Real People, Real Names: Annabel Candy

This post represents the beginning of a series called, “Real People, Real Names,” a compendium of stories and pictures about people and their names.

Names are basically one or two-word stories. When we see a person’s name, we paint an idea of what to expect before we even meet them. And each person has their own version of a story about their own name. You see, this is what I do. When I meet people, I talk to them about their names. And that’s the purpose of this series of posts. You get to walk into my world a little bit and read about real people and what they think of their names.

If you would like to be considered for this series, use the contact form on this site to reach me.

Today’s Guest: Annabel Candy

We begin this series with an interview of Annabel Candy.  You can see why I picked her for the first interview; what a great name! Annabel runs the popular blogsite, Get in the Hot Spot which enlightens readers with empowering tips for life and work. She started the Hot Spot blog with the idea of helping people live their dreams. And she’s one who speaks from experience: she lives in Queensland, Australia balancing her days between family, writing, and surfing. Annabel’s writing has been featured on the most popular blogs on the internet, such as Zen Habits, Pro Blogger, and Copyblogger. And she was recently selected by Coca-Cola as a top blogger and sent on an all-expenses paid trip to Shanghai. Raise your hand if that sounds like a dream life to you!

Annabel has some interesting insights on names that I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading as well. Below are excerpts of my interview with her.

Why did your parents pick the name Annabel?

Annabel was my mum’s sister who died in a horse-riding accident at age 13. It was very sad for my family. I have a photo of her on my mantelpiece. In fact, I always thought I’d die at 13 too. It was kind of melodramatic, but thankfully the year came and went and it’s all good now.

A great name is the best gift a parent can give to their children.

Have you ever gone by a nickname?

Honeybee, Noo noo, skid, Anna, Bella, AB, tripper, mum. These sound embarrassing, but nicknames are good. It means people like you.

How did you go about selecting names for your children?

I have three kids. I was like a lot of parents who spend time finding the right name for their child. Only I took it to the next level. I was Obsessed with names and as a result I spent more time than most. At one point I read something about names that really struck me. I read that Coca-Cola is a really good product name because of the hard “C” sounds that fall right together. It was reported to be pleasing to the ear. Because my husband’s surname is Candy I realized I had an opportunity to use that same pattern. I chose Luke and Max for my two sons and Kiara for my daughter.

Have you ever known someone who has changed his or her name?

Yes, I’ve had friends who’ve changed their names. It’s hard going through that transition. I have a good friend who used to go by her middle name in college. That’s the time when I first met her. After college she decided to switch back to her first name, Fiona. It was really hard for me to call her something different.

What did you think about when you were learning to call her by a different name?

I only knew her by her middle name, but she didn’t want that anymore. Calling someone by a different name means changing the way you think about them. It took me awhile to learn to think about her differently. But I only knew her by her middle name for 5 years and she’s been Fiona for 15 so now she is only Fiona to me. I think people grow into their names.

Did you like your name as a child?

Annabel, yes. My last name as a child was Moffatt and I got teased a lot for that name. It is an easy target to tease: I heard a lot of fat or fart jokes. So I guess I was always open to changing that.

You were probably glad to change your name when you got married?

I wanted to change it and imagined taking on my husband’s name. I have been with my husband for 19 years and we have 3 children together, but we married only 5 years ago. In fact, one of the reasons we decided to get married was to change my name.

So did you change it after you were married?

Kind of! I still use my maiden name on my official documents. But I am married to the lovely Rich Candy (which is definitely his real name) and use my married name Annabel Candy for my writing and just about everything else.

But now I just don’t see the point in spending a lot of time and money changing my name on my official documents when I don’t need to. I discovered that after being called Moffatt for about 35 years I don’t really want to let go of that forever. So I have 2 names really which can be confusing!

Now you have sort of the best of both worlds?

My birth name was difficult because it always required spelling out for people. Candy is easy. Everyone understands the name and how to spell it. So yes, now I have the best of both words.

What do you think of your name now as an adult?

It’s marvelous. I love being called Annabel Candy.

Your name is the first thing that people see about you and that makes it the first stage of our branding.

If there were such a thing as an alternate universe and you could have a clone living there and no in this universe knew about her, what would you like her name to be?

Interesting question. I Would go for the same name! I really like the name I’ve got. I couldn’t come up with a better one.

Do you think your name (the one in this universe) has had any impact on your life? Has it helped you, hindered you or had no influence?

I think it’s hugely important to have a good name and one you’re proud of, people enjoy saying and can remember. That’s why I spent so long and found it so hard to choose names for my kids. I really wanted to give them the best start in life ever with fabulous names. A great name is the best gift a parent can give to their children. I wanted to give my kids a name that that people would enjoy saying.

I know there’s a lot of hype about personal branding and honestly, I hate how self serving it can sound, but there is some truth to it. Your name is the first thing that people see about you and that makes it the first stage of our branding.

Do you find the topic of names interesting?

You know I do! Fascinating.

What inspires you in your life?

People. How people think. Different cultures. Travel. People with a positive outlook on life. Nature.

What’s been most surprising to you about blogging?

I didn’t expect to meet so many people through my blog. I now have great friends all around the world as a result of my blog. That seems embarrassing to say. But some of my friends have married people they’ve met online. I read a statistic that says one in 8 people who get married met online. There’s a stigma about meeting people online – whether its for friendship or relationship – that is starting to go away. It’s now becoming part of our global culture.

I wish to express many thanks to Annabel Candy for her time discussing her name with me. You can learn more about Annabel on her site Get in the Hot Spot.