Behind it all...IM just Chantal'

Chantal’, Chantal’, Chantal’! My name is actually a French name. It was initially given in admiration of Saint-Francoise de Chantal, the founder of Visitation in the 17th century. This Saint adopted a strict religious life and founded an order of nuns, which were called the Vistandines. It is of Old French origin, and its meaning is “stone” or “a stony place.” It has also been said to mean “singer.” My uncle Anthony also played a role in my name selection. He was actually in the navy and was stationed in France. At the time he heard the name and fall in love with it. He also helped with my middle name which is Ashante. Ashante is also a French name. The family history behind my name and my siblings name is that all the boy’s name start with a “T” and the girls name start with a “C.” So my parents had to find a name that started with a “C” and Chantal’ came up. All of the girls have the same initials as well as the boys. I believe that your name doesn’t play a big role in who you are, it just classifies who you are to the world. Your personality shapes who you are not your name. I personally like my name because its unique and its not an average name. In highschool I was the only Chantal’ and that made me stand out more, but at Columbia there are a few other Chantal’s. I still love my name because its apart of me who I am.