The story of our names by Diane Watt https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn (1) What is the story of your name? How did you get it? What meaning(s) does it have? (2) Upload a photo that somehow relates to your name. en-us 2022-01-07 18:36:22 UTC 2023-02-08 21:59:00 UTC hello@padlet.com Diane Watt dadwatt https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981049711 My parents still weren't sure what to name me when my Mom went into the hospital. Her friend had her baby a few minutes before I was born and named her daughter "Diana." My parents liked this name and decided to call me "Diane". So, I am not named after anyone, but was given this name simply because my parents liked it. The hospital where I was born is in Mission, B.C.]]> 2022-01-07 19:04:05 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981049711 Alison Gervais https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981174595 My parents were set on the name Heidi and had planned on that name until very shortly before I was born... and I'm personally thankful they changed their minds. 

My middle name (Olga) carries more meaning, as it is both my mother and grandmothers name. My mother was born in Czechoslovakia and moved to Canada as a child.  Although I've never met someone with the same middle name, it carries a special meaning for me, as it's a tie to my families culture and history. ]]> 2022-01-07 20:48:32 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981174595 Amy Underhill https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981202666 Twins are identified by Baby A and Baby B. My parents decided that Baby A would be named Amy to fit with the "A" identifier. I was born 5 minutes before my twin sister, which is why I am named Amy :) 
The name Amy is a French name that means "beloved"or "well-loved". ]]> 2022-01-07 21:17:58 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981202666 Makenna Scott mscot024 https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981208296 My parents had no idea what they were going to name me. While in labour, my mom was watching the show "What to expect when you're expecting" and fell in love with the name Makenna as soon as she heard it. The name Makenna derives from the Gaelic surname McKenna with the meaning of "happy one".]]> 2022-01-07 21:24:57 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981208296 Bryanna Sousa https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981334701 I had to give my mom a call to be able to answer this, she admits to not having a deep meaning for my name. However, she did have some specific criteria when picking my name (via Google).  It had to have creative or unique spelling (which clearly she achieved) and had to have a positive meaning (strong and noble). And as a bonus, it comes from Celtic Irish decent (which I am :)). She also didn’t want anything too popular, unfortunately it did become one of the top 20 most popular names a few years after I was born; because of this she likes to think she was a trend setter (and I let her believe it). ]]> 2022-01-08 01:28:33 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981334701 Cassandra Rahme https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981858168 My parents gave me my name because they liked it. They were trying to decide between Kathleen and Cassandra and then decided to go with Cassandra. I looked online and my name comes from a Greek princess who has the gift of prophecy. However, she was cursed and no one would believe her ability to know the future. That being said, if anyone wants to know their future, you can let me know haha.
To me, my name means someone who works hard, motivates others, and never gives up on my goals. We are all given a name and have a reason for it, and it is important to acknowledge it and be proud of it. ]]> 2022-01-08 19:26:36 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1981858168 Lexie Elbaum https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982595372 Years before I was born, my parents had sat down and looked at a variety of different names. They wanted a name that didn't rhyme with much so I wouldn't get bullied in school growing up. On a sheet of paper, they had written variations of my name, Alexy, Alexis, Lexy, Lexis. They then put the paper away and didn't find it again until years after I was born, but somehow my mom remembered the names from the list, and came up with Lexie the day I was born. She said there were other names she considered but nothing stuck out to her as much as Lexie did. ]]> 2022-01-09 19:33:45 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982595372 Briann Boddison-Chouinard https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982664181 My parents did not want to know if I was going to be a boy or a girl. My mom was set with the name Aaron if I was a boy, but my dad was not convinced. Good thing I turned out to be a girl because they agreed with the name Briann. 

Ann is my mothers middle name and added the Bri in front to make it interesting. It was important for my mom to include a part of her name, since my two older brothers have a part of my dad’s name.

Oh, and my name is pronounced “Bri-anne” and not Brian!! And no there is not missing an “e” at the end!! 😊

]]> 2022-01-09 21:16:06 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982664181 Samuel Cavanagh https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982683615 My parents couldn't seem to agree as to what to name me, and I have to say Sam was the best option and the only name they both could agree on. Other suggestions included Gabriel, Felix, and Émile (which are not all bad, but Sam was certainly the best). Since my dad is from Québec and my mum from Ontario, Samuel worked the best in both English and French. My birthplace was a lot more interesting than how I got my name however. I was born in a small town in Michigan called Bad Axe, which is always a great conversation starter.
Samuel derives from the Hebrew phrase "Heard by God". I personally am religious, and in times of difficulty I remind myself of this. It's a great small reminder. ]]> 2022-01-09 21:48:30 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982683615 Karama Abood https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982760521 My name has its origins in the Arabic language. In Arabic, it is written as( كرامة )and it means dignity. I was given this name one year after a battle that happened in Palestine. As a tribute, my parents named me after the battle. This name has always motivated me to live up to its meaning and given me the courage to make my way in the world. I always loved my name because it’s an elegant and unique name. I have yet to meet someone who shares my name although my cousin was named after me :)

