A Welsh mum has stood by her decision to give her daughter an unusual name - even though she absolutely hates it. Sarah Hearne, aged 55, from Swansea, has always “loved unusual names” and chose unique names for her five children, naming one of her daughters Kixxie.
Four of her children love their names, but Kixxie, aged 19, isn’t a fan of hers because it’s actually pronounced ‘Kizzy’ - so nobody ever gets it right. Sarah fell in love with the name Kizzy after a character which featured in her favourite childhood TV show, Roots, but “wanted something unique”. You can keep up to date with the latest Swansea news by signing up to the local newsletter here.
Sarah even named a dog Kixxie before her daughter was born. “Normal names are boring and there’s no substance to them,” she told the Mirror. “I don’t like my name particularly. I’ve always liked the name Kixxie ever since I first heard it. I actually used to have a dog called Kixxie first. She took offence when she found out I used to have a long-haired Alsatian called Kixxie. She asked - 'Am I a dog then?’
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“I didn’t just want to spell it Kizzy because I wanted something unique, so that’s why I used x’s and ‘ie’ on the end. I’ve never met another Kixxie - in terms of the spelling and the way it’s pronounced. She hasn’t come across another either.” While Kixxie herself may not be keen, Sarah said others think she made a great choice all those years ago.
“Strangers absolutely love her name and always say ‘I’ve never heard that before, it’s lovely’,” added Sarah. “People pronounce it ‘Kixy’ all the time which she does find very frustrating. If she goes for an interview and they say it wrong, she gets embarrassed. When the kids were growing up, I could never find anything with their names on for school."
Despite the uniqueness of her name and the compliments received by some who have never heard it before, Kixxie remains unconvinced. She said: "I really don’t like my name. I hate it - it’s the way people pronounce it. Now some people call me Kiz or say it ‘Kixy’. I considered changing my name when I was 10-years-old because everyone said it wrong in school.”
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