITING THE RIGHT:What’s in an Armenian name?

When my cousin announced she was going to give her adopted son an Armenian name that dates back centuries, every member of her immediate and extended family wondered what she was thinking.

She consulted an Armenian book of names and found the name Hrad, pronounced hu-rod. None of us had ever heard of the name.

When she settled on the name many expressed concern as to how non-Armenians would be able to pronounce her son’s name. That didn’t seem to matter to her.

When her second child was born, she chose an even more obscure and difficult Armenian name. She picked the name Goryune, pronounced gor-e-yoon, for her son. The name literally means “cub” or, more specifically, “lion cub.” It is not a common name today and it goes back centuries.

Once again, everybody asked her how others would be able to remember, let alone pronounce, the child’s name.

So far, there have been no problems with any of the names. Her eldest, 6-year-old Hrad, attends a private Armenian school where academic instruction is primarily in Armenian, while 1-year-old Goryune is still a ways from starting school.

But everyone in the family is still wondering how others in our culturally diverse community will respond to the names.

My cousin refused to give her children names that are convenient for the majority. Although some Armenian parents are still giving their children Armenian names, many are choosing American or other non-Armenian names.

Gone are the days when one out of four boys’ were named Armen or Ara — two very typical Armenian names. Even the popular girls’ names, Ani and Anahid, are becoming a thing of the past.

More and more Armenian parents are choosing names like Brian, Christopher, Lisa, Erin, Brandon and Roderick

A non-Armenian name combined with a long, 13-letter traditional Armenian last name with an “ian” or “yan” suffix is the end result.

Certain names are also chosen because they are popular in society. Back in the ‘80s in Glendale, the two most common names among Armenian girls were Jennifer and Tiffany.

My cousin chose the names that she did for her two children not because they are uncommon or unique.

She picked them because she wanted her children to be identified as Armenian and be proud of who they are.

That isn’t to say that parents who don’t choose Armenian names for their children don’t want them to identify or to be proud of their culture.

But for many parents, names are chosen because they are popular or sound pretty, not because they necessarily distinguish a culture or have a significant meaning.

Whatever the reason for birth names, last names are a clear indication of cultural identity and nationality.

Last names, especially for Armenians, are a dead giveaway.