Having a name like Märia means all sorts of people mispronounce my name. For those of you that don’t know how to say it, it rhymes with Daria OR it’s like Mario, but Mari-ah. I’ve gotten use to it being slaughtered over the years.
Sometimes when I go clothes shopping and the attendant shows me a fitting room and asks for my name, I say it’s Wendy. Because I can’t handle the thought of someone saying “Maria, how are those pants working out for you! Can I get you another size!” Wendy is such a nice name, everyone knows how to say it thanks to Peter Pan, but nobody actually names their daughters it. I mean really how many Wendy’s have you met. Me, I’ve never met one (I’ve actually met 2 Märia’s besides my aunt, although neither spelled their name like mine).
It’s nice because usually I can screen incoming phone calls from solicitors. If you can’t say my name right, I don’t listen you.
Twice I’ve had interviews where I walked in and the interviewer said, “Oh, you’re white.” They thought with my umlaut, that I would be Middle Eastern (which is so off base, it’s kinda funny).
Most people once I correct them a couple of times get it. Some people after correcting 5 or 6 times still don’t get it and I answer to Maria, or Mariah, or whatever it is. There’s a co-worker at work, who I’ve worked with for 2 1/2 years, who still doesn’t get my name right. It wouldn’t bother me so much if she called me Maria, but she calls me Myrah and she has a nasally voice that makes my spine shiver. I stopped correcting her after the first couple of months, but it bugged me so much I pretty much quit talking to her. Lately though 3 of my other co-workers started correcting her, I think it’s hilarious (not sure if it bugs them or they can see it bugs me).
So that’s my name, I actually really love it despite the issues it causes me. When naming my children I really wanted to give them unique names that were easily said. Felicity I don’t think will have a probably. Seporah on the other hand (even though we spelled it phonically), will. I’d never heard of the make-up store Sephora until after I’d named her. Many people call her that. I’m hoping the store bankrupts soon so Seporah won’t have to listen about it (hey with present day economy, it could happen). At this point though I think she’s pretty much immune to what ever people call her since she can’t even say her own name (or Felicity’s for that matter, Felicity is still Baby in Seporah’s book).
At least your girls don’t have to grow up having to defend their nationality. I was one of four unfortunate blue eyed caucasian children whose last name always sent people for a loop. OHHHH the consequences of being one of the little Ming girls. 🙂 🙂
Missed not talking to you more…. 🙁