Why do they still call me “Reggie?”



On November 20, 2025, my legal name became Chazark Holmes Wilder. Chazark Wilder means “protected as a free man in the wilderness” and reflects my time living in Arizona. I kept Holmes as my middle name to maintain the same last-name connection with Malik and to avoid confusion. I’ll explain how I feel about the name Holmes later in this blog.


Community reaction has been mixed. Most people in Tucson — MMA training friends, University of Arizona community, lifelong Tucson friends, church folks, Deaf folks — were surprised but comfortable calling me Chaz or Chazark without hesitation. It takes time to get used to. Even my godmother in New York City had no problem with it. Deep family insiders in Florida still insist on calling me Reggie.


At least I did not change my name for silly reasons. I remain same person whether name is Reggie or Chazark, even though personality traits continue evolving over time as life circumstances change. I tell people they can still call me Reggie if they prefer, even if it annoys me. So question is simple: why do they still call me Reggie?


Two reasons explain why some people still call me “Reggie” on purpose rather than out of habit. First is psychological comfort. Second, it is more about them than about me. I am not judging anyone, but continuing to use an old name can say a lot about how someone relates to change and personal boundaries.


Honestly, it makes me feel like those are people I would not choose to interact with on a regular basis, but I have no choice, especially when it comes to Malik. Malik and I share common roots.


It creates too much emotional drag, like I end up carrying discomfort so they can stay comfortable. I remind myself that I am a 40-year-old dad with not much to lose, so I just shrug.


Irony is that my legal name still has to be used anyway. You cannot write a check with my old name. You cannot file a police report with my old name. You cannot do anything legal with my old name. So yes, I won.

I understand Reginald Chaz Holmes was given to me for reasons. But fact is, I did not choose that name. Meaning of Reginald or Reggie — “leader” or “ruler” — does not reflect my everyday life, especially over last 22 years as an adult man. Honestly, it is a common and boring name anyway.


As for Holmes, legacy of Holmes family namesake ended a long time ago. It ended in 1997 when my granddaddy Louis Holmes passed away. If my grandfather were still alive today, I believe he would not care about my new name at all. He would just be happy to see me, Malik, and everyone else.


Malik’s mom chose Holmes as his last name under assumption that family lineage would continue. That never happened. I am not interested in expanding family, and she moved on with her new partner. I kept Holmes as my middle name so no one would confuse my name with Malik’s last name.


Truth is, Holmes family today is very different from Holmes family of 1980s and 1990s. I believe it is time to move on.


This is a short blog. My name is Chazark Holmes Wilder. You can call me Chazark or Chaz. Even if it annoys me, you can still call me Reggie for sake of your psychological comfort. Just remember that life is much bigger than a name alone.


Happy Christmas week!



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