Decoding the social value of names | Duana Taha | TEDxToronto

On October 27, 2016, some of Toronto’s greatest thinkers and change-makers joined together onstage at TEDxToronto to deliver powerful talks and performances that embodied our theme, Symbols Signals. To learn more visit: . Follow TEDxToronto on Twitter (@TEDxToronto), Facebook (TEDxToronto), and Instagram (@TEDxToronto). Duana Taha is a television writer, producer, best-selling author, sought-after columnist and name expert. As the child of immigrant parents from Ireland and Egypt, Duana’s curiosity about personal, cultural, and national identity, has formed the trajectory of her career in television, print, and online. After creating the immediately popular “Name Nerd” column on , Duana quickly became a sought-after name expert, and her opinions on the culture of names and naming have appeared in the New York Observer, the Daily Mail, and Today’s Parent, among others. In April 2016, Duana’s first book, The Name Therapist, was published via Random House Canada, and rapidly became a National Bestseller. Duana has become a singular voice on first names, discussing not only what they ‘mean’ but how they shape our experiences and ultimately, our lives. She has never met another Duana. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at