What's in a name

Since June was my birthday month, and one that involved some self-reflection and re-evaluation, I decided to explore my name a little more.  After all, our names are such an integral part of our lives. H. Edward Deluzain (on behindthename.com) argues that "the sense of personal identity and uniqueness that a name gives us is at the heart of why names interest us and why they are important to us as individuals and to our society as a whole". 

According to babycenter.com Nolan is “traditionally an Irish last name. In Gaelic…it means a descendant of a chariot fighter or champion. Other meanings are "famous" and "noble." (I guess I still have some work to do to live up to the famous part).  The name seems to have gained popularity over the last decade with ohbabynames.com stating that it is positioned in the top 100 lists of boy names in Canada and the US although it is “most popular per capita in France and Belgium.

I decided to compile a list of famous Nolans - or fictional characters with the first name.

Nolan Ross (played by Gabriel Mann on Revenge)
I took it as a compliment when friends mentioned that Nolan Ross, the computer hacker and Hamptons socialite on Revenge, reminded them of me – he was super smart, stylish and had some great one-liners in the show’s four season run.

Nolan Gould (Luke Dunphy on Modern Family)
This Nolan was born the year that I finished high school (yikes).  Audiences have come to love his mischievous streak and naivete as well as his close, and at times hilarious, relationship with his father, Phil.

Nolan Ryan (baseball player)
Since baseball is not a popular sport in South Africa, I had no idea who this famous Nolan was.  In the course of his career, spanning 27 years, he pitched for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers and is also an inductee of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Nolans (girl band)
I stumbled across a couple of their albums in my recent vinyl searches and discovered they were an Irish girl group made up of the sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Linda and Bernie.  Apparently Linda was nicknamed “Naughty Nolan” because of some “risqué” photos of that were released when she left the band to pursue a solo career (I like the sound of this Linda).  Their biggest hit was “I’m in the mood for dancing” and although I haven’t heard it, it sounds like a song I’d be into.

Nolan Miller (designer)
This Nolan was a fashion and jewelry designer who worked on Dynasty (for which he won an Emmy Award in 1984) and the spin-off, The Colbys.

Nolan (fictional character in the Leech Series by James Crawford)
Nolan is a character in a sci-fi series of books by James Crawford and lends his name to the title of the third book in the trilogy.  Nolan has lost his sight but has his own way of seeing things and also has incredible strength.  He is dedicated to protecting the protagonist of the series, Caleo, so that he is able to fulfill his destiny.  He also has feelings for Caleo beyond those of a protector or guardian.