Based on my name alone, I often wonder if my parents thought they were having kittens rather than twins. I desperately want to believe my name selection resulted from last-minute spontaneity. Like, “Oh hey, how ‘bout we just call that one Debbie!” rather than something that took my parents nine months to land on. (Well, it was actually seven months in our case, but still).
DEBBIE???
Really mom and dad?
I don’t want to be a “Debbie” Downer. But…
Debbie is a snack cake that mean people joke about with chubby people! 
You put money on your “Debby” (debit card), you don’t put that name on this adorable, sweet baby girl!
Debbie is a boozy group of playboy wannabes that drape themselves around men. As in, “Look at that group of Debbie’s!”
Furthermore, it’s a name given to women born in the 1950’s who own bowling balls, wear bolo ties and actually prefer to go by the nickname “Deb” (as if to say Don’t Even Bother, gentlemen!).
Honestly, I can’t imagine my creative, intelligent parents sitting together each night, mulling over the future names of their children and intentionally settling on such a dull, drab and generic name as “Debbie Smith.”
Let’s face it, I have a placeholder name.
“Debbie Smith” refers to nobody in particular and everyone in general!
I’m serious. Do you know how many people meet me and respond with, “I went to school with a Debbie Smith?” Trust me, it’s a lot! But unlike this Debbie Smith, I’m betting most of those Debbie’s have actually “done” something in Dallas. HA!
And Geezo Pete — there are over 700 of me on Facebook and 65,200,000 of me can be found in a Google search. EEKS!
Debbie, Debbie, Debbie Dot Generic Dot Com.
Yep, I happen to own one of the most broad-minded, nondescript names I’ve ever come in contact with, and it happens to be mine. It happens to be me!
While a name for most is a label used to distinguish one person from another, in my case the name Debbie has me lumped into a massive batch of big-boned women in their 50’s and 60’s with arm tattoos, cell phones on their hips that gnaw on chewing tobacco.
And Smith? Well! We all know Smith is the most common surname in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. For crying out loud, 1 out of every 100 persons in those countries shares my last name…
“Well hello all of me, nice to meet us!”
And if that’s not reason enough to struggle with my identity, I have an identical twin sister!
{…TAKES A DEEP BREATH}
But let me tell you something…
There is this crazy thing that I’m guessing happens to all of us who have been assigned generic names — more often than not, it infuses us with an overmastering desire to be unique.
When a name doesn’t stand tall, the individual must.
It’s weird, I know, but I’ve always felt as though I have an unspoken allegiance to all those with whom I share the name Debbie Smith. An obligation, if you will, to add some credence and weight to our universal moniker. After all, I don’t want to do our name a disservice!
Actually, it’s not unlike my commitment to my identical twin to refrain from doing something idiotic in public that someone might mistakenly pin on her. Otherwise, I’m positive I would have danced on a few tables by now and/or become a complete embarrassment of a contestant on a Reality TV show!
Oh, were it not for my overmastering commitment to all the other Debbie Smiths out there, I single-handedly would have been responsible for putting the DEB in debauchery by now! Hahahaha!
So funny Debbie! I love your writing!! You have an awesome sense-of-humor. You are definitely no ordinary, run-of-the-mill Debbie!👏🆒🌟
Hi I am so grateful I found your webpage, I really found you by mistake, while I was browsing on Yahoo for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say kudos for a remarkably funny post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the minute but I have saved it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more, Please do keep up the excellent.
Cute! Why arent you writing for a magazine?
you know what’s so funny about this, is I think ‘barb’ and the dreaded ‘barbie’ version is on the same playing field, no? Ahh, well, and I move on. Thanks again for your visit via SITS
Hey there! I’ve been reading your web site for some time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Porter Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the excellent job!|
Haha! I’m curious. What’s your twins name?
I’m a member of the boring names club too. 🙂
Karen dawkins recently posted…Staycation Weekend: I wanna rock ‘n roll all night!
My twin’s name is DeeDee. DeeDee and Debbie. We sound like a country singing duo. 🙂
Loved reading this!! I always hated my name too…I know SO many women named Sharon and there were 3 of us in my graduating class. 🙂
SharonB recently posted…Words Wound Us
Hi, Jennifer here. Jennifer Hall, to be exact. There are quite a few of me out there as well. I totally get what you say about representing other Debbies. That thought has crossed my mind as a Jennifer as well. I went though a phase when I was a kid when I wanted my name to be April. I was born in April and I just thought it would be cool. Now I think it’s pretty dumb.
So, what would you rather be named?
Jennifer Hall recently posted…The View From Here: Listening to my Middle-Schooler
Haha is it bad that I laughed at this entire post? Well most of it anyway. I’ve only ever know a few Kelsey’s so I can’t say that I feel it’s all that generic at least in my generation so I can’t relate. I do however, love your spin at the end of becoming unique. More power to ya girl 😀
Kels @ Blonder Side of LIfe recently posted…Recipe For a Great Weekend
Kels, it would only be bad if you didn’t laugh at all! My work here is done. 🙂
My mother named me after a soap opera actor that was killed off soon after I was born. I was supposed to be named Donna Marie but my mom said my aunt stole the name for her baby born two months before me. (Thank you Aunt Mary RIP)
Robin Avidor recently posted…Soleil Toujours Organic Skincare
As a fellow Debbie, not Debi or Debora, or Deborah just Debbie and I love our name and am currently using my given name to market myself. I am in development of a show called Debbie Does Home Entertaining 🙂 Google “Debbie Does” and when you get past the obvious stuff there is some funny stuff…hopefully to make you smile or laugh to feel better about being a fellow Debbie.
Debbie recently posted…Pinterest inspires me because…
Wonderful post!. As another who dislikes her name I can so relate. Try finding anything with your name on it back in the 70’s? Ha ha!
Maureen recently posted…Help me please: Five weeks to the wedding countdown.
I love your style! Founf you on the SITS FB share. I will be back!
http://www.LivingHappierAfter.com
Wilma jones recently posted…An Open Mind. And A Broken Toe.
Hahaha! I can kinda relate. I hate my name – it sounds old so I’m constantly trying to do things that don’t make me seem like I’m 80!!
Hi, visiting you via the SITS girls. Your name is beautiful! I have an excruciatingly rare name and most people mispronounce it and call me by other names that sound more familiar, so I am lost out there in exoticland, And at the end of the day, very few remember my real name. so in the blogersfield I have become what I do (a name really easy to remember), and now, a large crowd think they know me. Hope this serves as some consolation, LOL! Wish you the best with your blog.
Clotilde/Craftybegonia recently posted…Aselle
Common names do tend to be frustrating but look at it this way: at least your parents saved you the embarrassment of having a ‘unique’ name by simple spelling a normal name differently 😝 happy SITS day!