One of the questions I get asked a lot is …
Is Pinky your real name??
I also get asked these questions about my name
- Is Pink your favorite color?
- Were you pink when you were born?
- Was your pinky finger showing when you were coming out?
- Is your name short for Pinkerton? Pinkmeister?
Actually Pinky IS my real name! It is on my driver’s license. Not short for anything. I don’t think I was pink when I was born, and I didn’t come out pinky finger first. Liking the color pink – well yeah of course!
So here’s the story behind it…
My mom named me after this actress/singer from the Philippines. My mom believed back then that if you name your child after someone you idolize, they will grow up and become what they are. BUT if that were true, I’d be the next J Lo.
Growing up, I hated my name. Kids can be creative when it comes to teasing, and I heard just about every rhyme imaginable – Pinky, dinky, borinky
I once asked my mom if I could change my name. I put a lot of thought into it. I told her I wanted to change my name to Toni or Brittany. I thought it sounded cool. She said if I still didn’t like it when I turned 21, then I can change it myself. I was looking forward to it!
But then when I started college, something changed. No one thought twice about my name. In fact, people thought it was unique. Somewhere along the way, I stopped wishing I had a different name and started embracing the one my mom gave me.
One day I ran into Paul Walker at Dave & Buster’s and asked for his autograph. He asked what my name was.
‘Pinky,’ I said.
He smiled and replied, ‘Cool name!’
I know it sounds silly, but hearing that from Paul Walker made my day. Ever since then, I’ve loved introducing myself.
So yes… Pinky is my real name. It’s on my driver’s license, it’s on my business cards, and it’s the name behind Pinky Photography. I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Over the years, hundreds of families, couples, and dancers have trusted ‘Pinky’ to capture some of the biggest moments of their lives. The name that I once wanted to change has become the name people remember.
