---
title: "\"What's in a Name?\""
date: 2025-09-16T06:48:00-05:00
author: Jennifer Vermeer
canonical_url: "https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/whats-in-a-name"
section: In All Things
---
[ View All Articles](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things) 

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 Sep 16, 2025 

# "What's in a Name?"

How do our naming practices reflect deeper truths about who we are, how we are perceived, and who we are called to be?

 

     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-whats-in-name.jpg?mode=crop&pos=0.6835-0.5574&w=66&h=57&f=webp&c=04848928&v=7fb9676d01d0a50019dff857d34dbda30c60f93a31887fdb8d3467ff49c37401)   

 

 ![]() 

       ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-street-name.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=40&h=25&c=29989d78&v=178bc9c34704786a93782c3a8aa99a53a5e7d94385be323b4a56ac249b686156)  ## "What's in a Name?"

What do our names reveal about our understanding of the world and our role within it?

 

  [### Life, Name, Identity

Naming is a recognition of the life of another being. It calls us into intimate knowledge and a relationship shaped by wonder.

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/life-name-identity)  

  [### The Dangers of (Mis)Reading: Tolkien, Naming, and Abstraction

How might detaching words and names from their context blind us to the complexity of the stories and truths they once conveyed?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/the-dangers-of-misreading-tolkien-naming-and-abstraction)  

  [### Naming the Church: Expressions of Belonging and Belief Through the Centuries

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/naming-the-church-expressions-of-belonging-and-belief-through-the-centuries)  

  [### Naming Chemicals: From Fear to Flourishing

What do we lose when we treat scientific names as barriers rather than opportunities to better understand the world around us?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/naming-chemicals-from-fear-to-flourishing)  

  [### Called by a New Name: Naming, Power, and Possibility

At its best, naming uncovers truth and recognizes the uniqueness of creation. But what happens when sin distorts our perception—turning naming into a means of control?

 Learn More  

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/called-by-a-new-name-naming-power-and-possibility)  

 

 

---

  [Previous Article

     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-life-design.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=ecac933b&v=a6cc6db3c8e58e3fa21cd8bde9844a115e0e2b6c87bcea6fb752ae0c0c867557)   Series 

 Oct 07, 2025 

## Life Designed: Living in Awe of God’s Extraordinary Design

God’s intentional design shapes every detail of our lives, infusing the ordinary with meaning and purpose. How can we recognize His hand in the rhythms of our daily lives?

Read More

 

 

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/life-designed-living-in-awe-of-gods-extraordinary-design)  [Next Article

     ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/iat-defining-creativity.jpg?mode=crop&pos=0.5-0.3936&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=ccf17745&v=4c5e449a9b5dbc8493b79c46fd8883f0e041e90a51fcf30b11f4a57b4a4aa521)   Series 

 Aug 19, 2025 

## Defining Creativity

The ability to create infuses our lives with depth and purpose, but what does it mean to be creative?

Read More

 

 

 ](https://www.dordt.edu/in-all-things/defining-creativity)  [  ![]() ## In All Things

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