Hello! My name sign is…
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The third grade class directory at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) may read “Isabella”, but everyone knows her as “Dimples,” or more accurately, by pushing their index fingers into their cheeks and twisting.
The same goes for “Sweet” (listed by name as Stella) in kindergarten, better known by two brushes of the chin.
For sisters Isabella and Stella, these sign language indicators are their name signs (sometimes “sign names”) — quick signs given to individuals by the Deaf community often based on identifying physical or personality traits that can be used in place of alphabetically spelling out one’s entire name.
Because name signs are given to others by family, friends and peers, they are seen as a symbol of inclusion in Deaf culture as well.
Stella, who is kindergarten, demonstrates her name sign, which translates to “sweet.” Video: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
Isabella, who is third grade, demonstrates her name sign, which translates to “dimples.” Video: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
“Name signs for deaf people are their identity,” signed Ida Wilding, a professor of American Sign Language (ASL) at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, who communicated through an interpreter.
“It’s like a trademark, so the way they use their name… it’s who they are.”
Early records date evidence of name signs back to the late 18th century in the Paris School for the Deaf, and slightly later in 1820s and 1830s deaf schools in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
They were generally used only by members of the Deaf community, though hearing teachers at deaf schools and hearing children of deaf parents might use them regularly as well.
Traditionally, a name sign is given to an individual by another member of the Deaf community. A deaf person does not usually assign themselves a name sign.
“There are many different situations in which you can get [a name sign],” signed Wilding. “It really depends on the kind of name sign.
Wilding comes from a family of nine children, all deaf and many of which attended Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., the only liberal arts college in the world geared specifically for deaf students.
She received a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a masters in sign language education from Gallaudet and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy.
Wilding classified name signs into three general categories: name signs assigned based on personality or appearance, lexical name signs (which use alphabetical letters) and name signs assigned by family tradition.
Personality or appearance-based name signs are also categorized by some researchers as descriptive name signs.
CSDB art teacher Rachella Ortiz received her name sign from friends and refers to her characteristic red hair and red lipstick.
Video: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
Isabella and Stella’s name signs, which translate to “dimples” and “sweet” respectively, were given by their parents based on their distinctive physical and personality traits.
Wilding’s mother used a name sign translating to “zipper,” (signed by imitating zipping and unzipping a zipper on one’s chest) because of her tendencies to play with zippers.
Some descriptive name signs might define transient traits such as “curly hair” or “black beard.” Yet even if their hair is later straightened, or their beard grays, Wilding signed, the person would likely continue using the name sign.
“Sometimes they’ll have the same name sign for their whole lives. It just sticks,” signed Wilding. “And so if you change it, somebody will be like, ‘Who are you talking about?’”
The same is true for name signs assigned to popular characters, activities and even location names in culture and media.
Stella, who is a kindergartener at the CSDB, signed that she likes to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but instead of spelling out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles letter by letter in ASL, she motioned a few karate chops and made the sign for “turtle.”
Members of the Deaf community can and have assigned name signs to hearing individuals as well, including William Shakespeare, Madonna and Vice President Kamala Harris. Locally-known community members like bartenders might also be given name signs.
McDonald’s even has a name sign: signers form the ASL letter “m” then wave their hand three times in the general shape of the Golden Arches.
Wilding signed that there is some controversy around the name sign for “Colorado.” Some people used a sign that was meant to represent the Colorado River.
However, because the gesture broke rules of ASL — Wilding explained that the hand placement and motion was awkward — the name sign never caught on.
Instead, people use alternative signs to represent “Colorado.” One name sign that looks like three mountains. Another name sign simply spells out “COLO” lexically.
Wilder demonstrates the Colorado River-inspired name sign and the mountain-inspired name sign, both of which refer to the state of Colorado. Videos: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
Lexical name signs, sometimes described as arbitrary name signs, refer to those which use alphabetic letters to spell out a name or a shortened version of a name.
Between Wilding and her eight siblings, only three use descriptive name signs. Others with shorter names, like Ida, fingerspell their names instead of replacing it with another hand motion.
The third type are names assigned by family tradition. Wilding signed that deaf parents often give name signs to their children at birth and might tap into family history to pass on a relative’s memory.
Darrell Shular, the assistant student life supervisor at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, is father to two deaf children, the third generation of deaf family members in his family.
He and his wife named their son Bode, but Shular still hoped to remember his father, Newton, in some way.
Shular gave Bode the same name sign that Newton used, despite the fact that their birth names were different.
“Sometimes people would get confused thinking it’s the same name, but it’s just the same name sign,” signed Shular.
“After my dad passed away a few years ago, we can all still recognize that name sign.”
Name signs become part of a collective community understanding relatively quickly within school environments like the CSDB, which currently serves approximately 700 students, about two-thirds of whom are deaf.
Name signs spread fast at the CSDB, and within days of meeting one another, students and teachers will almost exclusively be using name signs. Video: Chase McCleary, Rocky Mountain PBS
While students and staff will first introduce themselves by fingerspelling their full name followed by their name sign (as is standard in most introductions within the Deaf community, according to Wilding), most all will only use each other’s name signs from then on.
“We always use name signs at school,” signed Isabella, a third grader at the CSDB. “And one time, I didn’t even remember [someone’s] full name, just their name sign.”
According to Wilding, students at deaf schools as recently as the 1980s would frequently receive name signs from their teachers.
“A lot of the teachers would assign all the students the same name sign changed only based on the first letter of their name,” signed Wilding, “and so there was no relation to Deaf culture or ASL at all.”
Wilding and Shular both see name signs as a way to welcome others into the Deaf community and culture, particularly by finding names that fit each individual personally.
“Sometimes students go to a [traditional hearing school]... and then they transfer here, and they might have a name sign that’s based on their being deaf,” signed Shular.
“And we think, ‘Let’s change that and give you a name that really matches who you are and your personality.’”
“It’s embedded in who you are,” signed Wilding, “and with little kids, if you ask them about changing their name signs, they go, ‘Why?’”
Isabella and Stella both agreed.
“I want to keep my name sign,” signed Isabella. “I like it.”
“It’s who I am.”
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