Why Did Obama Change His Name?

Newsweek:

Barry Obama decided that he didn't like his nickname. A few of his friends at Occidental College had already begun to call him Barack (his formal name), and he'd come to prefer that. The way his half sister, Maya, remembers it, Obama returned home at Christmas in 1980, and there he told his mother and grandparents: no more Barry. Obama recalls it slightly differently, but in the same basic time frame. He believes he told his mom he wanted to be called Barack when she visited him in New York the following summer. By both accounts, it seemed that the elder relatives were reluctant to embrace the change. Maya recalls that Obama's maternal grandparents, who had played a big role in raising him, continued long after that to call him by an affectionate nickname, "Bar." "Not just them, but my mom, too," says Obama.

Why did Obama make the conscious decision to take on his formal African name? His father was also Barack, and also Barry: he chose the nickname when he came to America from Kenya on a scholarship in 1959. His was a typical immigrant transition. Just as a Dutch woman named Hanneke might become Johanna, or a German named Matthias becomes Matt, the elder Barack wanted to fit in. America was a melting pot, and it was expected then that you melt--or at least smooth some of your more foreign edges.

Read the whole story: Newsweek

Comments

[sansego2000]

3primecube - it is the opposite. it is not a coward to want to be called by his name, especially in this highly racially divided country. I went through a very similar thing. My nick name is Nick. I was also called Nicky when I was small. People just start calling you these names and you get use to it. It had nothing to do with cowardess. Actually it was pride in my given name and putting away the child and become an adult. It didn't hurt that the ladies like my name.

[HumeSkeptic]

This is only a test.There is a lot of anger expressed against Pelosi and Reid for not stopping war funding. It is justified. I also was angry. The time to do it was right after the 2006 elections. But, accompanying that cutting of funding had to be an initiative to replace our military action with a coordinated international diplomatic initiative. Without it, Iraq situation could potentially become worse, at least for Iraqis

[mrdontplay]

This above all: to thine own self be true

[poeticjustice4all]

His name is not Barry! How dare anybody question the great and powerful Obama! His name is perfect! His choice of spiritual advisers is perfect. His choice to use drugs is not to be questioned or even mentioned! Obama is GOD!

[IslandGyal]

poeticjustice4all,

[Cunningham]

That amount of bitterness might be dangerous to your health.

[rubicon101]

man !! Barry Obamas supporters go complete barshit when someone says anything about their candidate...like for instance his cigarette habit or his indescretions with cocaine..it's like his supporters don't want the pure Barack to be tainted in any way regardless of what the truth is

[GeraldineFerraro]

Rubicon101, you are the most astute blogger on this website. We need Hillary leading this party and the nation. Her honesty and candor is unheard of in the American political discourse. In order to salvage the democratic party, she needs to nominate Sinbad as VP. A Clinton/Sinbad 2008 ticket would heal the divisions in our party and convince the Barry Obama supporters that Clinton/Sinbad is the only choice to win in November.

[ruscle]

Yawn. Is this news? Is there a story here that I'm missing? What's the point?

[Sneaky]

What he said...

[oracle99]

If you read his book ...some of his relatives in Kenya called him Barry, as his father was called. His white grandmother called him Bar. Please America read this book "Dreams from my Father" by Barack Obama and you will see how he grew up in a loving "white" home, and thus why he was so hurt when his white grandmother was afraid of a black man ....and why . It also tells how ostracized his mother was growing up in a racist Texas town, when she brought home a black friend from grade school. Read and understand.

[poeticjustice4all]

Buy his book! Buy his book! Barak -- oops, I mean BARACK -- explains it all. Just buy his book and you'll be enlightened.

[bdl0715]

Don't buy it, go to the library and borrow it, but read it. It would educate alot of the people who are always talking about something they know nothing about.

[IslandGyal]

I just bought both his books and CD set. I look forward to reading them.

[shaggles]

Asking to be called by your given name rather than some diminutive is not changing your name. It's very common in all ethnicities. If his name was William and he asked not to be called Billy would this be news? What a waste of time.

