Does your name have an origin story? Here’s mine…

The simple story is that I was named for my mother’s youngest sister, Rosemary Ann, who was to be my godmother. But shortly before my christening, Aunt Rosemary contracted ringworm and wasn’t able to become my godmother. Still, I had already been Rosemary for 3 weeks, so Rosemary I remained.

The name Rosemary Ann Donnelly had an additional benefit. It was a peace offering of sorts, a diplomatic mission wrapped in a tiny pink blanket. My name combines the lineage of both the Italian and Irish branches of my family. Rose was my Italian grandmother; Mary, my Irish great-grandmother. My middle name, Ann, hails from my Irish grandmother. Rosemary Ann Donnelly seemed to satisfy everyone involved. That’s not quite the end of the story…

Do you have people in your family that carry the same name?Inevitably, one becomes “Big” and the other “Little” as happened with my uncle and cousin Charlie. Well into his adulthood, my cousin remained “Little Charlie,” even though he stood over 6 feet tall!

Not wishing the same “Little Rosemary” moniker for me, my mother decided a nickname would solve the problem. Taking the first 2 and last 2 letters of my given name, she pronounced that I would forevermore be lovingly known as Rory. It’s what everyone in the world called me… that is, until I started school. Rules and regulations being what they were, teachers and classmates referred to me by my given name, Rosemary. So Rory at home, Rosemary out in the world. Some 6 decades later, that’s still true.

Rosemary was not a particularly common name. I didn’t find it on key chains or coffee mugs. As a young girl, I wished my name could be among the popular set, names like Barbara, Debbie, Pat and Cathy. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. But because of a song, that was all about to change…

“Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” was a song released by the Edison Lighthouse in February 1970 when I was just 14-years old. To summarize its lyrics:

“The song is about a man who is in love with a woman named Rosemary. She doesn't have a lot of money and some people think she's a little strange, but the protagonist loves her anyway. He feels like there's something special about her touch and that she has a magical spell over him.”

For a brief time in the winter of 1970, Rosemary had her time in the spotlight. Kids were singing my name each time the top-ten hit Love Growsplayed on the radio. Oh, what a time it was…

What about you? Do you have a story behind your name? Got a nickname? Has your name been immortalized in song? Hit Reply and share your story.

Feel like dancing? Join me for this week’s Dance with Me video. The song? You guessed it!

Ready to try your first gentle chair yoga class? Sign up right here for Gentle Beginnings, my payment optional class for people who are brand new to yoga.

Until next time,

~ Rosemary