It’s unfortunate when a name gets co-opted, causing frustrations for those who bear it. Names like Karen and Chad have suffered from negative associations on social media, and Siri may not be a preferred name for Apple enthusiasts.
Now, there’s another name entangled with a corporate identity, courtesy of Jeff Bezos’ e-commerce giant, Amazon. In 2015, a technological device emerged, marking a significant change in one woman’s relationship with her name: Alexa.
Imagine the constant barrage of “Alexa, what time is it?” or “Alexa, what’s the weather forecast?” and your name happens to be Alexa. This is the reality for Alexa Nizam, whose name has been profoundly impacted by Amazon’s device.
In a first-person account for Business Insider, Alexa shared her experience: “Growing up, I loved having the name Alexa. Aside from a brief first-grade obsession with the name Rebecca, I’ve always been happy with it and never had a reason to feel otherwise.”
However, the introduction of Amazon’s Alexa changed everything. Initially, the effects were subtle, with most people simply asking if she liked sharing her name with the device.
“I’d say that while they [Amazon] should have gone with something more obscure, it hadn’t really affected me,” she noted. But as time went on, she realized, “I was so naive.”
The jokes became relentless for Alexa: “I worked at a department store in 2018, and at least once a day, a customer would make fun of my name. ‘What’s the weather today, Alexa?’ ‘What time is it, Alexa?’ Some would even say things like, ‘I bet you get those jokes all the time,’ as if they weren’t part of the onslaught themselves.”
Meeting new people became something she dreaded, fearing the inevitable comments about her name. Did the pandemic offer any respite? Not at all.
“During Zoom calls with coworkers, if anyone said my name, someone’s device would go off in the background,” Alexa recounted.
Fortunately, Alexa has learned to embrace sharing her name with the smart speaker. She concluded, “Despite the ups and downs, I’m still proud to be named Alexa.”
Just refrain from asking her about the weather.