3: The Meaning of My Name

In Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief, Percy's mom, showing her love and concern for her son, cautions Percy about saying aloud the names of the monsters.  "Names have power," she explains to Percy.  Just as she specifically named her son, so my parents chose my name.  Yes, names have meaning.

I received my first name thanks to the Tammy movies that starred Debby Reynolds and Sandra Lee, which was a series of four films.  Due to their popularity, this name became quiet common during that time.  As a matter of fact, if you know a Tammy, she is probably in her 50s...right?  Maybe 60?

Ready for a giggle?  Hummm...Tammy means "perfection."  This truly results in my having empathy for all ladies named Tammy, for, seriously, I do understand the struggle to live up to this name's meaning.

Originating from the country of Ireland, my maiden name Friel descends from a long line of hard-working, dependable men and women.  At some point, the name was shortened, as the spelling once was O'Friel, and before then, other spellings existed, as reported here.

Growing up as a Friel, I watch my parents and how our community perceived them.

Now my last name is Gillmore...