Cimarron, right?

My mother’s name is Mina, and she’s the only one I ever actually met with that name. She was named after a great aunt, so it was probably an old-world name.

I have an unusual first name. I hate it. Always have.

I hated the first name that I was given by my parents, both of whom said they didn’t like it and wanted to name me something else, but “compromised” with what they did name me. I changed my first name legally when I was in my 40s. I had always had the problem of people not being able to spell it, so I picked a first name that was straightforward and is spelled the way it sounds? Guess what? People still can’t spell it or pronounce it.

A unique name is really a gift. I like your name and can both pronounce it and spell it, but if you don’t, you can change it.

I have unusual first and second names, and probably the most common last name in the Anglo culture. I had to grow into both of them. I am at peace with them now.

My first name is extremely common. People who speak Spanish as a first language sometimes spell
my first name wrong, but “Americans” always spell
It correctly.

Both my maiden and married surnames are fairly rare. My maiden name is extremely rare actually, and no one pronounces it correctly the first time, and no one would ever spell it right from just hearing it.

My married name some people get right. There is a designer with the same name, so some people are familiar him, and Jewish people are more likely to be familiar with the name. Still, it is mispronounced often, and spelled incorrectly often. My mom misspells it, because there is more than one correct spelling, and she says it the way she writes it. It cracks me up.

Your name might be difficult for some people at first, but my guess is once you correct them they get it right from then on. It’s not complicated. It doesn’t have odd letters together. Both of my surnames have consonants together that you don’t see together in English. That’s why people get all flustered I think with my names.

My first name is common.

My middle name is my grandmothers maiden name, and not at all common (though there is a well known British comedian who has done a lot on US television that has the same pronounced name with a variant spelling).

in fifth grade our teacher asked us each where our names came from. One boy said his mother was reading a book when she was pregnant with him, and fell in love with a name from the novel. He was named after a horse called Tarney.

I’m pretty sure my name is in the top 10.

My mom was a big Peyton Place fan and I was named after a character on it. My sister was also named from the show after Mia Farrow’s character.

Pro-tip: If I was walking down the street and you screamed out “JOHN” I would think nothing of it. It isn’t the name I use.

Sabra is a cool name.

My name is not common but when I look at lists of popular names for each year, my name is growing in popularity. I like having a unique name. There are two ways to spell my name, and my spelling is the simpler of the two. There’s a Shakespearean play about a couple, and my name is the female’s name.

My daughter’s name is my middle name. It’s fairly common but I think it’s probably becoming less common now. Her middle name is my sister’s middle name, and my sister’s middle name is the female version of my stepfather’s name.

When I was pregnant, two names I was seriously considering were “Jennifer” and “Colette.”

My name is common enough, but the spelling is uncommon enough to be an annoyance.

I’m “Alysonwithawhy”.

^^And, only one L.

@ibstubro, it can be a nickname for Wilhelmina.

I never had to share my name with another student in my class so I guess my name isn’t that common. I’ve known a few other Janets; they were either Italian, old, nasty or worried about a missing child in a frizzer.

^^I know a few Janets. One is a close friend of the family and she is British. She is in her 60’s, so I’m thinking it might just be you missed the generation when it was more popular.

I never thought of that, @Jeruba. You’re probably right.
I never met anyone from my maternal father’s side of the family, so I have no idea of their heritage. The surname was very common…Miller.

I’ve been searching for a relative whose grandmother married a Miller and it’s been impossible!

@JLeslie: Maybe you’re related to @ibstubro!

I have two relatives who married Millers.

I have two relatives who married Millers, too.
My grandmother and my father.

(Well, technically, dad was #3, but mom’s original name was Miller.)

@ibstubro I’m guessing in your family they aren’t Jewish? But, either Scottish or German?

Seriously, @JLeslie, I know absolutely nothing about my maternal grandfather’s family.

He died in the 1940’s and there must have been bad blood, because I never met a Miller relative other than my grandmother (who never re-married).

Same on my father’s side. My dad had one childless fraternal uncle.