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When Ellie and I were little, our Uncle Jay would frequently send presents addressed to "Eleanor" thinking that we were the same person (or perhaps he was just thrifty). We would fight over the present and I would always win, because I am younger and clearly more clever. But Ellie got the better name out of the two of us. Her real name is Giselle, like the ballet. I named my baby after Giselle, (my husband thinks it's after the supermodel Gisele.) The new animated movie 'Enchanted' stars a princess named Giselle, so I guess that name is going to join the ranks of beautiful Princesses.
I have an old lady's name. It's true. Ever met anyone under 70 named Lenore? I didn't think so.
I lie and tell people that I was named after Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Raven' but in reality, I was named after the babysitter. Apparently my parents ran into her in the hospital when I was born. The original Lenore never used her real name but instead went by "Suzy" for no reason whatsoever.
When I learned Dx's last name, I knew immediately that I should consider him for a husband. Dx's last name is Crave.n. Perfect match!
People screw my name up all the time. They call me Leona (as in Helmsly) or Eleanor (as in Roosevelt). There is little more annoying than somebody getting your name wrong. You just want to smack them. I'll never understand why people use anything other than standardized spellings for their children's names. It's like giving a little gift of a hassle.
It's not that it's a particularly hard name, just an unusual one. The spelling is phonetic, but they always mess it up when calling from credit companies (never happens!) or when my order is done at In N' Out (never been there!) For the last five years, I've told the people at Jamba Juice that my name is Val. It's easier and I can always remember to grab my Orange Dream Machine.
Growing up, my sisters called me Lenorie, Baby Lenoo, Norie, Nor, Norface, and Normal. When called "Normal" I used to run and tell on them because I thought they were teasing me. I'd tell them over and over, "I'm NOT NORMAL!" and then cry.
When I got to college I gave up on Lenore, mostly so people in crowded spaces could hear and understand me. In college, most socializing occurs in loud crowded spaces with semi-intoxicated people. My friends called me Nor. When Norah Jones became popular, I started using her name, because at least people could understand and recognize Nora.
Moving back to the Bay, I've had a lot of Nor resistance. I dislike introducing myself as a nickname, so when people read my name from church roles I'm back with the Leonora thing again. Do I correct them? Do I just let them figure out that I'm most commonly called Nor? Or am I most commonly called something else? I think my family refers to me as Lenore, but to my face they call me Nor or Nori, most of the time. My husband calls me Nor to friends and then Lenore to business people, unless they're Asian (then he calls me Nori -- like the seaweed).
Over the years, I've also had some atrocious nicknames of my nickname. Favorites are LeBore, LeWhore (rough high school years), LeSnore (thank you, Smellie), Lenny (like the big dumb guy in 'Of Mice and Men') and Hardcore Nor (when I wore a lot of black in LA).
So, which name should I use? Do I go back to Lenore, or try to force the Nor? Nor sounds annoyingly exotic, like Queen Noor in Persia, but Lenore feels like such a clunker. Or shall I just change my name to Trixie LaRue?
Have you ever had amusing nicknames? How did you get your name? Does your name bug you sometimes?
19 comments:
That's a lot of typin' for you. I read the whole thing though. I think you should go by Ellie. That'd really confuse em.
-Pellum
I am named after my great grandfather (not a typo) who coincidentally hated his name and went by Lynn his whole life. He was born in 1892, so it isn't as if my name is made up or new-fangled. No one EVER gets/got my name right either, which probably should have prepared for a life overseas where my name is hopelessly foreign and apparently impossible to pronounce. But it didn't it just irks me all the more. Plus, NO ONE can spell my name correctly. People ask me how to spell it and inevitably don't listen to me and come up with inane spellings like, Lyndsy, Linsee, or my personal favorite, Linzi - my question is, do they know people whose foolish parents actually gave them these atrocious spellings? Plus, for some reason, no one can understand me on the phone when I give my name. In college I worked in the financial aid office and when students would return calls asking for any female who wasn't currently employed there, they were ALWAYS looking for me - Linda, Leslie, Wendy, Courtney, Claudia, Sophia - clearly people are idiots because some of these are not even close! Obviously, this is a subject that has dominated my existence, hence the longest comment of my blogging life. For the record, I think your name is lovely, I can pronounce and spell it, but I do feel your pain.
I was kind of named after my Grandma...Annis, yeah, I lucked out there. My parents spelled my name Anne so I could go by Ann as an adult, because it's more "mature". However, upon the development of my personality, it was glaringly clear that I am, in no way, shape or form, an Ann, and now I hate the name.
We gave Hazen my maiden name, because we wanted to name him after my dad, but "Robert" has been done, (Dad Bob, Brother Rob, Nephew RJ- Robert Junior), so we went with Hazen, which I really like. However, in rooms with a lot of background noise, people always say, "What? Hayden?"
No. It's not Hayden.
