How my name came to be

Sometimes a name is chosen because a Mom and Dad just like the sound or they choose a name that has a distinctive spelling . My name was chosen for a variety of reasons. My full name is Emma Marie-Ann Braswell. How it came about is kind of strange and caused some hurt feelings, but, it's my name. My Mother also had a name that was chosen for reasons only her parents understood. Let me start at the beginning.

My Father's name is James Carl Braswell born in Laurel, Jones County, Mississippi to Emma Daisy Locke Braswell and Luther Cleveland Braswell. I don't know how he got his name. My Mother's name is Wilda Josephine Guy Braswell, born in Laurel, Jones County, Mississippi. Her parents are Ada Maryloa McKee Guy and Willie Alston Guy. As is easy to see my Mother was named after her parents. Wil from the first three letters of her Father's name and Ada after her Mother. So she became Wilda. I always thought that was kind of strange and interesting. Many years later I saw this name for someone else. Really strange . My parents met and married and lived in Laurel for a time and my sister was actually born in the same bed as my Mother in my Grandmother's home.

When my sister was young my parents moved to Washington, D.C. and lived there for some time. They both worked for the government. My Mother's sister and my Father's brother and their families also lived in Washington. At times they lived in the same apartment building, next to the German Embassy. There's another story about that but, later. My brother Jimmy was born there and then came me about a year and a half later.

So, to get to my name. When I came along my Mother wanted to name me Marie Ann. My Dad's mother lived with my Dad's brother at this time, across the hall from my parents. When I was born discussion arose about my name. My Mom was close to her Sister and took Marie from my Aunts name of Mariette and she liked Ann. But, when my Dad's Mother heard of my name to be she was upset. From the stories I heard from my parents my Grandmother Braswell thought that I should be named after her because my sister was named Mary after my Aunt. So to save the peace according to my Mother they named me Emma Marie-Ann. No one in my family has ever called me Emma. I have always gone by the name Marie from birth to this day. I do love the name Emma for many reasons and I have a Granddaughter named after me and her Great-Great Grandmother.

So, that is how my name came to be.