Irina is my real name. English speakers pronounce it "airina". In Russia it is a common name which sound more like Eerina. I'm used to the English pronunciation of my name
The avatar is a picture my husband found for me, it was my first avatar on Facebook years ago. I'm sentimental

My name is Sally.

I started with Kiwigal as I am from NZ, but as I became more comfortable with the community I changed it to Kiwigal/Sally. I was planning to ditch the Kiwigal part of it as I am in my 40s and don't see myself as a Gal/girl and feel it is quite unoriginal. But Sally was already taken and I stalled.

The pic is of a kowhai tree in flower outside our house. It blooms prolifically but only for a short period in spring.

My avatar is a koi fish, and I find them fascinating. I love the fish, their ponds, and the gardens one often finds them in. Additionally, I love finding beauty in what many people would consider less than beautiful (carp), and I like that they tend to represent general good fortune

My given name is not Echo, but I've been called Echo since I was a child to the extent that my "real" name is something I don't naturally respond to when I hear it. It started as EchoEcho, of course, because apparently when I was a child I would repeat what someone had said to me before responding (I actually still do, but just inside my head now). Echo just kind of stuck.

My avatar is of my West Highland White Terrier when she was a puppy. Her name is Bijou, because she is my little treasure and I was learning french at the time. I aim to be as naturally stylish as her. I wish it only took a shake of the fur to look perfect for me!

It's really fun to read everyone's responses! My avatar is one of my two miniature long haired dachshunds, Heinrich. Meredith is my name, but most of my friends and family call me Mer.

Avatar: One Poppy in a Field of Wheat

When I first found this site I got the automatically generated avatar, which was (of course) a flower. It didn't resonate with me, so I searched the internet for a blossom that I would like. I found a photograph of one poppy in a wheat field and liked everything about the photo - the colours, the composition, the theme, the symbolism, the season. It was beautiful and it felt right, so I cut a piece of the original photo for my avatar.

Name: Tisa

Pronounced "Tee-sa". In my language it means yew, and it can also be used as a rare female name. I like the sound of it, and because I also like names with a clear meaning and origin I sometimes use it as my pseudonym on the internet.

Alexandra is my real name. My friends usually call me Alex.
That's me on our wedding day in my avatar.

TraceyLiz is a combination of my first name, Tracey and middle name Elizabeth.
TraceyLiz was the endearing name my mother used for me when she found me adorable she always said it with so much love that I came to cherish it. I began using it as part of my email address when I first got email over 20yrs ago, so it became a theme among my online stuff.

65 is the year I was born and I tag in on because I've always looked younger but lived a life that wasn't easy and sure have felt my age, so have always embraced aging as my Father didn't get the luxury , passing at just 42 when I was just 13.

My legal and birth name is Debra but I prefer deb so that is the name I went by at work and most places. My grandsons and their friends call me grandma debbie which I really love. My avatar is me from the 10th YLF anniversary in Seattle last year.

My avatar is a picture of me taken at an outdoor event with my face mostly hidden by a straw sun visor. Bionda is Italian for blonde. I'm not Italian, but I am blonde. My given name is Debra.

Angie, you just inspired me to change my display name. When I signed up for the account, I was about to get get married, so I put it all in there. Now, it's past time to tell you fab folks that my friends call me Cindy. I took out the Walker because we did get married on Christmas Eve. My picture is my new haircut, and I'm hoping that when the chi iron arrives I love it as much as I did in this pic.

Unrelated, I did try Angie's suggestion of a sea salt spray to deal with the waves. It didn't work 100% but it did help a lot. So thank you for that!

My full name is Jennifer, and I have been shortened to Jenni ( with an i) since age 15 when I changed the short form from y to i. That was actually Mum's idea at the time. After all Jennifer has an i in the middle not a y. As I'm now 55 I've used the short form for 40 years now and don't feel "me" if it is not spelt like that! But oh, if I'd known at 15 I would have to say how to spell it for 40 years...
I thought I would put NZ so you all could tell where I'm from. Sally was already using Kiwi so I left that word ( which we New Zealanders are commonly called) to her. And it is after our national bird not a small brown fruit! My profile pic is from Rarotonga last year when we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary, I'm wearing the pearl anniversary earrings

Way back when I first registered I was still internet leery and did not want to use my real name Jaime. Well I am more or less over that, but I never bothered to change my user name Shevia - which is a shortening of my full Hebrew name Y'shevia (some American Jews give their children Hebrew names along with their "American" name). I change the picture now and then when the mood strikes.

