21 Responses to “Where Have All the Debbies Gone?”

1. My first and middle names are Anita Jeanine. My family all called me Jeanie. The kids in school all called me Jeanie Weenie. It was not until I switched from elementary school to Jr. High that I ever saw my birth certificate and found out that my name was really Jeanine. I had been named for a character played by Claudette Colbert in a movie of Jeanine of Lilac Time. I loved the name and when I made the switch to the new school, I insisted on being called Jeanine. To this day, only my sister and aunt still call me Jeanie. Somewhere along the line, I started using the signature A. Jeanine. However, now that I’m on Medicare, the government insists that I go by Anita J. I hate that. Like you, every time my name changes I have evolved somewhat into a newer personality. I named my daughter Dana after the actress Dana Wynter. I named my son Erik after a cigar ad on television of a handsome Viking in a war ship. My daughter is expecting her first baby in November and is planning to name it Madeline if it’s a girl. She hasn’t settled on a boy’s name yet, but is leaning toward Sam.

   by A. J. Cronin on April 13th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
   
   

2. I really can relate to your feelings about your name. I ALWAYS wished my name was different–not sure why. Something like Victoria seemed more unique, I guess, or maybe more sophistocated. When I was in 8th grade there were 3 Ginnys in my class ( dating me, I’m afraid ) so I experimented with spelling changes. But no one can ever spell it correctly and usually use Jenny instead. A bit late now to do anything about it but I answer to almost anything!
   I found your website because I’m a huge fan of Susan Albert. It’s a very interesting blog. Thanks .

   by Jinni Turkelson on April 13th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
   
   

3. Oh, Jeanine, I feel your pain. Those childhood nicknames are the worst. My hubby, Jim, had a younger sister who couldn’t say her Js, so she called him Mim, which lead to Mimi, which she pronounced Meemee. How would you like to be a guy and have your whole family call you that? To this day!

   Jinni, I love unique spellings, but they can be tricky. Welcome to our Cozy Chicks blog, btw. Always good to meet new friends.

   Kate

   by Kate Collins on April 13th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
   
   

4. Yes, I’m a Jennifer and was one of TEN in a high school class of only thirty-something girls. My mom also blamed my father. When I was in grade school, I signed my illustrated books with the name Cassiopeia or Ziadah.

   People seem to be making up a lot of names these days. That’s fine as long as we can all figure out how to spell them!

   Jinni - I like your name!

   by JB on April 13th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
   
   

5. My name is Pamela Sue and I always thought it was a bit too hoaky. I would love to be called Page for a first name or some funny like Reed Page. LOL especailly when in grade school I was called Pammie Panda then later Pandy. So when it came time to name my children I called them by their real first names no shortcuts.
   Melissa, Amanda, Mishell and so on. LOL
   Pamela

   by Pamela on April 14th, 2008 at 3:34 am
   
   

6. Before she was married, my mother was enamored of a pair of twins born to a friend of hers. Their names were Susan and Sheila. When I came along, she tried Susan first and I slept right through it, so I ended up Sheila. Funny, she had never even considered the Irish aspect of the name, even though my father’s parents were both Irish.

   I’ve never felt like a Sheila. People say the name and I have to think about it a moment before I realize they’re talking to me. And no one can spell it–anyone who doesn’t know a real Sheila will spell it “ie” instead, or even Shelia. And don’t get me started on the Shelagh crowd.

   But I’ve never found my “real” name. And now I have a pen name: Sarah. I must be very confused.

   by Sheila Connolly on April 14th, 2008 at 8:42 am
   
   

7. My real first name is Janice, which I’ve always hated. Some of my family calls me Janno, and I’m okay with that. My hubby calls me Janno Baby.

   My real problem is the people who hear June or Jane when I say my name is Jan on the phone. Huh?

   by Jan on April 14th, 2008 at 9:02 am
   
   

8. It would be interesting to take a poll to see how many people really liked their first names, wouldn’t it? Maybe we should just number our children at birth, and when they’re old enough, let them pick their names.

