I am starting this thread not only because I’m curious, but also because of a DM from a member that I couldn’t read (because of the error). So I’m asking about your name: What is it? How did you come to it? Is it important in your practice?
Remember that if you don’t have one, you don’t necessarily need it.
I’ll start: My name [Djehutinedjem] means “Thoth is sweet” and reflects my relationship with Him. I came towards it using a website recommended to me some time ago.
I don’t have mine yet 
Although I’ve always liked the name Mereret (she was a daughter of Senusret III, a 12th Dynasty king).
I technically kinda have two names. As this is a public forum I don’t feel comfortable sharing the meanings, because sadly there are people who do just google and “take” names that seem cool to them and they tend to do this more if they know what the name means.
My first is the most “famous” kind I guess, it’s a Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu name, the name you get when you take Shemsu vows. The name is divined by Rev. Siuda when you decide to become Shemsu. She “hears” it, then heads to the dictionaries to figure out the meaning. The name is then conferred in front of the community when you take Shemsu vows. That name is Tai’awepwawet.
A Shemsu name has a more esoteric purpose than to be a personal name, though many people do use it as a personal name. I unfortunately can’t, because I am part of a “plural system”, more than one person sharing a body, and the Shemsu name is one per body (because of those esoteric reasons). So while singlets (one person in a body) can easily use it as a personal name, that is not an option for me, particularly as someone else in my system is also KO.
So we tried to create personal names for ourselves, but struggled, and then during a Wep Ronpet event where a state icon (open priest statue) of Hethert was present on camera while there was ritual and time for prayer we asked her for names. They came in her voice as easily as breathing, though in English. We asked a temple member to translate them, and that person said “Hethert obviously knew what she was doing!” because the translations were so easy. There were several options for how to translate them, and again, we asked Hethert, and she had strong opinions for which ones we should use.
My name from this process is Tjema’awy. This is my actual personal name, with Tai’awepwawet referring to the body, or to the two of us who are Kemetic.
I do not have one. But if I decide to become Shemsu in KO then I will have one.
Not one that I know of! But I do wonder whether the Netjeru have names for us all anyway. Just depends on whether we know what they are or not.
I personally believe it doesn’t matter really whether you get your name or choose it, the effect is the same. It’s not like this sort of name is an important part of the practice anyways
When you look at the myth of how Aset cured Ra (who had been poisoned) using His true/secret name, then one could argue that names are very important in Kemetic religion.
Yes I agree. I have read that names were very important in ancient Egypt. Words and images held a lot of significance.
I was also thinking about the myth where Aset use’s Ra’s secret name. That’s what made me wonder whether Kemetics have ‘secret’ names already, but may not necessarily know it. In that myth, the names seem to be given to another.
Paragraph 5
Translation
‘I am the eldest son of the eldest,
divine seed who came into being out of a god,
I am the great one, son of the great one.
The father devised the name.
I have many names, many forms,
he whose form is in every god,
who is called Atum-Horus-Hekenu.
My father and my mother told me my name
and I hid it from my children, in my body
to prevent it happening that a male or female magician strike against me.
I went outside to see what I have made,
and wander in the two lands which I created,
when something I do not recognise struck,
it is not fire,
it is not water.
My heart is ablaze, body trembling,
every limb under the effects of attack.’
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/isisandra.html
From the same website I mentioned in my previous post:
Paragraph 8
Transliteration
Then said Isis to Ra:
‘Tell me your name, my divine father.
A man lives when called by his name.’
This shows the importance the ancient Egyptians gave to names. I have recently read in ‘Egyptian Magic. The quest for Thoth’s Book of Secrets’ by Maarten J. Raven that a name was seen as a living part of the person.
On another subject, the link between the spoken word and creation in creation myths seem to show the same link between the spoken word and life.
AFAIK we all have a name in that POV - our ren. It’s part of the Egyptian soul.
But it’s a secret, so secret that I don’t think many people know their own ren. Which is good, because yikes, what a burden! Not just knowing you have to keep that completely secret forever for the sake of your well-being, but because your ren is part of your soul and likely contains mysteries about you. Knowing them must be weighty.
But aside from the ren, yeah, names are still important, because names are heka. Whether they are given or chosen, there’s heka there. So yes, the effect is the same, in that in both cases the heka of the name is with you as long as the name is bound to you, and doubly so as long as you use it.
Okay, names might be important, but does it truly matter which culture is the name from?
I didn’t say it mattered about the culture of the name, only the heka of the name (apart from the ren, which like, is an Egyptian concept so it might matter there, idk it’s above my paygrade).
So the idea that names don’t matter in this tradition is something I’d contest slightly, b/c heka is fundamental to this tradition, it’s woven through everything we say or do, it’s woven through our mythology and the existence of the Gods.