I am Lisa. So are a lot of other North American women born in the 1960s. I was not the first of them to YLF. All the Lisas here are fantastic! But my screen name is a nod to the Arab culture I grew up in, where a woman might have an alternative nickname as the mother of her child, or the daughter of her father. My kid's name is Lila, and I am her mother (Umm). Usually in the Middle East one only references a male in these family oriented names. I am a feminist. So I referenced my daughter. That's a real photo of me at the Pantheon in Rome a couple years ago right around when I joined YLF. Haven't changed it up lately.

My avatar is me at the wedding of friends I'd never met in person before, who themselves got engaged over the internet before ever meeting! The amazing thing was, everyone was exactly as they seemed. A wonderful wedding.

rachylou is my very American nickname for my proper name, Rachel Louise. It's in the tradition of Betty Lou, Betty Mae and ... wait for it ... Lisa Marie

Louise was my grandma, all my cousins have her name too. Rachel is, as my mother says, 'a good Old Testament name and means born to suffer.' It means, btw, right, 'little lamb' in Hebrew. Lol.

I have to say now, you know, I never hear my name spoken. I pretty much only read it. I don't know. Perhaps I should try speaking to someone instead of texting...

My name is my real name.

I recently changed my avatar to this comic style drawing of a Shih Tzu. It reminds me of my Ginger when she is all dressed up in one of her bows.

My real name is Sarah. My (long, Irish) last name starts with F, and I made it part of my user name here since there are a few other Sarahs on YLF. The photo is just one of me that I happen to like.

My initials, Janette Panossian. It should actually be spelled and pronounced the French way, but ever since I move to US I've been called Janet, Janette, Jan... In Armenian fonts: Ժանէթ Փանոսեան - my family, Euro friends and Armenian or Persian friends call me the correct way. It's partially my fault, I thought the French spelling is too long, hard to spell and pronounce for my US friends, co-workers, etc. so I shortened it. The picture is me on St. Patrick's day a few years ago, I like using this photo online - sort of hiding, it's me and it's not very clear picture of me
It's fun reading about everyone's avatar/name. Thank you Angélique!

My real name is Andrea. My avatar is a selfie of me hitting the road on vacation in London. I stay in Singapore, a hot and humid country so things like beanies are fun for me to wear when I get the chance!

My Avatar is my lovely Pooch holding an empty mini bottle of Baileys Irish Cream.
My name is Lynette and
D is the first letter of my maiden name.

My real name is Ruth, but there were others called Ruth on this site. I wanted a short easy user name and had used Joy before and liked it. The photo is of me a couple of years ago.

Penny is short for my middle name, Penelope, which was the name of my Greek grandmother, who loved dresses and jewelry. My photo shows my wedding bouquet of Picasso calla lilies, which evoke the simple elegance that I aspire to with clothing.

It is fun reading these.

Hehe, fun thread!

Avatar: a cute pumpkin that I carved one year. (We always take pics of our jack-o-lanterns at Halloween). I didn't choose it for any symbolic meaning. It's simply the right shape to fit into the little square avatar box without becoming an undecipherable blob, which is my main criterion for a successful design. Although I do rather like Halloween.

Name: Aziraphale (pronounced ah-ZEE-ra-fel). A favourite character from a book I read 20-odd years ago called Good Omens. It's a classic. Read it if you haven't. Aziraphale is an angel, but don't let that put you off. It also happens to have the same rhythm as Elisabeth.

Such a great thread! I didn't really understand the avatar thing when I first joined - I don't know why not, it seems so simple now. I guess I could only think about the film.

We've two lovely dogs, but Porridge is particularly photogenic (?!) and I took this photo on the hills near my home, so it feels to be a bit of me!

I think I initially used Porridge as my name on the forum, but it just seemed too lumpy! So changed to my own!

I love this thread.

I used the name RoseandJoan in the forum for over seven years, however, after coming across another RoseandJoan on the internet with a very angry tone I decided to shake up my profile.

Ruby Tuesday was a simple choice, my dogs name is Ruby and I love a bit of rock music.

My profile pic is a cutting from a friends garden which my two girls brought home one day.

Not sure whether I really want to out my real name yet, but it does begin with a J!

I chose Oscar after Oscar The Grouch!

My initial avatar pic was me in high heels, but now it's Oscar in a suit, much more fun!

Summer is my favourite season, and it also reflects my colour season.

I'm a little paranoid about using my real name or posting pictures online - hence the dearth of WIWs from me!

What a funny and interesting thread! I wanted something short and easy so I just picked the first syllable of my real name and doubled it. I got the profile picture automatically and I was happy because I was hoping to get either the rose or the zinnia!