In the mid-1800s, Texas rancher Samuel Augustus Maverick refused to brand his cattle. When neighboring cowboys came upon a calf without a brand, they called it a “maverick.” The word entered the English language and came to refer to a person who takes an independent stand and refuses to conform.

Other names have become words that describe a person’s character and behavior: Judas and Benedict Arnold both mean ‘traitor’. An Einstein is a genius, while a Solomon is a wise man.

Few of us will have our names become a part of the language, but they do signify who we are and how we have lived. Solomon said, “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot…He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known” (Proverbs 10:7-9).

If your name became a word in English, what would you want it to mean?

Tags: character, name