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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Nia Dalton

'People never believe my unique name is real - I have to prove it with ID'

Expectant parents get inspiration for baby names from anywhere and everywhere - including favourite foods, films, celebrities, countries and even bands.

One woman is named after her father's favourite eighties band, Swedish supergroup ABBA, after the Stockholm singers stole her parents' love of music.

Abba Flint was born in 1983 and hasn't met anyone with the same name as her during her lifetime - so it's unsurprising that she often gets asked about it.

Speaking to the Mirror about her unique name, the mum-of-two said: "If I had £1 for every time someone questioned my unique name, I'd be a millionaire."

Abba's parents were huge fans of the Swedish supergroup and wanted a 'different' name (TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Ima)

Abba, 40, absolutely adores her name and loves the pop band too - it's even on her bucket list to meet them.

"My father got to pick my name and he wanted something different. They were fans of the band and he thought it would be awesome to call me Abba," she explained.

"When I was a child, everyone would question my name and make comments about it. They'd get confused by how it's spelt - it's the same as the band.

"I've never come across anyone else named Abba and I love how unique it is. I always get asked 'Abba like the band?' when I say it."

The property maintenance worker stands out from her two siblings, who have "normal names", Mandy and Lee.

In adult life, Abba has abbreviated her name to 'Abs', which often gets mistaken for Abi or Abigail.

The 40-year-old loves her name and wouldn't change it (Abba Flint)
She has never heard of anybody else called Abba (Abba Flint)

"I hate the name Abigail and I always say 'no, my name is Abba'. I've never tried to make my name something it's not," she said.

"But if I said Abba to everyone I meet, I'd always get stopped, so I usually say Abs.

"I've had people at work ask me, 'what's your real name?' and I have to tell them that Abba is my real name.

"They think it's a nickname and I have to prove it's not with ID or my work badge.

"I take it on the chin and I'm never offended because I usually get such good praise from it. I do get a lot of lovely compliments."

Abba, from the West Midlands, was once asked in a professional interview if her name was 'real', and says her driving instructor quizzed it too.

"When I was doing my driving test, I remember the man checked my details and told me he was a massive ABBA fan. He said to me, 'I think your name is amazing'," she explained.

Abba has to prove her name is real with ID sometimes (Abba Flint)
The mum-of-two chose to give her sons unique names (Abba Flint)

Abba is a huge fan of the Swedish supergroup and recalls the time friends and family sang 'Dancing Queen' to her at 17.

"It was epic. I can totally relate to ABBA music. It's on my bucket list to meet them and tell them that I was named after them," she said.

"I go to ABBA tributes and I was really excited about their new album. I play it to my kids and tell them that I'm named after them - they think it's cool."

The mum-of-two decided to choose unusual names for her own kids, after she grew up loving hers so much.

Derryck, 12, and Grayson, 10, are the only children with their names in their school and Abba has never come across anyone called the same.

"I named Derryck after Derek Duval on Only Fools and Horses, and I got Grayson from Emmerdale," Abba explained.

"I wanted something different because I had a different name and I wanted my children to have uncommon names.

"It makes them more unique and brings them confidence and originality."

Do you have an unusual name? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.

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