Thursday, January 19, 2012

Day 1 – What is your name? Were you named after someone else? Do you like your name?

Laura Diane Burris.  Socially, it's Laura Burris.  Professionally and legally, I always use Laura D Burris (or, in the case of my photography business, ldburris).

My first name is a family name.  Going back several generations on my mother's side, you can usually find atleast one Laura in each generation.  Specifically, my name came from my maternal aunt, Laura Ann Davis.  She was the only sibling that my mother never met, as she died at the age of 5-days, in 1941, three years before my mother's birth.  I like to say that my middle name is a variation of Aunt Laura's middle name, but enough different to separate me from my maternal cousin, Lara Ann.  In truth, my parents had three possible names in mind for me:  Laura Nicole, Laura Charlotte, and Laura Diane.

Growing up, I always wished that my parents had chosen Laura Charlotte.  Charlotte was my grandmother's name, and a name that I love.  I also wanted a nickname, and you just can't create a nickname from Laura Diane.  With Laura Charlotte, I could have been Charlie.  I was a tomboy.  I wanted a boy's name.  I was always glad I wasn't Laura Nicole, as that name combination is all too common.  As I got older, I grew to appreciate my chosen middle name.  I have yet to meet another Laura Diane.  It's different, and it suits me.

No comments:

Post a Comment