I firmly believe that after 10 months of pregnancy, 30+ hours of labor and having a 9 pound baby pulled from her body with forceps, my mother decided to name me whatever the lady next to her named her child. Thus, I'm a Jennifer. #namegame
Mom wanted to name me Gabriella but my dad said I'd get picked on and called Gabby for the rest of my life so they named me Jennifer. I wish I could have had a say in that because I hated being the 3rd Jennifer in a room. I changed my name to Jezebel about 13 years ago.
No, seriously, Jezebel Dawn Blessing is now my legal name. No one calls me "Jennifer (add personal moniker here)" or forgets my name any longer.
The worst person I ever met was named Jennifer. She's totally ruined the name for me, because whenever I heard that name my strangle reflexes kick in. #namegame
@Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith:
Haha Oh yes I know they're the same as far as meaning,origin, etc. But it would still be nice.
Plus I've found that people who spell it with the Y are actually called "Kathryn", whereas people who are "Katherine" usually go as Katie, Kate, etc. #namegame
@Slim: what is with the Catherine/Katharine/Kathryn spellings anyway? In different history books and novels (I blame Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory and many hours on airplanes), I've seen Henry VIII's wives' names spelled all kinds of different ways, like there's Catherine of Aragon, but then there's also Kathryn Howard. What's up with that? Any history buffs care to give me some info? Does it date back to the days of Chaucer when people played fast and loose with spelling, including their own names?
Also, I feel, given the names of women of Gen X and Y, we have no choice but to dedicate K to the Katharines, Kathryns, Kates and Katys of our lives. #namegame
@That_little_attention_whore: Also to continue the "class of '98" nominating: L for Lisa, M for Melissa, N for Nicole/Nicki, R for Rachel, S for Sarah/Sara, T for Tracey, V for Vanessa, W for Whitney. #namegame
@That_little_attention_whore: Yes! You're dead on! I nominate all those names also. As far as the different spellings of Kathryn though, I don't know. I know it's of Greek origin and it means "pure" (haha). My experience/guess is that is varies according to culture/nationality. I think Katherines/Catherines are more English and French while Kathryn/Katie/Kate is more Celtic.
But then there's also the derivatives of the name (i.e. Katerina, Katrina, Catherina, etc) #namegame
Funny, I have had this very conversation with a girlfriend...In depth! The conclusion? All Jennifer's are ho's! I know that is cruel, but in my experience all the Jennifer's I have encountered have always been slutty and or trouble makers. Like the office co-worker that always has an opinion or just plain has to make things difficult, the know it all. Or like the girl that just so happened to have dated three guys which you have dated! That is not to say that I have never met a nice Jennifer. When that happens I just find myself over analyzing this nice Jennifer insistently searching for any signs that she must have it in her somewhere....somewhere! Yes, I know, lot's of thought has gone in to girls named Jennifer. It's just that there are so many of them! So when I saw this story I thought aha!
@ilovehermakeup001: yup, you got us. we're all sluts and troublemakers.
Oh, and way to slut-shame, btw. your comment was very insightful, entertaining, and definitely contributed greatly to the narrative. Well done! #namegame
I'm a Jennifer, but everybody (friends, family, teachers, co-workers, etc.) has called me Jenny since middle school. When I hear "Jennifer", I don't even look up. For me, Jennifer has such an '80s (think Jennifers Beals and Grey) connotation, and doesn't fit me at all.
