Introducing Lou

If you all might remember, I moved from the Midlands to the south of England last year and with every big move, I found myself having to introduce myself to a mass of new people.

I’d thought it would be of vague interest for you all if I share with a few insights I’ve had from the constant introductions which followed my big move.

For those new here (ayup!), now would be a good time to mention that whilst Lucy is my so-called ‘real’ name, I’ve gone by Lou for awhile now purely because back then I thought I was way too clumsy and much too into playing football to pull off a girly name like Lucy, so opted for the more androgynous Lou.

Curiously, whilst my obsession with football remains, I’ve definitely shifted towards a much more girly attitude in recent months, namely, insisting on wearing dresses despite the frozen conditions.

1. What Is Lou Short For?

Quite a cause for debate, since I introduced myself as Lou and neglected to mention what Lou was actually short for. This is intriguing in the fact that they automatically assumed Lou to be a nickname, plus it was fascinating to learn that the frontrunner they’d come up with amongst themselves for my ‘real’ name was Louise/Louisa. What’s more interesting for me is that Lucy apparently wasn’t even considered, despite the wild popularity of the name for the past two decades (constant Top 100 presence in England&Wales).

The mystery was eventually solved when I unwittingly wore an old exchange trip hoodie with the name Lucy emblazoned down the arm.

2. Why Do I Call Both Myself And The WC, Lou/Loo?

This one I’d never really picked up on myself doing until much recently, when a friend pointed it out to me. It certainly flies in the face of the classic ‘pick a name without negative connotations’ naming advice.

Then again, I met a lovely lady named Dimple over the summer, but most people I know think dimples are a cute facial feature rather than a negative one.

4. That Friend Who Doesn’t Use Lou

One of my closest friends I’ve met in my new area calls me Lucy these days, despite the fact that I introduced myself to him as Lou, as I did for everyone else. It’s curious, because he did initially call me Lou before suddenly switching to using Lucy at around Christmas time with no real reason.

If I’m completely honest, I’ve never really cared all that much whether people call me Lucy or Lou, preferring to let people stick to their own personal preferences because I’m way too nice for my own good sometimes. I do recognise that not everyone is like this – my pregnant friend recently uttered the classic ‘I like Madison, but don’t want to be the mother that always insists that it’s Madison not Maddie’ line when discussing names for her unborn daughter.

2. Is James A Girl’s Name?

Not so much to do with introducing myself, more to do with a bizarre misunderstanding that lead someone to believe that my name was James. You see, he’d seen me write a friend’s name down on a piece of paper, and seemingly assumed that I was writing my own name down, and not that of a friend.

You laugh it off, but it’s interesting how accepting this person was of a girl wearing the name James.

I’m still not sure what to make of it, but hey ho, I like to reckon that I’d wear the name James well, but I likely think this for all names, so I’m not really making much of a point.