It felt like time to pull this post out again, as I’ve gotten questions of late. Here’s the inside scoop.
Because it seems to come up often during school visits and while chatting online (there’s even been some confusion at Random House), I thought I’d explain my name today, specifically the Starr business.
Starr is my middle name. It’s not my maiden name. It’s not hyphenated. Just my plain ol’ middle name. I know my email address doesn’t help make things clear (I don’t use my last name, just my first and middle). I was named for my grandmother, Gene Starr, and my mother, Polly Starr. As I don’t have any daughters, my boys have graciously named the dog Boudreaux Starr.
When I was a middle schooler, Starr felt like a curse. I was always asked if my parents were hippies and if I had sisters named Moonbeam and Sunshine at home. Now I like it. A lot. It flows so nicely with Caroline and Rose.
So now you know!
Anyone else with a unique name?
My middle name is Minneice, which is an Anglicization of my paternal grandmother’s maiden name. It’s where I got the pen name MacNish from.
Very cool! Where was your grandmother from?
I love your name! I’ve always thought it sounded like an L. M. Montgomery heroine. You must have loved the Starr when you read Emily. 🙂
I’ve been asked if my parents were hippies, too. I guess “Faith” is a pretty unusual name, but I like it. Except for the fact that no child under 4 has ever been able to say it! (Some can’t say “F” and some can’t say “th” and some can’t say either…so I have been Aunt Faif, Face, Tace, Tacy, Taith, Kate, Katy, Faish, Shaish…)
The Emily Starr connection was the one thing I loved as a kid.
And now, I will always think of you as Aunt Face. 😉
My name is Kenda–not Kendra or Kendall or any of a number of other versions I’m often called 🙂 My dad’s name was Kenneth and I was named for him. Enjoyed reading about your name, Caroline…
Perfect! I can see why people might want to add some extra letters, but it’s you, through and through.
The Starr is my favorite part of your name. : ) I like it even more now that I know the story. It is also the last name of a main character for a novel I wrote years ago so I particularly like it! My name is annoyingly normal. I grew up with dozens of Melissa’s in the 80’s. But most people just call me Sarno which is far less common and I like it that way. : )
I’ll have to start thinking of you as Sarno!
I love your name, Caroline. I think it goes with your book. My name is simple: Linda Joyce. But I always thought it was cool because I’m named after my first cousin, whom I thought looked like Diana Ross.
You can’t beat Diana Ross, Linda Joyce!
Great post!
My name is a little odd “Colby Sharp”, but I’m cool with it.
I love that your last name tells us what kind of Colby you are. 😉
I love hearing about your Starr. I have wondered myself. It fits you well. I am working on a verse novel in which the main character hates her name. Names are important to us. I am named for my maternal grandmother who died a few months before I was born, so I have always thought she was my guardian angel.
Love this, Margaret. And it’s so true: names shape us (and shape the ways we think of others, at times).
I love the name Starr! I went to grade school with a Star, and my bestie’s sister is also a Starr!
My given name (Lindsey) came from Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac fame (yes, I know that is a guy :). My brother is Ian, after Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. Yup.
Maybe YOUR parents were the hippies? Kidding!
I just assumed it was your maiden name!
It’s an easy assumption, as Starr is a surname. To add to the confusion, my grandmother, the original Starr, was named for an uncle, whose last name was Starr.
My daughter’s name is Ivy, a family name. Everybody always asks if her parents were hippies.
(Okay, maybe a little bit hippy-ish, but not really.)
I’ve kind of given up explaining my own name. No, it’s not a pseudonym. Yes, it’s real. And my last name is spelled just like it sounds, a compound word at that!
I love names and their stories! Thx for sharing.
I’ve always loved your name, Augusta! Just read an article that says Ivy is gaining popularity as far as girls’ names go.
When Dani was doing her book report on May B., she almost left out the “Starr” part of your name for the author line. I quickly explained that is a key part of your name. The girls LOVED the story behind your middle name!
Make sure you tell them how I was teased, Niki! Hope you and your family are well. xo
I really like your name! I figured it was a middle name, though I don’t know why I assumed that. My kids have “strange” names, but they’re for a reason. Their first names are Lukka (my son, like Luca) and Anikka (my daughter), and yes, we did the “k” thing so they would match. 🙂
Sarah M
Lovely. Are the names Scandinavian?
Apparently my parents were trying to decide between Stephanie and Pamela. Thank heavens they chose Stephanie. Pam Graham would have been a burden to heavy to bear.
Love.
My middle name is Jo. I’m not sure how unique that is, but I’ve never met anyone besides my mother who shares my middle name. I remember one time when I was in first grade (I think), my teacher insisted that I was spelling my middle name wrong. She said it should be spelled J-O-E.
That certainly wasn’t the last time a teacher proved to me that teachers don’t know everything. Ha.
There’s a blogger named Lisa Jo Baker. Wonder if that’s a two-name first name or a true first and middle name…(
I love the story of your name – and I adore your name! I’m sure I’ve told you before that my very BFF from Kindergarten – 8th grade was a girl with red hair named Starr. 🙂
I’ve been noticing lately how much I’m getting the last names hyphenated, too. Griffiths-Little and shelved under G. Oy!
I do remember that! Another reason we’re meant to be friends. Tricky, tricky names can be.
Your name has a lovely story behind it. And I’ve always admired the way your three names flow together. My first name is terribly common among my generation. But I don’t even have a middle name! My parents figured my last name (Rossmassler) was so long I wouldn’t have room for a middle name on official papers. So now I use my maiden name as my middle name.
My dad doesn’t have a middle name, either. I remember a girl scout camp counselor whose “name” was Fritz. I thought it was a perfect name.