Your Own Name

I thought it could be fun to share your opinion of your own name! Whether you’ve kept the name you were given at birth, or changed it along the way, as people passionate about names: What do you think of yours?! You don’t necessarily have to disclose what your name actually is, but just your relationship to it. Did you hate it as a child, but grew to love it? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it suits you as a person or not? Would you encourage prospective parents to consider it for their own child, or warn them away?

My name is [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f]. I won’t say my middle name but it is an Arabic word. When I was younger, I would go back and forth on my name: I liked it, but sometimes it felt odd. To this day, I don’t know whether it suits me or not. I always liked the Arabic meaning of it (White [name_f]Rose[/name_f]) but in a way I wish it was something less ‘western’ and more specific to my culture, mostly just because I’m sick of people being so surprised when they realise I’m not European in my ethnicity! Also, it has its pop culture relations: [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f] the Teenage Witch references my entire life! My mum was actually inspired by the [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] Hepburn film, but no one ever refers to that, which is a shame. Despite some of the pitfalls, I am quite fond of my name, and wouldn’t want to change it. I also think there aren’t nearly enough [name_f]Sabrinas[/name_f] in the world, and definitely wouldn’t discourage anyone from using it for their own kids! I definitely prefer it to the more popular [name_f]Serena[/name_f].

My middle name is a bit of an ugly word, to be honest, but I like the meaning of it. My mum decided to give me and my two siblings middle names that were ‘related’ in meaning, for example each of our middle names mean ‘star’ ‘moon’ and ‘sun’. I think my last name is really quite boring and doesn’t flow very well, but I don’t intend to ever get rid of it, because it really does feel like its a part of me. So strange how much names can mean to people, considering they’re just words, but I guess Berries know more than anybody the value of a name!

I dont mind my name. My first name is an uncommon spelling of aa common name, so I had the annoyance of a popular name, but also the annoyance of it always being spelt wrong (even my work emails get my name spelt wrong in the body of the email sometimes). However, as a young woman in a Male-dominated field, the popularity of my name doesnt bother me as much as it did as a child and teen. I have not met another person with my name since I was 16.
My middle name is [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. It’s seen as a common ‘filler’ middle, but it was after my great grandmothers middle name, [name_f]Rosina[/name_f]. I do sometime wish I had that, or a more interesting [name_f]Rose[/name_f] name, like [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], but I dont think they work as well with my first name. When i get married, I plan to add ‘[name_f]Anna[/name_f]’ between my first and middle names, to honour [name_f]Ann[/name_f], the middle name of my mother and grandmother. I dont care to change my name twice, so I’ll do it when i get married, plus middle names dont make much difference anyway. I have been unofficially using it though, as my email has been FirstnameARSurname for about 8 years.
I dont really car for my surname either. It’s quite masculine, and I was teased for it a few times as a child. I dont hate it, but I dont feel attached to it either. Besides, I have two brothers and three male cousins who share my surname, so theres little chance of it ‘dying out’ in the next few generations

I love my name! My first name is [name_f]Faith[/name_f] and my middle name is [name_f]Leah[/name_f]. I’ve always liked my name, it fits me perfectly and I’ve never met another [name_f]Faith[/name_f] in my life. I got my name because I was conceived after my mom was told that she could never be able to have children. I think that people should definitely consider it, it’s a great alternative to [name_f]Grace[/name_f].

Growing up, I loathed my name. It was always misspelled, never pronounced correctly, and all three of my names (first, middle and last) seemed impossible for anyone to pronounce (when really, none of them were uncommon or unusual). My first name was #32 when I was born, and my middle name, while it didn’t rank in 1995, it has ranked since 2007 and is an elaboration of a name that ranked at #308 when I was born.

I’ve grown used to the corrections now, I don’t mind them too much now, but I’m very glad S/O’s last name is common and easy to spell, lol.

I have mixed feelings on my name.
So technically my name is Vasileia (Greek word name) but I’ve never gone by anything but [name_f]Celia[/name_f], to the point where I sometimes forget it’s not my full name. So I’m going to talk about [name_f]Celia[/name_f].
I’d definitely recommend it for someone else’s baby! I think it’s a solid, uncommon classic, the kind of name I love. It’s also fairly easy to spell. But do I like having it? Eh. I like that it’s unique, I’ve never met another [name_f]Celia[/name_f]. But I don’t think it suits my personality. I’m not the kind of person that comes to mind when I think “[name_f]Celia[/name_f]” and that’s always bothered me. I’ve wanted to change my name ever since I was seven years old, and though I don’t know if I’ll ever do it legally I’m probably going to go by something else when I enter university this year.

