Having an uncommon name can be both a blessing and a curse - it makes you stand out from the crowd but can also cause a lot of confusion. One mum opted to spell her daughter's name with the letter 'x' instead of 'z', and says everyone always pronounces it wrong - but it makes her unique.
Sarah Hearne, 55, from Swansea, Wales, "really loves unusual names" and decided to call her five kids unique names - including Jake, Zachary and Kixxie. While most of them like their names, Kixxie, 19, really isn't a fan of hers because strangers never say it correctly - it's pronounced 'Kizzy'.
Sarah told the Mirror: "Normal names are boring and there's no substance to them. I don't like my name particularly.
"I've always liked the name Kixxie ever since I first heard it. I actually used to have a dog called Kixxie first."
Sarah named her pet dog Kixxie 20 years ago, before giving it to her baby girl shortly after.
"She took offence when she found out I used to have a long-haired Alsatian called Kixxie. She asked, 'Am I a dog then?'," Sarah said.
"Zachary was named after my first Rottweiler too. I think it's a good idea to name a pet first."
When Sarah and her ex-husband knew they were expecting a girl, Kixxie was the first name that popped into her head.
"I didn't just want to spell it Kizzy because I wanted something unique, so that's why I used x's and 'ie' on the end," Sarah said.
"I've never met another Kixxie - in terms of the spelling and the way it's pronounced. She hasn't come across another either."
Sarah was inspired by her a character named Kizzy on her favourite childhood TV show Roots, which she used to watch with her mum.
"Strangers absolutely love her name and always say, 'I've never heard that before, it's lovely'," Sarah said.
"People pronounce it 'Kixy' all the time which she does find very frustrating. If she goes for an interview and they say it wrong, she gets embarrassed.
"When the kids were growing up, I could never find anything with their names on for school.
"Jake and Zachary never used to be popular names when they were small but all of a sudden, they became popular."
When it came to choosing her own baby girl's name, mum Kixxie decided to go a little more mainstream.
"I wanted Kixxie to call her daughter Xia but she chose Freya," Sarah explained.
Kixxie told the Mirror: "I really don't like my name. I hate it - it's the way people pronounce it. Now some people call me Kiz or say it 'Kixy'.
"I considered changing my name when I was 10-years-old because everyone said it wrong in school."
Do you have an unusual name? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
