What's in a name?

Thought I would explain for a nano-second the title of my blog.

Some may remember that in my high school we were Ellen-Marie, Mariel and Emilie, of which Em and Elly were already taken, and noone seemed to be able to find me a nickname suitable, we tried Emma, we tried what's-the-ginger-person-in-Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer's name, but with no proper success.

To add anger to fury; I have a constant and eternal aversion against Ellen.

So I have been twisting my brain. Pensive looks out the window may very well have consisted of name-ideas. I found three criteria that needed to be fulfilled:

1. It must be a name of Scandinavian root (Ellen-Marie - or Maria Helena is undeniably not of such origin)
2. It must be a name that is easy to pronounce for non-Scandinavians (EllenMariE - E - E - E!!!! And no, it is not prounounced /ee/ but more like /eh/ - thus after 3 years of trying to get people to prounounce it My way I succombed to the fact that I do not live at home and therefore cannot excpect people to act as they do at home. Neither talk Norwegian. So I have accepted EllenMar/ee/ for a awhile
3. It must be a name free of being followed by the question; "Do you have a nickname???" No I don't!

But for the rest of you who don't think it is pain to use a 10 letter name - I will always be Ellen-Marie.

I also have to add that so far it is working quite well with people to whom I introduce myself for the first time as Tuva.

He-He