Tsiuri

This is my given name. I am Roma by ethnicity and culture, but while this name isn't unheard of amongst Romani people, it's very rare. Growing up in Central and Eastern Europe, I never met another Tsiuri. My parents chose it to reflect some Georgian heritage on my father's side, and because they loved the meaning. As a child, I disliked my name. I was teased a bit for having a weird name and wanted to fit in so wished for something more common. There was also a lot of difficulty teaching people how to pronounce my name. I also faced some good-natured joking about how Tsiuri looks similar to tsuris (Yiddish for problems) which embarrassed me. By my teens, though, I loved my name and today really appreciate my parents chose something special and sweet for me. I like having a name that stands out from the crowd. I do still run into many pronunciation problems. Most people pronounce my name like Sayuri, the Japanese name. Others butcher it completely - "Tissy-you-ree", "Tie-sigh-you-rye", "Tissue-ri". I really don't mind and tend to find it funny, but it can be a little awkward when I want to make a good presentation. Overall I would say it's a nice name to grow up with. I never had a nickname from it but Siu or Su would be cute.