My Name, By Sofia Grewal
The origin of my name is not one you come across very often. I wasn’t named after a specific person or place, however, the origin of my name is one that I often get told. Both my parents were born in Punjab, India. My dad came to America when he was fifteen looking for vast opportunities. My mom only arrived in America after marrying my dad, this would be in her early twenties. Now, my name is not one that reflects their experiences coming into this country, however, it is not a traditional name in Indian culture. Along with migrating from a foreign country comes the feeling of not belonging. Unlike today, there wasn’t as much awareness regarding racism and that sort of thing, instead, immigrants here felt like fishes out of the water, they felt like they would never belong. My parents have pretty traditional names unlike my siblings and I. In fact, my parents had traditional names for us, but my aunts did not want us to have traditional names. They said that we would stick out like sore thumbs in the 21st century if we had a traditional name. Finally came about the names Gia and Sofia, two twin names for two baby girls. My parents didn’t always feel welcome so they wanted to break that pattern, and that is where I got the name Sofia from.
The name Sofia might be a simple one, but surprisingly enough there has been a bit of conflict with it. As I said my name isn’t a traditional Indian name, instead the purpose of it was to fit into the 21st century unlike my parents when they first came to America. However, throughout my life, I’ve had another problem with my name. This problem becomes evident when I am around a Punjabi majority. Whenever some older uncles ask for my name I run into a conflict. The thought process that runs through my head is that should I say my name with an American accent or a Punjabi one. Usually, I opt for saying my name with a Punjabi accent because I feel less singled out. No matter what the occasion is, there will be certain older people who give me weird looks because of my name. They will repeatedly ask my parents why they didn’t give us more Punjabi names. This makes me feel like clouds on a sunny day. I didn’t feel welcomed and no matter how much I try to put it behind me that representation of my name will always be at the back of my mind.
Sofia, a name of Greek origin, stands for wisdom. I often think about all my experiences and what my name has added to my story throughout the years and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Although it has come with its challenges, it has also brought meaning to my life. Wise would be a word that the people closest to me would use to describe my personality. I often find myself in situations where someone asks me for advice and usually, I’m pretty good at giving some. I have never felt repelled by my name, it’s always been something that has been a constant in my life and something I have never even thought about changing. Part of this stems from the fact that I love my nicknames, no matter how silly they may be, they are mine. From the minute I was born I was never called Sofia by my family. I was always Sofee. That is a name that only my family calls me and it’s so special to me. It helps me feel like I belong in my family and I know they love me no matter what. My second nickname is like the combination of stripes and polka dots, it’s not a very conventional name. That nickname is Sofa. Sofa was a name that my sibling made up when we were little. It fell off the grid for a while as no one calls me it but sometime during Freshman year it made its way back into my life. My closest friends always refer to me as Sofa. I have never heard the name Sofia come out of some of their mouths. Sofa may not be a conventional name, but it’s mine. It provides a sense of comfort like the baby blanket on my wall, and I will forever cherish it.
The name Sofia might be a simple one, but surprisingly enough there has been a bit of conflict with it. As I said my name isn’t a traditional Indian name, instead the purpose of it was to fit into the 21st century unlike my parents when they first came to America. However, throughout my life, I’ve had another problem with my name. This problem becomes evident when I am around a Punjabi majority. Whenever some older uncles ask for my name I run into a conflict. The thought process that runs through my head is that should I say my name with an American accent or a Punjabi one. Usually, I opt for saying my name with a Punjabi accent because I feel less singled out. No matter what the occasion is, there will be certain older people who give me weird looks because of my name. They will repeatedly ask my parents why they didn’t give us more Punjabi names. This makes me feel like clouds on a sunny day. I didn’t feel welcomed and no matter how much I try to put it behind me that representation of my name will always be at the back of my mind.
Sofia, a name of Greek origin, stands for wisdom. I often think about all my experiences and what my name has added to my story throughout the years and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Although it has come with its challenges, it has also brought meaning to my life. Wise would be a word that the people closest to me would use to describe my personality. I often find myself in situations where someone asks me for advice and usually, I’m pretty good at giving some. I have never felt repelled by my name, it’s always been something that has been a constant in my life and something I have never even thought about changing. Part of this stems from the fact that I love my nicknames, no matter how silly they may be, they are mine. From the minute I was born I was never called Sofia by my family. I was always Sofee. That is a name that only my family calls me and it’s so special to me. It helps me feel like I belong in my family and I know they love me no matter what. My second nickname is like the combination of stripes and polka dots, it’s not a very conventional name. That nickname is Sofa. Sofa was a name that my sibling made up when we were little. It fell off the grid for a while as no one calls me it but sometime during Freshman year it made its way back into my life. My closest friends always refer to me as Sofa. I have never heard the name Sofia come out of some of their mouths. Sofa may not be a conventional name, but it’s mine. It provides a sense of comfort like the baby blanket on my wall, and I will forever cherish it.