A Doll

I was a brand new little baby lying in my mother's hands nameless. My grandmother and my mother starting at

me with this blank look, like I was supposed to shout out a name. My mother looked at me and first said the name

Elisiana, I started crying. Maybe if I was in Mexico, I could see it fitting me a little bit better; however, I was in

California. Then my mom though of the most popular name among her dolls when she was little, and that was

Jennifer. So my mother said the name Jennifer, while she stared into my eyes. After she said that name I stopped

crying and a tiny smile appeared. So there it was, my name, Jennifer, imprinted onto my birth certificate, after my

mother's favorite name to call her dolls.

A name given to an individual right when born, with thought of no thought. The name that is chosen for a child will

fave a profound effect on his or her life; possibly even influence a child's popularity. There are many different

categories of names' such a classic names, family names, popular names, unisex names, and religious names.

The name Jennifer that I was given, certainly falls under the category of popular names. During the early seventies,

the name Jennifer was number one for a girl's name till about the late seventies-early eighties. Considering why my

mom probably name her dolls, Jennifer.

My mother picked out my first name, but my grandmother insisted on picking out my middle name, which was

Morgan because she simply adored that name. However, my middle name and my first name go together, without

even being planned, which is very neat. My first name, Jennifer, is a Welsh adopted and Frenchified to Guinevere

by the Normand meaning white wave. My middle name, Morgan, means by the sea, all together my name meaning

white wave by the sea. My name all came together at the end because right when my mother was nine months

pregnant she moved to San Diego with my grandmother because she really wanted to raise my in this city, so

her I am the white wave by the sea.

Growing up with my name, and meeting other people with the same name as me, I found "Jenifer" to be more

of a valley girl type. A valley girl means a spoiled, mindless San Fernando Valley girl who lives to shop and has a

meaningless life. This stereotype simply developed with the interaction among other girls I met, but I found out I am

definitely not one of those valley girls. Moreover, nineteen years with my name, there are many ways to chop, mix,

and scramble Jennifer. Most commonly over time my name has come down to, Jenny (with a 'Y' not a 'I'). Though

if someone wants to be proper, or my mom is mad at me, my name is Jennifer. As far as nicknames go, I get a lot

most commonly "Jennnaaay" from Forest Gump the movie. However, other people call me sometimes just call me by

my last name.

The name Jennifer seems hard to say if it defines and reflects me through everyone else eyes. I grew up with

this name since I was born, so having another name would seem very strange. However, I still wonder if 'Jennifer' is

the name that people would really see me as. When people think of Jennifers, do they think of people like me?

Thus, I cannot truly answer if I define the name Jennifer, because the Jennifers I have met are definitely nothing like

me. Nevertheless, that is what makes the world so creative, each characteristics brought by each name. Do not get

me wrong, I have though about changing my name a little more un-common, such as Sophia, or maybe I could

change my middle name to Nicole, because the name Jennifer has about a ninety-three percent popularity.

However, at this moment in time I would not want to change my name, because my name creates me as a unique

individual. At time I feel my name has sometimes drawn more beauty to me. Even though my name may not be

unique, there are a lot of beautiful actresses name Jennifer, which makes my name and the actresses all click to

memory at the same time.

The name Jennifer which I have been raised up with has created a whole entire different perspective on this

name, instead of my stereotypical image. My own definition of Jennifer has become a successful, striving,

independent woman. The definition may come off a little cocky, but I feel the name Jennifer, which I have created and

defined, has become a woman through many struggles, but soon will become a successful woman who has defeated

many obstacles. So in that sense of definition and reflection, I feel I truly do try to fulfill that meaning. "Jennifer" now

has created me as an individual, and I have learned ti love and adapt to the beautiful name my mother has given me.

To conclude, one can take the meaning of the name Jennifer, white wave valley girl who lies out on the beach by the

waves, or the powerful and thrusting wave itself, going through the cycle of crashing but re-born and roaring with

determination over and over again.