The story behind some of Bellaire’s most unique student names

When it comes to the pronunciation of his name, junior Irgen Soeriawinata has heard no shortage of variations.

“I’ve been called ‘Injen’ or ‘Ingrid’ multiple times by subs,” Soeriawinata said. “Which I don’t get because I don’t know how they get an ‘n’ from my name.”

However, despite teachers and students mispronouncing his name, Soeriawinata only corrects certain people.

“It depends on the person,” Soeriawinata said. “I don’t bother correcting subs or fast food cashiers but if my actual teacher or person my age does, I correct them.”

Among the 3,320 students who attend Bellaire, there are unique names with interesting origins and pronunciations. 

Origin of Their Names

According to BBC News, from the Bible to World War I, the inspiration behind a baby’s name can be quite unique. 

Junior Genesis LutherPagoada’s name was inspired by her family’s religion.

The “Luther” and “Pagoada” in LutherPagoada’s last name comes from her Honduran father and mother. LutherPagoada was born to Honduran parents in Brooklyn, where she was raised.

LutherPagoada was named after the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis.

“When I was younger, we were pretty religious because we would go to Church every Sunday,” LutherPagoada said. “But I wouldn’t consider us to be too religious anymore. We do still believe in God, but we don’t go to church or pray before meals; however, Christianity will always remain within us.”

LutherPagoada’s devotion to Christianity stems from her mother, who was also inspired by her mother. LutherPagoada’s name stems from her mother’s faithfulness and devotion to Christianity.

“I think my mom named me ‘Genesis’ because as she was growing up, her grandma would take her to church five to six days out of the week,” LutherPagoada said. “She was in a Christian school all her life. So Christianity played a big role in her life as she was growing up.”

For Irgen, his parents wanted his name to symbolize his heritage. His last name, Soeriawinata, is of Indonesian origin. His first name means “spring” as in a spring where one can get pure water, and it is of Norwegian/Swedish descent. Unlike his last name, his first name represents his homeland differently.

“My parents wanted my name to begin with the letter ‘I’ because they wanted my name to begin with the same first letter as Indonesia,” Soeriawinata said. “They are very proud of their nationality. They also wanted to give me a very unique name that no one had. So basically they didn’t name me Irgen because of the name’s meaning, but more because it was unique.”

Do They Like Their Names?

According to Redbook, names with unusual origins and complex pronunciations might be the object of hate for both the owner and the people around them.

Bellaire students may be more inclined to have a simpler name so they avoid standing out from everybody else. However, there is also a chance that they might grow to appreciate its singularity.

“I think it’s cool that I have a name no one else has,” Soeriawinata said. “I think it makes me more memorable to other people, but at the same time it’s pretty annoying when most people can’t pronounce my name correctly.”

On the other hand, LutherPagoada had a harder time accepting her name’s individuality.

“I didn’t really like my name when I was younger,” LutherPagoada said. “All of my friends had such common names so I always wondered why mine was so different. Ultimately, I grew to like it as I got older and wiser because it has such a beautiful meaning behind it.”

LutherPagoada has gotten used to her name and has nicknames for certain people.

“My family calls me Gelle,” LutherPagoada said. “But my friends call me Gen or just Genesis. From my family, I prefer Gelle because I’m just so used to it, that calling me Genesis sounds weird coming from them. But I don’t mind if my friends call me Gen or Genesis!”

What They Would Name Their Children

Soeriawinata and LutherPagoada have had different experiences with their distinctive names. Because of that, they have often thought about what names they would each give their children someday. 

LutherPagoada wants something partially unique for her children’s names.

“Probably not something super unique, but not super common,” LutherPagoada said. “Like Mateo or Jackeline.”

Soeriawinata wants to name his children a name that is special, but readable.

“I would give them a unique name, but like have it still be pretty easily pronounceable,” Soeriawinata said. “Because having a common name like Michael or Alex is boring and makes you more forgettable. Kyler and Kiran are pretty cool.”

Advice for Others Struggling With Their Unique Name

For students and staff who are ashamed of their given names, LutherPagoada believes that people should embrace their exceptional name. “People should know that every name was chosen and made with love,” LutherPagoada said. “So we should all appreciate our names because they symbolize us as unique human beings.”