I’m Paisley Seeger, filling in for Steve Innskeep.
My IRL maiden name is a classic NPR name, though. It’s hyphenated, and the first name is uncommon and its ethnicity is not obvious, while the second name is a less common spelling of a more common name, that identifies it as a different ethnicity (think -ski vs -sky in Slavic last names). My sister’s got a funky first name that really sells it. My married name is incredibly normal and it feels a little weird to not have a distinctive name anymore, but I love not needing to spell it for anyone.
I’m Paisley Seeger, filling in for Steve Innskeep.
My IRL maiden name is a classic NPR name, though. It’s hyphenated, and the first name is uncommon and its ethnicity is not obvious, while the second name is a less common spelling of a more common name, that identifies it as a different ethnicity (think -ski vs -sky in Slavic last names). My sister’s got a funky first name that really sells it. My married name is incredibly normal and it feels a little weird to not have a distinctive name anymore, but I love not needing to spell it for anyone.