Kathy the Sixth

What's in a name?

My siblings were all named after family members. Larry, my older brother, is named after my dad's uncle. Nicki, my younger sister, is named after my grandpa Nick. Lisa, my youngest sister, is named after my aunt. I, however, was named after a doll. My mom's favorite doll from when she was growing up was actually named Cathy, but I guess Mom and Dad like K's better. My first name has bred many nick-names. My mom sometimes calls me Katherine, which is funny because my full name is the shortened version of my nick-name. My friends in high school started calling me "Aunt Kathy" because on more than one occasion I would introduce myself to someone and they would excitedly exclaim, "I have an aunt named Kathy!" Then there are things like "K-dawg," "K-hops," "cuddlebug" (which doesn't come from my name but I still like it), "Kaffy," "Kathandra," and "Hopping-skins," but my favorite nickname actually comes from my middle name, Vi.

Unlike my first name, my middle name is a family name. My grandma's name is Violet, but she grew up being called "Vi," so I carry on the tradition. Even though it's only two letters, people have a hard time pronouncing it ("Vee? Kathy Vee?"). I tell them "No, Vi, like Violet." They usually don't get it. The most interesting pronunciation came from my Bishop (a church leader) when I was in high school. He was looking at a record that had my full name on it and asked, a bit surprised, "Are you Kathy the Sixth?"

"Huh?"

He repeated the question.

I hesitated, answered no, and then wondered why. He said "It looks like Kathy the Sixth. 'V I?'" Everything clicked. I laughed and explained that I am not Kathy the Sixth, nor the Fifth, but I am the only Kathy in my ancestry of which I am aware. This has happened a few more times since and I have decided to embrace the name, as have friends and family who have heard the story. Sometimes I even pretend it's true.

I am Kathy the Sixth. This is my blog.