What's in a Name? Link up!

Hey guys! I am super excited about this link up! I always find it so interesting where people got their names (and I love making up nicknames for people) so when Miranda approached Kelli and I with this linkup idea, I jumped right on it! What better way to find out about people's names than have a link up?

So obviously my name is Jessica, along with 776,039 other people in the United States. My parents tell me they thought the name Jessica was original when they named me it! I bet the parents of the 4 other girls on my soccer team in high school named Jessica thought the same thing, along with about a bajillion other parents who named their kids Jessica the same year I was born, 1988. It was actually the most popular baby girl name from 1985-1989, and again from 1993-1995. It was actually in the top 4 from 1977-1997! What can I say, I'm pretty popular ;-) 

My parents actually debated between naming me Jessica Shannon or Shannon Jessica. I am glad they went with Jessica Shannon, because Jessica as a middle name sounds weird (also, I don't think I have ever typed my name this many times in a row, and it is starting to look weird now, like how when you look at a word too much and it doesn't look like a word anymore.. that happens to other people too, right?!). If I was a boy I would have been named Trevor or Dustin.. let's just say I'm glad I'm a girl.

I don't normally get asked how to spell my name when I'm asked it at stores or over the phone or whatever, but when I do I'm usually weirded out; it's so common! I always thought there was no other way to spell it, until one time I came across this in the yearbook: Gesikah. Yup, not making that up. I am assuming it is supposed to be pronounced "Jessica." Umm anyways..

Nicknames I have been given over my lifetime include (don't get any ideas, by the way.. I don't respond to most of these haha):

• Nermal- the cat from Garfield, my Dad apparently thought it was cute when I was a baby lol
• Chocolate Babka- another Dad original, which he still calls me to this day
• Jesse- I only let my family and Brian call me that, so don't try it
• Nails- by my friend Lindsey's dad/softball coach in 4th grade. Apparently I could hit the ball pretty far and he always asked me if I ate my Wheaties
• PJ- by Brian

I love names and nicknames, which is probably why the instant I met Brian, I asked him what his middle name was (it's Robert) and proceeded to call him Bobby for the first 2 months of our relationship. I don't actually call him that anymore, but he is still in my phone as Bobby :-) 

What to Do:
-- Follow your hosts: Miranda, Kelli, and me! 
-- Grab a button!
-- Link up through one of our posts.
-- Click around and check out other participants!

<center><a href="http://youngprogress.blogspot.com/"/><img src="http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab288/kelgal77/LinkUpImage300.jpg"></a></center>