]]> 2022-01-10 00:17:32 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982760521 Alyssandra Desrosiers https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982956422 The story of my name is not something I feel comfortable sharing; however, I will say that I chose my own name and typically go by "Alice" amongst anglophones and "Alyss" amongst francophones. I wanted a name that gave me some options, though, so I combined Alice with Cassandra to produce Alyssandra. I then double-checked that this combination wasn't too bizarre using baby name search engines. Fortunately, the name is a variant on Alexandra that is of French origin, though it is far less common than Alexandra and Alexandria.

For my last name, I wanted something that reflected lost Franco-Ontarian heritage on my mother's side, but I wasn't sure if I wanted Lafleur or Desrosiers. I settled on Desrosiers as I felt that it flowed better with Alyssandra. It wasn't until after I had submitted all of the documentation to the Ministry that my colleague at uOttawa remarked that it was very Alice in Wonderland-y! and I am more than fine with that as someone who loves Disney movies.

Bonus: I am also technically Sandra D[ee]. I feel that my character and values match the female co-star of Grease quite well... before she completely made herself over for Danny. Not a fan of that messaging. Some people also call me Lys ("Liss"), which is the spelling for the flower of New France - another throwback to my mother's maternal line who came over in the 1700s to Trois-Rivières, QC from Breton-Normandy, France.

Alyssandra and variants mean "Defender of Mankind". Because of my experiences and my choice of profession, I feel like I may have a case of nominative determinism. I am very proud of my advocacy skills.]]> 2022-01-10 03:11:50 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1982956422 Emanuelle de Montigny https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1983941630 My name comes from my grand-mother, Gabrielle. My grand-mother as well as my parents are christian and the name Emanuelle means " God is with us". Since I was born on Christmas eve, my grand-mother suggested to name me Emanuelle and my dad and mom liked it a lot( they couldn't agree on a name beforehand as my dad said no to everything lol) ]]> 2022-01-10 14:32:28 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1983941630 Erin Underhill https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984033043 Well, if you look at Amy's name origin post you'd see that I am supposed to be "Baby B"... but my parents dropped the ball on that one, so I'm "Baby E" instead. I'm not sure how exactly my parents decided on the name Erin. I do know that it is of Irish origin, meaning "from the island to the west", and is a poetic name for Ireland. Being given the name Erin brought a whole lot of controversy in my family, as my grandparents were pretty much as English as you could get, so there was a huge uproar about having an Irish name. 🍀]]> 2022-01-10 15:08:31 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984033043 Taylor Shanahan https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984224188 My parents did not want to know if I was going to be a girl or a boy so they came up with 2 names before I was born. Taylor if I was a girl, and Liam if I was a boy. They chose the name Taylor because they liked it and had not heard of many Taylor's before I was born. After I was born, they heard the name Taylor popping up everywhere and at one point my dad tried to convince my mom to change my name because of how popular the name Taylor was becoming.]]> 2022-01-10 16:26:59 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984224188 Sierra Kent https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984446002 I was named after the Sierra Mountains. My parents went on a trip to Nevada and after visiting the Sierra Mountains, my parents decided that they loved that name!

