I was sitting at the DMV with my newlywed husband, excitedly waiting to get my driver’s license with my married name, when the agent yelled out, “Jennifer Lopez!”
Instantly, the buzz of activity in the building came to a screeching halt. Every single person in the room turned to look at me. As we looked around the room in horror, I remember thinking, “Oh, no! What have I done?”
When my then-boyfriend and I first started dating, I had chuckled at the idea of my name becoming Jennifer Lopez if we ever got married. And of course, when we got engaged and I made the decision to take his last name, I really did think about it, but still found it mildly amusing.
I don’t think I ever could have predicted or understood the full impact of what it would mean to become Jennifer Lopez.
People tried to call me JLo
Initially, it was the nickname that bothered me the most. At work, my colleagues would try to call me JLo, and I’d knock that down immediately. Nope, no way, I didn’t want that nickname.
Beyond the annoying nickname, it quickly became a “thing” that no matter where I was or what I was doing, when someone learned my name, they would make a comment.
It gets even more out of hand when I’m traveling in countries where Lopez is not a common surname. Like the time I was waiting in line in South Africa for the boat that takes you to tour Robben Island, and one of the guides taking tickets noticed my name and proceeded to tell everyone that Jennifer Lopez was getting on the boat with them. He even asked to take a photo with me. Or when we were taking the train from Vancouver, BC, to Seattle, and the border patrol decided to tell everyone on the train that there was a celebrity with them.
I now introduce myself as Jen
I learned right away that introducing myself as Jen instead of Jennifer toned down people’s reactions, or it at least delayed their realization of my full name. Professionally, I use my full name, including my middle name (also my maiden name), Jen Sable Lopez, which is also a good buffer.
Having the same name as a famous person is one thing, but try having the same name as 4,300 other people in the United States. Yes, that’s how many people are estimated to have the name Jennifer Lopez. So not only do I have to deal with snickers and excitement everywhere I go because of the one famous Jennifer, but it causes all kinds of issues dealing with having the same name as so many others.
For example, it’s impossible to get a new email address or create a username for any app with some variation of Jennifer Lopez. It’s not going to happen. They’re all taken, always.
I’ve also had issues at the airport when there’s another Jennifer Lopez on the same flight. You have to go through extra security so they can verify who you are. However, when the gate agent calls us up, the other woman and I will always give each other the JLo nod.
After almost 23 years of marriage and “hehe Jennifer Lopez?!” reactions, I’ve embraced my name. Now, I love that people tend to remember me and my name because of it. Plus, it’s gotten me hotel room upgrades, and once I got a whole row to myself on a flight.
