My name is very simple. Carly. That’s it. Now Carly can be spelt in many ways. Carly, Carley, Karly, Karley, Karlee, Karliee. As to why there are so many ways to spell my name honestly, I have no clue but I can tell you the number of times my name has been spelt wrong and people never got Carly right it was either a K or an E and don’t even get me started on me trying to find my name on those name things like mugs or little badges never in my life could I find mine. 

Carly is simple though and it’s very easy to pronounce and well you cant really mix it up with other names. From what I remember. 

However, there is one thing I have learned about my name. After 19 years I have realized how generations are so different from each other. Now when you’re reading this and thinking of Carly it’s most likely three names come up in your mind. 

What I have learned is that people my age, a little younger and a little older (Gen Z) when they hear Carly right off the bat their minds go to iCarly. I mean all the time. I have not met a person in that age group that hasn’t connected me to that person. I do sometimes get Carly Rae Jepson but it’s mostly iCarly. 

Now with the older Age group, I would say my parent’s age once again is a little older and a little younger than them (Millennials and even Generation X) When they hear Carly without any hesitation they say, Carly Simon. In a way, it’s funny to me or maybe to you also because two/three different generations are thinking about two completely different people. Now am I named after one…..Yes…I may be……Well named after Carly Simon and to make matters even funnier or weirder or maybe just like hmm. My name is Carly Elizabeth Croutch… then the artist I was named after is Carly Elisabeth Simon…. 

I have never heard a song from her. Didn’t know what she ever looked like until high school and besides her being named Carly and being a singer don’t know anything else about her. 

I do know that sooner or later in life when I get older and I tell people who I’m named after they will have no idea who Carly is and then they will ask me about her background and then I would have to search up on google and overall it will be a very stressful experience. 

To Carly Simon. I have no idea who you are but if you randomly see this because I somehow manage to become a huge success in writing. Parents are a big fan I think. 

To Gen Z and the other gens that are too long to spell. No, I was not named after iCarly and yes I was named after Carly Simon