Sierra is the Spanish word for "mountain range". The name Sierra means strength and groundedness. The name originates from northern Spain. ]]> 2022-01-10 18:04:22 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984446002 McKenzie St-Louis https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984491126 My mom had my name picked out years prior to my existence, and my dad simply went along with it. My name's spelling is more commonly seen when it is a last name and that's because that 's what it is! My mother's maiden name is McKenzie and she knew that she would name her first child that regardless if I was a boy or girl. Funny story, my mother still had the last name "McKenzie" when I was born so for a brief period of time before my birth certificate and what not was sorted out I was "McKenzie McKenzie".  She knew she wanted the name to be passed down as she loved it and the unique spelling. Although I love my name now, growing up it was always very frustrating when I could never find it spelt correctly on keychains or mugs, especially when my sister's name is Jessica... ]]> 2022-01-10 18:25:44 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984491126 Sierra Redmond https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984555719 Names in our family needed to sound good in both French and English as we are a bilingual family living in Québec and we didn't want our names to be butchered in any language. My name was supposed to be Sydney like Sydney, Australia as I was born just before the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Also like my great grand father Sydney who passed away 2 years prior to my birth. Sydney was my grand father's (pictured above) dad therefore my mom's grand father who was her best friend. However I came out as a blond haired child and according to my mom, you can't name a blond child Sydney... don't ask, I don't understand either. So my mom came up with the name Sierra... yes, like the GMC pick up however my mom says I am named after the word Sierra in spanish that means a chain of mountains. (I still think she named me after a pick up) I always knew I had a unique name and I enjoyed being the only one to my knowledge with the name (until I got to university). People always told me how much of a beautiful name it was and how unique it was. So at a young age my name took great part in my identity. People would say "what a unique name" and I always had the same answer "yup, just like me"... that's how you get a child with a big ego...]]> 2022-01-10 18:55:29 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1984555719 Marina Verde https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1985257595 My name has family ties. My grandfather was a Portuguese fisherman who fished cod off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland in the 1940s and 1950s. He came to Canada for a better life with my grandmother and their small children. 

Marina translates directly to "of the sea" in Latin. My parents felt that it was an appropriate name due to our family's nautical history. Here are my grandparents on their wedding day in 1951. I love my name because I carry their tradition. ]]> 2022-01-11 04:30:57 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1985257595 Yianna Georgopoulos https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986831140 In the Greek tradition we take the names of our grandparents, thus where both my first and middle name come from. My first name, Yianna (Γιάννα), is the female version of my grandfather’s name, Yiannis (Γιάννη). My middle name is Penelope (Πηνελόπη), after my grandmother.]]> 2022-01-11 19:26:22 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986831140 Renée Trépanier rtrep096 https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986957040 Both of my parents of northern Ontario French, which is very different from Québec or France French. They chose the name because they liked it, no special story behind it. Haha. I have two middle names. One is Denise, which is my god mother, one of my favourite people ever, she is hilarious and still acts like she's 25. And the other is Thérèse, my dads moms name, someone I've never met but at least I have a part of her in my name. ]]> 2022-01-11 20:38:03 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986957040 Émilie Joly emkjoly https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986988195 My name is french which is why it is spelt with "ie". Although it can bring confusion amongst non-french speakers I love the way it is spelt. 

My mom always knew that she was going to call me Émilie but kept it a surprise until after I was born. Once my great grandmother first heard my name she was reminded of an old song from her childhood that sings about a girl named Émilie Joly, and it became tradition for her to sing it to me as a lullaby. It's something I will always cherish.😊]]> 2022-01-11 20:59:06 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986988195 Shania Wong https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986994635 My dad loved listening to different artists, one being Shania Twain. When picking out baby names, my dad suggested Shania, and my mom agreed! I am glad my parents named me Shania, as it is somewhat unique and has allowed me to connect to my individuality throughout the years.]]> 2022-01-11 21:03:46 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1986994635 Eugénie Lalonde https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1987448695 My parents never really agreed on my name. My mother is from France and wanted to call me Eugénie because this is a very French name that she really likes. My father always told my mother that this name would be too difficult to pronounce for anglophones because we live in Ottawa. He was right!  

The French definition of my name is: Science qui établit les meilleurs fondements pour les humains. The French synonym is: eugénisme.]]> 2022-01-12 04:11:46 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1987448695 Julie Rancourt https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1988938412 There was a popular song on the radio around the time of my birth, titled 'Julie, jolie Julie'. My mother liked the song and named me after it. I do not have any particularly strong feelings towards my name; it does not hold any cultural significance for me.]]> 2022-01-12 19:01:52 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1988938412 Rebecca Snider https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989177122 My mom chose "Rebecca" because she liked it and wanted my name to start with an 'R' because my older sister's name is "Rachael". My first name doesn't have any special meaning to me, but one of my middle names does. My grandmother's maiden name was Vanness, and so my parents decided to give me the middle name "Vanessa". This middle name is especially important to me because my grandmother has always been one of my biggest role models. Not only is she a wonderful lady, she is an incredible artist as well. She is the reason I fell in love with painting. ]]> 2022-01-12 21:39:29 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989177122 Victor Robinson vrobi037 https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989218810 When picking a name, my parents were looking for one that could easily be pronounced in both French and English (since one parent is Anglophone and the other is Francophone). They also wanted a name that would be hard to ridicule, or make fun of. This was unsuccessful, for my first birthday, a family friend recorded a song on cassette that rhymed with my name for 3 whole minutes (Victor le Castor qui mange du porc à l'aeroport... and so on). All my other siblings got their names in a similar way, and all are very unique names (Armand, Jean-Luc, and Monique).]]> 2022-01-12 22:25:08 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989218810 Gracie Armstrong https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989454406 My name means a lot to me! My dad got diagnosed with cancer shortly after my sister was born and my parents were never sure if they would be able to have another child. Thankfully, my dad beat cancer and then they had me! In the least cheesy way possible, my parents viewed me as a big blessing and my mom immediately thought of the name Grace as she felt like being able to have me was like being given Grace from God. They added the 'ie' because they just loved the way it sounded, especially with my sisters name (Maddy). 