This post made me die laughing. Okay. I'm fine with my name, but I have some interesting names in my family. My Grandmother's name is Maudie Mae and my mom's name is Kaye Starr. My Dad is Charles (don't call him Chuck), my deceased Grandfather is Homer and my paternal Gradmother is Ethel. I have an UNCLE GALE and he despises his name beyond belief because it's a female name. And yet... he's such a GALE and he's very masculine. It's weird how people just become their names.
For the record, I really like Lenore.
My name is pronounced "La"-rel. But almost everyone says "Lo"-rel. I pretty much gave up correcting people and even resorted to misprouncung it when introducing myself. When I got to college I decided that I would always pronounce it the right way, like a fresh start!
No one under 70 (with the exception of Martha Stewart) has the name Martha either. And it's not coming back into vogue anytime soon from what I can tell, not that it ever was in vogue. I was named after Paul McCartney's sheep dog. You know that Beatles' song Martha My Dear, yeah that's about his dog. I have grown to like my name. Everyone knows who I am without using a last name and it has a unique history (even if the history involves a dog).
I like Nor. It's pretty.
People just call me Rach! People only have a problem with my name when it comes to spelling, Just-Rachel, not-Rachael! By the way, I really like the name Lenore- But, Nor just rolls off the tongue so easily!
I vote for Lenore. Nor looks like Nose and I know how you feel about that.... Lenore is much more beautiful. At least no one will ever call you Cecilia!
I like Lenore and Nor and I think it's very rude when people don't get names right and I think you keep correcting till they get it right. Seriously. Just ask Adrianne. I am her name advocate.
I think you should go by whatever makes you happy. And I know all about going by sister's names as well. Since the two H names seem to be soooooooo confusing, I have spent the better half of my life responding to either Heidi or Heather. And when people who have just met me and if someone calls me Heather and I answer to that, they then say "Oh, I thought your name was Heidi". I don't even distinguish anymore between the two H names . . . I answer to both.
And as for my last name, yeah that's a real winner. My maternal grandmother is still in denial that I married "outside of the race" and sends all written correspondence to Heidi Ramerce instead of Ramirez. And in doctors' offices, school meetings, ball games, etc. I've been called Mrs. Martinez, Mrs. Rivera, Mrs. Garcia . . . I guess all hispanic surnames must sound the same.
On another note, I had the absolute BIGGEST crush in college whose last name was Dede. (Pronounced Dee-Dee). He did me a HUGE favor by making sure our relationship remained strictly platonic. Can you imagine . . . Heidi Dee-Dee? Yikes!
I never liked my name because it wasn't attached to any popular song.
Great post.
Nice background.
Lenore is a beautiful name. But Craven mean evil. At Starbucks you are always Nora.
and this post made me think of Adrianne, the hardest name ever, and Jessica, her name advocate.
Mardee Says:
Naturally, nobody can spell my name. In junior high and high school, whenever I would call one of my girl friends, inevitably, EVERY TIME, somebody on their side would say, "who are you talking to?" "Mardee." my friend would reply. And then it was always, "You're talking to a BOY!?!" It never bothered me. Also, I too hate weird spellings, but have to defend my own because it's a cross over from the masculine Marty, and because my real name is Mardee Rae. Looks right to me. Anyway, some great names from my four grandparents: Alva, Clora, Vermont, Melva. Some other family names: Pluma, Opal, Nical, Verlin... this list goes on and on. Feel free to ask for more whenever your family planning deems it necessary.
Oh, and I also like Lenore, Nor, and Nori. But I mostly loved LeWhore. Oh one more thing. You know how yours was Hardcore Lenore? Mine was "Mard-A the Hard-A" (it was Utah, so the "A"'s were exactly what you read.) Just thought you might think I'm a little cooler now.
Yes! I have an easy name- Kimberly- and 99% of the time when I meet someone and introduce myself and Kimberly, they turn around, IN THE SAME CONVERSATION, and call me Kim. If my name is Kim I would have introduced myself as Kim, thank you.
I like both Lenore and Nor, but I would probably use Lenore if I were you, and then let people use Nor as a nickname. I like that Lenore is a little unusual and old-fashioned, but not strange.
It took me awhile to get the hang of Adrianne, but I'm glad to have never been reprimanded by Jessica.
Who is Kimberly?
I like Nor - as one of your sisters said in her blog - it makes you sound persian. very exotic.
Yes, I hate it when people spell and say my name incorrectly, but who can blame them it's an unusual name. I always wanted to change it growing up, but now I love it!! I've had all kinds of nick names here they go. Brigs, Gitta, Britta, Getaguitar, got-to-get-a-gitta, Brilly, Willy, Willilam,(has nothing to do with my name) Getta,Oh I can't think anymore
I had a friend in college named Lenore. She was really cool, so you must be, too.
My nick-name was Kare-bear (blech) before the bears were invented...then I wouldn't allow anyone to call me that.
I had a companion who's parents were seriously going to name her Trixie LaRue...That totally made me laugh that you said that. She ended up with Trisha (phew! dodged that bullet).
i'm attached to nori, myself.
there are many prize-winning difficult names mentioned here, but i crown myself the winner with rynna, which my public can't pronounce, spell, or remember.
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