Alexandria

Alexandria Tsai's Senior Prom Photoshoot (2024). Photo by Joshua Barlan and Mara Theodorescu at lenscape_il.

Fireball

by Alexandria Tsai

Too much sun. All my names are centered around the fire or the sun - a name that rises and swelters with the heat. The Lighthouse of Alexandria drew travelers with its fire (Cartwright), while Alexandria was designed for the sun to align with the city on Alexander the Great's birthday (Gayle). Even a trivial coincidence aligned with this theme - my horoscope rolled like a slot machine, with two out of three - sun, rising, moon! Ding ding! Lined up on Sagittarius, also a fire sign. My Chinese name, 蔡翊晴 (pronunciation), even alludes to the sun, with 晴 being the same character as 晴天, or "sunny day." My mom chose these names with the sun in mind (though the timing of my birth was a humorous coincidence). But when spoken, the letters in Alexandria seep its roots in an elegant demeanor, like a ballroom waltz, flowy cursive grazing the vowels in ripples. Alexandria, Alexandria. A name that felt like it belonged in permanent italics; that's what Alexandria sounds like.

That tone of elegance didn't stick with me. When my friends' heads turn in surprise at the tone of my name, followed by a phrase usually along the lines of "I thought your name was Alicia? That sounds more right for you", that further confirmed its unsuitability. Hearing "Alexandria?" during attendance on the first days of school struck a dissonant chord in my mind, setting off a clunky algorithm - one, process that Alexandria is my real name, Allie is just a nickname; two, raise my hand because Alexandria is me, even if it sounded out of place.

I don't find myself to be an elegant person. Like second nature, spontaneous conversation, boisterous energy, and playful banter felt right. My energy bounced around like fire flickers, so fire felt right; I nod to my mom for having the right idea with that theme. However, the tone of “elegance" felt like a sore fit. As a source of consolation, the rich history behind the name felt more parallel with my sense of self. Alexander the Great erected the city of Alexandria, a name in his honor (and a stroke to his ego) holding power, strength, and voice, and a lineage of intelligence weaved into the legacy of Alexandria as an intellectual hub ("Origin”). As someone who values being outspoken and striving for further intelligence, this felt much more fitting than any connotation of elegance. However, my birth year, 2005, didn't promise much power in popularity for the name, with the name ranking 133rd, meaning my lack of finding my name on little trinkets with engraved names for tourists will continue (OACT). But in the meanwhile, a shift in perspective might be just what I need to appreciate the name Alexandria truly; if my mom saw something in that name, maybe it would be more fitting for me than I realized.

Sources

Barlan, Joshua and Theodorescu, Mara. "Red Prom - Alexandria." 14 May, 2024. Author's Personal Collection.

Cartwright, Mark. “Lighthouse of Alexandria.” World History Encyclopedia, 24 July 2018, www.worldhistory.org/Lighthouse_of_Alexandria/.

Gayle, Damien. “Ancient City of Alexandria 'Was Built to Align with the Sun on the Day of Alexander the Great’s...” Mail Online, Daily Mail, 16 Oct. 2012, www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2218469/Ancient-city-Alexandria-built-align-sun-day-Alexander-Greats-birth.html.

OACT. “Popular Baby Names.” Www.ssa.gov, www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi.

Origin and meaning of first name Alexandria: Search Family History on ancestry®. Alexandria : Meaning and Origin of First Name | Search Family History on Ancestry®. (n.d.). https://www.ancestry.com/first-name-meaning/alexandria

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