The Soul of a Name: Finding Jacksie

Abstract

It is a well-known and established fact that C.S. Lewis famously nicknamed himself, but the circumstances surrounding his name change have remained vague for more than a century. While two popular theories about why he changed his name have dominated Lewis studies, its dating has been less definite. Focussing on the date of the name change may, however, offer intriguing insight concerning its rationale. This article compares Flora Lewis's letters and a letter Warnie Lewis sent his parents with two of Warnie's reflections about the name change to conclusively determine the year it transpired and even narrow the exact dating to within only a few days of its occurrence. In addition, it is suggested that this dating, coupled with other personal reflections about the name change, may lend sufficient weight to tip the scales towards one name-change theory.