Given Name

Vibe Check: Tin Hats On | Featuring Dr. Leatra What happens when two women who love a good conversation start connecting the dots between names, identity, perception, and finding their voices? This week on Given Name , Dr. Shanae sits down with Dr. Leatra, whose name honors her father; even if her mother wasn't interested in his suggestion to add an H! What begins as a conversation about names...

Welcome to Season 5!! Bryanas on a plane. Same name, same row. Bryana was on a flight the week we met, seated with two other Bryanas. Her dad chose her first name, and while the spelling is simple, the pronunciation never is. Bry-anna or Brie-Anne-uh? She chose Bryana, like piranha, and never Brie. She talks about her early identity search with a common name, how she now stands firmly in it, and w...

What happens when an ordinary name becomes a cultural stereotype? In the Season 4 finale of Given Name , Dr. Shanae revisits conversations with Karen McFarlane and Karen Schulman Dupuis, also known as KSD. Their stories explore race, identity, hiring bias, family history, humor, and the complicated distance between who we are and what others assume about us. The Sociology of Karen is not about def...

Karen (@KarenSD) knows exactly what people mean when they say “a Karen.” She also knows they’re not talking about her. 😂 This week, I sit down with Karen—also known as KSD , a nickname she picked up when two Karens worked in the same office and somebody needed a way to tell them apart. What follows feels a little like a comedy sketch and a lot like good conversation. We talk about how Karen’s nam...

Follow @Given. Name. Podcast on IG, TT, & Threads Karen (@karenrunsthings) McFarlane's father chose her name on purpose. He wanted her to have less friction in the world than an ethnic name would bring. It worked. Mostly. Karen is Jamaican, a marketing professional, podcast host of The E Word, and the voice behind the LinkedIn newsletter Better on Purpose . Her name means pure. And she car...

( The whole episode is worth it. But find 41:41.) Shauntelle's first name is my middle name. Her middle name is my first name, spelled differently. We are name dopplegangers and this conversation felt like it. She grew up in Arkansas as the only Shauntelle in a sea of Channels and C/Shantels, with a name spelled exactly as it sounds. Her name means stone. Strength. Rock. And once we started pu...

Ifoma Genevieve is back! The conversation continues with the same warmth, laughter, and curiosity that made Part One so special. Together, we explore the perceptions people have of our names, what it means to carry a certain energy into every room we enter, and how identity is communicated long before we introduce ourselves. Ifoma also shares what it's been like living in South Korea, where she's...

Some conversations feel less like interviews and more like taking a walk with someone. That's exactly what this one was. This week, Ifoma Genevieve (@ifomagenevive) joined me for a thoughtful, honest conversation about identity, family, and the stories our names carry. We laughed, reflected, asked big questions, and even admitted that we're "travel buddies" on this journey of becoming who we are....

What does it mean to answer to more than one name? On Given Name , sociologist Dr. Shanae explores identity through the stories behind our names, discovering how culture, family, and community shape the people we become. This week, Dr. Shanae sits down with Demetrius (@afreshmusic), a South Side Chicago native, for a conversation that's equal parts thoughtful and hilarious. Together, they expl...

*Keep up with Given Name Podcast on socials ⁠@awkward_phd ⁠ on ig, threads, and TikTok, and ⁠Given Name Podcast⁠ on FB* Saria's name means princess and laughter. She'll tell you she's always been both. In this episode, I sit down with Saria (@SariatheCEO), founder of Manifest Your Purpose, to talk about a name rooted in Genesis, a marriage that introduced her to a language where her na...

On Given Name , sociologist Dr. Shanae explores identity through the stories behind our names. In this episode, Dr. Shanae sits down with Dra. CarolLaine M. Garcia to explore the relationship between names, identity, and decolonization. Together, they discuss the meaning of CarolLaine's name, the significance of spelling and pronunciation, numerology, values, and how reclaiming a name can beco...

⚠️ A quick note before you listen: The audio quality in this episode isn't my favorite. Sometimes meaningful conversations happen outside of perfect recording conditions, and this was one I couldn't leave on the cutting room floor. I hope you'll stay with us, Pilar's story is worth hearing. What can a name reveal about the life someone builds? On Given Name , sociologist Dr. Shanae...

