What's in a Name
I was born Wendy Parr. I spent a summer at summer camp asking everyone to call me Amy.
She was one of my favorite older-than-me-friend-of-the-family people who I really admired-- so I took on her name for the summer! :)
When I began acting professionally at age eight, I changed my name several times, trying to find one I liked. My parents endured a horrible divorce in my youth. I had a stepdad, so I started using his name at school.
Let’s see... there was:
Wendy Parr
Amy (at summer camp in Yosemite)
Wendy Warschaw
Wendy Bernard
Wendy GB Warschaw
All before the age of 18!
I professionally, legally changed my name to WHENDAE. I was in search of my own identity: no last name, no parents, no family ties, just me. I kept that name for about seven years.
When pitching my own record to KISS FM and various places, my name was Sydney. I had a deep, sexy voice-- everyone I talked to wanted to meet Sydney at Whendae’s gigs!
One afternoon, my brother referred to me as Wendy and my friend said oh that’s so cute because you’re WHENDAE! And I was like “thanks, I hate it!” That night at one in the morning I had an epiphany-- Wendy is a cute name. I’ve never liked the name Wendy-- and it’s because it’s cute, I am cute. Wendy, can you accept that you will never be the tall leading lady ingénue? You’re 5‘1“ and you’ll always be cute! You’re going to have a son who will be taller than you by the age of thirteen, and at 86, you’ll still be short and cute. Can you just embrace it? And enjoy it? Own it!
That was when it all changed. I toyed with the idea of going all the way back to my birth name-- I tried it out when I went on a trip to New York, making reservations for dinner under the name Wendy Parr. I giggled, liking it. Writing my signature felt just like childhood-- so familiar. And it truly felt like me.
My life shifted dramatically when I embraced my name with joy, acceptance, and ownership. I no longer had conversations along the lines of: “What’s that name mean? What is that about? Where does it come from?” I realized that name was a block-- my conversations were about my name, rather than a flow with the other person about any topic.
So, a rose by any other name would still smell just as sweet! I question that your name, your artist name, your identity, how it makes you feel, how it empowers you, how it resonates, are all so important!
I recently spent a session with an artist brainstorming to find their new artist name.
Rooted in their ancestors, family names, meanings of names they resonated with … it’s an important thing.
You can be anyone you want - be YOU and create the name or embrace your given name that expresses you!