My Name

My name is Angelynn Huang. While my name isn't so foreign that people have to squint in order to pronounce it during attendance, they do always question the ending of it. The -lynn portion is pronounced -line, which is actually a French variation of the Greek name which means "Angel" or "Messenger of God." I've always liked my name and never had any issues with it. I've gotten compliments on the uniqueness of it. It's easy to say my name and I are in a perfect relationship with each other, and I can honestly say my name symbolizes who I am.

Angelynn is a bit of a mouthful, but before Uni, all my friends never abbreviated it. I had a few swim team friends call me "Anne," but it was just a select few people. It was my subbie year at Uni when a friend of mine coined me as "Ange." The nickname makes sense. It's shorter, easier to say, and it sounds good. I remember the first time someone called me Ange, and in my head, I thought, "That's so weird." The name seemed foreign, but it was still me. Ange was still Angelynn. I let it be, and from then on, I've been known as "Ange."

But come to think of it,  I've never thought of myself as Ange despite all my friends calling me Ange. When I write my name on papers or introduce myself, it's never Ange, but Angelynn. For the first time in a while, a friend of mine referred to me as Angelynn while addressing me, and I remember feeling shocked. I hadn't heard anyone acknowledge me as Angelynn for the longest time. It was almost like a violation of my own privacy. Since most of my friends call me Ange, Angelynn had been used exclusively by family or super close family friends like my godparents. It almost became an intimate name in which only the people closest to me could use. So it was odd hearing a friend I wasn't that close with refer to me as Angelynn. But at the same time, I felt so happy hearing it. Because at the end of the day, I'm not Ange, but Angelynn. It might sound weird, but Angelynn is the name that's been used on academic papers, legal documents, concert tickets, swim meets, social media platforms, and so many other moments which have defined my life. It's never been Ange, but it's always been Angelynn which I have defined myself by.

Names are a weird concept. One wouldn't think they're super important, but a name is what has defined you in society ever since you were born. Your name is used to identify you and tie you to your actions. I think I've come to enjoy the nickname of Ange, and I've started to appreciate the special moments in which people refer to me as Angelynn.