Elsje

[elsh.livejournal.com]

My name is Elsje. Aside from the fact that anyone reading my name [only] before trying to call me by it calls me 'Elsie', I love my name! I should say I hate the name Elsie though. I wouldn't hate it quite so much if people didn't so often try to call me that.

Anyway, I've decided to post a poll about my name because, in my experience, it has always provoked strongly positive reations from people. This happened all the time when I worked in retail where every second person would ask how to say my name. Then they'd act overjoyed and say how beautiful it was (I am not exaggerating or kidding!). Plenty of them could have just been acting polite though. I am not sure. However, I did, more than once, get this reaction and then have someone write down my name because they knew someone who was pregnant and they wanted to suggest my name. I was beyond flattered by this. I know I didn't create my name or anything, but it really feels like an honour when someone acts that way.

Along the way, in many other circumstances, people have told me they love my name. My name is extremely uncommon here, but in Holland and Belgium (maybe even Germany) it's not that uncommon. It's not terribly common those places either. I like the uniqueness of my name, even if it means I have to explain my name all the time. I really do love my name that much!

Now's the time to explain how you say it. The correct pronunciation sounds something like Elsh-yeh. Many people here pronounce it somewhat incorrectly by calling me El-sha. I actually don't mind that at all. It can be easy to miss the y sound in the name. Anyway, the more 'mature' form of my name is Els (pronounced like the word else), which I actually dislike. Elsje literally means Little Els. Elsje is the Dutch form of Elizabeth. However, I still have a nickname (even if people who live in Holland and such might cringe at my technically incorrect nickname). Most people call me Elsh. I actually found out that Elsh is a man's name somewhere, somehow. I don't find it too masculine at all. Not any more so than a girl named Ashley going by Ash. I've also met another Elsje online who goes by Elsh. My aunt's name (and this is 100% by coincidence) is Elsje. She goes by Els though.

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble so much before getting to the actual poll, but my name isn't very well known. Considering all the positive reactions I've gotten from my name, I thought I'd conduct an online poll. People are always more honest online. :p I am just curious to see the results, so here we go..

[Poll #847166]

Feel free to discuss/explain your answers in comments. :)

Comments

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

No, I don't really. I go by Celeste usually (in pronunciation only) because no one could say it correctly when I was younger. I was called Lester by one friend in middle school but that's definitely hyper-masculine and I wouldn't want to be called that on a regular basis. If people insist on giving me a NN, it usually ends up being C. Just C. Which is cool in it's own way. :)

[elsh.livejournal.com]

That's nice! :) I used to know someone named Celeste, but never anyone named Celestia.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

So do most people still call you Celeste? Do you introduce yourself as Celestia?

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

I still go by Celeste because that's what I'm used to hearing and responding to. If anyone sees it written down they ask how it's really said and I tell them but I think it'd be too confusing for me to switch back now.