Some names tell one story. Others carry generations. La'Vonne (@keystoujours) joins me to talk about family, Baltimore, the DMV, Howard University, artistry, motherhood, and preparing to name her child. What began as a conversation about her name became a beautiful reminder that our identities are shaped long before we're born and continue long after we're gone. For the full two-hour c...

Jamaican naming traditions, family nicknames, financial legacy, and the power of intention all come together in this conversation with Dr. Severine " Dr. Sev. " We explore how names change across countries and cultures, why she believes naming a child is never about the parent, and how her work empowering women through financial education reflects the same care, stewardship, and legacy t...

What happens when your application is rejected before a human being ever sees it? In this special episode, Dr. Shanae Shantel examines Mobley v. Workday , a case challenging whether a technology vendor can be held accountable when its automated hiring tools allegedly disadvantage applicants based on protected characteristics. Through the experiences of Derek Mobley, Shanae explores the system bene...

In this episode, Dr. Eghosa Obaizamomwan-Hamilton (@teach.love on IG) reflects on the meaning of her Nigerian name, "God's timing," and how that meaning has shaped the way she understands both joy and grief. Together, we explore culture, family, naming traditions, sociology, and the stories that names preserve across generations. From Americanized names to inherited traditions, from...

Amber J. Adams (@amberjadams) joins me for a conversation about names, fashion, family, and the many ways we communicate who we are without saying a word. While my work begins with names and Amber’s begins with fashion, we quickly realized we were asking many of the same questions about identity, expression, and the stories people tell before they’re ever spoken. Amber reflects on the story behind...

Andromeda has never been interested in making her name easier for other people. She doesn’t accept nicknames, she expects people to say it correctly, and she embraces the story that comes with carrying such a distinctive name. In this episode, we talk about the mystery of who first chose her name, its connection to Greek mythology, and the assumptions people make before they ever meet her. We also...

You can find the full episode on Patreon! Eryn's (@_cerelle_) name was built to make people pause. An androgynous first name paired with a racially ambiguous combination of first and last names meant her parents weren't leaving first impressions to chance. In this episode, Eryn shares the stories behind her first, middle, and last names, including a naming compromise between her parents an...

Enjoy this full episode! It's too good to miss! Kennimarie Bell (@KayBeeJokes) has a name that's hard to forget — and even harder to shorten, though people try. All one word. No spaces. No hyphen. No M. And still, most people call her Kenni or KB. In this episode, we start with her name and end up somewhere much bigger: family, comedy, caregiving, health equity, and what it means to carry...

Depending on who’s calling, she might be Chris, Chrissy, or Christian. Each name represents a different relationship, a different expectation, and sometimes a different version of herself. In this episode, Chrissy of ( @PhillyExperiences ) reflects on growing up with a traditionally male first name, the journey to embracing the name she prefers, and the ways names can shape how we move through the...

Some names make people curious. Christiani is one of them. In this episode, I sit down with Christiani (@_christianinix_), a New Orleans native, producer, and television and film professional whose name has sparked questions and assumptions for years. From people assuming she’s Italian to navigating spaces where her name stands out, Christiani shares the stories, laughter, and experiences that hav...

Kyler Nathan IV ( @thefourthtyler ) comes from four generations of Kylers. In this episode, we talk about lineage, namesakes, masculinity, and the strange intimacy of sharing one name across generations. As a cognitive science scholar and social scientist, Kyler reflects on identity, memory, and what it means to inherit more than a name. If you'd like to hear more of this episode visit my Patr...

Naashon and I ended up having a really meaningful conversation about sickle cell, the stereotypes surrounding it, and the work still being done to support families and communities affected by it. I wanted to share part of that conversation publicly because it felt important. 🤎 More bonus conversations are available on Patreon .

Some names sound different at home. In this episode, Naashon (@KingsHomage) reflects on being raised in the Rastafarian tradition, the way her father pronounces her name, and what it means to carry culture through family, stories, and intentional living. A bookseller, mother, and keeper of stories, Naashon reminds us that identity is often preserved in the quietest ways. To listen to the full epis...