# Your Given Name **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366 "2002-05-22T20:43:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![islandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@islandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/islandgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/201 "2002-06-07T17:49:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \* > \*\* > > I get that too. My last name is Rising, and I’m forever having to spell it and tell people how to pronounce it. I’m glad they don’t want to get it wrong, but c’mon people, it’s not that hard. > > My first name is Justin, and my middle initial is K. It does stand for something, but I don’t like it, so I don’t use it. \*\* I knew a girl in high school named Nelly Rising–first time I had heard that last name. ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/202 "2002-06-07T20:41:03Z")
Adding to someone’s earlier comment about names that people ask the spelling of, but shouldn’t have to: Neal LaVaughn Smith II … yes, people ask how to spell “Smith”. Some of them seem to be serious, too! (And yes, Smith is my real name, and I’m tired of that joke.) ---
**Author:** ![misshannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@misshannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misshannah)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/203 "2002-06-18T20:57:36Z")
**Ringo** Did she or y’all grow up in Southern California? That would be incredible if my mom babysat for your sister… ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/204 "2002-06-21T03:52:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hillbilly queen \* > \*\*Mary Kathryn, but ya’ll can call me Kathy. > > My maiden name is the same as a Sesame Street character. Boy, that was fun growing up. > My current last name sounds like 2 letters of the alphabet. \*\* Mary Kathryn Cookie Monster? ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/205 "2002-06-21T04:25:53Z")
Finally! Somebody asked. No, not Cookie Monster. It was Bert. In H.S. I had a friend named Ernie. Joyous fun was had by all. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Deadly\_Nightlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/206 "2002-06-21T05:13:41Z")
Tiffany Nicole Taylor-Zell Its used to be Tiffany-Nicole, but when I got married I switched the hyphens around 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/207 "2002-06-21T06:12:57Z")
The first name comes from the fact that my mom and both of her brothers have “K” names. Mom and dad went through all of the Ks in the baby name book and didn’t really like them, but one afternoon at a stoplight, dad said “Katrina’s a pretty name. We didn’t think of that yet.” And that was that. I was **not** named after either Katerina Witt (note that my name doesn’t have an “e” in it, assclowns. :rolleyes:) or a 1980-vintage soap opera villainess named Katrina. You are not to call me “Katie,” “Kat” or “Trina” under pain of death. My middle name is Marie because dad had a crush on Marie Osmond while mom was pregnant with me. No, really. That’s how it happened. For a month, the doctors suspected mom was carrying triplets. If that had been the case, the other two of me would have been called Kyla Rose Ohlemacher and Kendra Mercedes Ohlemacher. ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/208 "2002-06-21T06:14:32Z")
::sigh:: The best laid smiley plans… ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/209 "2002-06-21T10:52:29Z")
Here is our family crest: [http://fff.fathom.org/pages/opalcat/crest-anon.png](http://fff.fathom.org/pages/opalcat/crest-anon.png) ---
**Author:** ![bluddy\_bloodnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bluddy\_bloodnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluddy_bloodnut)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/210 "2002-06-21T11:02:21Z")
andre simon tertsch ---
**Author:** ![DarkJudicator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@DarkJudicator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkJudicator)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/211 "2002-06-21T11:45:06Z")
Kiah. KAI-ah, KYE-ah, however you wanna show the pronunciation… please don’t tell me my name is “interesting”. I’m so sick of hearing that. Distinctive, unusual, weird, lovely, nice, all those I can deal with. “Interesting” I’ve heard so many times it’s lost all meaning. Anybody who calls me KEE-ah is begging for swift retribution, as Jessie Rae (sorry, Jessamalicious Jessica! Rae ;)) can confirm. That’s right, folks, no middle name. And my (vaguely Scandanavian-sounding) surname is omitted 'cause Google actually returns something for me, much to my surprise. With a screen name like this, it oughta be something more along the lines of Tassadar… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/212 "2002-06-21T13:42:01Z")
I have a cat named Kaia, pronounced the same way 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DarkJudicator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@DarkJudicator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkJudicator)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/213 "2002-06-21T14:42:27Z")
I wonder how **Opal’s Cat** would suit me as a screen name. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![eirroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@eirroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eirroc)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/214 "2002-06-21T18:56:31Z")
Wendy Jane Aitken nee’ Duffy, boring I know. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by DarkJudicator_ > Kiah Did you know Kiah was Zulu for house? Isn’t that interesting? ::D&R:: ---
**Author:** ![eirroc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@eirroc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eirroc)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/215 "2002-06-21T18:57:34Z")
_sigh_ that should have been D&R ---
**Author:** ![WV\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@WV\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WV_Woman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/216 "2002-06-21T19:01:25Z")
Jennie Elizabeth. Everybody spells my first name wrong and most everyone assumes my name is short for Jennifer. Well, it’s not, dammit! I was named after my great grandmother who was born in 1888 and apparently Jennie was a very common name back then. ---
**Author:** ![XCchick22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/e19b73/32.png) [@XCchick22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XCchick22)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/217 "2002-06-22T02:43:54Z")
Ashley Davis Sons First name: My mom liked it, and I guess it’s okay, I just wish it was more original. Middle name: My mom’s maiden name. Last name: My dad’s last name and it’s pronounced as in “My mother has no sons.” You’d be amazed at how many people pronounce it with a long “o”. Maybe the name just looks too simple, so people think it has to be something else. I suppose it’s understandable, although a few people can never get it right no matter how many corrections I make. My family has been in the US so long (specifically Kentucky) that I’m not quite sure where that name comes from. I’ve seen where it was Irish or English, but even my dad’s family doesn’t seem to know. I usually end up getting called “Ash” which is fine with me. I personally think my name looks fine in writing, but when said it just sounds awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366/218 "2002-06-22T18:53:47Z")
**hannahw** , ooh, close, but not quite; we lived in Berkeley, California. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-given-name/110366.md?page=10)