What's in a Name? Apparently, a Lot.

Ever heard of the TeachingBooks Author Name Pronunciation Guide? No? Well, now ya have. It's this cool site where you can look up the names of well-known and not-so-well-known kids' authors and illustrators, and you get to hear a recording of the author and/or illustrator explaining how to pronounce their surname, and sometimes where their name originated. It's really fun! You can listen to people like Judy Blume, Meg Cabot, Robert Munsch, Ruth Ohi, and Mo Willems.

Oh, and yeah, I'm in there, too, talking about my last name Storms.

I really love that I have the opportunity to talk a little bit about how much I love my last name. Because you see, the name 'Storms' really does mean a lot to me. I wasn't born with that name. In my previous life, my name was Patricia Kew. And if that surname confuses you, I'll save you the trouble – you just pronounce it like the letter 'Q'. Ahhh, yes – can you just imagine all the wonderful comments and nicknames I've heard over the years with that last name? Q-Tip. Hi-Q. Q-T-Pie. On the Q-T. Suzie Q. Q-Ball. Q-Cumber. Trust me, I've heard them all. And when that annoying character 'Q' from Star Trek: The Next Generation appeared, Oy, what a pain. Oh, and how could I forget the Chinese owner of the Italian restaurant where I was a chef, who was apparently a James Bond freak, and upon hearing my last name declared to me, "I call you 'Q' from now on, just like 'Q' from Bond!" Being young, and well, being that person Patricia Kew who rarely spoke up for herself, I allowed myself to be called 'Q' by everyone who worked in that restaurant for over a year and a half. And I also allowed myself to be called 'Pat' back then, a name I loathe. Pat Kew. It sounds so silly to me now, so diminutive. (Mind you, I did get a kick out of my one high school friend's mother, who's first language was Estonian, and who got my name mixed up in a phone message, and said that someone named 'Kat Pew' had phoned. Kat Pew was one nickname that I actually enjoyed for a while).

Of course, I do feel guilty because I don't really like my maiden name. Sorry, Mom & Dad – I know it's the name I grew up with, but, when given the choice between Storms and Kew, well – it was a no-brainer. And really, names do matter, especially to writers. Writers agonize over the right names for all of their fictional characters, so why shouldn't a real person be affected by their own name? I have often told other people the story that when I married my husband Guy, and took his last name, it was as if I walked into a phone booth as Clark Kent and came out as Superman. Can a person really change, just by changing their name? Perhaps not overnight, but trust me, leaving Pat Kew and becoming Patricia Storms was monumental for me.

And do you think I get silly comments and silly nicknames now? Not on your life. What I hear these days is, "Wow. What an amazing name!" or, "What a great name for a writer!" And when my friends call me 'Storms'– I love it. Every time I hear that name, it's like the opposite of Kryptonite – I feed off of its strength. I love signing cheques and cards  and cartoons, and most especially, I love signing books with that way-cool name. Pat Kew was a nice girl, and I'll never forget her, but she never had the nerve to speak her mind. In fact, there were plenty of times when she just didn't have a clue of what to say. Patricia Storms really should filter herself more often, that's true, but at least she's never at a loss for words. What a difference a name makes.

Comments

[David Shaw]

I think SHAW means a small hill in something like Gaelic ... because of being a bit overweight as a kid I was given the nickname SHAWPSY (as in SHOPSY) ... meanwhile the start of my mother's maiden name contains SHAW ... her name was SCHWARZKOPF ... meanwhile I'm thinking of using DUVI SCHWARZKOPF as a pen name one of these days. My podiatrist is blessed with having the same name as I do ... I found him from my first boss (Frank Newfeld) who said that whenever he visited his podiatrist he thought of me.

[Beth]

I get what you’re saying but I reckon you’d have ended up a force of nature (storm, tornado, hurricane...) no matter what your surname!

[Lilian Nattel]

Terrific story and it is a great name!

[Vlad Kolarov]

I never thought of that... Now I need to change my name... Any suggestions?

[patricia]

Well, Vlad the Impaler is already taken...

[kate]

I think also that the name of the person can also effects its personality. Just for an example John. tht name.. Its so popular that when you met someone with that name w=you'll not be amazeed but if you meet someone with an extraordinary name then its different.

[Bernita]

Pat, I know exactly what you mean...it's a wonderful, special name!

[Bibliohistoria]

My maiden name was a very plain english name that ended in -son which means son of whoever.
I wavered betwen changing it or keeping it.
Eventually I decided to dump it and I have always used my married name for the last 10 years. Mainly because a french surname is a heck of a LOT more interesting than a plain english name ending on -son.

[Cipriano]

I love the little pronunciatory [<-- should be a word] audio clip about your last name.
Sheesh!
You have made me realize though that no woman in her right mind would ever marry me for MY last name! It's a doozy!

[patricia]

Oh, I think Cipriano is VERY sexy...

[Bibliohistoria]

My maiden name from the UK was so very plain and boring.

THOMPSON - son of Thomas.

My married name is of french origin (my husband is French-Canadian) and that is much more interesting - well to me anyway.

[Mario Rios Calaf Muniz Pinot.]

Very Interesting...my last name is Pinot and friends would shout out at Junior High School, "Hey Pinus, hows it hanging?" from my dads side from Catalonia, Spain. I would be mistaken for French, Pino, like in the wine, or for Italian, first name Mario. My olive color makes some people take me for Semitic, (I've been told there is one in every family tree), and since I was raised in NYC, a real mensch. Thank you.