Journal Prompt: Write About Your Name

Journal Prompt: Write About Your Name

Write about your name. Where does it come from? What does it mean?

My name is Aiden Dylan Kirchner, and well I chose my name. I had my name legally changed to that. 

Let's start with Aiden. I chose Aiden because I've always loved that name. I first heard the name Aiden from the show South Of Nowhere, a character on the show his name was Aiden. Aiden is derived from the Irish Aidan, meaning "fiery one." The name originated from the Celtic God of Sun and Fire, Aodh. On my Mom's side of the family they are of Irish Descent coming from Cork County Ireland so I wanted an Irish name.

I chose Dylan as my middle name because I am a Poet; a lover of Poetry, have always liked the works of Dylan Thomas and also because I used to watch 90210 when I was growing up and Dylan was my favorite character on the show. The name is a Welsh male given name. Meaning "son of the sea", "son of the wave", or "born from the ocean". Dylan ail Don was a character in Welsh mythology, but the popularity of Dylan as a given name in modern times arises from its use by poet Dylan Thomas. 

I chose Kirchner as my last name for a reason. You see, my Father was born Johann Kirchner born in Ulm, Germany and he was adopted by the Bean's who were stationed over in Germany in the United States Army and he than became Harvey Bean. I could have left my last name as Bean but there was another reason I chose to change it. In 2012 after many many years of searching for any relatives connected to my Father's birth family I finally found something. I had been searching for years for any of his relatives and found an adoption website and posted my father's information on there. Two people reached out to me through e-mail and I got in contact with them and discovered my dad did indeed have a brother, a sister, and two half brothers. The first person to reach out to me was my Uncle Hank's second wife, Marcie. The second person to reach out to me was my Cousin Paula (my dad's sister's daughter). I found out my dad has an older brother name Gerog Jr, a sister now named Erika (because she was adopted too), a half brother name Heinrich (he goes by Hank) and another brother but I don't remember his name. So Uncle Hank has 4 kids and we all got in contact and over the years I discovered how so very much alike we all are. You could definitely tell I was a Kirchner by blood through and through, there was denying that. So in 2016 when I changed my name I decided to take the Kirchner last name. It just fit me and fit who I am.