Camino Names?

[xin loi]

After hearing from fellow walkers who hiked from SJPDP to Santiago with us back in June, we discovered that we really never knew the full name of friends--except for the three young American men who all claimed to be named "Mohammed Wenglewitz". Now we are discovering that a lot of our European friends had assumed "Camino Names" while hiking the Pilgrimage. Several told us that many European travelers assume first names, they wish they had been given, while traveling. Must admit to being a little disappointed to learn that we never knew the real names of those new friends.

 

[saltwaterpearl]

After hearing from fellow walkers who hiked from SJPDP to Santiago with us back in June, we discovered that we really never knew the full name of friends--except for the three young American men who all claimed to be named "Mohammed Wenglewitz". Now we are discovering that a lot of our European friends had assumed "Camino Names" while hiking the Pilgrimage. Several told us that many European travelers assume first names, they wish they had been given, while traveling. Must admit to being a little disappointed to learn that we never knew the real names of those new friends.

My guy and I have alter ego names for ourselves. We use them mostly between ourselves, but also traveling and hiking, and they will be our camino names as well. We even have a dedicated email and calling cards (contact info cards) using those names.

Walking the camino has an "other world" or "outside the world" feel to it. You get a blank slate, a life reset - a gift most people don't get to experience. How people get to know you and how you interact with others is a fresh, baggage-free beginning. A camino name makes sense to me.

I would say you did know the real names of those friends - more real than whatever was on their birth certificates.

Except perhaps in the case of the Mohammed Wenglewitz Trio, which might I add, would be an awesome name for a jazz band.

Martha
(yes, my camino name)

 

[mspath]

Here I log-on as MSPath while signing posts as MM or Margaret Meredith, the names on my birth certificate. Nevertheless, I have always been called Meredith, which means 'keeper of the sea'. On my first camino when unsuccessfully attempting to clarify the pronunciation of my name as if Mere Edith many pilgrims often thought that I was a nun!! Hence for simplicity's sake on the camino just call me Margaret .

 

[scruffy1]

My real name is Michael, far too many syllables in the Hebrew Mi-cha-el plus that guttural in the middle, so for years it was Miki. With age and status (?) Miki became Mickey as in mouse or as in Hargitay (for those of a younger generation, he was the companion of Jane Mansfield – who she was? Forget I wrote that, its long story) so I reverted to my nickname of army years …Scruffy and yes, Scruffy I am, a day late, a dollar short, and "Please get your hair cut, today"! from the wife.

 

[fraluchi]

[...] Now we are discovering that a lot of our European friends had assumed "Camino Names" while hiking the Pilgrimage. [...]

...which can also be intriguing. Some time ago a pilgrim who met me on the Way said: "Oh, so you are Fraluchi?; I thought you were a monk with this "Fra and Luchi". Well, not a monk, but a combination of my grandchildren's first names FRAncisco, LUca and CHIara. People call me Adrian on the Camino when I appear as Fraluchi on the Forum. Be assured that this is not just a "Camino name".

 

[tyrrek]

My name's Keith, so that's a nightmare in Spain. I get anything from Kiss, Kate etc. Despite handing over my credencial, my last Compostela was written out as 'Catherine Tyrrell' with a 'C' for goodness sake! (That was my late Gran's name so I think it might have been her reminding me to say a prayer for her in the cathedral.)

Fortunately since Keith Richards re-emerged as a Pirate of the Caribbean, Keith-awareness has improved somewhat. My middle name is Andrew but I never use it at home, so it would just feel wrong to use it elsewhere.

On my last Camino Frances we just used nicknames. I was called 'Quitter' by my Camino family (Gadget Girl and Mountain Boy) because I was only planning to walk as far as Burgos. When I decided to carry on to Santiago I became 'Quitter who Quit Quitting'.

 

[waveprof]

If one wanted to keep their anonymity for post-camino, it would be a good idea to go by nicknames. In the end, I'm glad to have made some of the lifelong friends I made on the camino, but I can certainly see why someone would want to be able to walk away from the camino world without connections to people. And I can respect that.

Oddly, the camino gave us a chance to be more comfortable WITH real names. We walked with our 14 month old son whose first name is Dylan (for Bob Dylan) and whose middle name is Kepa (a Basque name)......but since birth his middle name has, by chance, become the name that EVERYone calls him. Yet, whenever we met strangers when he was a baby we were loath to say his name was Kepa, because it led to a thousand awkward questions (what's kepa? what's basque?). Suddenly, on the Camino, surrounded by Spaniards and people walking through Spain, it wasn't so difficult to explain the name. It gave us a chance to get used to (and confident in) explaining that his name was Kepa. Now we are never tempted to tell a stranger his name is Dylan. The Camino helped with that. Of course, to a few Spaniards who insisted on trying to Castilianize his name to Pedro (rolls eyes, lol).....

 

[C clearly]

My name is Clare but it is easier to say and understand "Clara" in Spanish. I don't mind having "Senora Clara" as my Spanish alter ego, as long as it is pronounced with a Spanish accent. Makes me feel more exotic!

 

[alexwalker]

Hmmm...
My first name is an old mythic name from the Viking age (and I will keep it secret, so no need to ask ) but my niddle name is Alexander, Alex for short, which is understood all over the world, so I always use my middle name Alex when traveling abroad. Since I walk the Camino in my old army boots, my forum name is AlexWalker, a little inspired by JohnnieWalker.

 

[jeffnd]

My name is Jeff, which is pretty easy. No one had trouble pronouncing it.

But I am terrible with names. I met so many people whose names I just couldn't remember and it would have been rather embarrassing after seeing them almost every day for several weeks to ask.

 

[Al the optimist]

I know the feeling Jeff. I have never in my life been able to remember the labels: people's names; the names of bands; the titles of films; books; whatever. So I generally avoid asking as I feel bad when they remember my name and I don't reciprocate. On the Camino I encounter different pronunciations of Allan, often it comes out as Alain. Also people ask me why it is not spelt the more common way of Alan, Allen or even Alun. The simple truth is the registrar couldn't spell! PS it is also the welsh for "Exit". Why my forum name? No prizes for guessing there!

 

[Deacon Harbey Santiago]

Well, in my case my name is Harbey which takes a bit to pronounce in the right way, so in the Camino I was just Deacon Santiago, which crated some great conversations .

 

[adesmar123]

Hello from

"Alan from Connecticut"

That name worked for me..

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

I've never really understood this need for pseudonyms .... but as I'm just about the only person who uses his given name, I guess I'm the weird one

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

...my name is also the welsh for "Exit".

Hi Al!
I think your name's appropriate, because you're way out, man

 

[Al the optimist]

HaHa

 

[jpflavin1]

My name is Jeff, which is pretty easy. No one had trouble pronouncing it.

But I am terrible with names. I met so many people whose names I just couldn't remember and it would have been rather embarrassing after seeing them almost every day for several weeks to ask.

Jeff:

I am always forgetting peoples names. One method I use to remember is just try to associate the first letter of their name/s. ie: SAP (Sabrina, Andrea, Paula), (PB and D) or Peanut butter and David), Peter, Bruce and David.

My backup is, I am suffering from dementia and have forgotten their name. This works also.

Ultreya,
Joe