Emilia Putignano. A mixture of Italian geography, fitting from an Italian immigrant father. Emilia Romagna is a province in the northern part of Italy, filled with mountains and medieval cities. Putignano, a town of 26,644 inhabitants in the very southern boot heel of Italy, with rich history both in my family and as a city. A perfect name for an Italian to pronounce, but for Americans reading it off a class list it can be more challenging. A slight hesitation before my name on the first day of school. Then, Emilia, often mistaken for Emily-a, and Putignano, said as Put-ig-nano, often corrected by friends before me as a kid because the pronunciation was never the problem, the name was. 

My childhood was filled with disgust over my name.  UH-ME-LI-UH, so heavy on the tongue and bulkley to get out. All I wanted was a simple, light, name that could never be mistaken, like Claire, or Ava. I would often voice my disgust, which was met with my mom telling me again and again that she wanted Mia and my dad was the one to blame. She told me that she wanted all three letter names, which was met with my older sister’s name Zoe, but ended with me. My sister started to call me Millie in hopes to stop the constant complaining and to make me feel better and for a bit it did. 

Now, I like my name, and Millie is the issue. Although I cringe everytime I hear it, forcing me to remember a cringy past self, I like that that nickname reminds me of my sister and how she constantly tried to make me happy and take care of me. I like that it shows how close someone is to me and how long I've known someone because I don't go by Millie anymore. I like that Emilia doesn't turn any heads when I meet people in person, but is still unique when written. I like how my full name brings up a conversation about my lineage and it’s always a toss up on how people will pronounce it. I like that not having a middle name can always be an automatic two truths and a lie, and that my mom can’t be too formal by calling by a name I rarely hear like most kids. I like that it looks like a butterfly and feels like going down a smooth slide with bumpy curves that make your stomach drop. I like the fact that my dad says it slightly differently with his thick accent, putting more emphasis on the E instead of assuming the A like most Amelias.  I feel like my name really fits me and I’m happy my name can be found on road signs.