I have decided to do the 52 questions in 52 weeks challenge on the Family Search blog. The first question asks me to tell my name and why I was given that name. I called my mom because I remember her telling me, but I wanted to make sure I got it right.
My mom told me that she originally liked the name LaRee. She was not a fan of the long e sound though. My parents had also chosen Anzinette for a middle name. My great, great grandmother was Cecelia Anzinette Keyes. So, my name should have been LaRee Anzinette.
It must have never felt right because one day my mom sat down to read The Ensign, a LDS magazine. She told me that in one of the stories a lady was named Larae (I'm guessing LaRae because that is the typical spelling). She really liked it and changed it to that. When she told me this story the first time, she said she went back to see how to spell it and could not find the name anywhere. This time she also said she could not ever find the name again. Inspired? Maybe...
I never did mind growing up with a rather unique name. It does get old when I'm grumpy and I have to repeat it, and they still say, "Lorraine?" But, I realize part of that is me. I am usually quieter than normal when first meeting someone. If I'm not likely to see them ever again, I go with the flow and answer to "Lorraine" the whole time.
As uncommon as my name is, I have met people with my name. The first time I ever heard my name was on the TV talk show, Donahue. He was announcing his next visitor and he said, "Larae Taylor." I looked at the TV and saw that the other Larae Taylor in the world was a black man from the south! I remember laughing so hard because I thought how ironic that the other Larae (he spelled his name L-a-r-a-y) Taylor was the complete opposite of me! There have been others, mostly older ladies. My mom told me after she named me, a couple other friends named their babies Larae (or LaRae, or Laray). When we moved to our house in West Jordan, I met a Larae! And, she spells it just like mine! That was neat. I even asked her if she had ever been featured in the Ensign. She hadn't. She played the organ every Sunday at church. I would get butterflies when they would announce the organist as Larae Thomas because I was not used to hearing my name! I never did get used to that. Dustin also has a cousin named LaRae. I think that is neat. My name has never seemed strange to him.
A name means a lot. I have never taken lightly the responsibility of giving my children their names. It has to fit who they are. It will be with them their entire life. I chose more traditional names for my kids because I did always have to spell my name, repeat my name, correct my name. I didn't want them to have to do the same. I did, however, give them less common traditional names because I want their names to be not so ordinary, like mine. And, I hope that when others hear the name Larae, they smile. I'm working hard to never tarnish that name. It's a special name.
