My nickname, and preferred name, is Allie. My mom loved the name Alexandra, but she also admired the fact that you could make multiple nicknames out of it. She wanted to give me a name that would fit my personality the best and soon realized that the name “Allie” was a much better fit. Learning that Allie meant “Harmony, stone, or noble” (“Allie”) made me like my name much more. My friends always say, “I could never see you as an Alexandra,” and evidently, I agree. Allie is much more calm and relaxed than Alexandra, which fits my go-with-the-flow personality more accurately. According to Nicole Duddy, Alexandra means “Protector of men” (Duddy), which does not depict my identity the way I would like. My teachers, doctors, and even some of my close friends, when they did not know me at first, referred to me as “Alexandra.” This makes me think that “Allie” is a symbol of the people who see me as my true self. From the surface, I am Alexandra, quiet and reserved. But underneath, the people who know me as Allie know the real me. 

As I have grown up, I have realized that Alexandra is a reflection of my parents and their thoughtfulness behind my name. Allie would have never come to be without Alexandra. Though I would always prefer to be called Allie, I have developed to never forget my Alexandra roots and be proud of my two identities. 

Works Cited

“Allie.” SheKnows, 22 Aug. 2018, sheknows.com/baby-names/name/allie-boy/#:~:text=In%20American%20Baby%20Names%20the,revived%20in%20the%2019th%20century. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.

Duddy, Nicole. “Alexandra.” The Bump,thebump.com/b/alexandra-baby-name. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.