MrsHughey.com

Could you spell that?

So my name is really unusual here. My first name. Erin. Not too unusual in the States, is it?

My mom, so the legend goes, got it from the TV guide under a listing for the Waltons. Dad wanted to name me Amy.

There have always been one or two other Erins at school or in the community with me. And maybe once a year or so I'd get somebody (usually a very elderly person) saying, "What an unusual name!" or "That's a BOY'S name!" (No it's NOT!! AARON is a boy's name and they are pronounced differently!) or even, "I've never heard of that name before." But usually I'm just Erin in the States. It ain't Melissa or Jennifer, but most everybody knows it when you say it.

Then we came to England. I seriously considered going by my middle name here, but once we got here I felt I had enough to adjust to and changing my name would have just made things harder. So I stuck with Erin. And it started almost immediately.

"I'm sorry?"

"What was it again?"

"Could you spell that?"

"How do you say it again?"

or just "Hmmm"

They have never heard of it. It's very weird to have an unusual name. I thought "Erin Hughey" would be like Jane Smith around here. Erin is Irish for "Ireland" - although an old dialect. It must be like naming your kid Nebraska or something.

Even other university students seem puzzled by it. I've made it a habit to spell my name when I get any hesitation after an introduction. That seems to help.

It took me a few weeks to figure out the problem. At first I thought it might be my accent that threw people off. But then Steve, the MCR president, a smart guy no matter how you slice it, wrote an email to Andrew about my membership in the MCR. He spelled my name Aerron. Hmmm. I started paying attention when I was introduced. Other than the Americans and Canadians, everybody seemed puzzled. Aaron is pronounced differently here, too, and is distinctly different from the way they would pronounce my name, so that is a bonus in a way, but also makes it all the more difficult to get my name accross.

I feel kind of unique in a way I never did before now. It's definitely different to have an "unusual" name, but it's not something I ever expected.

At work we all go by our surnames, so I'm Mrs. Hughey on all the paperwork and the schedule. Yesterday one of the other porters very kindly gave me a Christmas card. My name was spelled Earreun or something like that. He did acknowledge that he probably spelled it wrong, but it was such a nice gesture I just said thank you and not to worry.

It's funny suddenly being "exotic". LOL

Posted by Erin at December 7, 2002 07:13 PM