Though my name means to be lively, I don’t find its stiffness to reflect that. My full name, with its three syllables and hard consonants on both ends, feels overly formal. It is a name that must be written with expensive ink and a quill pen. My posh alter-ego. I opt for its abbreviated counterpart– Viv. Short and rhythmic, it is a name that can be written in glitter gel pens with a heart in replace of the dot over the “i”. To be called “Viv” comes with time; it's the product of a natural transition from strangers to friends. This process causes my nickname, Viv, to feel so genuine because it is an homage to my friends. The more people that call me Viv, the more my inner circle grows. Viv is me in my realist form, and an aspect of my personality that feels more fluid than my given name. 

My full name is an aspect of my identity I feel pride and discomfort for. I always admired its uniqueness, being one of the two “Vivians” in my small, Michigan hometown. It’s slight popularity, holding number 233 on the US name database, not reaching the suburbs of Detroit (Social Security). It was common enough to make it into a baby name book, but felt unique enough to my parents to make the cut. Its rarity leads to surprise and admiration from adult’s I’ve introduced myself to, prompting responses of “Wow, that's a beautiful name I don’t hear often!”. I loved the praise and the uncommonness of my full name made me possessive over it; However, no amount of it replaces the warmth and personableness of my nickname. 

As I age I find myself resonating more and more with my nickname rather than my full name. My living life to its fullest and most genuine is achieved by going by “Viv”. To my core, I am free-spirited, capable of so much love and passion: picking a glitter gel pen out of a sea of writing utensils. For now, I’ll write “Vivian” on name tags and blank lines at the top of worksheets, but knowing that’s the first step rather than the endpoint of getting to know who I am: Viv.  

Works Cited 

Duddy, Nicole. “Vivian.” Vivian - Baby Name Meaning, Origin and Popularity, www.thebump.com/b/vivian-baby-name#. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024. 

“Social Security.” Change in Popularity, www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/rankchange.html. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.