Amanda Grant

If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?

I would love a simple name that everyone can spell. Why?

My family name was Chegwin at a time few had heard of it. It’s pronounced exactly as it’s written. Interesting attempts were:

Chicken; Chedgewidden; Chedgewin; and often “pardon?”.

In Cornwall it’s pronounced Shegwynne. So much softer.

My forename is Debra. My middle name is Ann without an E. Deborah Anne Chedgwin was quite normal. It got me into trouble with a new teacher as I always spelled my names for anyone new.

He told me he was perfectly capable of spelling my names. I asked how he’d spelt them and had to correct the lot. That didn’t go down well even though it was his fault.

Sigh.

It gets worse

Then I married a Horne, again you had to spell it – with it without the E. That wasn’t too bad except for stupid young men. “Oh so Horn-e” As in horny, a tent for someone feeling amorous.

Double sigh with eye rolling and the desire to knock them into the middle of next week! That was in the days women were fair game for sexual harassment. I hope it’s better now.

And worse

I married a Hawken. People literally stop mid name because that E at the end throws them completely.

They will then add an S – as in the more familiar Hawkins. It can take three goes to get that right. Hawkin…Hawkens…Hawken.

Interestingly Hawken is also a Cornish name.

So Amanda Grant (without an E at the end) would be perfect bliss.

Best love

Amorah – Deb

My spiritual name takes some explaining too lol.