Just A Name?

21. January 2009 by admin.

 Little blond-haired, blue-eyed Campbell celebrated his third birthday last month.  Like most children, his party plans included a cake from ShopRite, complete with his full name on it.  However, ShopRite refused to fulfill the order because little Campbell’s name, as it turned out, was “Adolf Hitler Campbell.”  ShopRite wanted no association with the name.  Little Campbell’s father, defending his son’s naming, says he simply likes the name. 

Heath Campbell is of German decent and wants to honor his heritage.  He also knows that his son’s name makes him unique; no one else would name their child Adolf Hitler.  “Besides,” in his words, “they’re just names, you know . . .  yea, the Nazis were bad people then.  But my kids are little.  They’re not going to grow up like that.”  Sure, and he denies the historicity of the Holocaust, proudly wears boots worn by German soldiers, and decorates his house with swastikas.  Little Campbell has two sisters, one of whom is named for the Nazi leader, Heinrich Himmler.  They won’t grow up like that?  Hmmm.  Does the name matter? 

According to Campbell’s father, the name means nothing.  It’s just a name.  However, by his own admission, he claims that his son’s name does stir a reaction; people are shocked when they hear his son’s full name.  How can a name remain neutral when it carries so much baggage with it?  It can’t.  Names do mean something. 

Naming a child is a window into the parents’ soul.  My parents named us boys with Bible first names and family names for the middle; my older brother is David, and I was named appropriately to be his best friend.  Deanna’s first name is an extension of my dad’s first name, and her middle name was named for the memory of our best friends daughter.  Cile and I decided that we’d name our children family names, so we continue to connect Taylor, Jonathan, and Matthew’s name to the best virtues of their namesake.   

Names in the Bible meant something.  Adam named his wife, Eve, because her name is etymologically connected to role of motherhood (Gen. 3:20).  When Saul gave his life to Jesus, he changed his name to Paul, thus reflecting a change in his life as well as his Gentile mission (Acts 13:9,13).  In a reoccurring theme, God promised to put his Name in Israel as a dwelling (Deut. 12:5).  In the Bible, names are never given without significance forethought to the meaning behind the name.  Names meant something. 

So Heath Campbell names his son Adolf Hitler, and wants us to celebrate, or at least accept it.  Forget it! Good for ShopRite in refusing to make the cake.  Last week, New Jersey authorities removed Heath Campbell’s children from their home.  With no reports of abuse, some believe that they were removed because of the children’s names.  Authorities may fear that eventually they will be targeted by bullies.  Also, an unpopular first name is one factor that leads to behavioral problems in grade school and even juvenile delinquency.  So,  I guess it’s not just a name, is it?      

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