What's In A Name?

I was an active browser and an occasional contributor in the www.Pangasinan.org/agno site. I wish I could still go back in its archives and search for those posts which tackled the names and panayods of the Agno townfolks.

I have to hand it to them folks - these nicknames were extremely funny. There used to be a young man who worked for papa in Proj. 7. His name was Manong Erning; ngem itti awag da kanya na ket "Kiba-an" since he was vertically challenged. How about the Neypes men in Eskina, da Ka-E ken ni Estong, Tiyo Baloney, Mr. Pasayan. My cousins Buday, Bongkil, Native, Utong ( since Junelin was reed thin then just like the Utong), Kiloy, Boyting and Sitong.
But of course, when we have grown, Kiloy became Ron (Roncalli) and Buday became (Sheila) but Native stayed Native latta.
The new names (which actually was the derivative of the original)sounded more urbane,proper and formal - more professional to a fault. Do we still slap each other's shoulders when we see each other? Did the change in names proved to be a sign of "growing up leaving behind" phase?
Boyting is now Dr. Gene Sison here in Illinois. I call him Gene in the presence of other people but he remains to be Boyting to me. The mere fact that I call him Boyting is proof that I still cling to those wondrous days of growing up. The "panayods" served to be a secret pact I share with my cousins and the rest of the people who played a role in my life - just like Kiba-An , Ka-E, Native, Kiloy.......