Ah, names, we all got ‘em. However, not all names are created equally in terms of the amount of discussion they generate or the level of apparent offence they cause to the general public.
If you’re a Sarah or a Jessica or a Parker (well, not so much the last one but I couldn’t resist going there), you’re probably accustomed to going through life informing someone new of your name and then proceeding to immediately, well, get on with your day. But for people like me, my name comes with a FAQ and often a raised eyebrow or two.
My name is Holley, which is usually completely inoffensive and unassuming when simply verbalised. However, when seen spelt out, things can often go a bit pear-shaped. The 411 according to my mum is that since I was born 10 days before Christmas, she didn’t want people thinking that she only bestowed me my name because of my birth’s proximity to Chrissy.
Apparently this was something that had been well thought-out and planned in advance, although I still quietly question whether the decision was influenced by the 30 hours of labour she went through to pop me out.
Either way, there are a few side effects of an unusually spelt name that I don’t think mum could have anticipated 21 years ago. One biggie is that due to the combination of the additional letter in my first name and also just having an uncommon surname, when you Google me you can practically find my family tree, footage from my grade two school play, my Medicare number and the name of my first kiss. However, the factor that plays the largest part in my life is the multiple questions per work shift I receive regarding that extra ‘E’.