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

[in-the-starlite.livejournal.com]

My name is Kiersten, and 80% of the time, people pronounce my name kur-sten or kris-ten, even after I say it. *sigh* I've even had people make a game out of it. I work at a bar, and I had one group of people all night just shouting random variations of my name just "trying to get it right" before asking me if I had any nicknames. *grumble*

Long story short. I love my name. Most other people do, too. But I absolutely hate the names Kirsten (kur-sten) and Kristen, probably because I get called by them so often.

[in-the-starlite.livejournal.com]

P.S. My name is pronounced: KEER-sten.

(Which leads to another annoying thing people do and that is call me "Keeeeeeeeeeeeeersten.")

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Your name looks like how it should be said. I figured it would be said that way. Some people are just dumb, I guess.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I like the way you've spelled your name. There are two Kristens in my church, and one of them is Kur-stin and the other is Kris-ten. THAT is confusing.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

No I got it wrong. There are two Kirstens, and one in Kur-sten and the other is Keer-sten, like you. There is also a Kristen. Hehe.