I don’t have a middle name, most people don’t in Greece. I wish I had one! As for my surname, I’m not too attached to it. It’s really hard for a non-Greek person to pronounce and I’m moving to the UK soon so I’m planning on changing it whenever I get married. Might give myself a middle name too when that happens, but we’ll see!

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My full name is [name_f]Martha[/name_f] [name_f]Leona[/name_f].

[name_f]Martha[/name_f] is for my mum’s paternal grandmother, and [name_f]Leona[/name_f] is after my dad’s name ([name_m]Leo[/name_m]). I grew up with an Auntie [name_f]Martha[/name_f], so I didn’t like it when family members called out my name and my auntie and I would both answer. I wanted to be called [name_f]Leona[/name_f] for a while, but my [name_f]Nana[/name_f] (mum’s maternal grandmother), once said to me that I reminded her of her best friend, who I am named after. She said that my auntie never did, as my auntie had a completely different personality to GGma [name_f]Martha[/name_f]. Since then I haven’t really minded, cause outside of my auntie and myself, I haven’t met another [name_f]Martha[/name_f].

My name is [name_f]Kaitlyn[/name_f], nn [name_f]Katie[/name_f], and I’ve always really, really hated it, because I was always the 3rd or 4th [name_f]Kaitlyn[/name_f] (of various spellings) in every single class from kindergarten to high school. I prefer [name_f]Katie[/name_f] to [name_f]Kaitlyn[/name_f]. I also, for some reason, really hate that it starts with a K? Like, nothing against K names in general, but it’s always bothered me for some reason, and I was jealous of the [name_f]Catelyn[/name_f]/Caitlyns.

I just wish I had a more ‘unique’ name, I guess. Something that wasn’t like the 2nd most popular girl name in my age group. That’s why I aspire to name my future kids something unique but not, like, bizarre or one of the those dumb spellings.

My middle is [name_f]Laura[/name_f], which I like a lot more, and it’s for my mom’s best friend who died from cancer before I was born, so I guess I feel more sentimental about it.

Apparently I was almost named [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] (my Dad wanted it, Mom didn"'t like it) which is kind of infuriating, because as I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f].

If I had had to pick my name, I would have preferred maybe [name_f]Violet[/name_f] [name_f]Laura[/name_f] after my great-grandma [name_f]Violet[/name_f]. I love the name [name_f]Violet[/name_f], though it kind of clashes with my last name a little.

(Nothing against other Kaitlyns, btw. It’s a fine name, I just don’t like it for myself, personally, because of negative experiences!)

I deeply appreciate my name!

  • Traditional and yet fresh
  • Familiar and yet unusual
  • Nice meaning, nickname potential
  • Flowing rhythm
  • Not affected by trends
  • Inspirational namesakes
    And I have a short family middle name to offset the length…
    [name_f]Happy[/name_f] being [name_f]Susannah[/name_f]!

My name is [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] [name_f]Janet[/name_f].

It feels very average for a girl my age, and kinda on the bland and boring side. I’ve never been very passionate about my name. I disliked [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] as a kid, but I did adore [name_u]Mandy[/name_u] (at least until one of my teachers started singing [name_u]Barry[/name_u] Manilow at me every day lmao) which is what I was primarily called anyway. [name_m]Just[/name_m] before middle school I felt like I’d outgrown it though and switched to AJ. Now a days I don’t mind [name_f]Amanda[/name_f], but I’m still not into it. I don’t really ‘feel’ like an [name_f]Amanda[/name_f]. I tried letting my coworkers call me [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] at my new job, but I ended up telling one of my managers I prefer AJ like a month in lol.

I absolutely hate [name_f]Janet[/name_f]. Always have, probably always will. It just grates on my ears. I would’ve infinitely preferred [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] has a much, much better flow and sound to it. That one letter really makes a huge difference.

My name is [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] [name_f]Janette[/name_f].

