Numerology and nameology

(Merriam Webster's online dictionary describes Numerology as the study of 'the occult significance of numbers')

There are many people who swear by numbers and how these can influence one's life. There are even people who make a living out of peddling this stuff, though cynics like me are quite dumbstruck by how numbers or changing the spelling of given names can change events in one's life .

Be that as it may, from my work experience in the auto industry, I have found that at least in South India, people take the business of numbers very seriously. In Tamil Nadu, for instance, people will try their best, when having new vehicles registered, to avoid numbers where the digits total to 8, as it is considered inauspicious. In the days before computerisation, the dealer from whom the vehicle was being bought would collect a little 'extra' from the customer for ensuring  this because the clerk at the RTO who assigned the numbers would have to change the sequence of the papers!

This belief extends even to second hand cars. Some years back, my colleague was buying a used vehicle. When negotiating the price, the prospective seller asked for a higher amount since his car had a 'fancy' number. My friend, being a hard-nosed professional, asked him to change the number of the car! He did buy that same car with the same number - so presumably the seller climbed down. 

Realising this latent demand for certain special numbers, the Transport authorities in many states have figured how to monetise this - they auction the numbers and make a fair bit of money, too.

An allied field is what is called nameology. Each letter of the alphabet has a number assigned to it,based on its position. For instance, A has 1, B has 2 and so on, J has 1 again 1(1 + 0, being the sum of the digits in 10) and this continues. If the numbers in the name don't allegedly lead to 'good' outcomes, the nameologist (there are such people) will advise a change in spelling. A well known Test cricketer of the '80s started playing as Srikanth, but after he didn't do too well initially, changed his name by adding another 'k' and called himself Srikkanth. Whether this was the only decision which helped him to prolong his career - your guess is as good as mine. 

In my avatar as a teacher, I had a student called Pavithran who spelt his name with a B instead. I had a colleague too for about a decade with a name similar to mine, but which he used to spell as Rajann (with an extra 'n') and this used to lead to much confusion. Rajann itself was a shorter version of his full name and he reverted to the full name later. Whether these changes improved  life and career, I don't know!

There is even a lady who advertises on television and the Net as a practitioner of nameology. To convince sceptics, I suppose, she spells her own name as Jeyaswaruoopa instead of the more conventional Jayaswaroopa. 

I should maybe take her advice to see, if nothing else, how to get more people to read this blog !

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