My middle name, Anja is after my Finnish grandmother who is the strongest, most amazing woman I know. My parents decided to name me after her because she is really connected to religion and is the reason why my family is so close to one another. My other middle name, Emily, is after my great grandmother and it is an homage to my mom's side of the family.]]> 2022-01-13 02:28:55 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989454406 Leana Azerrad https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989576474 My parents decided to name me Leana because they liked the uniqueness of the name. My name is originally a French name which means "Lioness of Wisdom." My parents were actually on a holiday in France when they first heard the name, therefore they decided to pronounce it like the French did: "Lé-anna." My parents were both fluent in French therefore it was very natural for them to pronounce my name, however it was always a challenge for my peers and teachers to get it right on the first try. Throughout the years I was called so many different names such as "Leona," "Ly-Anna" "Lee-Anna," "Leanne," and at one point I just asked everyone to call me Leanne to make things easier. As an adult, I came to realize that I was proud of the original name my parents had selected for me. I've come to appreciate my name and although people still have difficulty pronouncing it, it is my pleasure repeating it until they get it right ;-). ]]> 2022-01-13 04:14:08 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989576474 Lillian Rawson (Lillie) https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989602418 I was named after both of my Grandmothers! My first name is Lillian after my paternal grandmother (whom I've never met) and my middle name is May named after my maternal grandmother. I often go by my nickname: Lillie. My mom prefers to write it as "Lilly" but I decided in Grade 7 that I liked writing it in cursive with an -ie at the end and it has stayed that way ever since.]]> 2022-01-13 04:37:29 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989602418 Reham Umer https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989622913 My mom met this young girl named Reham and with time they become so close and enjoyed each other's company. The mother of Reham's daughter told my mother once you have your first child and if it happens to be a girl you can name her Reham. Since my mother and her had such a strong bond my mom felt it was necessary to name me Reham. I am also the first born which is why she felt connected to that name the most. It is a Arabic name which names light rain drops. 


]]> 2022-01-13 04:57:26 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1989622913 Chloe Conklin https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990675285 I am the oldest of two children and my mom really wanted us to have the same first initials as our last name (kind of like the Kardashians). My mom was deciding between Chloe and Courtney for me. She landed on Chloe because she has always been interested in French, and it's a very common French name. Also, the name "Chloe" comes from the same Greek root as "chloroplast," and means something along the lines of a "bright, green, shoot." It is also an epithet for the goddess Demeter. ]]> 2022-01-13 15:57:56 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990675285 Émilie Bourget https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990720675 I am the second oldest of four. There is not a big story behind my name. My mother told my dad to pick between Chloé and Émilie. My parents decided that since my dad picked my name, I would get his name for my middle name. Growing up I did not like my name because it was very popular, But as the years go by I learned to love it. ]]> 2022-01-13 16:18:48 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990720675 Željka Blaškić https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990733903 My name is Serbo-Croatian and comes from the root word, 'Želja', which means wish.  It is pronounced, "ZHEHL-ka" and actually has 5 letters, instead of 6, because "lj" counts as a single letter in the Serbo-Croatian alphabet. I got my name from my Dad's brother, who's name is the male version of mine, Željko. At the time that my mom was pregnant with me, my uncle was 14 and he was so excited for my arrival, that they decided to name me after him! My name is hard to pronounce because the accents don't exist in English and I often get various versions of pronunciations and completely new names, which I find pretty amusing! My nicknames are Zel and Zelly! ]]> 2022-01-13 16:24:55 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990733903 Jessica Bulitka jbuli071 https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990741840 My last name is Hungarian as my father immigrated here from Hungary. I have always had to spell it out for people as it is not a common name here in Canada. There is not much of a story behind my first name, except that my parents wanted it to end in "A" to match my sister, Alicia.]]> 2022-01-13 16:28:39 UTC https://padlet.com/dadwatt/5dnwvyxti7ue2vfn/wish/1990741840