What's In A Name?

I love my name. I really do. It's just...been a difficult name to have.

Apparently Adrienne is a guy's name (according to many people).

Apparently Lee (my middle name) is a guy's name (according to many people).

Apparently Lindsey is a first name.

Thankfully Davis has no real issues (except for being spelt David on occasion).

Whenever I meet people they NEVER understand what I say my name is and invariably mispronounce it back to me so many times that by the third or fourth correction I usually get frustrated and/or embarrassed and just nod my head like they got it right.

One of my professors actually argued with me on how to pronounce my own name once. He seemed to think it was Adri-ANNE.

It's not.

Don't even get me started on going to Starbucks & giving them my name for my cup. It's so bad I don't even give them Adrienne anymore. I just say "Lindsey" or "A." It's easier and not really a lie.

Which reminds me...for YEARS before I added Davis onto my last name Lindsey could be quite the problem as well. I have had countless conversations which go something like this:

"Last name please."

"Lindsey."

"No, no, hon. Your last name."

"Lindsey."

"Ma'am, I don't need your first name, I need your last name."

"My last name is Lindsey."

"Your last name is Lindsey?" Asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Yes. Lindsey. L-I-N-D-S-E-Y."

Just once I wanted to say, "Oh, I"m so sorry, you're RIGHT. That's NOT my last name."


This week at a teacher training we all had to do a reflection on our own name after reading a snippet from Sandra Cisneros called "My Name."

Here is mine.

Dear World,

No. My parents were not obssessed with "Rocky."
No. My name isn't Audrey or Adri-ANNE or Audrine.
No. My name isn't two syllables.
No. My name isn't a man's name!

Yes. My mom saw it on a tax form and thought it was pretty.
Yes. It's pronounced AY-dree-uhn. Three syllables. Count 'em third grade reading teacher.
Yes. It is spelled A-D-R-I-E-N-N-E. The "e" is silent and the spelling is feminine and French.

Maybe that's the problem.
A French name pronounced in English.

Please get it right people.

Sincerely,
"Ah-dree-EHN"

http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/Adrienne

Link to the English & French pronounciations of my name, the latter being how I signed my letter to the world.