I once asked my parents what other names they’d considered while pregnant with me. My mom wanted to name me Brianna after my dad (Brian), and he wanted to name me Sarah after her. With both of those ruled out, they looked into other names from my dad’s side of the family. In the end, great-grandma Helena won out.
Along the journey, my father suggested the name Nancy. He’d gone to school with a Nancy and she “never had a bad thing to say about anyone.” Everyone liked Nancy. Nancy was everyone’s friend.
Could people ever describe me the way my father described Nancy? Not yet, but I’m working on it.