I was named [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] as when I was born I had very dark, olive skin and my parents have said that there couldn’t have been a more fitting name for me. I actually really love it as it is a classic, Shakespearean name that is both feminine and strong. It wasn’t very popular at all when I was growing up but I know thar that it’s now extremely popular which makes me a little sad.

[name_f]Janette[/name_f] is my middle name and I think it’s awful. It’s my mother’s name and she hates it too but my dad insisted that I take her name

My first name is Maite (pr. something like MY-teh) and I like it. I think it fits me and it’s not that popular while still nor being too weird (I’ve only ever met another Maite and heard of around five more, plus some girls named variations of it). I also love that it means beloved. What does bother quite a lot sometimes is that people seem to get it wrong so frequently, even though it’s literally just five letters long, and it’s pretty much impossible for anyone that doesn’t speak Spanish. That’s why I use [name_f]May[/name_f] on the Internet.

My middle name, I hated it most of my life. I don’t think it’s particularly ugly now, or that it doesn’t fit me, I’m mostly neutral towards it. I does have some nice cultural references though, and the meaning is pretty. To make it weirder, my parents got it from a homicide case in Spain so… yeah.

I have mixed feeling towards my surname. It’s two familiar surnames double-barreled wich makes it more unique, the problem is everyone assumes it’s my father’s surname + my mother’s (as is common naming tradition in Hispanic countries) when in reality it’s all my father’s. So I’ve had some trouble with paperwork having only half my surname, for example.

All in all, I like my name. I think it suits me. And it really feels like me

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I actually liked my name as a kid because I felt like I fit in. It was a top 90s name. I do have a very unfortunate first and last name paring that I’m not sure why my parents did not notice. [name_f]Imagine[/name_f] being named [name_f]Bethany[/name_f] with the last name Aloney. B. Lonely. I still get teased at work.The teasing never stops.

My first name is [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] and middle name is [name_f]Christine[/name_f]- I’m named after my dad whose first name is [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] and middle name is [name_u]Blaise[/name_u]. I’ve always LOVED my first name and felt bad for people who had to go by their first name and last initial because there were so many of them (even if tourist traps never had my name on their keychains lol!)

On its own I’m not a fan of [name_f]Christine[/name_f], but I’m cool with it because of the reason behind it. Would’ve been nice to have been named after my mom too, but both her first and middle name are really boring so I’m glad that didn’t happen haha.

I like my last name because we’re the only family in the world with it, but I’m not incredibly attached to it and plan on changing it when I get married.

My name is [name_f]Vera[/name_f], my family wanted to use a name with Russian heritage and my family has routes of faith in Christianity(vera means faith). I love my name on its own, as it balances tradition and modern energy very well. If I could change it, I’d want a more feminine name, probably [name_f]Alethea[/name_f] or [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f], or something.

I have a common name. It’s no longer top 20, but it’s top 100. I’m okay with the name except that it’s a name that I see more about the older generation. I’m a millennial, yet all the famous people with my name were famous in the 1940s to 1970s. To top it off, my mother gave me a unique spelling.

My middle name I love. I actually went by my middle name since I was a young child. It reminds me of old Hollywood in a good way (I know I’m contradicting myself). I feel like a temptress from a 1940s black and white movie. Apparently as a baby I wouldn’t respond unless people called me by my middle name and it became a thing. I even went through school by my middle name.

For some reason I started going by my first name as an adult. Family and old friends call me by my middle name.

I am actually considering legally changing my name. I think I will change my first name to the conventional spelling and add a second middle name. That is my goal for 2020.

My name is [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]. I’m fond of it, unfortunately now it’s getting very popular. It’s pretty, has a nice meaning and has the nickname “[name_u]Rory[/name_u]” which is cute but I’ve never been called it in real life, only by online friends. Hopefully I’ll get it started when I go to college lol.

Sometimes I have a hard time pronouncing it. Others seem to like it and I’ve got a lot of compliments on it over the years, as well as my fair share of “sleeping beauty” comments especially because I love naps lol.

I do enjoy being an [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] but because I’m so into names I get bored of being called one thing all the time.

My name is [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] Nycol.

