My mother likes to name people. Her brother, Carl, had a daughter who married a man named Carl. My mother decided that her brother's name is now Carlio. I remember the first time I heard her mention "Carlio" and I wondered to whom she was referring. My cousin's husband died 5 years ago, but my mother still calls her brother by the name she made up. When I was growing up, one of our neighbors had a son named Jack. My mother decided to call him "Jackson." It wasn't his name and he didn't answer to it. That didn't stop her. These are just 2 examples of her lifelong habit.
I've often wondered if the people my mother rechristens resent her for not using their names. I think I found out the answer. My mother named me a rather common name with a you-neek spelling. If the common name were Kitty, she named me "Kity." All my life I have had to correct the spelling of my name. It's a curse. While Kity is still my legal name, I go by a nickname that is completely different. Everyone but my mother calls me by my nickname. Recently, I noticed that her family addresses me as "Kitty." The holiday cards from that side of the family this year were addressed to "Kitty."
Personally, I think my mother's family is getting back at her for changing all their names by changing my name since I am the only one she named. I don't see them often; It's been at least 20 years, so I don't think I've done anything to offend them. I haven't answered to "Kity" for over 40 years and I never answered to "Kitty."
