That's My Name

In this episode, August discusses how he chose his name, August, why the month of August is so important to him, and his experiences coming out as trans to 100k TikTok fans. August Rocha is a Chinese-American, disabled, transgender speaker, writer, and TikTok content creator with over 100K followers. He focuses on his lived experiences as a person with many interesting identities. This episode cel...

In this episode, host Maya speaks with Glenn Lutz about the journey he's had with his name, the different names he's gone by which have reflected different periods of his life, how his name has been tied to religion, and Glenn's experiences with his mental health. Glenn Lutz is an author and conceptual artist living and working on the island of O'ahu, Hawai'i. His practice spans photography, sculp...

In this episode, learn more about Zimbabwean naming traditions, specifically focused on the Shona tribe. Tino Chakadonha is a senior account manager at Veritone - an Enteprise AI company. His professional interest lies at the intersection of technology and humanity. As a British-Zimbabwean, Tino has experienced the introspection that comes from feeling that you don't quite belong anywhere and the...

Aira Gonzales moved to the UK when she was 7 and since starting school, her name has always been something she's been hyper aware of. Whether it’s a teacher assuming she was Spanish because of her last name and greeting her in Spanish, her name warranting a pause during the register because the teacher was unsure of how to pronounce it, and the name being mispronounced or spelled wrong despite it...

This episode explores Greg Bunbury's complex and intricate relationship with his name and its links with the transatlantic slave trade and his work within the DE&I space. Greg Bunbury is a Graphic Designer, Creative Consultant and D&I consultant. His mission is to change the world by design, enabling purpose-driven businesses and organisations to connect with diverse communities, through c...

In this episode, listen to WuQing Hipsh share her story of how she chose to be known by her birth name, WuQing, aged just 2.5 years old, after being adopted from China as a baby, growing up in New York, the meanings behind her names, and the history behind her surname, Hipsh.

In this episode, listen to Masruba Tasnim, Inclusive Leadership and Talent Consultant, share experiences with shortening her name to just one syllable to accommodate others, the meaning of her names and the story behind why she doesn't share her surname with the rest of her family. Masruba's experience spans across the private, not-for-profit and public sectors. She has extensive experience in D&a...

Listen to GoldTooth reflect on his birth name, Tamil naming traditions and how he came up with his DJ name. GoldTooth is a British-Tamil producer, selector & curator hailing from South London. Having spent his formative years listening to the sounds of Tempa, DMZ, Metalheadz, Lord Of The Mics, Eskimo Dance, Hessle Audio & Boy Better Know, to name a few, he has grown to become a master purveyor of...

Gesu Antonio Baez is an International Politics Advisor and Public Affairs Consultant based in London. He's the Chief Political Advisor at Pax Tecum Global Consultancy , a firm focused on helping businesses engage with local governments to promote their business which leads to greater social impact. As a foreign affairs expert, he's appeared on multiple media outlets and given high profile talks co...

In this International Women's Day 2022 special (pt2), Ana, Florence and Winnie discuss their decisions to take their husbands' surname when they got married, or not. While the episode focuses mainly on heterosexual marriages, That's My Name would be interested in exploring the experiences of same sex and non binary marriages, and how names are considered. Winnie Annan-Forson is an award-winning Vi...

In this International Women's Day 2022 special (pt1), Caitlin and Maya discuss the British tradition of women taking their husband's surname when they get married. The episode also covers different rules about surnames after getting married in different countries, and Caitlin's own perspectives of the tradition. While the episode focuses mainly on heterosexual marriage conventions, it includes som...

Tino Chakadonha is a senior account manager at Veritone - an Enteprise AI company. His professional interest lies at the intersection of technology and humanity. As a British-Zimbabwean, Tino has experienced the introspection that comes from feeling that you don't quite belong anywhere and the advantages/disadvantages that come with that, day to day and long term. Today’s discussion involves Tino...

Cynthia Tze Keng Ko is ethnically Chinese but born and raised in the Netherlands. Her family comes from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia. She's faced discrimination from a very young age which made her struggle with her mental health. Seeking to create a social impact and explore her own identity as an ethnic minority woman who lives with chronic depression, she moved to London and worked as a co...

Yerin was born in Seoul, South Korea but has lived abroad most of her life. She currently works as a Market Analyst at a B2B agriculture platform called Tridge, based in her home of Korea. Yerin is able to use her international background and multicultural exposure to cross-communicate with both fellow Tridgers and clients across 45+ countries. Today’s discussion involves Yerin sharing her story a...

Nikki is a life learner, Diversity & Inclusion enthusiast with a love for long walks and yoga. Her passions include writing, storytelling as well as realising and releasing potential in herself and others through reflection, coaching and mentoring. In this episode, Nikki shares her experiences of insidious racism growing up in London, brought to life by openly discussing her story about a name she...

Mia Gwynne-Smith was raised between Brighton and North London, and currently lives in Elephant & Castle. She's in her final year of training at King's College London to become a midwife. In this episode, Mia shares her experiences with soon-to-be and new parents choosing baby names as she has been close to hundreds of expectant parents making decisions around names. Mia also shares some wisdom aro...

DeLisha is an author, writer, and social change agent. DeLisha received her master's degree in Organizational Management at Ashford University, where she focused her attention on Leadership and Media Management. During this time, she began using her knowledge within the #SayHerName movement to help others become a catalyst for change. With a focal point of Black women, she believes that “Black wom...

Toni Kent is a professional speaker, compere and stand up with a specific focus on social mobility. Using her own journey as a rich seam of material and humour as a means to diffuse what can be a tricky topic, Toni’s performed for audiences that range from corporate insurers and tech firms to local hospices and hundreds of Women’s Institute members. In today's episode, Toni discusses how her name...

Sho is a LinkedIn Top Voice for Job Search & Careers and the founder of his career coaching & training company, Workhap. He has helped thousands get hired with the best companies in the world and his work has been featured in HR Magazine, Jumpstart Media, and Pixl Media. In today’s minisode, Sho discusses his experiences of being asked if he has an English name by a client and being asked...

This episode covers Princess' experiences with having a unique name, only discovering her first name during secondary school, and altering her name during job applications. It also explores the meaning of Princess' full name and touches on Ghanaian naming traditions.

Dominiq Oti is a Ghanaian Briton currently studying at Yale. This episode explores Ghanaian naming traditions, the meanings behind Dominiq's names, how names are a significant part of our identity and Dominiq's experiences of assumptions and bias around his name.

Hilda Hernandez is a first generation daughter of a Mexican immigrant family living in the US. This episode explores how Hilda became empowered to correct the pronunciation of her name, the pressures she's experienced to assimilate into US culture and nicknaming traditions that exist in her family town in Mexico.

Joanne Monck OBE was born male in 1955. This episode explores how Joanne chose her name, as well as the challenges she's faced and the positive impacts she continues to have on diversity and inclusion, particularly for the transgender community.

That’s My Name is a podcast all about names. Rihanna, Eminem, Destiny’s Child and other prolific artists have rapped or sung about them. Names can be steeped in history and enriched with meaning. We all have one and they form part of our identity. Each episode will feature a guest, in conversation with podcast host, Maya, to discuss a particular topic related to the theme of names. Subscribe to th...