Sunday morning I had the delight of driving Teddy and Mary to church. Although both of these women have lived extraordinary lives, today I'd like to highlight Teddy's story. Teddy's real name is Charlotte, but at a very early age several of her playmates, for some unknown reason, nicknamed her Teddy. The name stuck and she has been known as Teddy her entire life! Growing up in Michigan in the 30's and 40's Teddy was a bit of a trailblazer. While many young women, at the time,

Today I received an Uber request from "Lando". I immediately thought, "This may be a candidate for uber namez!" It turns out that he was a delightful young man with an awesome name and legacy. Lando is, in fact, Rolando Jr.! He was named after his father, Rolando Sr. And although his father was from Cuba and his mother was from Spain, Rolando was actually born in Miami, Florida. There he grew up with Spanish speaking parents and in a culture that was predominantly Spanish. It

This was another one of those quick trips down Cleveland Avenue, where I only had a short time to meet my passenger. But the unique spelling of her name encouraged me to ask a few quick questions. Nichole was happy to share her story! She told me that when she was born her parents were 100% expecting the arrival of a son, and they would name him Jordan. They hadn't even thought about a name for a little girl. So Nichole came as a special surprise! Her Dad immediately suggeste

Garrick was a recent passenger with a unique and interesting name. His name is actually his grandmother's surname and is derived from two Old English words meaning ruler and spear. He is a student at Florida Gulf Coast University where he is studying Golf Course Management. So, in modern English his name might mean manager and golf club! Because others often struggle with his name, Garrick sometimes introduces himself by using his middle name, Bradley. It is interesting to no

Noralcy took a quick trip down South Cleveland Avenue, but I had to take a moment to ask about her unique name. I have never met anyone with this name, or any similar name. Noralcy is originally from Venezuela and has been living in the United States for 19 years. Her name is a gift from both her mom and dad, as it is a combination of the two! The first three letters come from her mother's name, Noris (Nor-ees). The rest of her name comes from her father, Alcides (Al-see-des)

Although Zachary had a rather common name, I found Zach to be an extremely interesting and unique person! He was enthusiastic and seemed genuinely joyful. You could say that he was a "real character"! Growing up in Georgia, Zach knew from a very early age that he would like to be a performer. After seeing the Broadway production of Cats at age seven , he was hooked! Zach eventually earned a degree in musical theatre from Belmont University and his dreams of acting, singing, a

Tonight I met a housewife from Georgia with a very unique name...Kimbrell Kimbrough! Her first name is actually the maiden name of her grandmother, and, as fate and love would have it she married Mr. Scott Kimbrough. Needless to say, her name is definitely an "attention getter"! Kimbrell is the mother of two sons (ages 17 and 18) who are both talented baseball players. The family is visiting Fort Myers as her son, Wood, is playing in the "Perfect Game" tournament this week. T

Today one of my passengers was a young lady with both a unique name, AND a compelling story! Her name is Stephania (Stef-on-ia) and she recently graduated from Lehigh High School. She is the middle of five children and has a sister, Gwentervia, who could pass as her twin. Stephania showed me several photos and the resemblance is quite striking! While in high school Stephania was a cheerleader and also a four year cadet in the JROTC program! There she served as a Supply Sergea

Last week I picked up a group of friends in downtown Fort Myers. One of the young ladies was visiting from up north where she attends Ohio University. She had a relatively common name, but spelled in a very uncommon way... KELCI! She explained that the spelling was a reflection of some family names. The first two letters, "K" and "e" came from her dad's name; Kevin. The "l" was from the first letter of her mother's maiden name. And the "c" and "i" were the last two letters o

This past weekend my good friend Gary and his wife Mikki were visiting SW Florida from Long Island. Although I have known them for many years, I really didn't know much about Mikki's real name, and I had never thought to inquire. During our time together on Sunday, however, I was delighted to hear the story behind her name! When her mother was still pregnant she was considering names for her newborn. One day, while driving, she noticed a large Michelin Tire sign and thought,