Name Signs - ASL and Deaf Culture

This video explains about the name signs used in the Deaf community.

[@kg7yts187]

I got my sign name yesterday. It was given to me by a deaf lady at a local church's deaf ministry. It is done by taking the hooked finger (x hand shape like used to sign friend) and making a smile by the right side of the lip. She said it's because I have a friendly smile.

[@suzannas.mathai6359]

aww. that"s beautiful.

[@fairysandyrae]

There are two major different kinds of name signs which are called arbitrary name signs and descriptive name signs. I encourage you to read a book called "The Book of Name Signs". It is published and written by Dr. Sam Supalla, a Deaf linguist, professor, and a researcher.

[@colleenpeterson645]

LOVE your videos! Thanks for clear model of ASL!

[@albavelez4320]

You are a good teacher to learn about sign language, nice job👌🏼👍🏼

[@MsMusacLuver]

Big fan of Switched at birth and they have mentioned "name signs", I had wondered what it was... now I know. Thanks for the subtitles. Great video. =)

[@theladybryght]

Hello! Thank you so much for this video. It was very informative. I am trying to come up with name signs for characters in a book and finding it difficult. 😅

[@janeeyre1990]

My name sign is for my dimple too! My hearing dog's name sign is just the sign for "baby," which isn't her name in English but we call her it all the time

[@keepingupwithkalub355]

Hi my son pictured here

[@jeffwhite7355]

I have a question about the use of sign names in everyday conversation. I understand using a sign name when introducing yourself or others, or also referring to someone that is not present. But this is my question: in spoken English we often use a persons name when speaking with to the person directly in conversation ie: "nice to see you again John" or "hey John, how are you.?" It's my understanding that this is not done in deaf culture but I notice many hearing doing it in conversation.What is the cultural norm ? Thank you in advance for your reply

[@pedrourbano1506]

Hello!! I am a professor and I just love your videos. They are my source for my English classes. Do you know why? I have a deaf Brazilian student of English. As I work with the four abilities in class, for obvious reasons, I replace listening and speaking for signing and understanding ASL. I share your videos with her and she has learned a lot. I would like to find a video about famous people. How do deaf people sign some names of celebrities? For example, how do you sign Tom Cruise (from the movie Mission Impossible), Natalie Portman, and others. Is there a video about it? Thanks in advance.

[@waldimirabreu8525]

It was a good question but nobody answered. I would like to know

[@kkaun7072]

Is it common to receive many different sign names over the years? Is it the equivalent of nicknames? When married many women take the husbands last name, do name signs change with marriage?

[@ASLTHAT]

Good questions, I know some Deaf women who kept their original name signs when they got married, even if their name sign had the initial of their former last name. It is hard to change a name that you grew up with, that Deaf friends and people called you your whole life, so usually we just keep it. Sometimes Deaf people get arbitrary sign names that usually has the first letter of their name, and when they grow up, they realize that it has no special meaning, so they find a descriptive sign name that fits their personality better.

[@SkeyeU]

Thank you! =0)

[@Kickilia]

Hi! I have a question I have had trouble finding material on: what is the proper etiquette regarding name signs in literature? I am an aspiring author and I would like to give my characters sign names but I am hearing. I have a chronic illness that render me unable to form coherent words and sentences, along with a severe sound aversion. When it flares my tinnitus becomes a problem as well. I have come to rely on some basic signing to communicate but I am not a part of the d/Deaf community in my home-town (even though I would love to be). The only author I have spoken to who is Deaf was adamantly against any hearing person giving a name sign, even to a fictional character. What are your thoughts on this? Thankfully, K

[@beepbeep9750]

The deaf community is usually against any hearing person giving name signs. You would have to ask a deaf person to do it.

[@blueturtle3623]

One of the reasons Deaf people are against hearing people giving name signs is that they don't know the language, and are likely to give a name sign that already means something. I wouldn't do it if I were you, based on fluency.

[@Kickilia]

Interesting! I've since I wrote this comment read the thoughts of and spoken to several d/Deaf authors and otherwise sign-reliant people and been greatly encouraged to find name signs for characters, but to do it with respect and sensitivity feedback, proper research to avoid offense, but most importantly, to promote accuracy and representation. Of course, this is a nuanced and widely discussed question. My own reliance on sign is now integral to my daily life, with a diagnosed audio processing disorder (on top of what I already struggled with) making words just disappear entirely at times. My sign language teacher from the hospital explained her name sign is "sensitive", an existing sign where just the mouth forms her name - Helena. I assume assigning mainly arbitrary names therefore differ greatly culturally and nationally as well.

[@janeeyre1990]

I'm neurodivergent (ADHD) and disabled and hard of hearing. I have auditory processing disorder too! Sadly, I have had bad experiences trying to learn ASL in real life, like being bullied by the hearing students in ASL classes and student clubs that were supposed to be for deaf/HoH students. I am learning now from watching videos online, and I sign with my small community of HoH, ND, and disabled family and friends. And my HoH, ADHD mom and me are training our hearing dog in ASL. Her name sign is just the sign for "baby" because she is our precious baby. My thinking is, I sign how I sign right now, and if it's wrong, a native signer can correct me later. But for now, what I do works. It's not perfect, but I don't have the resources to learn ASL fluently. So I'll just be imperfect and keep practicing and trying.

