Names have immense power. Unfortunately, abusers understand this better than most. From the schoolyard bully to the tyrannical despot, abusers commonly utilize names to increase their power and push others down. Here are four ways abusers leverage names to empower themselves and demean or disenfranchise others:
1. Name Denial
Name denial occurs when an individual is not permitted to have or retain their own name. Withholding of names has been a long-standing form of subjugation, used throughout history to marginalize and "other" various groups to such extent that the United Nations has felt required to stipulate that every child has the right to receive a name at birth. Oppressive regimes and social structures have also forcibly and even systematically changed names to create and reinforce existing prejudices, especially to foment ethnic conflict, slavery, and systemic discrimination. On an interpersonal level, name denial can be a social power play when others refuse to acknowledge the name an individual is born with or prefers.
2. Mispronunciation
We all stumble over names from time to time, but mispronouncing someone’s name out of carelessness or spite is an abuse of power. Names often carry deep cultural significance, and mispronunciation can feel like a rejection of one's identity and one's heritage. Around the world, individuals from ethnic minorities face pressure to alter their names to fit into dominant cultures. Taking the time to learn and use correct pronunciations shows respect and recognition for the individual and their cultural background.
3. Misspelling
Typos happen to the best of us, but the implications of misspelling someone’s name can be much more serious. Imagine trying to navigate a legal system or a workplace where your name is consistently misspelled or disregarded. When laws, official documents and/or technologies fail to accommodate names—especially those with unique spellings or accents—individuals' identities are altered without their control. This experience can be disorienting and unproductive for all involved, requiring us to make sure that our systems and habits accommodate language diversity.
4. Stereotyping/Redefinition
We know what stereotyping looks like when it comes to race, gender or ethnicity. Name stereotyping works exactly the same: a core identity characteristic is redefined and used to perpetuate harmful stereotypes or reinforce negative perceptions about people with that characteristic. This is the most common form of name abuse and appears in everyday situations where individuals face ridicule or mockery based on their names. Such treatment can be deeply damaging, causing social sanction and loss of personal identity. Historically, name stereotyping has also been strategically used to oppress entire communities, in part by devaluing those communities and in part by training dominant groups to brush off stereotyping and "othering" as harmless jokes.
Consequences of Abuse of Power Related to Names
Name-based abuse can lead to serious consequences, both for individuals and society. Historically, research on name-based abuse has been limited, often focusing more on names as a symptom or expression of broader societal prejudices, rather than as a primary or causative agent. Existing studies also tend to emphasize the sociological and systemic consequences of name abuse, with less attention given to its psychological impact on individuals. But research is clear that name-based abuse of power is potent, commonplace, and often overlooked mechanism for subjugating entire groups and inflicting lasting harm on individuals - and warrants more escalated attention in the fight against identity-based prejudice.
In Summary
Names have incredible power. They bond us to society and seed our individuality. But in the hands of abusers, that much power is dangerous. Our best defense is to teach and understand the enormous power of names so that we can guard them with respect and care.