I love My Name… I think!

This is a very strange thing to write about I know, but I felt compelled.

Does anybody know how it feels to not only have a common first name but an equally common surname?

In my school, there was a girl in my year I was never friends with because our names (both first and last) were the same right down to the spelling(!) and as a result we were never put in the same section for our 14 years at school (starting from KG)!

I don’t know, how you feel like (if you have the misfortune of a common name) calling another with your own name, but I feel weird! I keep wondering how should the name should be pronounced, what is the correct intonation, after all Your Name is something that belongs to you but others use it much more often than you do!

I love my name, don’t get me wrong! I love it when they call out my name in a prize distribution, as a winner, as a performer, i love it when —— whispers my name in my ears (:P), somehow it sounds perfect. And he says he loves the way it rolls off his tongue, how could I not like my name! (But to think he calls out to one of the other of my namesakes in the same way!!! Aaarghhh!!!)

But my patience runs short when I can never make an email account with my own name without adding 352565768749899…. after it!!! Like I am the millionth sample or something!

Sometimes I think what were my parents thinking!!!

The worst of the lot is when I have to patiently stand up and ask, ‘Do you mean the one with an H or without it?’.

See, recently in my post-graduate classes there were two of us with the same name with the only distinction that I spelled my name without the ‘H’ and that’s how we had to be recognized! Then we started being called by our roll numbers, I was #1 and she was #41. Our class mates actually had a lot of fun cooking up methods and nicknames to distinguish between us but trust me, we hated all of them. But finally all the creativity went out of the window, she was simply Micro’s S***** as she was originally from Microbiology (in her graduation) and thankfully I was simply “my name” as I hadn’t changed streams and was stuck through the same in both my grads and post-grads. Even though it was one of the stupidest methods, I was secretly glad, as at least once I got to keep my name as it is! 


I just hope my wedding is more hassle-free, and people don’t ask “which S**** is he getting married to?”, after all, the other girl is his friend from school. And his friends still have trouble relating the correct face to the lovely name.


As long as “no wrong number” or hilarious-for-others-only mix-ups (if you get my drift) happens, I am happy! 

And when I have kids I am going to find, or make up if necessary, the most unusual combination of letters resulting in a unique name, even if it is of just passable intonation and much less erotic…


Anyway, at the end of the day, after all grumbling and mumbling, I still love my name, after all it is my name, also… *sigh*  

What’s in a name? Only my pride. And my dignity. And self-loving respect. And unlimited namesakes…

P.S. Guria is a nice name isn’t it? And not that common. It is my favourite public pet name, christened when I was umm… won’t share! 


About Guria

An Artist in Science: A Misfit 'cause I choose to be one. "Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform" And a Maverick, because, I'm... umm... brilliant?
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46 Responses to I love My Name… I think!

  1. Miss_Nobody says:

    I love my name!Though I hate the fact that so many others have my name too.When I was younger Sreyasi was a name I didn't hear much(or that was just an illusion I guess),and now there are hordes of them.But my best friend and I share the same name AND surname- we used to get a kick out of it but now we are used to it(though others still get a kick out of it lol

    Like

  2. lol…u wont find a more common name than my name…thank god i made my name a little longer by adding a middle name….and don't even get me started on email id…..i was so fed up that i made an id akg1234567892001@yahoo.co.in …i still use that id as a backup of my gmail id 😀

    amit

    Like

  3. Guria says:

    Hey Miss_Nobody

    I am soo glad! Does that make me perverse? 😀
    But I admire you too, I end up hating the person(s) with my name (I must be mental, but it's true :P), and you are best friends with her! Well, makes you feel like twins na?

    Hiya Amit

    Yeah, that's one name I've come across several times over in this Blogosphere alone.
    I am so bad…
    Because I'm happy, I'm not the only one! 😛 😀

    Like

  4. Paritosh says:

    Sharing your name with a person of your sex is one thing. With one of the opposite sex is a different ball game altogether.

