What’s In A Name? The Stories Behind Wyoming Nicknames

If you look at your birth certificate, driver's license, or other legal document, one of the first things you'll see is your name. It's likely your parents thought long and hard, maybe even had arguments or moments of regret, but one of the benefits of being a parent is giving you a name.

In many cases, as soon as you're given that name, they automatically give you a nickname. It's a weird, strange fact, but you may go through your whole relationship with someone without ever knowing their real name.

Even Wyoming has a pretty substantial list of 'nicknames'.

• The Cowboy State
• The Equality State
• The Best State in the West

Living in Wyoming, you're automatically given a nickname: Wyomingite.

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You get what I'm saying here, right? Nicknames are a thing that will always be around. Obviously, at some point through your life, there's a chance that your friends or family give you a nickname that doesn't have anything to do with your actual name. Growing up, I had a friend named Brandon, whose nickname until the day he passed on was Jelly.

If your name is William, you're likely to be called Bill or Billy. If your name is Andrew, you're likely to be called Andy or Drew. If your name is Elizabeth, you're likely to be called Beth or Lizzy.

I saw an interesting meme on Facebook, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Why do people choose the common nicknames, like Bill, Drew, or Beth, instead of nicknames that stand out more? Like Illi, Rew, or Zab?

From now on, let's get a little more creative with nicknames, and you can just call me Rew.