Ashli with an 'i'

My name is Ashli; not Ashley, not Ashlea, or Ashleigh. Just Ashli with an 'i', and I was given this spelling to the name because my moms best friend is Andi with an 'i'. Out of the 300+ million people living in the United States, there are only 3,189 people with the first name Ashli according to howmanyofme.com, and I have never met someone who spells Ashli the same way that I do. The name Ashli has the meaning of ash meadow, because it, "originated as a surname derived from the Old English elements [such as] aesc (ash trees), and leah (wood, clearing, meadow, enclosures)," ("Origin of the name Ashli"). I think that my name can define me because it shows that I'm not afraid to be different, and since I love my name and the spelling of it I think that in a way it shows that I am a creative and confident person. The chart shown below is a survey that I found with the "Origin of the name Ashli" article, about how people think the name Ashli sounds.

71

No Way

Definitely

  Smart?

80

No Way

Definitely

  Sexy?

70

No Way

Definitely

  Friendl

y?

69

No Way

Definitely

 Creative?

67

No Way

Definitely

 Strong?

72

No Way

Definitely

  Young?

            

Sophisticated?

66 

No Way

Definitely

   
   My last name, Keyser, dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain ("Keyser Surname History"). It is derived from the ancient German word 'kaiser' which means 'emperor', and the name Keyser has also been recorded with many different spellings such as: Kaiser, Kayser, Kaeser, Cayser, and even Kesser ("Keyser Surname History"). These different ways of spelling the same word are due to the fact that, "spelling variations [were] common among early Anglo-Saxon names,"("Keyser Surname History"). And according to the website howmanyofme.com there are only 9,027 people in the United States with the last name Keyser, and it also states that there is only one person living in the United States with the full name Ashli Keyser. Having this name makes me different, and have a more individual identity.

With my individual identity, there have been times where I am "two." The "first" me is Ashli Keyser, while the "second" me is the Ashli Keyser who interacts and competes with others in society. But being an individual and, at the same time, a part of a larger whole produces a dilemma. For example, applying for college. I am Ashli Keyser who is nice, eager, confident, athletic, dedicated, and friendly. That is the "first" me; the me that shows my personality and that I define myself as. But the "second" me is the me that is just another person in a stack of applications at a college. It is the me that one see's just when looking at me; it's the me that is defined by a GPA and test scores that are good/bad based upon others' scores. The "second" me must not only fit in with society, but also surpass its standards and have additional responsibilities as a citizen. While the "first" me is simply how I can express who I am and what I enjoy to do. The dilemma is trying to find a way to intertwine the two "me's" so that everyone I meet can understand who I really am in order to, "have the best of both worlds."

 Citations:

1. "Ashli Keyser" How Many of Me. Auron Technologies, LLC, 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <howmanyofme.com>.
2. "Origin of the Name Ashli." Baby Name Wizard. CMI Marketing, Inc., 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/girl/ashli#node-name-sound-results>.
3. "Keyser Surname History." House of Names. Swyrich Corporation, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Sept. 2014. <http://www.houseofnames.com/keyser-history/English>.