Alva Review-Courier -

In “Romeo and Juliet,” William Shakespeare asked the question: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

In European culture people in bygone eras often chose names for themselves and their relatives. Everyone in a family would share a “last” name that would be passed down to future generations.

When new babies would enter the family, they would be given first names to distinguish them from other family members.

Most people I know have two names in addition to their last name, usually referring to them as their “first” and “middle” names. Some people...