May 5, 1996 was the day my sister was born. Her name is Laura and my parents told me that as an only child, all that she wished for was a brother. By late 1999 early 2000 my sister being 3-4 years old (roughly), she enjoyed a Japanese Spanish dubbed cartoon called "Ruy, el pequeño cid".
Why am I telling you all of this non-sense?
Because the cartoon's protagonist's name was Ruy nicknamed "The Little Cid (translated), and this name along with the plot is inspired from the Spanish nobleman in the eleven century Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar who was a Castilian nobleman and military leader in medieval Spain. He was also called "El Cid" or simply by his name Rodrigo. The only difference is since this is a cartoon, the creators wanted the small children to relate to the protagonist thus made him "pequeno" (small), nonetheless they claim that the plot is inspired by Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar and his life as a nobleman. I would personally say the protagonist of this cartoon Reflects my identity because in the opening song of the cartoon, they describe Rodrigo as courageous, brave and a strong warrior helping his friends in need and be a kind and a nobleman... ;).
So then when I was born May 2nd 2000, my parents decided that as my first name (i'm not done yet), i would be named Rodrigo due to the cartoon character that my sister loved so deeply as a child.
(I hope she loves me like the cartoon character... hopefully)
As for my second name Ezequiel, the reason why I got it is self explanatory. My father's name is Ezequiel and my grandfather's name is Ezequiel as well. I guess he wanted to portray that the legacy kept going and the name of Ezequiel was being passed down from generation to generation. This reflects my identity as it would brand me implying that I am part of this legacy of Ezequiel's that could potentially start as a trend within the Oropeza family to name the next generation of boys Ezequiel. Even every time we go to a family gathering, the whole family wants to take a picture of me, my dad and my grandfather and we are known as "las tres generaciones" which translates to "the three generations".
My first last Name Oropeza, is given simply because that was my father's first last name. In Mexico it is traditional to give the child 2 first names and 2 last names, your father and mothers. For my mother's last name is Sanchez and the last name Sanchez reflects my identity by making my identity seem more Latino in general because the last name Sanchez is known to be a common last name among the south american and Mexican cultures.
So that pretty much the significance of my entire name, Rodrigo Ezequiel Oropeza Sanchez.
I'm happy to have read your blog post as it's very insightful on some of the traditions of naming children that I'm unfamiliar with. As your culture's customs are to include your mum and dad's family name while I simply get given my father's name. I liked how your family gave you a name off your sister's favorite tv show as it gives her more reason to care about you. Good job.
ReplyDeleteG'day Rodrigo
ReplyDeleteThis post was very insightful, Previously I thought naming your child from a television show was silly and meaningless. After reading your post I see that it is much more than that. It really showed how deep the bond between your sister and you is. I personally Agree with carrying on a legacy, which is what your father is doing. I feel it really connects with my family heritage of carrying a legacy, which is what my mother has done to me. I was wondering do you like you your name?
Hi Rodrigo, I really found your post interesting as it highlighted the context of your name. Me not knowing as well as you about your name, however, I do believe that your name can also be a translation of "He who is rich in glory". Just a thought to think about.
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