My mother is from Colombia, and she wanted to name me something that doesn't have a Spanish counterpart (unlike, say, Andrea,) so that her side of the family would be forced to pronounce the English version. Weird, huh? #namegame
It's funny, when I read these comments I see the "I was almost a..." comment. My names were set in stone pre-conception: Elizabeth for a girl, Richard Joseph for a boy. Thank god I'm a girl. My name may sound super Irish, but at least my old relatives aren't asking me when I'm going to change over to "Dick" *shudder*
you know what's weird? i was born in the year that jennifer was the most common name for baby girls (real freaking original, parents!), and yet i went pretty much my entire school career without ever really encountering more than a couple of jennifers. in fact, i didn't even meet any other jennifers until my first year of uni! (i guess everyone else i went to school with was either an amber or a jessica) #namegame
What I don't understand about common names is that the parents always claim to not realize it was common. "When we named her, nobody was named that yet. It got popular later." I've heard this from parents of Ashleys, Brittanys, Justins and so on, when the kids were born well after there was an epidemic of those names. I swear half my friends have a kid named Connor or Abigail right now. And they all claim to be the first to come up with it. #namegame
@Pantra: I know that this is really a completely different thing from what you're saying, but I thought it was interesting...Freakanomics talks about the socio-economic evolution of names; that baby names trickle down through the population from a higher socioeconomic level to a lower one as they increase in popularity. This does not, however, explain why parents pick a "unique" name not knowing that it is not at all unique, at least, not anymore. Do they not have the Internet?
My brother is an Ethan. He's 31 and growing up, other than Ethan Hawke, there really weren't any other Ethans. My mom actually gave him a really common middle name, in case later in life he thought "Ethan" was too weird. My mom was a teacher and it was hard for her to find a boy name she liked, but didn't have associations (usually negative) with a child she'd taught. Apparently that really narrowed the pool. Now, half of the hyperactive little boys getting screamed at in the supermarket are Ethan's. My bro has just now gotten used to hearing, "Ethan, get the hell over here RIGHT NOW" and realizing they aren't talking to him. #namegame
@booter26: Ha, that reminds me that recently I've bumped into a rash of badly behaved toddlers with my name. I always find badly behaved toddlers amusing (they're so sassy! and I don't have to deal with them!) so when they have my name I just root for them even more. #namegame
@Pantra: I've mentioned this before and I'll probably keep mentioning just cause I'm funny that way, but when I named my kid Aidan 10 years ago, I swear I thought I was being unique! I think it has something to not hearing a name that often or its so old that no one under the age of 60 has it and you think" hey, I bet no one has thought of that name" so you go ahead with your choice not thinking everyone else was thinking the same thing as you. Usually people who are the same age as you are thinking the exact same thing and boom, you got yourself a trendy name.
Still love my kids name, so to the commenter that commented last time on my remark, don't worry, I'm chill. #namegame
They always say every generation has one or two names that burst into popularity and then fade into obscurity....like "Madison".
I know three "Madisons" who were born and raised in Madison New Jersey.
You would think the parents wouldn't be stupid enough to give their daughters the same name as their hometown but no. I bet they got a lot of "I've been all over Madison" and "What time you pulling out of Madison" from all of the boys. #namegame
@Oryx Hearts Crake: Recently got a call at work from a grown-up MacKenzie. I wondered where they had all gone. I still hear "MacKenzie! Be careful on the monkey bars!" when I hear that name -- they are eternal toddlers in a Strawberry Shortcake outfit to me. At least Jennifer seems classic by now. #namegame
My dad fronted Jennifer as his top choice for my name but was quickly shot down by my mom's "my daughter will NOT be a Jennifer M." Instead they went with Janice, and whenever I introduced myself to a peer, the response was usually, "hey, that's my mom's name!" So instead of having the same name as my classmates, I had the same name as their moms. #namegame
I will allways love Rachel!
As you say, most of us can feel related to Aniston, even if I'm not a hollywood star, and not as pretty and rich as she is (not related at all, haha)
I do know a few Jennifers, and I can tell they are nice and kind of cute. #namegame
I'm a Jessica, but whenever creepers ask for my name I always say Jennifer. It's not far off, and not something like Tallulah that they might not believe. #namegame
The variant of Jennifer that I have grown gradually to dislike because of associations is Jenna. How is it that a single person can color one's whole perception of a name? I don't think, Wow, that mean girl has brown eyes, therefore I am disinclined to like brown-eyed women. But a name? Is a brand that cannot be removed. #namegame
@LAmonkeygirl: Poor Jenna Taylor, a classmate of my brother's, had no chance but to be a bitch. You would too, if that was your name. (If you don't get it, say it out loud.) #namegame
As a Jennifer, I can say I hated my name as a kid. There were 8 Jennifers in my grade 2 class. Yes, you read that right, 8. That's like, a quarter of the class or half the girls.
