Not Mor-Ganny. Not Mor-Gahn. And most certainly not Mor-Gone.
Global New Brunswick videojournalist Morganne Campbell has heard it all when it comes to her first name. While the common spelling of Morgan is just so, her parents opted for the additional “ne” to set her apart.
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Nova Scotia new parents-to-be Anne-Marie Comeau and Bernie Zinck were thinking the same thing.
The Kentville, N.S., couple knew they wanted to name their newborn a variation of Morgan. The question is: how would they spell it?
The couple had a dilemma on their hands. Their bundle of joy was born on March 18. They were still in the hospital but hadn’t filled out her registration forms yet.
“We were looking [online] into the meaning of the name and I found out there are actually 26 variations of Morgan out there,” Zinck said.
They had their heart set on spelling it Morganne but were worried they would saddle their new child with a lifetime of mispronunciations and confusion. First, a nurse mispronounced the baby’s name. Then their own family.
“We thought, ‘Oh no, this is where it starts,'” said Zinck.
While researching the spelling of Morganne, they came across Campbell’s Global News stories online.
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A friend suggested they reach out to Campbell, who promptly called Zinck and his friend as they sat in the busy hospital waiting room.
They put the call on speaker phone and began firing away some vital questions. Did she like her name? Did she have a life of people saying her name incorrectly?
Campbell says she was touched by their interest.
“It was an incredible feeling. I really never thought anyone paid attention to the way it was spelled,” Campbell said.
“I told them that I thought that spelling it Morganne was a more feminine way and pointed out that it looked unique and would allow their daughter to stand out, especially when she starts applying for jobs.”
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According to data from users on BabyCentre, a parenting website that lists baby names, Morganne ranked 18,443 in popularity for girls in 2017.
Comparatively, Morgan placed 171 and the name Emma placed first on the American site.
Campbell’s name was actually the idea of her grandmother, who “thinks outside the box and is rather unique herself.” The suffix of Anne is used in both her mother’s and sister’s names, so her father refers to the trio as his “Annes.”
But Campbell has a dark confession. She wasn’t always a fan of her name.
“I never liked it as a kid,” Campbell admits.
“Mainly because at the beginning of the school year, the teachers would refer to me as Mor-Ganny and it always made my classmates howl.”
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Now, Campbell says her moniker has helped her stand out in the television industry and she reassured the new parents it was a good choice.
Hopefully, baby Morganne will grow up and find it sets her apart as well.
Campbell hopes their “paths will cross” one day and she will get to meet her little namesake.
Right now, baby Morganne and her parents are just settling into life as a family.
“She’s happy and healthy, bright eyed. She’s a sweetie,” said Zinck. “We are doing great. We’re all adjusting. We’re just a little sleep deprived.”
As a side note, Service Nova Scotia statistics show the most popular names in the province for babies born in 2017 were Olivia for girls and William for boys.
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