Kenan Adams

Lynn Raymond

10/2/17

My Name and Me

Names and naming practice differ greatly from one culture to the next. Being from the

south, names and the practices associated with them are straight forward. The last name is passed

down from the males family and given the female being married. It is also common for the

female to keep their last name, especially in a working environment such as a teaching position

or an executives office. I feel that as a man in southern society carrying on your last name for

your family line is essential. Personally, I feel pressure to find someone to carry on my family

name, which is something I hold to the highest standard. That is another big aspect in southern

families is keeping your family name clean and respectable. In close knit communities people

talk about the local events and happenings often, so I believe that is where the ideology of

keeping your family name clean started from. As far as middle names go, it is also common to

give your kids a middle name that an older relative or family member had. It is a way of showing

respect to your ancestors in a way.

As far as my name goes, my dad never really told me the exact true reason he named me

Kenan. He always said that it was in part due to the Kenan Stadium at chapel hill, since my dad

is tar heel born and bred. All I know is that my dad always wanted a son named Kenan, so here I

am. I believe that the spelling from Kenan stadium is attributed to the spelling of my name. Most

people named Kenan I have met have spelled it Keenan. My middle name is that same as my dad

and grandpas, so there is the respect thing being passed down the family. Our last name Adams
goes very far back to before the civil war. I believe that our family has never changed our last

name, since it is a very common last name. It is one of the most significant aspects of my family,

since the Adams have been in Holly Springs since it was formed.