I have a unique name—my name is Katia (kah- tee- aah) and though I’ve never hated my name, there were always moments where I disliked it. Like in elementary school when I could never find pencils with my name on them and every single substitute teacher pronounced my name incorrectly. But after 20 years, I’ve come to embrace my name, even love it for a multitude of reasons.
- Having a unique name is an amazing conversation starter. I can’t count how many times people have told me, “I love your name, it’s so pretty,” and asked “Where did it come from?”
- Learning the origin of you name is really interesting—apparently the name Katia means pure—who knew?
- It’s easier for people to remember you; having a unique name makes you stand out, and often, that’s a benefit.
- I got to grow up feeling completely special and unique, and I guess a bit spoiled; I never got mistaken for someone else or had to share my name because there was never another Katia in my class.
- I can’t even describe the excitement I get when I actually do find something with my name on it, like the perfume Katia Sport.
- Can I just say that I have my own Bratz doll. Just let that sink in—a middle- schooler’s dream!
- I can find myself online really easily, for example if anyone of my family members wanted to find one of my Odyssey articles or some photos from when I played water polo in high school, all they’d have to do is google my name and it would all pop right up.
There is a multitude of reasons why I love having such a unique name, but the biggest one is definitely that I can’t imagine myself with any other. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve completely grown into my name. I look like a Katia, I act like a Katia, I AM Katia, and I can’t imagine being anyone else.
Though it might not seem like it while you're trying desperately to fit in during you middle school years, having a unique name is way more of a blessing than a curse. So stand out and be proud of the name you were given. It’s not the name that makes the person—it’s the person that makes the name.