When it’s said right (‘I-ko’), my name has a unique and beautiful sound. Like tropical music on vacation. It’s the color red, strong and independent. Beautiful as a snow leopard. Some people even think it’s a name meant for a boy, which used to bother me. Now it just boosts my confidence. 

‘Aiko’ is not a name that 10 other people in school would share with you. In Japanese, it means “little loved one”. It's also a variation of the name ‘Ekke’ which means “blade” in German. My dad is German and my mom is Japanese, so no name would represent me better. 

When I think of my name I think of my childhood. I used to want to be called ‘Grace’, my middle name. It’s so much easier to pronounce and it isn’t so different. It would’ve been so much easier growing up telling people to call me Grace. But I’m glad I didn’t. So many other people have that name. I would get bored of it quickly. I wouldn’t feel special. 

The name ‘Aiko’ was never a popular name in America, or even Japan where it’s native to. People will either love it or hate it because of how exotic it is. The correct pronunciation if you used English rules would be “ay-ko”, which is how most people say it when they read my name. But since the name isn’t English, it’s pronounced “I-ko”. Many people, understandably, don’t know that. It used to bother me. It sounds dull and annoying, and doesn’t fit me when people mispronounce it.

With my name comes the hardship my family has been through. My mom grew up in Japan. I think she would be happier there than in America. Whenever we visit, I see light and joy in her eyes that I rarely see here. She’s comfortable there. It’s her home. But she left her home and everything else behind to create the life I have now. If I were her, I would also name my child to remind me of the happiness my home brings me.

I could not change my name if I wanted to. It represents my mindset—confident and independent like the color red. Not caring what others think. Exotic and strange. I would be a different person if my name wasn’t Aiko.