Names classify us, precede our first impressions, and serve as our label throughout our entire life. Oddly enough, although our name is an incredibly huge part of who we are, we don’t get to choose it ourselves. That’s the parents job, and personally, my mom and dad decided to get creative with it.
They stayed far away from the popular American baby girl name list and with the signature on my birth certificate, guaranteed half of my life would be spent repeating and spelling my name for every person I meet. Having a unique name can be quite annoying at times, but no hate mom and dad, it definitely has its good moments.
Below are a few of the pros and cons I’ve discovered through my 19 years of being the girl with the weird name..
Pro: Always having a conversation starter
I rarely ever have awkward first encounters because they have questions to ask immediately after I introduce myself!
Con: Attendance lists, giving your name for a food or drink order to be called out, etc.
The mispronunciations in these situations are actually rather amusing, but pro tip- if you ever don’t want to deal with the stares of other customers when the Starbucks barista completely butchers your name, just say your name is Sarah. Sometimes lying about it is better than the hassle.
Pro: Not having to be called by your first name and last initial for people to know who you are
When there’s only one of you, there’s no confusion! My condolences to all the Maddie’s, Anna’s and Emma’s out there.
Con: Constantly having your name misspelled
This summer I was turned away from the pharmacy because my doctor spelled my name wrong on my prescription. It was ~fun~ and totally not a hassle whatsoever!
Pro: Having a unique quality that easily sets you apart right away
Sure, mispronunciations and misspellings are annoying, but I think it’s cool to be known for my name.
Con: Never being able to buy anything at gift shops
All I ever wanted was one of those cool keychains with my name on it...
Even though I don’t know if I’ll ever completely get over being the only child who didn’t get a mug with their name on it in the Florida airport gift shop, I truly wouldn’t change a thing about my unique name. Guess you knew what you were doing after all, mom and dad!
