Making A Name For Yourself

The words we use for people and places assert our identity in the world.

- Marc Wilson

When I read that Victoria University of Wellington may change its name to avoid confusion with universities over-seas (more than 10 have “Victoria” in their titles), my initial reaction was not positive.

After seeing the argument laid out in reasonable detail, I’m not sure I can rationally fault it. My opposition is more emotional.

I work at the university, all my qualifications (and other guff people put on their walls with pride) have the Victoria University of Wellington crest and name on them. It is part of my personal identity and my social identity.

I don’t typically spend a lot of time thinking about the name of my employer, but it’s tightly locked into the mental picture I have of where I study and work, and who I am. Changing it then, is a wrench.