Sophie, Week #2 - What's in a Name?

Once upon a time there was a little girl who had just finished reading The BFG by Roald Dahl. She loved the book so much that she decided her first daughter (and she was incredibly adamant on the fact that she would have daughters specifically) would be named after its main character, Sophie. 

Photo Credit: betweenthecovers.com

While my mom mostly followed through on this promise to herself, she made one minor change once I was born. She decided that my legal name would be Sophia, but she would call me Sophie. This was just to “give me more options,” as she always says. I do appreciate the flexibility she offered me, but I cannot count the number of times people have been (sometimes overly) confused about what to call me. Whenever people ask, my answer has always been the same—you pick! I’ve been called both my whole life, and in my mind they’re both me so it doesn’t really matter. It also became a fun sort of game for me, seeing which name people decide on.


What all of this does make me think about is just how closely your name is tied to your identity, really. For me, I’ve never felt overly attached to one name. Of course, all my nicknames have been various iterations of my full name, but you can get a good number of words out of Sophia Hong Leiner. I know that this isn’t a universal feeling though, and for some people their name is an important part of their identity. I guess it’s really personal preference, or maybe just how you were raised! If I was only called Sophia growing up, it would probably be pretty weird to hear someone call me Sophie, and vice versa. I was never called just one, so maybe I never developed that specific connection. I feel like my identity is stronger linked to things that I’ve developed over time, like my personality or skills. Don’t get me wrong, I love my name and I love the story behind it—names and how they relate to identity is just an easy topic for me to ponder on.


More recently, I’ve been having my teachers call me Sophie at school, rather than sticking with my legal name on the roster. Funnily enough, this has significantly reduced how much I get asked what my name is! Maybe it was that simple all along. If you were to ask me today which name you should call me, my answer will still be the same. It’s up to you! Some of my good friends even call me Leiner, with the logic that there are too many people named Sophia at the school already. More than anything though, I’m glad that my mom’s childhood dream was able to be realized by her daughter. Many, many years after where the story started, my mom would sit down to read her daughter her first chapter book ever—The BFG.

Comments

  1. Anirudh RaoSeptember 16, 2026 at 9:03 PM

    This is a really cool post I think I can kind of connect with! First off, I found it really interesting that you found “Sophia” and “Sophie” as being equally you. But a question I had was whether this caused any disconnect or confusion with your identity in any way. I also found myself in a similar situation. Throughout my life I was switching between being called “Ani” and “Anirudh”. The former I initially preferred because it was easier to pronounce and I wouldn’t have to go through the awkward situation of having to correct people’s pronunciations. But then I realized who am I if I just change everything I identify with just to make it easier for others to accept me? So I began switching back to “Anirudh”—and while it does cause the occasional pronunciation error, it feels more “me”. But going back to your experience, I also had a question: Do you personally enjoy The BFG? Because if you do, it would be something that your mother found meaningful and something you found interesting independently. But if you don’t, I think it’s an example of how sometimes we may start off with an identity we don’t have too much control over. But even if we don’t have control over it to begin with, would you agree that we have the ability to control it as we live our lives? If so, then maybe a name is not even part of our identities to begin with, but something that we independently add value to through our lived experiences and development as a person. I also thought the ending with your mother reading The BFG with you really brought a heartfelt close to your name’s story.

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    Replies
    1. Sophie LeinerSeptember 16, 2026 at 9:35 PM

      You ask some really interesting questions! I'm not sure if I'm actually meant to answer them but I want to so I will lol! In regard to whether the two names caused any sort of disconnect in my identity, there was a period of time where "Sophia" was more like school/professional me, and "Sophie" was like home/friend me, if you know what I mean by that. However, they've sort of started to become the same thing again, now that I go by Sophie in school. I wanted to touch on it in my article, but I ran out of words before I could so thank you for asking!
      I personally really love The BFG, but the fact that it was read to me a lot when I was younger probably had a hand in that. I associate it with positive memories! I guess that makes it a little bit something me and my mom liked independently, and a little bit something that was chosen for me. I definitely agree that a name is something we can control and add value to ourselves though, like how I made the choice to start going by Sophie more. A name really means nothing to your identity unless you associate it with yourself! For example, I technically have a Vietnamese name, "Hong." However, no one really called me it, so I don't think of "Hong" as me, you know? Although I guess that's also an example of how other people can shape your name and identity too!
      I really enjoyed your questions, they got me thinking!

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  2. Riya PurumalaSeptember 16, 2026 at 9:41 PM

    Hi Sophie! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about how your mom named you after Sophie from The BFG, especially because I love that book. I must admit, I am a little jealous that you were named after the main character of such a classic book! I also found it interesting that you are indifferent to how people refer to you, whether it’s Sophie or Sophia. It is awesome how you have multiple names that different people use to call you. I personally cannot relate to this, as everyone refers to me only as Riya, but you remind me of my cousin who also goes by multiple different names. My favorite part of your blog definitely has to be your last sentence. I loved how you connected it back to your mom and The BFG, it was the perfect ending!

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  3. Maxwell WangSeptember 16, 2026 at 9:43 PM

    Haha YES I get the same thing with Max vs. Maxwell. And I have the same opinion as you of not having an opinion. Although it is interesting to see if someone chooses to call me the whole thing or if they shorten it. Oftentimes, I find myself introducing my name to nonnative speakers as just Max, since this shorter version, I figure, will be easier for them to remember.

    That's a lot of dedication on your mom's part for following through all the way from childhood. I remember reading that book as well when I was much younger but... I can't remember any characters named Sophie. But I can definitely remember you and the many other Sophies at school.

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