(2) The meaning of my name
1985 – 1986. Age Two.
Until I hit 30, I didn’t like my name.
I thought Stephen was common and boring. That was until I embraced the fact it was also the name of the first Christian martyr.
Something about that historical fact gives me great pleasure though I can’t really explain why.
I’d known about the martyr Stephen when I was a child, but perhaps it was because at 30 I became a Christian and it therefore held greater significance for me…
In 2016, I did research into my name and found out what it means.
My first name Stephen means Crown.
My second name Leslie is from a Scottish surname, which was derived from the Gaelic leas celyn meaning ‘garden of holly.’
I received Stephen from my mother’s maiden name ‘Stephens,’ and Leslie from my father’s middle name.
The two potential alternatives to my first name were Christopher and Charles; hence, the protagonist’s name in my novel The Paradise Induction.
Message from Jesus – “Be a child.”
Message from the World – “Adapt, learn, and survive.”
Leave a Comment