   Jan mentioned the problem of people not remembering her name on the phone. I have to admit I’m guilty of not remembering names in those situations because I’m so busy trying to figure out who it is, why they’re calling, and, in the case of those pesky telemarketers, how to politely hang up. It’s embarrassing to have to ask for a name a second time. I guess I should learn to listen properly.

   by Kate Collins on April 14th, 2008 at 10:13 am
   
   

9. I was named after my Dad and have my mom’s middle name, Donna Ann. So like you Kate, I went through the hyphenated name, then the initials (my maiden name started with a D) D.D. But for most of the time I like my name.

   Now working in the OB department at the local hospital we hear name combination that would make your brain hurt!

   Donna, Donna-Ann, DD , hey you!

   by Donna on April 14th, 2008 at 10:54 am
   
   

10. Hi,
    I’m a Linda that was born in the 70’s and there weren’t any other Lindas in my class at all. When I was 19 I went to work for the court system, and there I discovered many Lindas, who were all at least 10 years older than me. Every Linda I’ve ever met has been older than me, with the exception of one gal I worked with a few years ago who was actually a few years younger than me. Growing up, my best friend and I would make up new names and call each other by the new names. Often times I picked Kate!

    by Linda on April 14th, 2008 at 11:22 am
    
    

11. Growing up, it seemed I was never in a room that didn’t have at least two other Cathy’s (or Kathy’s). I hated having such a common name. I went through the changed spelling, initials and all that. It just made my mother angry and one day she told me that I was lucky to be Catherine Marie after her mother and not Myrtle Mae af ter my father’s. Since that day I have felt very grateful for the name Cathy, because I would much rather be that than Myrtie.

    I have to admit that I named my son after actor Dana Andrews because I loved the movie Laura. My son is Dane Andrew because my husband felt that Dana was a bit too feminine. I also like that he is the only one of that name in his class, but now the name Dane is becoming popular because of a comedian named Dane Cook, I guess.

    by Cathy on April 14th, 2008 at 11:56 am
    
    

12. My daughter, born in the 70’s is named Kathryn - called Kathy by most & Kate by a dear friend. She has friends named Jennifer and Kimberly.
    My name is Jody - but that’s not the given name. I was named Joan Elaine & for the first 21 years of my life, I was called Elaine. My mother DID however call me Jody part of the time. When I met my husband on a blind date, he was given the choice of Jody or Elaine. I was working at a place that had a Helen, an Ellen, and an Eileen. I purposely went by Jody to avoid confusion. Since he picked up on the Jody name, I’ve been Jody ever since.
    Every time I’m at the doctor’s office, I have to pay attention, because they have “Joan” since it’s the official name. I’ve actually talked about changing my name legally, but it seems a lot of bother - all the paperwork that would have to be done .

    by Jody on April 14th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
    
    

13. There was only one other Heather in my high school class. And yes, we were products of the 70s.

    I always wished I had a cool nickname, but it wasn’t to be.

    by Heather on April 14th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
    
    

14. I was born in the 80s, and my mother gave me as unique a name that she liked. That same spunk carried over into my middle name (LeNeigh) and I had a very plain last name.

    There were times I wanted a plain name, like Jane, or Debra. Something short and sweet and other kids could pronounce without a problem.

    My brother called me “mersa” until he was in grade school because ‘Marissa’ was a tongue twister for the little guy.

    by Marissa on April 14th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
    
    

15. I’ve always been one of a few Holly’s, for some reason that name hasn’t ever become hugely popular. However, I’m unusual in that I’m not a Christmas Holly. My mom grew up in Oregon and loved holly bushes, so decided she would name her first daughter Holly, even if she was born in the middle of July!

    My big excitement about my name was learning, when I was five, that I had a middle name. Big surprise! That seemed very grown up. I asked Mom what my middle name was and she said, “Yvonne.” I repeated it, “Yvonne?” It meant nothing to me. I said, “What does it start with?” Mom said, “It starts with the letter Y.” “Y!” Now that was exciting. Y was clear at the end of the alphabet, and extremely exotic. No one had a name that started with Y!