[@koozzo]

you must fingerspell letter by letter M-I-R-A-C-L-E and after your name sign :) I hope will be a help to you :)

[@tyree3774]

I’ve received name signs but I never liked any of them. One is cookie with a “k” one is like shaking a “k” (the same way you’d sign toilet) which I didn’t like for that reason and recently my friend gave me one which is COFFEE with a “k” but I never accepted any of them. I guess I’m picky and just prefer to spell my name

[@SaAkinBuhay]

Can people have sign names that are the same by accident? Or sign names that looks close to each other? What I mean is that people have the same names as each other can that happen with sign names?

[@calmsouls4502]

As a sort of different way of thinking about it, I prefer arbitrary because descriptive can sometimes give a mentality of "I am this identity". Blunt example, Hearing people calling a deaf person "Deaf-y" like, what's up deafy? Imagine being sore inside about that Scar on your cheek which is your name, or even if you enjoyed it and weren't sensitive about it, the first thing on your mind is " yeah thats right I have this huge Scar on my cheek, yep that's me"

[@maggieflash320]

What is Oliver Sacks's name sign? Does anyone know?

[@monicalizotte2537]

how do you sign holly or Aime

[@courtneycole4947]

Hi, I have a question. I am teaching my 8 month olds ASL and was wondering how I would sign their names without finger spelling. My son's name is Adam and my daughters is Althea, they are fraternal twins. My son listens pretty good when I use sign language to get home eat or listen.

[@menah1130]

I asked my hard of hearing daughter about this. She said you could use the sign for A and girl and boy for them. Or an A on the forehead for the oldest and an A on the chin for the youngest.

[@jenifermoreira368]

Hello, How sign language religious signing Bible ?

[@brunoduarte9819]

Hi Joe. My name is Bruno, Portuguese deaf. I am also a teacher of Portuguese Sign Language, teaching classes in secondary school with young deaf students learn a lot about deaf culture and Deaf identity and researcher of deaf history ... etc. Sorry, I would like to ask, I wanted to know your sign name Edward Klima and Ursula Bellugi that you have a sign name? I hope to wait for your answer. Thank you best regards

[@Jarino507]

So I understand that someone in the deaf community needs to be the one to assign a sign name. What about mute/nonverbal people who rely on ASL to communicate?

[@Nellzurkat]

Hi sister's name is jessamine and our class mate keeps motioning 2 fingers above the heart in a tap. We didn't want to seem rude and ask but what could it mean? We know its her name sign but I'm confused about it.

[@cindyarzate9061]

it means Jessa's mine. you get me?

[@Nellzurkat]

yes

[@PanEtRosa]

oh my god.... My name sign is a combination of my initial and the meaning of my name, Isaac. So my sign is also my pinky swooping up the side of my face. XD

[@SadlyAddie]

If there are any deaf people in the comments, I was wondering if any of you would like to give me a sign name! I would give one to myself, but it seems more special/traditional for someone from the deaf community to provide me one. My name is Addisyn (Addie for short), I'm creative, I love art, I have brown curly hair and eyes, I have one dimple, and if you need anything else, I'll tell you.

[@cameronnijboer3952]

What if you don’t know a deaf person will you never have a sigh name

[@jakobmertens3142]

Do I understand this correctly; sign names arent universal; i.e. two persons named Joe could have completely different signs?

[@bossladies3321]

You’re exactly right! Some joes do but they don’t have to

[@Prizin_Mike]

Can you give yourself a sign name if you're not deaf? I'm trying to learn ASL. Should I stick with introducing myself in the arbitrary way until someone gives me a descriptive name? I want to be cautious about overstepping since I am not deaf. Thanks

[@benjaminbeuttenmueller3549]

Yes. Giving yourself a sign name, as a hearing person, is like giving yourself a nickname but in even poorer taste, lol. They're given to hearing people by Deaf people and are an honor of sorts. This is how it was explained to me by my Deaf friend who gave me my sign name, anyway.

[@benjaminbeuttenmueller3549]

When I said 'yes' I obviously meant: yes, stick to introducing yourself by finger spelling (which is how you would always introduce yourself anyway, then if you do have a sign name you show that after your spelled name, so people know how to refer to you efficiently lol)

[@Prizin_Mike]

@@benjaminbeuttenmueller3549 thank you for the explanation :) it’s what I suspected, that I shouldn’t give one to myself haha Thanks

[@carlosalarcon9389]

Dimples make babies adorable

[@freindlyflytrap1725]

I know sign names are a variation of teasing, my teacher said that she would be an amazed (and i get extra credit) if I found out what here name meant but didn't want to tell us. She said i can go to any measures i want to find out. I will now describe the 5 parameters please tell me things you think it might be Handshape: B hand shape palm orientation: to the side/towards the middle of your body location: Chest (left-handed left sid right-handed right side) movement: move your hand up and away from the body back down (circle like thing) facial expression: none at the moment

[@snuggs208]

Could be based off of "fancy" or "polite" which has all those parameters but with a open 5 hand

[@briannarivera6725]

Aadyu Krekera