[unhipcat]

Where's the in-depth article on Adm. Fallon and why he resigned as the top commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East?

[wilburbudd]

WHY ARE YOU GUYS (Newsweek, et.al.) TRYING TO PICK GNAT SHIT OUT OF PEPPER???
You got nothing else to report on? How about McCain's "Spiritual Advisor" one Mr. ROD PARSLEY??? Come on, Newsweek; gives us some news we can use. And if you're incapable of that, at least give us some NEWS!!!
That's an order, son.

[not2commonsense]

This is like so many other articles being publised about Obama lately....a waste of space. It seems as if Clinton and her supporters are out of gas, and are trying their best to instill doubt in our minds that Obama is the best candidate for the job. Its a sad situation when you have to search for illigitimate dirt on your competition, rather than informing the public as to what would make us vote for you.... but thats politics for ya. Scrape up dirt on the opposing candidate to make people question their own judgement. This is yet another sad excuse for Obama bashing, just like the articles about his relationship/association with Rezko, and Rev. Wright. He has done an outstanding job at defending his position in each of those relationships, as Im sure he will put people in their place relating to this nonsense as well.
SaddieMccall.... Well stated! I completely agree

[Adelwolf]

I'm surprised to have found this coming from HuffPo. As many others have said, this is a non-issue, a non-abstract of an article. Disappointing - how many of us have given up a child-like nickname when we grew into a more adult world? Polling just the first page, I bet the answer is 'many, if not most.'

As a child, I too went by a diminutive (Jordi or Jordy); it was expedient for all those people who could not take the time or effort to try and learn how to spell and pronounce my full name. I grew, I matured. I grew out of Jordi, and finally embraced my full name, as it was given to me. 99% of the people I knew saw this, understood this, and picked up my new (original) monicker. The few who haven't, I forgive them their foibles.

[fyddlestyx]

I agree completely with Adelwolf. I suspect most of us have gone through a similar process. Can't Newsweek find more worthwhile things to write about?

[SaddieMcCall]

A bigger story should examine why some people chose to live by their nicknames instead of their given names, like Scooter Libby, or Mitt Romney.

My mother-in-law was called Elizabeth until her 30's, then went by Betty until her 60's, and then went by Liz. No in-depth investigation required.

I don't know many Barry's. There was the actor from the Brady Bunch, and Barry Goldwater.

I personally would have preferred the name Barack over Barry because in college it seems more studious, more inquisitive.

So does anyone really know if Rush is Limbaugh's given name?

[VivaZapata]

this reminds me of the kunta kinte vs. toby situation in ROOTS (only a lot less serious---thank progress).

[standforpeace]

What in the hell is this article about -- a little boy called Jimmy who grew up to be called by his given and more adult sounding name of James? I have a sister who I still know as Sandy but she is now called Sandra in her adult life. Maybe I should write a blog about this troubling inconsistency?

[Brooklynindy]

Exactly. It's such a non-newsworthy choice that so many kids have to make: Tommy or Thomas? Mikey or Michael? Suzie or Susan? Billy or William? Someone was lacking news and needed a filler for the weekend...

[Rog49Thomas]

One thing that hasn't been raised on this highly serious issue is the spelling of his first name as "Barack".

It should be "Barak"

There is no "ck" combination in Arabic.

Something pretty sinister has to be up here.

Forget 3AM phone calls, just by itself this extra "c" is enough to keep me up worrying the entire night.

You should be too!

[Shozen]

OH NO! The fact there is no ck combination in Arabic cuts against that argument that he's a closet Muslim. Dear o' Dear what will the Republican Attack machine do?

[bdl0715]

Actually, Barack is in the Old Testament, so it that would make it a Hebrew name, not Arabic.

[Sumocat]

Did anyone actually read the article? Admittedly, I didn't think it was very well written, but the core message is a description of how Obama grew up from his nickname of Barry to his given name Barack. It's pretty much as many of you have guessed, a change of maturity, but with backstory explaining the buildup to the change.