Wednesday, July 25, 2007

What's in a name?

Your 1950s Name is:
Victoria Loretta

I always thought that Leticia was a 1950's name. When I was a girl. only old ladies had this name. Now there are many Hispanic and black women who share it with me. I always thought it was providential that a half-Italian, quarter Irish, quarter Polish girl got a 100% Spanish version of Laetitae (Latin for Joy, after the Seven Joys of the Blessed Mother). How did Mom and Dad know I would have Velasquez as a surname someday? It just sounds so perfectly espanol. They picked it as a compromise out of What to Name Your Catholic Baby. I love my name.
Other versions of my name include the British Letitia, which I was called when I lived in London, and the Italian Letizia, which they shouted out in Florence when I went to use the phones at the post office. Such happy memories!
People who know me a LONG time call me Tishe (i pronouned as 'ee' please), Hispanics may call me Leti, but nobody better call me LETTY like my tree-huggin', women's libber, save-the-whales 5th grade teacher, Ms. Koons. Got it? Those were tough times, those 1970's liberal thought-police days, and I have NO intention of going back there!

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