Name that Jaime
Do you want to call me Cate, Elle or James? Your vote counts!
First off, Jaime is the correct feminine spelling of the name. Jamie is the masculine spelling. But tell that to the millions of Jamies out there who's parents have mucked it up for the rest of us. So despite having the FEMININE spelling, I still get deluged with mail, messages and other correspondance addressing me as MR. Parents and potential parents: Do Not Give Your Child a Gender-Neutral Name. It's a curse. I'd rather have an actual guy's name than be saddled with a gender-neutral moniker. I have been subjected to a life of suffering through mild surprise when job interviewers discover I'm (gasp) a woman. Not to mention the ever-fun J-A-I-M-E song and dance I get to do every single time I give my name. That never gets old.... riiiiiiight.
I've been trying to get Dave to get on board with a name change. (He changed both his middle and his last when we married, so you'd think he'd be more supportive, eh?) I'm considering three options: (1) changing my middle name to Catherine and using J. Catherine Hunt as my professional name and going by Cate; (2) just going by my middle initial (L) -- "Elle" is clearly a feminine name; or (3) going by James. It's a nickname for Jaime, but it's totally masculine. I figure, as long as people are going to be surprised by my gender, they might as well be REALLY surprised.
Have you ever been sick of your name? What do you think I should do about my moniker? Shouldn't children be able to name themselves once they come to age? Why not call all babies "Baby G" or "Baby B" (depending on their gender) until their 18th birthdays? Think of how exciting your 18th would be if you got to go to the courthouse and change your name!
Feedback, people! I need feedback!
J-A-I-M-E
First off, Jaime is the correct feminine spelling of the name. Jamie is the masculine spelling. But tell that to the millions of Jamies out there who's parents have mucked it up for the rest of us. So despite having the FEMININE spelling, I still get deluged with mail, messages and other correspondance addressing me as MR. Parents and potential parents: Do Not Give Your Child a Gender-Neutral Name. It's a curse. I'd rather have an actual guy's name than be saddled with a gender-neutral moniker. I have been subjected to a life of suffering through mild surprise when job interviewers discover I'm (gasp) a woman. Not to mention the ever-fun J-A-I-M-E song and dance I get to do every single time I give my name. That never gets old.... riiiiiiight.
I've been trying to get Dave to get on board with a name change. (He changed both his middle and his last when we married, so you'd think he'd be more supportive, eh?) I'm considering three options: (1) changing my middle name to Catherine and using J. Catherine Hunt as my professional name and going by Cate; (2) just going by my middle initial (L) -- "Elle" is clearly a feminine name; or (3) going by James. It's a nickname for Jaime, but it's totally masculine. I figure, as long as people are going to be surprised by my gender, they might as well be REALLY surprised.
Have you ever been sick of your name? What do you think I should do about my moniker? Shouldn't children be able to name themselves once they come to age? Why not call all babies "Baby G" or "Baby B" (depending on their gender) until their 18th birthdays? Think of how exciting your 18th would be if you got to go to the courthouse and change your name!
Feedback, people! I need feedback!
J-A-I-M-E
5 Comments:
I go by Mungojelly, & my husband = Superduper.
So, uh, maybe I'm not the best person to ask.
"Jaime" might condemn you to a lifetime of carefully spelling it out, but it *is* a very pretty name.
<3
You have no idea how long it took me to realize your name was spelled J-A-I-M-E. I may have only cleared it up a few months ago.
So you haven't picked a blog name yet, but you're going all out and trying to pick an entirely new name? Wow. That's gutsy.
I think there's something to the long tradition of being named by other people. Unless you're a wannabe actor, most people go with the names their given. I think there's a big picture reason why that is, a reason I can't summarize in a sentence. I think it has to do with other people knowing us better than we know ourselves, the idea that changing your name on a whim means you can grow tired of whatever name you pick and change it again, the fact that 2X years of your identity is already stored up in your given name.
I don't know, I'm rambling here, but I think there's something inherently big about naming someone--I don't know if 'holy' is the right word, but that's the one that keeps coming to me.
As such, I'd stick with Jaime. Besides, won't you just confuse everyone? I can just see the Christmas letter now...
Then again, this comes from a 'Kevin,' a name of waning popularity since the 1960s, a name that's perfectly acceptable and offers no reason for complaint. Now if I was a 'Delbert' for instance, then I might have a different opinion.
Though I might recommend a few names:
Lemonjello
Sarah (hey, no one will ever mistake you for a guy--then again they will mistake you for half of Minnesota)
OK,that's all I've got.
I'm sensing you don't respect "Um, Yeah" as a blog name....
I guess I'd be miffed if Kaya one day says she doesn't want us to call her Kaya anymore, but she would prefer Tiffany.
My vote is for J. Catherine "Cate" Hunt
And what's with Dave not being supportive?! Or should I say, "What up, Mr. Danielson?!" ;-)
LOL,
Steve K.
I just think changing your first name is a bit drastic. But I'd choose the J. Cathryn one, too. I suspect her dislike of "Jaime Lynn" has something to do with Brittney Spears' sister.
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