Do You like Your Name? How Did You Get Your Name?

Do you know the story of how or why you received your first name? I never was fond of my first name, Paulette.

My parents were 40, and 42 years old when I was born, I had a brother that was 16 and a sister that was 14 at the time of my birth. To say I was a surprise would be an understatement, but I was treasured and loved by my family. I had a fantastic childhood and my adult life has been wonderful.

Here, I am with my brother and sister celebrating my first Christmas.
I was two months old.

When my sister was born the doctor asked my parents what they were naming her, they didn't have any names in mind. The doctor looked at my sisters hands and said, with these long slender fingers, she would make an excellent piano player, you should name her after Saint Cecilia the patron saint of music. So I have a sister name Cecile.

Unfortunately, I don't know the story of my brothers naming. We don't have any other family members that had the name Donald. How I wish I would have asked my parents and my brother before they left this world.

One afternoon my father was painting our house near the living room windows, the windows were open, and he could see and hear the television. As my father was painting he remarked how beautiful the actress was on the television, my mother replied that it was Paulette Goddard. My mom was pregnant with me at this time. My father said if it's a girl let's name her Paulette, and that is how I received my name.

My sister was named because she had long slender fingers, great for piano playing, can't read a note of music or play a piano.

The French name, Paulette, means small, or little. I am of Polish and Irish descent, and was always tall for my age, growing to the height of six feet. 

When I was in grade school, I wished that my name was Sandra with the nickname Sandy. 

How did you get your name? Have you ever wished you had a different name? What name would you have liked?