Whitney

Over the last 28.5 years, I've come to enjoy the fact that I have a pretty unique male name: Whitney. According to facts on Babynames.com, my name ranked #563 on the Social Security Administration's list. I'd say that's not very popular. My name (of English origin) apparently means "white island", which in many ways fits me very well (I'm pretty independent and very much enjoy my alone time, though I'm not a complete recluse!).

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I had to endure constant references to Whitney Houston, whose heyday came at the worst time (for me). Kids constantly called me "Whitney Houston"...even my 5th grade art teacher got in on the fun, giggling every time he said my name with "Houston" added on. Bastard. lol

It got to the point where I begged my parents to let me change my name somehow. I tried changing my name to Whit, a nickname many family members and friends had already been using. But of course, my peers remembered that I was really Whitney, so that didn't work out too well.

Shortly after my parents got the school to make sure my name was listed as Whit on the teacher's rosters, I started to realize I was letting the mean kids win. This led me to embrace my name, my full name. I corrected teachers, telling them my name was Whitney, not Whit. I then made the "Whitney Houston" joke my own, turning tears and frustration into laughter. I still use it when people can't understand my name - "like Whitney Houston", I'll say with a smile.

In college, I was inducted into an unofficial club known as The Boys with Sissy Names club, along with guys named Brook and Lindsey and possibly another I've forgotten (sorry). lol

Anyway, my parents did admit that Whitney Houston did in part play a role in my name...they liked her name (and music) and then discovered that it was a unisex name. When I first found out Whitney Houston inspired them partly, I was horrified, but now it's kinda funny. In retrospect, I'm glad my parents gave me a name that isn't common, that isn't easily forgotten, especially since it is often regarded as just a female name.

Unfortunately, some people are so shocked upon hearing my name, that their mind registers something completely different: William, Whitley, Wesley (oddly, very often get this one), Courtney, Wilford, Whitey, Wiley, pretty much anything that starts with a W that sounds like a male name. Sigh...

When I am assisting people at work and they see my name on my desk, I still get the "where's Whitney today? Are you filling in?" or "That isn't really your name!" remarks. I still get mail addressed to Ms. Whitney Wells. And there are still a few people in my company who think I am a female. But I roll with it and have fun with it. I love my name; it's pretty darn cool.


p.s. As a sidenote, I found that my dog's name, Sierra, means either "mountain", "mountain range", or "saw" (?). Kinda cool. Another interesting tidbit I wasn't aware of when I named my dog is that Mt. Whitney is a part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Also of note (I've known this for a while) is that Mt. Whitney is the highest summit in the contiguous US - now THAT could've been a good reason for naming me Whitney, had my parents known my growth potential.

p.s. #2: This post was inspired by my friend Erick's recent post about his name.