We’re all familiar with the famous line from Romeo and Juliet:

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Common interpretation of Shakespeare’s iconic words is that the names of things do not affect what they really are, that names don’t really matter. Although I can certainly appreciate the thinking behind this, I’m not sure I’m in full agreement; but that said, I am neither smart nor foolish enough to pick a fight with Shakespeare.

I can generally understand the argument that the given name for an object or a person doesn’t impact what the object or who the person actually is. Nicknames are interesting though. They not only convey deliberate thought and effort, but also reflect a level of the giver’s opinions or perceptions about the recipient in the way that a normal name doesn’t. In expressing admiration and loving feelings for a significant other, you might choose a nickname like “cutie pie” or “sweetheart.” In contrast, you probably wouldn’t go for something like “rhinoceros” (well, most of us wouldn’t), which would stir up feelings very different from admiration and love (again, for most of us).

My mom gave a lot of nicknames within our family, and each holds significance. There is love behind each name, and thinking about each one is meaningful for me because it’s a name I link directly to my mom’s love. Here are some of the most special ones:

Jollys: This is our fun family name; it’s how we refer to each other in our immediate family. Just as others call us the Bhatias, we call ourselves the Jollys. It traces back to when I was living in London and Sanam and Nikhil came to visit me. One day we went out and when we returned to my flat there was a voicemail on the home answering machine from my mom. She started it with “Hello Jollys,” just because we had been having a jolly time together on the trip — and we absolutely adored it. Ever since then, we three kids have been the “three Jollys” and our family has been the collective “Jollys.”

When I was thinking about this post, I specifically remembered an email that my mom sent right after this London trip that really made the nickname stick. I’ve even taken a screenshot of it because there’s something about it that is so sweet and touches my heart:

(On a side note, I don’t know why we have since come to spell “Jollies” as “Jollys”; as you can see, when my mom wrote it down for the first time she wrote “Jollies” and then for some reason it changed into the completely illogical “Jollys.” But that said, it’s our special nickname and there doesn’t have to be any rhyme or reason to it!)

Bunny Girl (BG): This is my mom’s name for Sanam. I believe it developed as follows: Sanam → Sun (Nikhil and I called her this) → Sunny Girl (Sanam’s screenname from way back) → Bunny Girl. Bunnies being the sweet little creatures that they are, this is a sweet nickname my mom selected especially for Sanam.

Guddu Boy (GB): This is what my mom would call Nikhil. I wasn’t really sure how this nickname came about, so I searched online for the meaning behind “guddu” and found all kinds of interesting things, including the fact that guddu means “egg” in Telugu (probably not so relevant here). The most logical explanation, as confirmed by my dad, is that guddu is a common pet name in India, a name that my mom adopted and adapted for Nikhil.

(In case you missed it, note that Sanam is BG and Nikhil is GB… Clever Mama 🙂 )

Dolly, Dolly Polly & Dolly Girl: These are names that my mom used for both Sanam and me. I don’t know how she started using these and I’ve never really thought about it; I just always liked these names because again, there is something very sweet to them.

Miku: This has been a nickname of mine so long as I can remember. I think my mom started calling me this from a young age and over time close family and friends began to call me this too. Given the similarity to my real name, I don’t think I need to explain how this one came about! Over the years my mom also started calling me Miku Piku, which also evolved into…

Peeks: This is the name I now most associate with my mom talking to me. I often replay the memory of talking with her on the phone every day in London as I would walk home after work. I’d call my mom and she’d pick up with a “Hi Peeks,” and I’d respond, “Hi Mom.” This is such a simple memory, but it holds so much meaning.

On my desk I keep a stack of the birthday cards my mom wrote me over the last ten years or so, and most of them are either addressed to Peeks or Miku. I so value that these names represent a special bond between my mom and me.

All these nicknames signify love, love that my mom expressed to my family by deliberately and specifically choosing to coin and regularly use each name. For this reason, there is so much significance to every one of them. Without this kind of love, I wouldn’t be the Peeks that I am at the core or my family the Jollys that we are.

So, what’s in a [nick]name? The simple answer — love. What do you think, Mr. Shakespeare?