    Consider my situation. My last name 'Gunjan' was shared by a girl from my class. And she used to sit in front of me. To top it off, my Vice Princy used to call me 'Gunjan'.

    So whenever he called out my name two of us stood up. Damn funny to think about it now.

    Like

  5. shilpa says:

    I love my name too,though its a very very common name.
    There were two other girls in my class with the name shilpa but thankfully different surnames.And there was a girl who was my junior, we shared same name as well as surnames and funny thing is our fathers were namesakes too, so once the office clerk deposited my school fee in to her name and I received a letter from school that because i haven't submitted my fee on time so they are terminating my name..now that was a hell of confusion. isn't it?

    Like

  6. I love my name even though its pretty old. i think its quite unique and lovely becoz that's a person's identity. I've never had anyone sharing my name except for the fact that my blogger friend Raji shares mine now.. anyways. Don;t get upset you have a pretty name and I love GURIA as well..

    Like

  7. @ Guria,

    In childhood i use to think that my name is the only non-negative thing in me….. I dont say i love my name. I am just fine with it. Even once i thought to change my name to Karthik.
    As you said, it is really a matter of identity and self respect .
    Whenever i write with a new pen, it will be my name

    nice post with minute detaisl 🙂

    Like

  8. SG says:

    People say “a rose by any other name is still a rose.” But the actual writing by Shakespeare is “a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.”

    The same way…A S**** by any other pet name like Guria is still a S****. Also, as Shakespeare said a S**** by any other name would still smell as s**** (sweet).

    Like

  9. Sourav says:

    I liked your post. I had never thought about my name or I should say name-sake! But after reading your post I feel you are pretty right, sometimes I felt it too! Specially when Sourav Ganguly wasn't in form, and I had to listen all around me “That bloody ***** Sourav” Ha ha! But it's also true, all the people I had ever met with name Sourav had been very good friends of mine.

    Like

  10. Tanmaya says:

    hi!… i agree… even though my name is not that a common name it still has a draw back.. ppl cal me tanmay which a guy's name!!!! i get so frustrated… i even once stood up and corrected my teacher wen she called me that!! lol!!
    But now whenever i hear somebody with the same name i get so jealous as if they have stolen some precious thing of mine…
    i totally understand how you feel…

    Like

  11. Shruti says:

    Guria Ji!
    My dear misfit girl(This is the name I love the most!)
    Coming to the post! Know what? I was about to publish a post with the title, “WHAT'S IN A NAME”
    In my tag post, there was a discussion between me, bharathi and mahesh! So I thought of publishing that but you did that!

    I simply love my name, infact i adore it! Many a times i have thanked my mom for this name! In Chennai, though the name 'Shruti' appears familiar, very few has that name! That too the reason behind my name is too good and I love it!

    This is a typical Sreya's post! What else can we say except uttering – ITS AWESOME GURIA! U R THE BEST, WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING SUCH DELICATE YET SIMPLE TOPICS!

    Cheers!
    Shruti

    Like

  12. Yellow Tulip says:

    i love my name too…it was only when my mom thought of changing my name cos of some astrologer said i realized i wod never let go of my name!!:)…great post dear:)

    Like

  13. Singh Amit says:

    I love my name..But it is so common often I am called by my nick-name…It is unbelievable that you go to college after qualifying IIT-JEE and get 3 person out of 50 students in ur branch with same name even the Title…(Amit Kumar Singh)
    and one of them become ur room-mate as his roll-number just follows yours…
    It is something that has happened to me in IT-BHU….It was confusing but it had other benefits too… 🙂

    Cheers!!

    Like

  14. Harini says:

    I like my name but thankfully I have never come across someone with same name as mine(I do have an bhabhi with same name but most of us call her bhabhi and others call her by pet name, so issue solved). Thankfully in school I had no Harini. But yeah your name is pretty common. I have 2 friends with same name as yours :P.

