Your given name is the first gift your parents give you. The name is often chosen with love, meaning, or tradition in mind. It’s the name you carry through life, shaping your identity in ways you might not even realize.
For me, that name is Alma, after my grandmother. Growing up in the 1960s, I didn’t love it. While my friends had trendy names like Peggy, Sandy, and Cheryl, Alma felt old-fashioned, out of step with the times. I wished I’d been given something more “fitting” for a girl my age. I think my mom knew how I felt because she started calling me Alma Gail—a blend of my first and middle names.
By the time I went to college, I made a bold decision: I introduced myself to everyone as Gail, dropping Alma altogether. For years, I tried to leave that part of my name—and maybe part of myself—behind.
It wasn’t until I grew older that I began to appreciate the remarkable woman I was named for. My grandmother Alma was small in stature, just 4’9”, but her strength and resilience were monumental. When my grandfather passed away unexpectedly, she took charge of their three Iowa farms, managing them with a quiet determination that earned everyone’s respect.
Grandma Alma was also warm and loving. When I came home from college, she greeted me on her tiptoes with a kiss and welcomed me into her cozy kitchen, where we’d share coffee cake and long conversations. She was a gardener, a rose enthusiast, and a devout churchgoer, finding beauty and grace in her daily routines. She lived to 96, and when she passed, I mourned her deeply.
Looking back, I regret not honoring her name more proudly. The name Alma wasn’t just her name; it was a reflection of her spirit—a legacy of strength, kindness, and love. Today, I’m still Gail to everyone except a few cousins who fondly call me Alma Gail. Legally, Alma appears on my documents, but it rarely feels like mine. If I could go back, I’d embrace Alma fully.
Now, I wonder about you: Do you like your given name? Is it something you cherish, or have you wished for a different one? Vote in today’s poll and feel free to share your story in the comments below.
I have my Father’s first name and my Grandfather’s middle name, I love it and wouldn’t change a thing.
My Dad gave me a nickname that stuck since he didn’t want me to be called the same name as him, even though I was kind of named after him. He was a Kenneth and I a Ken and he didn’t want us to be called Kenny. My large extended family only knows me by my nickname, but I go by my given name with everyone else. I’ve come to like both.
I love my name, but my wife hated her first name,(Gladys) & legally changed it when she turned 18 to a shortened, unique version, (Gladi), that gets a lot of positive comments when she’s introduced to strangers. And the name fits her perfectly. She’s a very happy “glad” person with a caring, helpful attitude.
Missed one option: “It’s fine by me.”
After 13 years of marriage and no children, my mom promised my grandmother that if she ever had a girl she would name her Lila. Well here I am. Never liked my name, so in high school a friend started calling me Kit. Who knew why, but it stuck. Same as Gail, all my legal docs are under Lila, but most know me as Kit. I even have a granddaughter named Kitrina.
My first name is very unusual. I hated it when I was a kid in the 60’s, everyone was named Bill or Steve or Mike. I took a lot of kidding over it growing up, even into my young adult years.
But later I started using my given name and I love it. It’s an old family name that dates back generations. What’s not to proud of?
All the children in our family were named after friends or relatives. This was the normal way it was done 75 years ago.
I was named Robert after a very good friend of the family.
I go by Bob, I can also spell it backward and it’s still the same!
Only 2 people, my MIL and a neighbor called me Bobby.
I was named after both grandfathers. Since we all lived in the same town they called me by a nickname. I went by that name until I entered college when I began going by my first given name. My sister still calls me by my nickname while my wife calls me by my given name.
I was gifted with my great-grandfather’s name – first, middle and last. It is a bit eerie to visit his grave and see my name on the headstone. Different groups throughout my life have chosen variations, and I’m okay with that. It was a bit frustrating having a quite common name growing up and into adulthood. Now I have some interesting stories to share about getting confused with ‘that other guy’- for better and all too often for worse.
Same here…I have my Paternal Great Grandfather’s names. It’s “interesting” to see your own name on a headstone.
Yup, great grandfather, grandfather, father and me.
Cancel IV !
😅🤣 A long line of truth speakers. 👍
Like George Thaxton below, I carry both grandfather’s first names and I’m proud to do so. I always went by my second given name. I used it on my driver’s license, vehicle registrations, home insurance, land titles, airline tickets….oops. Shortly after 9-11 I booked a flight and as most travellers are now aware everything must match and I used only my second given name and surname. When boarding, the flight attendant checked my boarding pass against my passport (which bears both given names) and said she could deny my boarding as the two documents didn’t match. She said she would let it go this time and allow me to board but ….
