Jana Remy
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Jana Remy

  • Writing
    • Disability
    • Making History
    • Digital Humanities
      • dayofDH
    • Canoeing
    • Creative Nonfiction & Essays
    • Feminism
    • Bibliographies
      • Pacific Worlds Bibliography
    • Social Media
      • Mentions/Links
  • Scholarship
    • Awards/Fellowships
    • Conferences & Invited Talks
    • Collaboration
    • Workshops
    • Conference Planning
    • Technical Skills
  • Teaching
    • Blogposts About Teaching
my names
Random

my names

written by Jana November 26, 2007

golden touch, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

Over the years several friends have asked me why I took my husband’s name rather than keeping my maiden name. I have a simple answer: because I liked my husband’s surname better than mine. My maiden name is German and rather rough-sounding. It is an unusual name (I’ve never met another person with the name that’s not in my family) and is hard to spell. John’s last name is French, it’s short, and it’s easily spelled. So changing my name had little to do with any kind of feminist politics–it was just a desire to adopt a more aesthetically-pleasing name.

Nowadays, I change my name depending on what I’m doing. For writing in the academic world, I use my first name, maiden name and John’s surname. However, for all other purposes I use my first name, middle name (not maiden) and John’s surname. The latter form is my legal name.

John and I have two sets of friends who changed their surname entirely when they married. One couple adopted a name that’s a hybrid of both of their former surnames. Another chose a word that they liked and used that as their surname. Had John and I known either of these folks before we married, I’m sure that we would have discussed adopting a new surname. As it stands, though, we are all pleased with the current surname. However I won’t be hurt if my children choose to change or alter their names in the future. The ability and power to name oneself is huge. I can’t begrudge them that choice!

In high school my friends all called me “Yawna” rather than Jana. It was fun to have a nickname and an identity that’s linked to that particular time of my life.

Not too long after John and I married we (rather spontaneously) started calling each other by different names. To John I am Dilly, not Jana. I love that this is a name that only he calls me, and whenever I hear him say it, I go a bit weak in the knees.

Lately I have considered changing my first name. I don’t think I’ll really make a change, but it was nice to ponder for a bit. The desire to change was motivated by the impulse to mark a new self. I am not the Jana of ten or twenty years ago. I am new, I am evolving.

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5 comments

daisies November 26, 2007 - 8:45 pm

i traded one long german name for a shorter german name :) but i still use my maiden name for some things and sometimes i use both, it all seems very complicated but i’m okay with that :)

Reply
Sara November 26, 2007 - 11:14 pm

I am loving the marigold picture. Beautiful, beautiful.

Reply
jana November 26, 2007 - 11:38 pm

The picture is a bit of a cheat. I snapped it in May and not this week :)

But I just love it and I needed its sunniness today (I’m home sick with an awful cold, sipping nasty-tasting health tea and wishing for a clear head)…

Daisies: I’m all for using whatever name feels good in whatever situation! The funny thing is, that I have this weird name karma whenever I am published–I’d say that 3 times out of 4 my name is messed up. I think my maiden name is just that hard to spell, I guess. Which is why I was so happy to replace it!

Reply
john.white November 27, 2007 - 2:11 am

In seventh grade (junior high), I used to wear a black shirt with a picture of a ninja on it. The caption was “NINJA!” And that became my nickname. To the point that when I showed up in high school, some of the sophomores didn’t know my first name.

However, no one calls me “Ninja” any more. And part of me cries about that.

Reply
jana November 27, 2007 - 3:17 am

johnwhite: I am so calling you NINJA! from now on…
:)

Reply

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About Me

About Me

Hi there friend, and welcome to my blog. I started writing on the internet two decades ago. Since then I've started and finished a PhD program, left the Mormon church and became a Quaker, got divorced, remarried, found full-time work in academia, took up rock climbing and outrigger canoeing, and traveled across the globe (China! Belgium! Italy! Chicago! Montana! Portland! Gettysburg! and oh-so-many points in-between). This blog is eclectic and random--it has poetry and cooking and books. And cats. And flowers. And the ocean (my ocean). But in that sense it's a good reflection of me and my wide-ranging, far-reaching, magpie curiosity.

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