A Good Name

            As previously mentioned on my blog, my full name is Fleur Vande Kerckhove, however, I simply like to go by Fleur. Originally, some historians state that the name ‘Fleur’—French for “Flower”—was first introduced in 1922 as John Galsworthy (1869-1933) bestowed it as a character in the novel ‘The Forsyte Saga’ (1). However, others state that the name ‘Fleur’ may have derived earlier from France during the Middle Ages (5^th -15^th century) (2). It’s pronounced as Fluur in Dutch and French, and Flur or Flure in English. My last name ‘Vande Kerckhove’ has no specific known origin, however, it may refer to the village 'Kerkhove' (Avelgem, Belgium), traditional ‘church gardens’ or a ‘cemetery’ (‘Kerkhof’).

            During my mother’s pregnancy, she was advised to stay in the hospital for six months and as a result had plenty of time to brainstorm a name for her second child. During her stay at the hospital, my parents always watched a Dutch televisions series called ‘Westenwind’ (1999-2003), also known as the modernized Dutch version of 'Romeo & Juliet’. The series focused on the Earl and Noordermeer family, who both owned a shipyard in the port of Rotterdam. For years on end, the feuding families try to thwart each other, until Fleur Noordermeer starts a relationship with Marco Earl. Eventually, the star-crossed lovers ultimately reconcile their families as a whole. Fleur Noordermeer was a successful, intelligent, independent woman who knew what she wanted in life. These characters played as a role-model profile for my parents, as they were characters they hoped to see in me when I grew up. Initially, my mother was going to name me ‘Floor’ (a common Dutch name, a form of Florence). However, I’m very glad and thankful she changed her mind to Fleur as ‘Floor’ would create some major international misunderstandings, especially in English.

            The reason to why I have such a lengthy and complex name is due to a cultural tradition based on my family orientation. When I was born on November 16^th, there was a viergeslacht (“four blood bond”) relationship on my mother’s side of the family. This means that when a female baby is born, her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother are all alive within the same bloodline. While most Belgians generally decide to have children later in life, this circumstance is very rare and special in our country and culture. Therefore, as a tradition, the baby is given a name which consists of all members of the four blood bond along with a photograph in the local newspaper. In my full name (Fleur Elise Christiane Marie), ‘Elise’ is my great-grandmother's name (Elsa), ‘Christiane’ stands for my grandmother’s name, and ‘Marie’ stands for my mother (Mieke).  

I am very proud of my name as it has contributed to my identity today, through embracing the richness and uniqueness of my name's origin. As I’ve traveled to other countries and lived abroad for six years, I’ve come to realize the ‘Power of a Name’. My name is a present-day representation of how I personally perceive myself in the world today. As Theodore Roethke once said “deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light”; the uniqueness of my name amongst others has allowed me to embrace my personality as well as reminding myself of my accomplishments. My name is not only a portrayal of my culture and tradition, it is who I was in the past, who’ve I’ve developed to be, and who I will become in the future.

  Works Cited

(1)Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Fleur." Behind the Name. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
(2)"Fleur Name Meaning & Origin." Baby Name Wizard. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.