Discovering the Meaning of My Name: A Journey to Truth and Empowerment
41.5 years. It took me 41.5 years?!
I’ve carried the name Joval with a mix of pride, curiosity, and at times, uncertainty. It’s a unique name—a blend of my parents’ names, Joel and Valerie. Every time someone asked, “What does your name mean?” I would say, “It’s a combination of my parents’ names.” It helps people remember the correct pronunciation. Who doesn’t love a naming story, especially one as beautiful for a name as unique as mine?
Simple, right? Yes, and…
It wasn’t until I got to my big age and my relationships with my parents transformed as I began to work through some thangs that… Well… To be honest, er’ now and again I began to feel like I didn’t want to be named after them. That’s the first time I’ve said that “out loud”. I felt like my naming story was incomplete, like I needed more.
Given the sometimes rollercoaster relationship that I have with my parents, when they vex me, I really don’t want to be named after them. I don’t want my name– me!!!– to simply mean “daughter of Joel and Valerie”. I wanted more. I– we??– always want more!
It never crossed my mind to dig deeper, to search for the meanings behind the names that came together to harmoniously and beautifully and oh so creatively create my own. But one day, a quiet nudge of curiosity led me to do just that. And that, my dear reader, took 41.5 years.
The Deeper Legacy Behind My Parents, Joel and Valerie
My dad, a PK (a preacher’s kid) is named after Joel in the Good Book which means “Yahweh is God”—a powerful declaration of faith, a constant reminder of the divine. It fits my father to a T. He had faith at points when other people thought “Enough already, give it up!”
And my mother’s name, Valerie, means “strong” or “healthy,” — embodying vitality, a resilience and an enduring spirit that refuses to bow under pressure.
And if you knew my parents personally, then you’d also know that their names are who they are. (And this is why we gotta be careful about what we speak over kids. Words are not only powerful, they are true!) They have both grown to become exactly who their names embody, in fullness, and in truth!
When I finally connected these meanings– after 41.5 years!– it was like discovering a hidden something something within my own identity. Joval isn’t simply a unique creation, a combination name, a blend, a portmanteau if you will, and you will!
Fear not, let my good sis Merriam Webster fill in if there’s a gap:
A New Truth: What My Name Joval Actually Means
Joval is a whole sentence. Full stop. Periodt!
Combining the meaning of my parents’ names, Joval actually means “divine strength” or “my faith in God is my strength”!
My name is not “just” a “combination of my parents name, Joval and Valerie” my name is the merging of two legacies, two lives of wisdom, perseverance, courageous, faithfulness, strength, stubbornness. And I get to carry that with me every single day. My name is a reflection of my divine inheritance.
And now that I know that my name actually means My faith in God is my strength, I can assure you that just like my parents embodying the fullness of their names, I can assure you that just like them, the meaning behind my name also holds true, too! My faith in God really is my strength. After all, if it weren’t, then I wouldn’t have this blog! Never mind the blog, I wouldn’t have the life that I have now!
All these years, I had been saying my name was simply a combination of my parents’ names. And yes, that’s factually correct. But now, I feel empowered* by this deeper understanding. I am not just an echo of their names; I am a reflection of their essence. I am a living embodiment of faith and strength, a testament to their love and the values they’ve instilled in me. And based on the foundation of faith my parents laid, I took it and ran!
Like many adult children, at times I’d rather not be like my parents. But… Well, here I am!
It took me 41.5 years to see it—to truly see it. To realize that my name is more than 5 lil letters strung together; it’s a purposeful design, a call to more fully embrace the divine strength within me. The one that lead and guides me every single day. This new truth feels like a Christmas gift months early. It’s a beautiful new way to see myself, and my parents, too.
Prayer of Divine Strength
God, I thank you that much like how You, my heavenly father is, I am, too, I am so grateful that who my biological parents, I am, too. Thank You that I no longer lean on my own understanding, but on Yours. Thank You that even after all these years, there is newness and grace and mercy and forgiveness. Thank You that I can lean on Your understanding which far exceeds my own. Thank You that I carry my name with renewed purpose, grace, and joy. Thank You that my name is not just about where I come from; it’s about the power, the faith, and the strength that flow through me. It’s about honoring my roots and stepping fully into the woman I am becoming.
Thank You that my parents are bold and courageous, strong and healthy. Thank You that their health, like their faith, is strong and mighty. Thank You for leading me with curiosity and for an opportunity to learn something new and deeper and more about myself at my big age.
Thank You for my readers, that You’ll do the same for them, too! Thank You that Your ways are greater than our ways. Thank You for empowering us with unexpected opportunities and invitations for self discovery. Thank You for the power and grace of forgiveness, spoken and unspoken. Help us forgive ourselves and certainly each other as you have forgiven us.
And together we pray the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
