What’s in a name?

Romeo said, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." While we do think this true for some things, we also believe that a name has a very strong influence over someone.

We see it in almost every culture throughout the history of man. In each of the big three monotheistic religions people are renamed after their conversions. They become Abraham or Peter or Muhammad. Their new names describe who they are, what their purpose is, and what the hopes of the name-giver are.

So, let us explain Harper Shalom Ivy Osburn.

Harper literally means “one who plays the harp,” but the connotation is much, much deeper. Here is what you are saying every time you call our daughter Harper.

In Judaism, the harp is an instrument of joy. It’s the instrument that was used to sing songs of praise and thanks to YHWH. It was the instrument used to compose those songs. Just a brief survey of the Old Testament gives a lot of examples.

In 1 Samuel, immediately after Saul is anointed with oil, he is told to go up the mountain where he will meet prophets playing the harp and lyre, and there the Spirit of the Lord will come upon and he will be changed into a new man. When Saul is struggling with depression later on in life, David comes and plays the harp for him; his mood is always lifted. We see this still today. Music can change our moods, our outlook, the way we perceive things. It makes scary movies scarier, love stories more romantic, and sad moments heart wrenching. Music has a direct connection with the soul.

We hope that Harper is the same way. We pray that she is able to connect with people in a way that seems super-natural. We dream that she will be able to lift moods, reveal emotions, and influence those around her in great ways.

Again in 1 Samuel, Saul is looking for someone to play the harp for him. His servant says, ”I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him." David is the only man that God says is after His heart. David was the greatest king in the history Israel. David was a fierce warrior, and a brave fighter. Above all, though, he was a man after God’s heart.

And he is introduced as one who knows how to play the harp. This was the first way we see him being used. We believe that one of the chief reasons David was able to be so intimate with God was because of his ability to sing and play the harp. We believe that the hours he spent strumming, gave him time contemplate his Lover.

That is our biggest prayer for Harper. That she will be someone who is after God’s heart. That she won’t seek fame or fortune or comfort, but that she will be a woman who seeks His work and face and heart. May she be a person who not only makes time, but makes it a priority to be with her Savior. May she know Him in ways that very few have.

Lastly, by giving her the name Harper, we’re naming her after her father. I’ve always been someone who loved music. I’ve always been someone who sought to use music to make a difference in the world and in individual lives. I hope that we can pass on to her the love and appreciation that we have for music.

Shalom literally translates from Hebrew as peace. It can also be used as a greeting, kind of like aloha. But, again, it’s connotation is much more. A more complete translation would include the words completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.

The eastern word of namaste has a similar connotation. Most practitioners of Hindu and Buddhism would translate it as the Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you. It’s the idea that we are one, connected somehow.

Shalom means the same thing, but for a different reason.

One of Jesus’ most famous names is Prince of Peace. It is translated from Sar Shalom. Jesus was sent by YHWH to bring Him and us into unity again. Into peace. In John 17 He prays, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

Our prayer for Harper is that she will be a person who brings the shalom of God with her wherever she goes. All of the aspects of it. That she will be able to diffuse hostile situations and people, that she can help people to see where their hope and joy and fullness and rest come from. We pray that she will be one who can remind us all that we are all the creations of God, and that we are all loved by Him. We pray that she will be an instrument in His hands that can help bring about unity between those who are at war with Him and themselves and God, who is the source of all that is good, pure, and holy. Most of all we pray that she will experience this shalom.

Together Harper Shalom means “instrument of praise and peace.” What more can we hope than that?

Ivy and Osburn are both surnames.

Ivy came down from John’s paternal grandmother. Osburn from his paternal grandfather.

If you haven’t noticed by now, we believe that heritage is a very important thing. Her first two names are her spiritual heritage, and her last two are her biological and physical heritages. We believe that it is important for Harper to remember where she came from.

My (John’s) grandma Billie is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. All of my grandparents had a pretty significant hand in raising me, but she did it in a different way.

Namely, as long as I can remember, she has been a servant of Jesus. She was, for a long time, the only Christian I knew. For as far back as I can remember she always modeled that to me. She was always humble. Always joyful. Always hopeful. Always had self-control. She has always been kind, slow to anger, forgiving, and good. Eventually all of my grandparents and parents became that. But she was first. And I never forgot.

I’ve always imagined that one of the great heart breaks of her life is that most of her children don’t carry on that heritage. We wanted Harper to carry the name Ivy to let my grandma know that her heritage is strong and still goes on for another generation. We wanted Harper to remember that people are always watching, and that even when it seems like all hope is lost, your actions can make a difference. Even in your four-year-old grandson.

Luckily, for John, we live in a culture where the last name of the father is passed on to the child. So, Osburn is her last name by default, though it holds a lot of significance to me.

Osburns are, in general, smart, generous, kind, creative, athletic, and proud of where we come from.

We hope that she, too, has these traits also.


To sum up, we think there’s a lot in name!