What's In A Name

My name is Mareena Kae Register. That is what my parents chose to call me, and that is the name that, at the age of 13, I decided to accept. Oh, I used it before then, and even allowed others to use it as well, but 13 was the age when I decided to embrace the novelty that is my name and even learn to appreciate it.

I will admit, however, that there have been many times that I wished my parents would have named me something *slightly* more common. Or at least something easier to spell. Spell check has certainly never approved of the spelling (they prefer Marina), and considering the technological age we are in, I shouldn't be surprised by the fact that most people tend to agree with spell check. Even saying my name can be a difficulty, especially at college when people are trying to learn a gazillion new names. Several people have mistakenly thought that my name was Marianna for extended periods of time. Marietta, Maria, Marianna, Mary, and Maureen are some of the most common, but I've even had random names such as Roberta thrown in the mix.

I say all that, but really, I love my name. It flows nicely and it's interesting. There is something nice about not ever having to worry about being one of the two or three Mareenas that people know. In fact, most people have never met anyone with my name, which I find makes me feel pretty special.

Now that I have waxed eloquent about my first name, let me direct your attention to my last name.

Sidenote: I work in the business office. At a register. and I have a name tag that announces to the world that I am a Register who works at a register. Just bear that in mind.

So trust me. Oooohh, trust me. I have heard almost everything there is to say about my last name. These are just a few of my favorites...

"Is that even a last name?" This one kills me. Have you seen some of the last names that people are stuck with? Mine is actually a real word, and yet, people still are confounded by it and must make sure of its authenticity.

"Is that really your last name?" Oh you are so clever! It is in fact, NOT my name. It is my pseudonym that I use when I want people to ask stupid questions about my name.

"Haha! I thought that said -Mareena's Register- and I was wondering why the other girl's name tag didn't say -Jenn's Register- " this one actually is rather funny when you think about it. but not when you've heard it 3x in the same day

"I won't make the obligatory remark about your last name and where you work." OH. Thanks a million. Just go ahead and say it though. Since you basically already did.

And here's one that I heard for the first time today. It's a doozie.

"Did you change your name to work here?" are you kidding me right now??! What kind of nerd does that? If I worked at a donut shop, I would not change my name to KREME just for fun. If I worked at a grocery store, I would not change my name to AISLE just because. So why in the name of sanity would you ask if I changed my name to Register so that I could work at the Business Office??

Ok. Deep breaths, Mareena. Whew. I sound angry now, but when it happens, I try to just chuckle and make a joke out of it myself. I don't yell or scream or bash anyone over their crazy little noggins. They mean well, at least, most of them do. So I let it slide. And now that I have vented, I'll be able to make it a while longer until I do actually consider legally changing my last name to something unassuming like. . . McGillicuddy.