What's in a Name?... Everything!

"What's in a name?" asks Juliet.
"That which we call a rose
by any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title."
- Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare

Ah but a name is not just a name dear Juliet.
It defines who one is.
It gives one history, a sense of roots.

Consider this example:

Tan Wah Ling (Chen Hualing):
Age 0.
"Tan" is the surname shared by millions of Chinese all over the world, mostly Hokkiens or Hainanese. This "Tan" happens to be Hainanese with relatives still residing on Hainan Island.
"Wah" is the middle character allocated to this generation of this particular "Tan" clan to ensure prosperity and good fortune.
"Ling" calls to mind brightness and femininity.

Sandy:
Age 13 (or 12).
Doesn't mean anything.
Chosen purely for the that fact that it opposed "Tan Wah Ling", an extremely CHEENA and difficult to remember name.
Sub-conscious disassociation with Mandarin-speaking mother who just passed on?

Tammy:
Age 17.
Meaning?
Wanting to be cool, to fit in.
Mindless youthful rebellion against birth identity?

Tan Wah Ling@Nasyitah Thara Tan Abdullah:
Age 26.
Chinese Muslim.
"Nasyitah" means "energetic; full of life"
"Thara" means "wealth"
"Abdullah" refers to a convert.

Mrs Kamal:
Age 26.
Wife of Kamal.

So dear Juliet, how can a name be just a name?