snorkmaiden

My name (Leah) was really uncommon in the UK when I was little, then Star Wars became the bane of my life, even though in the film it was Leia - that didn't stop the kids in school from humming star wars music etc; and was really not helped as one of the boys in my class was called Keith Chew, so then they had a princess and a wookie in the school....what fun

The name is much more common over here, I imagine because it's in the bible.

I like the name, I never met anyone else who had the same name when I was a child, it felt quite cool despite the star wars teasing

Maz

Yep I like my name. I'm the only one in my family with ths name, and I like it that way. My mother-in-law actually suggested we name our daughter "Marion". No thatnks! One per house is enough (plus stay out of my business, you interfering old bat LOL).

Neathborn

I like my name (Sara), but it causes me endless problems in the U.S. as it's not pronounced like "Sarah", but "Sah ra", more like the Spanish or French way. My mum says she chose the Welsh pronunciation of the name (I was born in Wales). I used to hear other people with the same prounciation when I lived in the U.K., but of course, here it's unheard of and I have to settle for being a "Sarah" (no offense to other Sarahs -- I like the name -- but it's not really my true name!).

TaffyinOK

I couldn't stand my name when I was growing up in Wales (waving to Neathborn, I was born not too far away from you). I have since learned to live with it, somewhat, even though I'm constantly asked, "How do you spell that?" How many ways CAN you spell Marilyn? Marilyn is Marilyn - not Marylin - not Marilynne - not Marylynne. I've even tried saying, "you know, like in Monroe", but the response is usually the deer-in-the-headlights look

Taffyles

Waving to Neathborn and TaffyinOK - I lived in Neath till I was 13. I don't mind my name- only complaint here in the US is that people automatically spell it Leslie (the boys way) instead of Lesley (even when I correct them). I guess it was a popular name when I was born - I was one of six Lesleys in my class in school.

Neathborn

Waving back to you TaffyinOK! Funnily enough my mother's middle name is "Maralyn" -- it was supposed to be "Marilyn" after Marilyn Monroe, but somehow the registrar (or maybe my grandparents) didn't get the spelling right, so she's been stuck with "Maralyn" ever since!!

Neathborn

Hi, Tafflyles, I only lived in Neath the first year of my life, so don't have much recollection of it really. Did you like living there?

Here in the U.S., I don't believe "Leslie" is used as a man's name (but someone correct me if I'm wrong). In my 15 years here, I've only ever met girls with this name and the spelling has always been the male version. Perhaps this is why there is some confusion over the spelling of your name.

Suffolk Bumpkin

Rodney.....Fekkin love it.....I can pretend I'm either a battleship, or a rich fart from the home counties. WhenI'm not sitting around picking the fluff out of my belly button. Which is hardly ever.

Just glad I aint called Ralph !

Belch

Maz

LOL Our daughter is called Lauren. We're not having any more kids, but if we had decided to have another sprog and have a boy, I'd have to be cruel and call him Ralph. LOL

Just Jenney

"Do you like your name?"

I have often debated this very question but have never been able to come up with an answer. In a way I don't like my name (Jennifer) because it is not unique at all. But I don't necessarily DISLIKE my name, either, mostly because I honestly can't think of any other name that suits me!

Mark likes his name. His mother chose "Mark" because she didn't want him to have a name that could end up with a nickname. And it worked, because he's never had a nickname! Same goes for his brother, Neil. Ironically, his mother (Vivien) goes by Viv and his dad (David) goes by Dave.

My mom (Mollie) has never had a nickname -- in fact she grew up having to convince people that Mollie wasn't short for anything -- while my father, George III, whose father was a career Navy officer, has always gone by Skip. (Which of course made me laugh when Mark told me that in Britain a "skip" is a dumpster; Dad still doesn't know this yet...)

So what about you guys -- what do you think of nicknames?

In my case, I usually introduce myself in work/formal settings as Jennifer, but once people get to know me I go by Jenney. I never introduce myself as Jen but people seem to naturally slip into this mode, so I'll respond to it, although it's a bit annoying. My ex-hubby called me Jay, as did his entire family, but no one else ever has, not even my family. Mark calls me Jenney, although when he says Jennifer I think it sounds really sexy!

~ Jenney

DaveC

LOL! Our daughter is called Lauren too and we're expecting a boy in October. We've jokingly considered using that name - especially as Ralph is my wife's favourite character from "The Simpsons".

Maz, are you a fan of Roger Irrelevant by any chance?

Taffyles

Yes I liked Neath- loved the schools and always plenty to do there- Neath Abbey to play in and the parks/mountains. And only 30 mins or so from Gower beaches...spent all summer hols down there... Gower is my favourite place in the world, still.
As for name- yep haven't heard of many men here called Leslie.