Summary

Ellie Jacobson, a freelance writer from Minnesota, reflects on her personal journey of changing her name from "Ellen" to "Ellie," driven by her dislike for her given name and influenced by the online world, which led to a new identity that eventually merged with her physical life.

Abstract

Ellie Jacobson shares her experience with her name, "Ellen Theresa McFadden," which she disliked growing up, finding it old-fashioned and often mispronounced by peers. The absence of personalized items with her name exacerbated her feelings of exclusion. The rise of Ellen DeGeneres' popularity brought some acceptance to the name, but by then, Ellie had already adopted her preferred moniker online, starting with an AOL email address. The transition to "Ellie" became more pronounced when she moved in with a partner who only knew her by her chosen name, further solidifying her identity. Now, reflecting on the significance of names, Ellie appreciates the rarity of hearing her birth name and the nostalgia it evokes, especially cherishing the memory of her late mother calling her "Ellen."

Opinions

Ellie Jacobson had a strong dislike for her given name, "Ellen," considering it uncute and outdated.
The lack of personalized items with her name available in stores made her feel excluded during her childhood.
The popularity of Ellen DeGeneres helped improve the image of the name "Ellen," but Ellie had already embraced "Ellie" as her online persona.
The online world provided Ellie with a space to adopt a name that she felt more comfortable with, which eventually influenced her real-world identity.
Ellie values the connection her birth name has to her past and her mother, expressing a deep long

September 9, 2022

Ding! You’ve Got a New Name

Day nine of the Refresh the Soul 30-day writing challenge

Day 9 prompt: Write about your name.

I hated my given name growing up. Ellen Theresa McFadden.

Okay, I loved my middle and last name but detested my first name. Ya know, the one everyone calls you by.

It wasn’t cute. It was “old” sounding. Boys called me “Allen” or “Helen.” As if those names were worse than “Ellen.”

When I went shopping with my friends, we would browse the personalized name gifts. Bookmarks. Keychains. Nameplates. Never an “Ellen” in sight. I felt left out.

Mind you, this was before Ellen DeGeneres rocked the name and even added our name to cool shirts, coffee mugs, and even underwear.

By the time she was famous, I had already taken things into my own hands. by changing my name. Well, not officially, but online, so that’s pretty close.

In the mid-1990s, I got my first desktop computer and set up my first non-school email account. AOL, baby.

Do you hear that?

You’ve got mail! dinging in the background.

I still remember sitting at my ginormous computer deciding on an AOL username/email. Ellie. It’s cuter. I can’t go into chatrooms with the name “Ellen.” So I decided on Ellie73.

As an introvert who was attending an all-women's college, meeting people online was a more comfortable existence. And everyone called me Ellie, not Ellen. Of course, that world was separate from my physical world, where family and friends still used my name.

Until my online world intertwined with my physical. I met a guy who I ended up dating, moving in with, and marrying (and eventually divorcing, but that’s a whole different story). He lived three hours away, so I moved in with him, starting a new life with new friends who all called me “Ellie.”

Now fast forward 25 years. As I wrote this I contemplated the meaning of changing my name. I’m left with only a handful of souls who would even utter my name, “Ellen.” When I hear it used, I instantly flash back to my childhood, some good mixed with some bad memories associated with that name, with that time in my life.

But I would give anything to hear my mom say my name (she passed in 2009). Anything.

What’s ironic is as I’ve reconnected with old friends from school and my neighborhood on Facebook over the years — Jenny, Christy, and the Saras — they complained that their name was everywhere. Jennifer turned her name from Jennifer to Jenny to Jenna over the years. URGH.

I get it. Sometimes, to feel comfortable in this chaotic world, we need to take control of something that we had none of in the first place. But sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded of where we began.

Inspiration

Thank you Nancy Blackman for creating this challenge!

30-Day Writing Challenge

There’s nothing better than a challenge to get you motivated!

medium.com

About the Writer

Ellie is a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota. She is writing her first novel, a psychological suspense novel, while finishing her MFA at SNHU.

Need writing inspiration? Check out Sparks, Ellie’s newsletter filled with Medium writing prompts to spark your creativity.

Want to read more? Or even join Medium as a writer? Join Medium and have unlimited access to so many excellent writers & get started on your own Medium writing journey.

Let’s connect: Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook Writing Group