What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

This topic caught my eye. My middle name is Wanja. It is a name that originates from the Bantu community, specifically the Kikuyu.

Wanja is a name that means “the one from without”, (outside the community) or simply an outsider.

I was named after my mom’s sister as per the Kikuyu tradition since I am the fourth born daughter in my family.

I wouldn’t say the name has any significance in my life. Some say that names are just given just to help a child grow (I don’t know how). I feel the same way too because I have never felt like an outsider in my life.

My middle name is rarely used because most people refer to me by my first name.

At school, only my first and surname were used to refer to me. Most people who know me don’t even know that my middle name is Wanja. At times I even forget that it’s my name. LoL

Even though the name has no significance to me, I would not change it for anything in the world.