What's Your Name?

What's in a name? Our name is a big part of our identity. And the way you feel about your name is important, as well. For instance, were you named for someone? Are you proud to be associated with that someone? Or do you really dislike that person and therefor dislike your name?

Parents often take time and thought before naming their child. Should we name the child after someone in our family, someone in our ancestry, or someone we admire? Or should we find an unusual name, or a popular name? Or do we wait until it is born and name it for whom they look like? 

Do we choose a name that would sound like someone successful with the hope that the child will be successful? Do you think about if the name sounds masculine or feminine? Do we wonder if the name would sound like a president or other important person?

Should we give much thought to what nickname their name might inspire? Do we want them to have a powerful sounding name, like "Thomas"? Or worry that calling him "Tommy" would weaken his name? What about girls names? You want a "Wanda" or a "Winter"?

Or how about name that could be either gender, like "Ryan" or "Robin"?
You see, there is a lot in the name you are given. But there are also names we choose to go by. Maybe you like your middle name better. Or you just choose a name other than your birth name. Maybe you have a nickname that you prefer people use for you because it has an image you prefer.

Your name is probably the first thing people want to know about you. It often shapes how you are thought of. 

I was named for my maternal grandmother, "Lucinda". My mother called me "Cinda" and I soon became known as "Cindy". I was "Cindy" for three decades, through childhood, teens, and young adult. After my divorce I went to college and chose to go back to my birth name, "Lucinda". And have been known by that name since then. There are still a few people from my past who call me "Cindy", but I don't embrace that. I wanted to be known as grown and a responsible woman. 
I adored my maternal grandmother, so embracing her name was easy for me. How about you? What's your name and how do you feel about it?