Tbh I’m not sure where the “culture” bit is coming from just b/c I haven’t seen people discussing chosen or religious names from other cultures in this thread yet? If you’re referring to non-chosen names from other cultures, the kind given by parents at birth, then those are a very different kettle of fish.
I find the method of giving names at birth and having people keep them until they die honestly bizarre to the point of being concerning. If some total strangers who didn’t know me, couldn’t even see me, walked up to the wall I was behind and yelled “YOUR NAME IS DAVID NOW”, would I go “ok sure” and just start using that for the rest of my life? Lol? Why would I do that? I wouldn’t do that, would you?
So why do we do that to babies. Even if we insist that a name has to be “given”, why don’t we have some ceremony when a child reaches or gets closer to adulthood, when they get their “adult name”, like actually happens in some cultures IIRC? A name based on who they are, not some assumptions about who the parents want them to be or what the parents think “sounds nice”.
The heka of being given a name at birth and keeping it is so awful. It’s pure pot luck whether your name is great, awful or somewhere in between, or whether you even like it. What a weird cultural tradition.
Anyway, no, it doesn’t matter what culture the name is from. As long as it takes into consideration the heka.
This is where I point out that you’re not stuck with your birth name if you’re bored with it, don’t like it, or don’t vibe the heka, anybody can change it for any or no reason in the UK. I met a doctor who learned I changed my name and she went “Oh, I wish I could’ve done that, I never liked my name” and I was like, “Well, you can, anybody can :D” and watching her eyes widen was a trip.
Your earlier post [quote=“Djehutinedjem, post:6, topic:663, full:true”]
I personally believe it doesn’t matter really whether you get your name or choose it, the effect is the same. It’s not like this sort of name is an important part of the practice anyways
[/quote] doesn’t mention culture explicitly. Although, on a second or third reading I could see what you meant. I guess you’re saying that people can choose a Kemetic name or be given it (whether by another person or by the gods) and the source doesn’t matter.
I think a lot of people who are converts to revived religions find it important to choose a name from the religions culture. It gives them a feeling of being connected to that past culture and to the gods. We all know that words / heka are very important in Kemeticism, so is it possible that choosing a Kemetic name strengthens our bond to Netjer?
Good points @Allati . I think I agree with you there.
Yeah I think that makes sense.
For myself, I like my birth names so I’m fortunate there. My parents believed that names were very important & it just so happens that although they are not Kemetic, I think they suit my personality.
I am not sure whether Djehuty has a name/nickname for me, but I’ve never asked. I know how he sees me, but not sure if it’s linked to a name or not. I could always ask, but even if he has got one for me, I think I’ll keep it quiet.
Em hotep my name is shemsu Tashepsytamun. and means beautiful Amun. I’m shems for a short time so I know my father and my beloved Senebty Tashepsytamun
Omlouvám se za chyby překlad Google zlobí
My parents gave me one by accident… although I have embraced it somewhat differently now, and enjoy the symbolism and narrative I can find in it. Incidentally my name is better transliterated in hieroglyphs, due to coming from the same family of languages.
𓋴𓅓𓇋𓋴𓋴𓇋 or 𓋴𓅓𓇋𓊃𓊃𓇋 - those might be difficult to see, and laid out incorrectly, so here is a picture:
My first name is the arabic ‘Sami’ which my parents told me meant “the princely one” and was one of the 1001 names of Allah… they chose to spell it ‘Semi’ (yeesh…) however most people seem eager to drop the last syllable, which used to drive me nuts until I embraced it.
Actually, as one of the names of Allah it means “he who listens” - which has significance to me as one devoted to Ptah, although the arabic word means sublime, or elevated - kind of princely, but also qualities of Ptah.
Still the wrong “princely one” interpretation, combined with the repeated insistence on people calling me Sem, lead me to learn about our blessed ancestor Khaemwaset, the protagonist of the Setne tales, as well as learning about the priesthood of Ptah.
My last name is a family name with a long history in north africa, occuring in many closely related variants, including the name of the current president of Egypt. it just happens to be the same as that of a 5th Dynasty king - Isesi - whom the vizier Ptahhotep served (the author of the Sebayt of Ptahhotep)
Interpreted as a kemetic name, it would mean roughly “the sem priest Isesi”.
Personally I rather like having my name’s. I have my Shemsu KO name and another name that I already had. I tend to use that one more than the Kemetic Orthodox one as most Kemetic people I know are not KO !
But here is a question I have been thinking about, how do we know what our Ren names are ?
My name means Daughter of Serqet…but this is only my public name. Another one is exclusive for my Gods and myself 
May I ask please how you found your Ren name (obviously not asking what it is !!) ? I have 2 public names, I for KO and another that I decided on quite a while ago.