I Share a Name With a Popular Disney Character

I was born a little more than a year after the world’s favorite human-loving sea creature made a splash in movie theaters throughout the US. Yes, my name is Ariel, but I was not named after the Disney character.

My mom frequently says she and my dad “missed the 80s” as they were both completely overwhelmed with their studies, so you can safely assume that they were disconnected from any form of popular culture. The true story of how they picked my name is pretty run-of-the-mill: they saw it in a list of baby names and thought it was pretty and just a little different, and now here I am.

The singing siren of the sea and I don’t have much in common; we both have blue eyes, and I love karaoke, so we both sing, in a way. But that’s about it. However, that doesn’t stop the comparison from coming up regularly when I meet new people.

I get that a lot

Whenever I meet someone new, I’m asked more often than not, “Ariel, like the mermaid?” Externally I smile, while internally rolling my eyes. “Yes, exactly,” I kindly reply.

But, if I’m being honest, there are so many distinctions between me and the mermaid. Difference number one, and it’s a big one, I don’t like swimming. I like going in the water, but actually swimming isn’t for me. I’m just thankful that I didn’t have to go to a power-hungry sea witch to get my legs and live on land. Luck of the lottery, I suppose.

Difference number two: I’m allergic to fish. Try not to laugh at the irony. Or laugh, it is kind of funny. When I was little, I didn’t like fish, but when I was a teenager, I decided to give it another whirl. My mom, who loves sardines, salmon, and seemingly everything that swims, was only too happy to excitedly prepare something with cod or salmon or the like, blissfully unaware of the chaos that would ensue. Soon after my first bite, everything above my neck itched. My eyes, nose, ears, mouth, throat — all of it. My lips and tongue swelled, too. We scheduled an allergen test, and that was that. I officially had an allergy. So unfortunately, good old Flounder is basically a biohazard for me to be around.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another

My name is associated with more than just a fictional sea creature. One of the moons of Uranus is named Ariel, as is the spirit in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” There’s even an archangel named Ariel. However, I’m not going to talk about any of those. That would be too glorious to be associated with such etherealism.

Since moving to France eight years ago, my name has taken on a special new connotation: laundry detergent. Ariel laundry detergent, the international soapy cousin of the likes of Tide and Gain, is a popular brand sold in many countries outside the US.

In case you’re wondering if I’m selling myself short, and that it would indeed be more appropriate to associate myself with the otherworldly Ariels above, just know that one day a former partner came home carrying a bottle of Ariel laundry detergent and happily announced, “You were on sale!”

I do actually like my name

That all said, I like my name, and don’t believe I belong in the sale section. Like my parents, I think my name is pretty, and just different enough without being too weird, which feels suitable for me.

As my parents opted for names that share an initial with their grandparents for my sister and me, my name is also a wink to my familial past, which preserves a meaningful connection. And if I take an “aerial” view (sorry, couldn’t help it), or a step back, being associated with cleanliness and a princess isn’t the worst thing that could happen.