I don’t really remember having any opinions on my name growing up. I’ve always been called [name_u]Gabby[/name_u]. As an adult, I love [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f]. It still gets pronounced [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], way more often than I would ever care for lol. It’s also a weird thing, I’m not sure anyone will get: I want to be called [name_u]Gabby[/name_u], but I want any nametag to say [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f]. To me, it’s like a professional thing having [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f], but don’t call me that.

As for Nycol, it’s pronounced [name_f]Nicole[/name_f], but my mom said every [name_f]Nicole[/name_f] she knew was a b!+ch and she didn’t want me to be like that. Jokes on her, I get it from her hahahah. No hate to the name, I’ve never hated it and I like that it’s spelled different.

I don’t think I’d ever change it, I’m absolutely a [name_u]Gabby[/name_u].

[name_f]My[/name_f] name is not super common, but it’s similar enough to other names that it doesn’t seem weird or unusual. I actually did go to school with 2 others, which was really strange. [name_f]My[/name_f] name is a variation of a common set of names, and I’ve had people ask me if my name is a nickname for another name. I’m pretty neutral about my name, I think I’d like it more if it had meaning to my parents, but I don’t dislike it either.

When I was younger, I wanted to change my name to something longer so that I had the possibility of a nickname, but I don’t really mind now.

I detest my birth name. It’s a first name that was often misspelled and/or mispronounced, and a “throwaway” middle name that didn’t honor anything or anyone. [name_f]My[/name_f] birth-first name doesn’t pop up much on here, but a similar sounding one does quite often as it seems to be a Nameberry favorite, and it makes me cringe every time, not because it’s a bad name but because it’s a reminder.

I changed my name legally as an adult and I love it. [name_f]My[/name_f] first name is [name_m]Jack[/name_m], which is short for something else vaguely unexpected that no one has guessed yet, and I love it. [name_f]My[/name_f] middle name is [name_m]Seamus[/name_m], the Gaelic of [name_u]James[/name_u], which is a family name— having an honor middle wasn’t the reason I chose it (I just love the name) but honestly it was a huge plus.

Changing my name was a pain, but I am so much happier every day being called a name I truly love.

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I’m with [name_m]Jack[/name_m] on this one. I also detest my birth name. First, middle & last. Almost every person that I introduce myself to
pronounces or spells my first name wrong, but once I repeat it & they get it right, they say “Oh, that’s a pretty name”, & that’s it.

I say “thank you” of course, but the compliment really means nothing to me, because I don’t like having a first name that’s just “pretty”. “Pretty” sounds the same as “average” to me, & I can’t stand “average!”
Besides, it sounds almost like my aunt’s (my mother’s sister’s) name, which is also an “average” name.
[name_f]My[/name_f] middle name is as easy as pie for anybody to pronounce & to spell, but is just as average, & it was the first name of a friend of my mother’s. Nothing to write home about.

[name_f]My[/name_f] last name, just like my first name, also goes through the “misprounce/misspell grinder” by almost everybody, but it’s the only one of my names that I actually took an interest in, because I tried to find out its origin. I think that was the point in my life where I wanted to become a “Name Nerd”, & the rest is history!

I’m a “bona fide” attention seeker (& who wouldn’t be if they’ve spent their life living as a “Party of One?”) so , even though I’m thankful that my mom & dad didn’t punished me with a name like “X - I - A -12ii”, I would like to have been given a name that would not really set me apart, but would make me feel special & bolster my self-esteem a little.

The real reason why I hate my birth name is rather difficult to explain. All I can say is that it reminds me too much of my past, so I decided some time ago that I wanted to legally change it.

[name_f]My[/name_f] grandmother was the first person that I confided in about this, but she was against it, mainly because of the the SSA, the “red tape” & my benefits, so I just swept the issue under the rug for the time being.

[name_f]My[/name_f] dad & my stepmother are the last people that I discussed the name change with & they told me the same thing, only my dad also wrote off the idea as being silly, for there is nothing in a name as far as he’s concerned.

[name_f]My[/name_f] dad was probably just being his usual insensitive, realistic self, or maybe he was really looking out for my best interests, either way, he doesn’t seem to give a rat’s $@& about what I hold dear, because there are 3 things that are of the highest value to me, my name, my autonomy & my pride, especially since I don’t have too much else to call my own besides that​:frowning::rage::sob: