Searching for Roots

Ivellisse

I know my name is strange. I'm reminded every time someone mispronounces or misspells it. But I've grown to love it. I like its quasi-symmetry: two of each letter but the letter v. I like its rounded-Spanish pronunciation. I honestly fear it will be a road block if I pursue my dream of politics i.e. too long for campaign posters. If I were to use "Ivi," it'd be too informal and if I changed my nickname to something else like Lisa it would be a sell out. I'm rambling right now but bear with me.

My name is my Mother's middle name except for an extra s (Father's mistake on the birth certificate). I asked her why she chose to name me that. She doesn't know. So I decided to ask the next best person: my 67-year-old grandmother. She forgot. Now I'll never know. I've tried googling it to no avail. I know it's a semi-popular name in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Oh, and there is a famous softball player with my name...and Ivy Queen's middle name is Ivelisse. That's about it.

So, I decided to research my last name. I struck gold with some interesting information:

Definition: "Son of Moral" a name given to those "right and proper"; Dweller near a mulberry "mora" or a blackberry bush; "From Morales" the name of many Spanish towns

Origin: Spain and Portugal

Alternate Spellings: Moreira, Moralez, Moral, Morilla, Morillas

Facts:

• Andrés Morales (1477-1517) is recorded as one of the early explorers who arrived to the New World with Columbus.
• There are approximately 248, 691 people in the US with Morales as the last name.
• There are fewer than 1,541 people with the name Ivellisse.
• Famous Morales' include: Evo Morales (Bolivia's President) and Esai Morales (Puerto-Rican actor)