There is a definite trend towards choosing unusual or weird names.

No matter where a person lives, there are the same chains of stores and fast food outlets. People, however, choose to set themselves and their children apart from the norm. Whether it be because society and surroundings have become too similar or because diverse cultures have called for change, unusual names are becoming more and more frequent.

The negative side to odd names and even those which don’t seem that odd at all is the confusion and embarrassment that follows the pronunciation.

For some students like junior Casey Guise, mispronunciation is an embarrassment; his name was once even mistaken for a girl’s name.

“Once when they called me down from the office, they called me Carrie Guy. It was really embarrassing and the class was quick to laugh after,” Guise said.

While some students suffer through the mispronunciations and constant confusion, others embrace the individuality of their name.

“My name is from the country Eritrea from my African heritage, and I’m proud of my culture,” sophomore Natsanett Biene said. “I love my name.”

For these students, the uniqueness outweighs the confusion, as correcting others is common place, but the joy in personality is fulfilling.

“I would much rather correct other people than have a common name; I want people to remember me,” said Biene.

Those pronouncing the names also fear the burden of confusing or mispronouncing a name. Teachers and staff often admit to wincing when a weird name appears on a class roster or on call down sheets.

“One time a student had 15 letters in his last name. We ended up saying his first name and the first letter of his last name because of the confusion,” attendance coordinator Cheryl Daniels said.

Studies undertaken by eminent psychologists suggest that people who have striking or weird names considered odd by those around them can experience great difficulties in their normal social relationships.

The trend for unordinary names is more popular among girls. Researchers have found that for every 10,000 daughters born in America, there is an average of 2.3 “weird” names. For sons, the average is 1.6.

Both males and females with unordinary names might feel embarressed when they are young; however, once they enter high school and begin to mature, they realize that being unique is an advantage.

While some students express themselves through thier clothing or hairstyle, others possess a unique title all their own.