By Maureen Quinlan, News Staff

“Hello, my name is Maureen.” These words are some of the first I ever learned. Our own names, and the names of the people around us are the words that have so much meaning, but are something we never give a second thought about. But if we really think about it, there is possibly nothing more defining about a human than his or her name.

It says a lot about a person. It can tell you their ethnicity, the decade in which they were born, and even a little about their personality. And it definitely says a lot about their parents. I’ll give you some examples.

Maureen Quinlan is one of the most Irish names I’ve ever heard, and people can’t help but assume I’m Irish upon hearing my name. And I am, so it’s a name I wear proudly.

Ever met a Mike, a Chris or a Matt? If you were born between the years 1990 and 1999 in America, then it’s a pretty sure guarantee. The Social Security Administration recorded 462,253 Michaels, 360,162 Christophers, and 351,564 Matthews born in the 1990s. I’m pretty sure I’ve met half of them.

Personality is a little harder, but can still be accurate. There are certain connotations to certain names. Brittanys and Ashleys are mean-girl types. Beatrice and Doris aren’t names we associate with fun or youthfulness. And some names are so common that it’s hard to pinpoint a stereotype at all.

But when it comes to personality and to see if your name really fits you, look your name up on UrbanDictionary.com.

For instance, the definition of Maureen is “Female name usually given to someone Irish or an Irish wanna-be. Most Maureens are smart, stubborn and memorable. A Maureen will leave you exhausted for days. You won’t forget your first Maureen, ever.” Never have truer words been used to describe me.

Granted, these are user-submitted, so take them with a grain of salt

And what do our names say about our parents? It says either they are uncreative, i.e. finding your name from a baby book. Yes, I’m talking to all you Jennifers and Nicks.

It might say your parents are very traditional. Yes, I’m talking to all you Charles IVs and Thomas Juniors out there.

Or it might say your parents don’t know how to actually spell, when they are really just setting you up to have your name misspelled or mispronounced for the rest of your life. Yes, I’m talking you, Nicholle and Emmalee.

And of course if you’re really lucky, it might say your parents are celebrities. Yes, I’m talking to you Blue Ivy, North West, Zowie Bowie, Suri and Apple. The list is endless.

My favorite baby name of the year, however, defied the odds. His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge may have had a slight advantage of family heritage on that one, but it doesn’t make it any less impressive.

Names are usually our first impression of someone, our identifier and our one simple word that says this is a person. Unless, of course, you use identifiers such as, “Rando from the street” or “Ponytail from Our House,” in your cell phone contacts. Which, don’t deny it, you probably have one or two of those.

What I also love and hate about names is that a person can make or break a name for you. I’ll forever love the name Chelsea because my two best friends and roommates are both named Chelsea (also talk about confusing). And I will forever hate the name Chloe because of that girl in middle school who was just the worst.

And it will always throw me when I meet another Maureen. Maybe because it’s uncommon and I rarely ever meet other Maureens, but it is such a huge part of who I am, it’s strange to think someone else is defined by the same name as me.

With as many Matts as I’ve met, they were not all alike. And my Chelseas, who practically share a brain, could not be more different.

Names are a strong piece of who we are, but beyond a few letters put together with our family names, it’s just a word.