…I needed to get it straightened out otherwise in the future I could be denied boarding the aircraft. With my passport I was able to amend all my documents without cost.
i didn’t mind it until “The Donald” came along.
My siblings and I have family names for middle names (thankfully!), not first names. But I always had a shortened first name because many people either mispronounce it or misspell it.
Gail: Your grandmother Alma sounds like a smart, wonderful, and strong woman! Per Wikipedia:
“The origin of the name is debated; it may have been derived from “alma mater” (“benevolent mother”, a title used for the Virgin Mary, and in antiquity, for several goddesses). It gained popularity after the Battle of Alma in the 19th century and appeared as a fashionable name for girls and a popular place name, but it has decreased in appearance in the 20th and 21st centuries. The name Alma also has several meanings in a variety of languages, and is generally translated to mean that the child “feeds one’s soul” or “lifts the spirit.” 🙂
Mikal, thank you so much for taking the time and effort to relay this information to me. It warms my heart. Thank you.
Apparently Not…..
🤣😂😅🤣😂
Our parents gave my 2 brothers and me an initial for our first name. Reason? Thinking of some famous people such a J Paul Getty with only an initial for a first name, thought they might give us a head start in being successful. If they could only have known a First Sargent’s response to a form filled out that asked last name, first name and middle initial, they would have never given us an initial for a first name. Solution? We all gave ourselves a first name.
The older I get, the more unique my name becomes.
I can relate. Most of my grammar school I went by my nickname, Fatso.
I hated my name when I was in school, seems the teachers were always calling my name when I was in trouble. I don’t know where my name came from as I have no known relatives with my name.
Hi, Ed. Speaking of school, the only time I really didn’t like my name was in Geometry class. I think I had ADD (before there was such a diagnosis), and I’d be daydreaming until the teacher said “diameter”. That would bring me back really quick because it was close to my name.🤣 Have a great day. 😀 –Diane (not diameter) at RVtravel.com
Named William at birth, but go by Bill. Called Billy by my grandmother up until she died at 95.
My given name is Deborah. I use it for anything official, signatures, etc. My nickname is Debbie, but 90% of people call me Deb, no matter how many times I tell them it’s Debbie. So, I just roll with it. The only issue is there are just so many of us who got that name in the 1950s.
Seriously.
I was named after my Mother and was never called by that name—I was enrolled in school by my middle name, graduated high school by my middle name, graduated nursing school by middle name , drivers license middle name!! It wasn’t until I started Medicare that I was made to use first name. I don’t recognize it when someone uses it. Sad really. Should have legally reversed them.
My mom and her sister-in-law were pregnant at the same time in 1952.. While discussing names for their babies, Mom mentioned that if she had a girl, she would name her Janet Denise. The sister-in-law, who was a spiteful, hateful woman gave birth first, to a girl, and guess what she named her! Janet Denise! Typical of the kinds of things she did. So Mom named me Judith Diane, and I’m glad, because I like my name very much. So it worked out for the better!
I love my name, though i had to fight to graduate from “Becky”. I remember my mom showing me where it appears in the Bible…I also like the Hebrew version Revkah.
I was named after my dad, with jr next to it. One thing I always keep in mind is nobody can go without a John.!!! LOL
I always hated mine mostly because 95 percent of people don’t say it properly and 99 percent cannot spell it. I considered changing it, but my folks would turn over in their graves. I left it alone for respect. My name is in the dictionary if people have such things. I was married 46 years, and when he died, I took my maiden last name back legally, so I feel like the old me now, and still no one can spell my name.
Thank you, Gail! Yes, youthful lack of understanding of the “big picture” can lead to decisions, acts that are later regretted, and some more than others. Interesting that you disliked your first name. My mother and brother both disliked his first name (yet she’d given it to him) and he always went by his middle name. I never much cared for “Neal,” especially when my parents used an “a,” rather than an “i” as was the fashion of the time (late-50s). It wasn’t Bob, Tom, David, or Mike, much more popular names. After almost 70 years of having it, I don’t mind it any longer. Happy new year and safe travels! 🙂