    A few times I tried to switch to Yvonne, but no one would go along with the change. I guess I’m a Holly with a great middle initial!

    by Holly Y on April 14th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
    
    

16. Among the ones who didn’t really care for my first name. My middle name is Carol and I always wanted to go by that. There were 5 Susans in my class for 5, 6, 7th grades (we moved a lot) and I was at the middle of the alphabet but last one, so I decided Sue–hated it! I was named Susan as my older sister kept telling people that was her name–Mom used it in self-defense. Our sons have traditional names–our daughters are more different–Victoria Autumn–goes by Tori sometimes but she likes her names (MIL seriously dislikes Victoria as a name–she hold Queen V personally responsible for the downfall of the British Empire–go figure). Younger daughter is Alexandra and goes by Lexi. She likes her name too…esp since her middle name means Grace in Greek. I wanted that to be her middle name, but DH doesn’t care for it…so he found a solution we would both like. Didn’t intend to name them after queens. Middle son is middle named after both grandfathers. I refused to use grandmothers’ names for first or middle names for my girls–I think it hurt my MIL’s feelings, but I was NOT going to use one of her names and leave out mom’s…and there is NO way that I would use mom’s names—Mable Winifred–mom still doesn’t know what her mom was thinking or what she was on when GM named her.
    In 2000 I worked with 3 Amy’s–we differentiated by Frank’s Amy, miniskirt Amy (and were they short!) and Amy. We had 5 Jennifers…we gave up.

    by Susan on April 15th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
    
    

17. Susan, you are too funny! Love your daughter’s names. My DH is Greek. He doesn’t ever use his real first name, but I think it’s sexy. Demetrius.

    by Kate Collins on April 15th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
    
    

18. It’s so funny how names are clustered around certain decades and age groups. I watched it with my first two daughters were in school then eight to ten years later when my second set of daughters were born. Christine and Melissa were the oldest. And I guess Melissa was a more common name for her time. The second set of were named after family members so they were always a little distinctive: Serena and Maria (full name–Maria Theresa. Which—continuing the historical thread—was the name of the most powerful Empress of Europe: Maria Theresa in the 1700’s.

    Incidentally—I used that generational thing when I chose the names for the Kelly Flynn mysteries: Kelly and her friends– Jennifer, Lisa, and Megan.

    by Maggie on April 15th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
    
    

19. I was one of at least a dozen Kathryns, Kathys, Kates, and Katies. When I was a teenager I rebelled and called myself Savannah Rain. Now I go by the rather plain Kaye but like Anne of Green Gables, “When you think of my name, put an “E” at the end. That make’s it sound so much better.”

    by Kaye on April 16th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
    
    

20. Victoria isn’t that exotic of a name. Trust me. I was born in the 1978 and the big names in my class were Ryan for boys and Brandy for girls (3 Ryans and 2 Brandys in a class of 72 people). It could have been 3 Brandys as that was my mother’s first choice for a name. Thank heavens my dad wanted to name me Victoria and call me Vikki (the spelling was his idea too).

    by Vikki on April 18th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
    
    

21. Well, my name is Peggy Sue. I’ve never been that impressed by my name because it just seems so ordinary and dull (but then I tend to think of myself as ordinary and dull so maybe that’s why I don’t especially care for it). I’m not really sure what I would change it too, though. These days my favorite thing to be called is “Amma” which is what my two year old grandson says since he can’t quite manage the “gr” sound yet.

    I’m told that after I was born (in 1958), when my dad went to find a pay phone to notify my grandparents that I had been born, the song “Peggy Sue” was playing on the loudspeakers in the hospital lobby. When I was very young I was called “Susie” but my first grade teacher called me “Peggy” so that was the end of the nickname. I seem to be somewhat of a rarity, though, as almost all of the other Peggys I know are actually named Margaret (I’m not really sure exactly how that nickname was derived). I still frequently have to argue with people in doctor’s offices and other “official” places who find it incredible that my legal name is actually Peggy and not Margaret.

    In my family we have some interesting name/nickname combinations. My dad, whose name is Lloyd, was called “Johnny” by my grandmother until the day she died, because she said he reminded her of her only brother (John, called Jack). His cousin, named Franklin Otis, has been called Sam all his life (for what reason I don’t know). Another cousin, named Rita, is called “Brownie” by her close family members because of her deep brown eyes. I have an uncle and a cousin, both Jr’s, who are called by their middle names to avoid confusion with their respective fathers.

    By the way, the aforementioned grandson’s name is Kindon, which I had never heard of before he was born. I really like it, since it’s different enough that he won’t be one of ten in his class with the same name, but not so different as to be “weird”.

    by Peggy on April 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
    
    

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