Solange?

When I was a Freshman in high school I began my career and passion of studying the French language. Within the first week each student was required to choose a French name to be used throughout the year. This was a great opportunity for a new freshman girl in a high school wanting to find an identity. When I received the list several names jumped off the page at me: Colette, Cecil, Adrienne, Claire, Monique...but I wanted something different, unique.

Then I came to the S section of the list, So-lang? What kind of name is So-lang? When I asked my teacher to pronounce the name it didn't sound at all like So-lang or So-lang-ee. I realized that this name could not be americanized by our harsh Yankee accent, instead it can only be pronounced correctly by using a French nasal accent. I fell in love with the name instantly. From that day forward, I was called, "Solange" for one hour of everyday as I learned of French history, life, and language.

Still today I continue to recognize my "French identity" as Solange. What does this beautiful French name mean? Here's what I found out about the name:

The girl's name Solange is pronounced so-LANZH. It is of French and Latin origin, and its meaning is "solemn, dignified." A saint's name. A fanciful meaning for the name is "angel of the sun."

Now I am far from being a saint or an angel, but Solange has always been a piece of my identity and my past.