As I got older and wiser, I didn't mind my name so much. It kind of grew on me. I won't be called Jenny though - don't even try. I also don't like it when people I don't know call me Jen - it's too familiar for strangers. Jennifer, Ms. Jennifer if you're nasty.
Today, I'm ok with my very common name. I get the occasional "hey, you're from the block, right" or "can I still reach you at 867-5309?" which is hilariously close to my actual phone number...I am a Jennifer and proud of it. #namegame
@anastasia beaverhousen: I grew up in an area that was rural and fairly poor, and all the Jennifers I knew went by their full name. In college, I met a few Jens, and they were all from more well-off areas. So I always associate Jens with being rich. #namegame
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No, seriously, Jezebel Dawn Blessing is now my legal name. No one calls me "Jennifer (add personal moniker here)" or forgets my name any longer.
Being Jezebel is much more fun. =)
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10/31/09
Ugh pick me for once!!!!!
That is all #namegame
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11/01/09
Haha Oh yes I know they're the same as far as meaning,origin, etc. But it would still be nice.
Plus I've found that people who spell it with the Y are actually called "Kathryn", whereas people who are "Katherine" usually go as Katie, Kate, etc. #namegame
11/02/09
Also, I feel, given the names of women of Gen X and Y, we have no choice but to dedicate K to the Katharines, Kathryns, Kates and Katys of our lives. #namegame
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11/02/09
But then there's also the derivatives of the name (i.e. Katerina, Katrina, Catherina, etc) #namegame
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Oh, and way to slut-shame, btw. your comment was very insightful, entertaining, and definitely contributed greatly to the narrative. Well done! #namegame
11/01/09
10/31/09
My mother is from Colombia, and she wanted to name me something that doesn't have a Spanish counterpart (unlike, say, Andrea,) so that her side of the family would be forced to pronounce the English version. Weird, huh? #namegame
10/30/09
I wonder what K will be?! #namegame
11/01/09
11/01/09
Er, by Irish, do you actually mean British? As in England? #namegame
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My brother is an Ethan. He's 31 and growing up, other than Ethan Hawke, there really weren't any other Ethans. My mom actually gave him a really common middle name, in case later in life he thought "Ethan" was too weird. My mom was a teacher and it was hard for her to find a boy name she liked, but didn't have associations (usually negative) with a child she'd taught. Apparently that really narrowed the pool. Now, half of the hyperactive little boys getting screamed at in the supermarket are Ethan's. My bro has just now gotten used to hearing, "Ethan, get the hell over here RIGHT NOW" and realizing they aren't talking to him. #namegame
10/30/09
10/30/09
Still love my kids name, so to the commenter that commented last time on my remark, don't worry, I'm chill. #namegame
10/30/09
I know three "Madisons" who were born and raised in Madison New Jersey.
You would think the parents wouldn't be stupid enough to give their daughters the same name as their hometown but no. I bet they got a lot of "I've been all over Madison" and "What time you pulling out of Madison" from all of the boys. #namegame
10/30/09
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As you say, most of us can feel related to Aniston, even if I'm not a hollywood star, and not as pretty and rich as she is (not related at all, haha)
I do know a few Jennifers, and I can tell they are nice and kind of cute. #namegame
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As I got older and wiser, I didn't mind my name so much. It kind of grew on me. I won't be called Jenny though - don't even try. I also don't like it when people I don't know call me Jen - it's too familiar for strangers. Jennifer, Ms. Jennifer if you're nasty.
Today, I'm ok with my very common name. I get the occasional "hey, you're from the block, right" or "can I still reach you at 867-5309?" which is hilariously close to my actual phone number...I am a Jennifer and proud of it. #namegame
10/30/09