This is dedicated to all of you've had to go through 12 years of tedious introductions, who've just accepted nicknames you don't really want, all because you've got a name as different as you. My name is Tesla, like after the scientist. "Tes - Luh." Five letters, two syllables. That's it, yet I've struggled my whole life with "Teasela," "Telsa," "Tulsa," "Tessa," and much more. If you have a unique name, then this article is for you because you can definitely relate.

1. Your name has never been on a key chain.

It's also never been on a hat, necklace, coke bottle, or on any kind of souvenir ever. You don't even bother looking anymore. The good news is, it's probably somewhere in a very obscure baby book in a second-hand book store somewhere.

2. People always ask if they can give you a nickname.

And that's best-case scenario. Half the time people don't even ask. They just abbreviate your name is if that's not cutting your identity in half.

3. You've accepted that your name can never make it into a song or poem.

My boyfriend tried once. It went a little something like this. "My girlfriends name is Tesla, she makes a big mess...la, but it's OK she's still the *mumbles* bestla." Needless to say, it was never attempted again.

4. People expect to know the origins of your name.

I think my name is Czechoslovakian..maybe? Frankly, I'm not sure where it comes from, if it has a special meaning, or why you want to know so much.

5. Then people expect to know the origins of you.

Yes, I am from America, thank you! This is where I'm from originally. No, seriously. I've actually lived in this town 99.99 percent of my life, so yes, I am sure I'm from here.

6. No one has ever needed to learn your last name.

You're probably the only person in the entire school or entire work place with your name. Who else could you possibly confuse me with, the other Tesla? This is actually good news though, because my last name is even harder to pronounce than my first.

7. You've always hated introductions.

Teacher's are bad, but substitutes are the worst. You stand up, repeat your name five times. Then you listen to everyone in the class say how they've never heard that name before. Then you pronounce it syllable by syllable and wait for them to try it out. When they do it wrong, you spell it for them. Then the teacher just resorts to reading your last name off the roster. You accept your name will be butchered for the rest of the year, no matter how many times you correct people.

9. You can't believe when someone can say and spell your name.

It almost takes you a minute to process what just happened, then after the initial shock, the two of you become best friends.

10. Meeting someone else with the same name is like going to an alternate universe.

It's cool for about five seconds. Then you realize there can only be of you...

11. You secretly like having a unique name.

It's worth all the the hassle because it's beautiful and unique, just like you! You may joke around about legally changing our names, but you would never actually do it because it's a part of you.