Nina inspired by Nova

What's in a name? Nina Simone an icon

My name is Nova. Nova Simone.

My parents named me after one of my all time favourite singers, the formidable jazz / Black classical musician, Nina Simone.

It’s only recently that I have started to claim my name in full and felt the richness of why my parents chose that name for me.

I really didn’t love my name as a child. I grew up in a very white Hertfordshire and already stood out as one of few Black children. Plus at that age, kids can be assholes and learn to hate early and any difference you might have often isn’t celebrated, it is othered. I remember wanting to do everything in my power to not stand out. I wanted to fit in and be like everyone else. As part of that yearning to belong, I grew to dislike both Nova and Simone. I was vex at my parents for not calling me something ‘normal’ like Laura. (I heard this was a contender for me when my parents were pregnant with me, so became fixated on it). “But mum, why didn’t you call me Laura.”? ( I am very glad they didn’t - no offence to the Laura’s reading)

I experienced racism from as young as 7 years old and I also learned to internalise racism at a very young age and rejecting my name was a residue of that.

It didn’t help that I was bullied for having the same name as a car at the time -Vauxhall Nova’s were all the rage back then (I am showing my age). So the last thing I wanted to do was reveal my middle name so that could be the brunt of jokes as well. So I didn’t really share it.

As I’ve grown older, I see so many threads of similarities in the essence of who both Nina Simone and I are and consider it a great honour to be named after someone so formidable and so prominent in both writing, music, creative expression and civil rights action.