    Like

  15. Vipul Grover says:

    Hey, i don't gt it, wn most of us know the stars in s****, thn whats d need 2 keep it tht way.. anyways, a nice funny post thr. I cn undrstnd ur dilemma though my name is not so common.. Yeah, we've named the new born (my niece i mean) nirbhita.. upon searching i found noone sharing her name on world wide web.. lucky she 🙂
    nd hey jus luvd the part i love it when —— whispers my name in my ears (:P), somehow it sounds perfect.
    love is in d air :p

    Like

  16. soin says:

    ha i also just wrote one about my name.just it was opposite..mines rare..so i cant relate with anything u say here..anyways indian names are quite exhaustible..and still you find beautiful new ones everyday..free

    Like

  17. Neha says:

    ah, call out neha, and 8 out of 10 girls will turn around…I can so relate to this post…feel like pasting the same thing on my blog… but I don't like my name…hmm, this much alteration I can manage..girl, u depressed me…I had almost forgotten for quite few hours tht my name is way too common 😦

    Like

  18. AWESOME girl.. even I love my name and hate it when I need to share with it others.. but I shared my name with one of my best frnds and it was so weird calling her 😀 but the worst was when I shared my name with a BOY *grumble grumble*. Can you imagine that? Boy A and girl A?? that was the tags given 😦

    Like

  19. vEnKy says:

    I had problems with my name too, but absolutely different from yours. My Full name is Venkatadri, no one i mean no one pronounces my name right. They end up pronouncing as weird as it can get. Very few world have my name in way i dont have identity crisis

    Like

  20. BK Chowla says:

    So what if your classmate has the same name as yours?As long as you and your parents,your friends like it,is good enough.
    Incidentally,my daughter's pet name is Guria.

    Like

  21. Guria says:

    Hi Paritosh

    Now that you said it, I used to wonder who was Gunjan, when I had seen your email-id. Confusion cleared. 😀

    Hey Shilpa

    Well, these mix-ups keep happening, and I used to get so irritated when I was in school. Later it became fun. But I love my name way too much 😛

    Hi Raji

    Hey, personally I really like your name. I have a fascination for unique and beautiful names. Thank you 🙂

    Hiya Mahesh


    Well, I do like things extreme, so, I LOVE my name. But a reason I like my name is I try to live up to the meaning of it, when to others it's just their name. Funny naa? 🙂
    Thank you for saying (and thinking?) it's a nice post! 😛 😀

    Hello SG

    Hey, there's a band playing to Welcome you On-board! 
    And you already know I'm sweet. You need to go around a bit, I'm particularly sour!! 😀
    Jokes apart, you given a classic example… shows that you have a very uncommon name! lol…
    P.S. If I ever say “Jokes apart”, I am lying! 😛 🙂

    Hi Sourav

    Welcome back!!! 🙂 🙂
    If Sourav Ganguly was being “bloodied” about, you just had to tell me. I'd bash them down for you. No charge! 🙂 🙂
    Well, I am sure you understand my sentiments, at least! lol…

    Like

  22. Guria says:

    Hi Tanmaya

    You have an unusual and beautiful name. One of those sensual uncommon names, I'm crazy about. But yeah, mixing up of genders is a funny thing.Happens with a friend of mine all the time, and I mean, all the time! Even her Admit Card to an exam showed her gender as male! She is now merely resigned… lol.. 🙂

    Hey Shruti

    You are always so effusive while praising me! I am touched!! 😛 🙂
    Don't call me here by my real name! Anonymity and all… lol…
    Shruti is a common name anywhere, not much though. It is Sanskrit, basic meaning 'to hear'… It was one of my favourite names from long before I knew any Shruti. 🙂

    Hi Yellow Tulip

    Your name is pretty. Is it that common? I don't think so. Good for you, don't change your name, it feels like swapping identities. 😛 🙂

    Hiya Amit

    I do understand. In my humbvle comment box only there are already two Amits! lol…
    Don't mind, but I'm so gratified… a name more common than mine!!! lol… 🙂 🙂

    Hi Harini

    You do have a “strange in a beautiful way” name! Like it a lot actually! 🙂
    And don't remind me how many names everybody knows. Two is the lower average! 😛 🙂

    Heyy Vipul

    Well, most of you know the stars, but not all of who come here. There are reasons actually. Pen-name n all. But Shruti n people still insist on calling by my “starred” name! lol…
    Actually even I checked your niece's name after I saw it on your blog. I love unique names 🙂
    And as for the line you loved, spruces up the post doesn't it? Air around me is thick with it.. lol.. 🙂 🙂

    Like

  23. Shankar says:

    I have encountered many problems with my name… let it be an interview process.. a prize distribution ceremony or anything else… whenever my name is called at-least 3 of us would stand…..

    once during a prize distribution they called my name and 5 peoples were standing apart from me and then there was a serious discussion about who the person is.. atlast when I got the prize I never felt like getting it.. after all those clarifications etc..etc..for a long time…. this happened during one of my interviews too….

    but still as all others said before I love my name….

    Like

  24. whats in the name sweetheart?

    Like

  25. aativas says:

    Interesting post. I have at least half a dozen friends with the same name… they are all good friends. I guess that was a fashionable name during the period when I was born.

    When I met a Sanskrit Pandit, he was surprised to hear my name. It seems that my name is actually a Masculine name.. and here I am a woman, with the masculine name!! But I like my name as its meaning is very inspiring.

    Good post. Enjoyed it.

    Like

  26. Ekam says:

    I love my name and I am so thankful to my parents that they named me Ekam. Even if I intentionally try to find my namesake, I'll find one Ekam in 50-60 people. The best part when I Google myself (which I am addicted to :P) , not many people are there and I can actually find myself very easily except for some Hindu mantras which include Ekam word in it …
    But these days my name is also becoming quite common. Not that much although. I remember some 7-8 years back , our neighbors named their new born daughter Ekam, I felt sooo good. And even now , some of my friends say that thay'll name their daughters Ekam. Hehe
    I loved this post of yours. I am smiling :). I am very possessive about my name:D

    Like

  27. Hey Sreya

    How are you yaar??

    My exams are fast approaching so very busy these days……..

    Cheers .

    Like

  28. narendra says:

    i dont particularly love my name..i think a shorter one should have sounded cooler..in north india i used to be caleed narender and here down south narendraaa…my malayali/tamilian friends call me narendran,some call me naru,some call me nadu(my kolkata friends)
    my mom and my sis have a short name(which again i hate) for me ever since i was born..i have strictly ordered them not to use the name in front of my friends..U kno…but i would have appreciated if they named me naren instead..lot more cooler….(Sri RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHANSA wAs belived to be using this name for SAWAMI VIVEKANANDA)…saints earlier were lot cooler than us..

    but then what is in a name??

    Like

  29. Makk says:

    I love my Name…Its Distinctiveness.

    I am lucky,,,:)

    Its too S****** when we see that name thingie…

    thnks god…

    Like

  30. roxy says:

    my great grandmother could never twist her tongue to call me “roxy”. so she called me “bosky”. friends used to call me all variants – foxy, sexy, proxy…

    at a time i used to dislike my name. now it is fun playing with it 😉

    i like your name very much. in fact, i have never heard the name before! what does it mean?

    Roxy

    Like

  31. Guria says:

    Hey EVERYBODY

    A biggie exam is on 7th! Everybody at home has made the PC off-limits for the lazy me, so that I can at least utilise the remaining 5 (or is it 4 already?) days to revise in order to get a decent enough score!

    On a happier note, in spite of having such beautiful names, I am glad I have friends and readers who empathize with my plight! 😉 😛

    I will be replying to everybody after 8th November 0000 hrs… (Marshall's hours) 😉 🙂

    And, IP, I am soo GLAD that you are back, however temporarily!! 🙂 🙂

    Readers and Friends, again, don't give up on this Misfit!

    Lots of love,
    Guria 🙂

    Like

  32. Roshmi Sinha says:

    Hi! My first time here 🙂

    You have a nice blog… and am hooked!

    “Then we started being called by our roll numbers, I was #1 and she was #41.”

    That makes you sound like a pair of “aliens” 😉

    “And when I have kids I am going to find, or make up if necessary, the most unusual combination of letters resulting in a unique name”

    Ha! Ha! You could take a que from some of the Hollywood stars, e.g., Nicole Kidman has a daughter named 'Sunday Rose'. One can't be more 'original' than that… what… ???

    Like

  33. hey i do share a little of your sentiment… whenever ppl hear 'Sid' they assume its Siddhart, Siddheshwar, Siddhivinayak and all this for not able to spell my name…:P

    Like

  34. Dhiman says:

    You know till I was in my previous company my name was always unique and thanked my parents for giving me a name not so familiar but in my previous company there were 3 of us with same name though with different surname so it became Dhiman B /M/D-da for the juniors and its still like that 😀 initially it felt strange to address someone with namesake Like saving the name in my own name in cellphone you see but learnt to live with it and one of them is a very dear friend ….
    Think of names like Prasenjit, Satyajit or other Jits which occur in dozens in Bengal 😀

    Like

  35. AJai says:

    I could so relate to this post. Happens to me all the time too. And i also find it very funny to call someone with my name.
    thank god atleast my spellin is a lil unique…:)

    Like

  36. Miss_Nobody says:

    Haha noooo,that does NOT make you perverse-I hate others who share my name,except for my bestfriend and the hatred increases when we are in the same class-like someone's stealing my glory*mumbles*

    Like

  37. J. says:

    Hah, yeah names are tricky, and of course a lot of people have the same name, I've had a similar situation with you, when there was not only just another person with my name in my class, but 4. It's sucks that you have to change your name so that people know who they're talking too, but that's life right?
    I hope you don't give your kid a name they'll regret when they hit lets say junior high or something.

    Like

  38. Jason says:

    This is a great blog you have here. I can’t wait to check out some more of your posts! I just wanted to inform you about my site, TheWISDOMWALL.com. We are a relatively new site that provides inspiration and guidance to people around the world. We’re trying to get the word out about it, because we feel that it can be very useful to people for their every day lives.

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    Sincerely,
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    TheWISDOMWALL.com

    Like

  39. Insignia says:

    Aaah, I can relate to you. I was just thinking on these lines yesterday and thought if I could write about this. And now I see your post 🙂

    I really get my nerves off if anyone spell my name with an additional H. Poor things, I lose my impression on them after that

    Like

  40. Miss_Nobody says:

    Hey,I got something for you on my blog.Don't be surprised-I have been a silent stalker for a while 🙂
    G'luk for the exams!

    Like

  41. pawan says:

    Same was the case here.
    In school i had to face the competition from another Pawan, he being the stud and me being the naughty one 😛

    But after years of the 'name' exploitation, I just added my surname with my name every where and the name struck!

    Good post!

    Like

  42. Shilpa Garg says:

    A very interesting, humorous post!!
    I can understand your plight! 😀
    In my case, though Shilpa is not so very common and I never had any other Shilpa as my classmate or friend, but people would always add, “Oh Shilpa Shetty!!?” and some even “Shilpa Shirodkar!” Urghhh…

    Like

  43. Chetan says:

    in my 4 years of engg, i have to share my name with two other people (only name),
    so evrybody use to call us by our surnames
    sometimes it was fun, and so… irritation

    Like

  44. Rajlakshmi says:

    LOLZZZZ chronicles of having a common name 😛
    i have idea for the name of ur childre… start with Z add X v in the middle somewhere and end it with Q … what say 😛

    that was fun reading it gal 🙂

    Like

  45. Legal Alien says:

    aww… Well, my surname is very uncommon but I know how you feel becuse I have a friend who would always complain about this problem. But hey, you're not a sample. You're a unique you.. even if you have 797987934 namesakes.

    Like

  46. Raj says:

    interesting as it may seem. and common as my name is, noone has a nick name of whiskey n a real name of raj. so i dont have that problem.

    and yes i LOVE my name.
    afterall in the movies atleast the guy with my name always ends up with a good life 😛

    Like

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