How do you feel about your name, Lydia?

“I love that my name is feminine but not frail, and that it has connections to personal and global history,” says Lydia, a 27-year-old from Washington state.

Lydia’s name was the 266th most popular name in the nation the year she was born. Since the mid-1990s it has been rising in popularity, and in 2006 ranked 131st. (It also reached Washington’s top 100 for the first time in 2006, in a 3-way tie for last place with Haley and Sara.)

What does Lydia like most about her name?

I am named after my maternal great grandmother who I met several times before she died when I was 12 or so. It is very special to me that I carry around her name. My middle name is Beth, which is my dad’s sister’s name, and I have enjoyed having that connection with her. I also love that it is relatively rare and somewhat old fashioned, though I have met several people named Lydia, it still always surprises me. I love the combination of the cursive L and y, it’s very beautiful when written down. I also love that it is found in many different cultures, and that the Lydia in the bible was one of Paul’s first converts in the new testament.

What does Lydia like least about her name?

Many people often think my name is Linda, which I am not a fan of, or even more often they think my name is Lyndia, which is just strange. Some people reverse the y and the i spelling it Lidya – But I just correct them and we move on.

Thanks, Lydia!

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