I wanted to be a Kylie

When I was 12 years old, I wished my name was Kylie instead of Kelly. It was 1991. I was in the midst of hyper coloured T-shirts, culotte shorts and Kylie Minogue.  I didn’t idolise Kylie Minogue personally, but there was a hype about her which made me think the name far cooler than plain old Kelly.

{culotte shorts in all their glory}

In high school (the years surrounding 1996), I was bombarded with the likes of Savage Garden, wispy fringes and braided belts. I was over the name Kylie and wondered why my parents didn’t call me by my middle name, Adrienne.  Adrienne was more elegant, mysterious and interesting than simple old Kelly, right?

{go the fringe}

Today, I’m Kelly, and I love my name. I like my name because my parents gave it to me; I like it because you can write it with a lot of swirls;  I like it because it’s familiar and I’ve grown into it.  When I look back over the years, I see the names I wanted to apply to myself as an extension of what I was learning at the time. Late primary school, I was dealing with peers and trying to work out how to fit in. In high school, I was working out who I was and who I wanted to be. Now, I’m confident in who I am and can embrace what that looks like fully.

Do you ever wonder if your children will like the name you chose for them? Do you like your name?