Whats in a name?

I love my name, its unique and it means something AND i wuldn't change it for anything in the world.

Someone wrote : "Whats in a name?". Without thinking you would have to say the person is from the UK. (This taking into consideration that at the point of writing this memorable, now cliched truism there was no USA). Point being that it is only in countries where names often dont mean anything could this be written. For example, Radha cannot be the same as Damayanti can it? ( I mean they are different centuries) But, Jane and Jeanne??!!!

Here are some quotes about names and then I shall pick up from where I left off.

`It's giving girls names like that', said Buggins, `that nine times out of ten makes 'em go wrong. It unsettles 'em. If ever I was to have a girl, if ever I was to have a dozen girls, I'd call 'em all Jane.'
Wells, H. G. (1866 - 1946)British writer. Referring to the name Euphemia. Kipps, Bk. I, Ch. 4

SEE WHAT I MEAN!!!

Here is another just to drive the point home!

'Ball...how very singular'.
Beecham, Thomas (1879 - 1961)British conductor. To a man called Ball. Sir Thomas Beecham

I'm called Little Buttercup - dear Little Buttercup,

Though I could never tell why

And I am called Saranya, dear old Saranya and I can never tell why!!

Few oft asked questions :

1. Isn't it a girl's name?

2. Don't you pronounce it as Sharanya? Why dont you write it as that?

3. what does it mean?

4. I have never heard it before? Are you Indian?

Of course, what often happens and now a major source of giggling laughter is when I receive formal letters addressed to Ms. Saranya Sridhar. I remember getting one from the Sri Lankan government!! Its then I appreciate the English custom of addressing everyone by their first name without any prefix. Who cares about gender when you are addressed as Jaspreet, Kiran, Shaheen instead of Mr.Jaspreet, Ms.Kiran and Ms.Shaheen.

So, this is what I tell everyone(although it would be great to know the truth).

My grandmother, a lovely old (now deceased lady, its always better to fib when the true source of information cannot be reached) lady was hell bent on getting a girl. This was because my grandfather( another lovely old man, since deceased) was in great debt to a fellow. My grandmom, always the shrewd one, deciding to make a deal for all her debts, promised her unborn grand-daughter to this Shylock fellow's 2 year old grandson. ( When I was told this story in class IX, after reading MoV wondered who the Shylock was!!)

Those of you who are shocked at this point by age-old barbaric Indian baby selling customs, STOP READING.

But as luck would have it my dear mother didn't comply and produced a son. While in every other family, this might have led to outpourings of joy, in my grandparents mansion (soon to be taken away) four forlorn people sat around a GREEN EYED MONSTER.

Did I tell you my grandmom was the shrewd one? Yeah..so here is she what she came up with.

"lets give the kid a girl's name and throw a huge party(she was a party lady as well) and the naming ceremony blah blah blah", she said. " We can say that the child is unwell and still in hospital or something and still confuse Shylock". Convoluted thinking, ufff.... nowadays they would say something like I was gay or something and that would be it!

So, in short that was how I got my name or at least, thats what my mom told me!

All characters in this story are untrue and based on non-fictional people. I take all responsibility for any untruths or confabulations that may have arisen in the narration of this story based on true events.

So, the next time you write to someone called Saranya, the least you would do is refrain from assuming their gender.

And finally, the trite expression that sparked this outburst :

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet

yeah, right......