Names can be tricky. Some are easy to say and remember, some not so much. Having a unique name is a blessing and a curse, at times. Here are some things those with a unique name know to be true.
1. Your teacher paused to make sure they said your name right on the first day of school every year.
The first day of school was always a little scary. The students that had been in your class the year before knew what your name was and that was comforting for you. Now, you are in a room with some who know your name and some who don't, including the teacher. You sit in your seat waiting for him or her to get to your name, and your heart stops when they pause. You don't want them to mess it up because they will feel bad and you don't want to have to explain to them how to say it, because that will make them feel worse.
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2. Some people thought your name wasn't your real name.
"That has to be your nickname, right?" Yes, the name that appears on my birth certificate is my nickname. You're right, the name you think is actually my name is it, I'm sorry no one told me.
3. People have asked you how you parents came up with your name.
You have a story ready for when they ask. Maybe you are named after an ancestor, your parents met someone with your name and liked the name, or maybe they found it in a baby book or on a magazine. Regardless you are ready to share your name's origin.
4. You probably have an nickname.
Most people have them anyway, but if your name is unique, you rely on your nickname. At least that is probably a name no one will get wrong.
5. When you find out someone else has the same name as you, you get really excited.
Really excited. It is rare to find someone with your name. You also think about how this person probably goes through the same struggles you go through, and that makes you feel connected to them.
6. You are not phased when someone calls you by the wrong name.
Not even remotely, you just roll with it.
7. You have looked up your own name on a baby name website.
Most people do this, but if your name is unique you do it early in life, just to see if this name has anything else cool about it other than that no one else is named it.
8. You have a way to tell people how to remember your name.
Maybe it's a saying, or you compare your name to a word they already know. Either way, you are ready to tell someone how to remember your name if you have to.
9. You also have a way to tell people how to spell it.
At times, spelling can be a lot harder than remembering how to say your name, so you are always ready to help someone if they need it.
10. Your parents probably have a unique name, too.
First or middle, one of your parents probably have a unique name. If they don't, then they probably know someone that does and so they were not phased when they decided to give you a name that gave you a little bit of character from day one.
11. You would never change your name, ever.
Yes, there may be challenges that come with having a unique name, but none of them are too hard to tackle. Your name is part of you, and if you changed it, you would change who you are. That is not something you want to do, so they name gets to stay. Hey, at least sometimes you have a good talking point to start a conversation on!
