The Moth Podcast: "What's in a Name"

Date: April 10, 2026
Host: Jodi Ann Powell

Episode Overview

This episode of The Moth Podcast explores the profound significance of names—how they are shaped by culture, time, and personal journeys. Through two compelling true stories, the episode examines the emotional weight, challenges, and sometimes unexpected joys associated with our names or the names we give to ideas. The storytellers reflect on identity, belonging, and the ripple effects one name can have on a person’s life and even on popular culture.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Reflections on Names and Identity

[02:04] Jodi Ann Powell (Host):

• Introduces the episode theme: the survival and transformation of names across generations and distances, and how names both lose and gain meaning in translation—“your name is your first story.”
• Sets up two stories: one deeply personal about family and belonging, and another about naming a cultural trend.

Story 1: Elise McInerney – "Names and Belonging"

[02:53 – 07:50] Elise McInerney at Melbourne StorySlam (Theme: Green)

Highlights:

• Struggles With Her Surname:

  • “Ever since I can remember, I have hated my surname McInerney. So nasal and so many consonants just banging up together.” —[02:53, Elise]
  • Describes years of mispronunciation and social awkwardness due to her name.

• Family Rift and Identity Loss:

  • Parents’ divorce led to a strained relationship with her dad and the eventual decision to cease contact:
    • “I lost my connection to my extended McInerney family, too. And so the name McInerney started to hurt a lot more than just my ears, but my heart a little bit, too.” —[03:56, Elise]

• Journey to Ireland—Seeking Connection:

  • On her estranged father’s 60th birthday, Elise travels to Ireland, homeland of her ancestors, to escape her pain.
    • “I decided that if I couldn't be part of the celebration, I would treat myself to an adventure so far away that I wouldn't feel the pain so deeply.” —[04:25, Elise]

• Epiphany and Sense of Place:

  • In the Irish village of Six Mile Bridge, sees her family’s name on a weathered pub sign:
    • “And I felt an unexpected prickle of tears…to see my name up there... somewhere in the world there was a place where I belonged, even if it sometimes felt far away.” —[07:19, Elise]
  • Concludes that perhaps a lifetime of correcting spelling and mispronunciation was a fair trade for finding a sense of rootedness.

Notable Quote:

“Maybe that was a worthwhile trade for a lifetime of correcting spelling and mispronunciation.”
—Elise McInerney, [07:35]

Host Reflection: Jodi Ann Powell on Her Own Name

[07:50 – 09:27]

• Shares personal anecdotes about her hyphenated name, its evolution, and her journey to accepting and occasionally reclaiming the “Ann.”
  • “I grew up around lots of hyphenated folks all over the Caribbean... every now and then, I bring the full hyphen back out.”
• Connects the theme of growing into one’s name to universal experiences of identity and adaptation.

Story 2: Ryan Estrada – "Naming a Trend"

[11:48 – 16:39] Ryan Estrada at Ann Arbor StorySlam (Theme: Style)

Highlights:

• Childhood and Self-Image:

  • Bullied for his basic clothing; jokes that if you looked up "unfashionable" in the dictionary, you’d see his picture.
    • “In fact, back when I was a kid...if I were to look in the dictionary under unfashionable, I’d see myself.” —[11:51, Ryan]

• Accidental Creation of 'Normcore':

  • As a cartoonist, invented the word “normcore” during a sleep-deprived creative binge as a parody: wearing ordinary clothes, using outdated slang.
    • “I was writing and illustrating comics that I had completely forgotten existed by the time I clicked send on the email. One of them was apparently making fun of fashion trends...the punchline...was the stupidest fashion trend that my sleep-deprived brain could think of—normcore.” —[12:55, Ryan]

• Viral Spread:

  • Definition added to Urban Dictionary → Picked up by a trend forecasting firm → Prominent media outlets ran with it → “Normcore” became an international trend, referenced by celebrities, brands, and even sitcoms.
    • “GQ referred to it as a stupid trend made up by idiots, which I was kind of offended by. It’s a stupid trend made by an idiot. Singular.” —[14:45, Ryan]
  • Finds it surreal that his offhand joke became a global term for a fashion movement.

Notable Quote:

“The word normcore was now normcore enough to be normcore.”
—Ryan Estrada, [15:54]

• Reflection:
  • Ultimately, Ryan embraces his status as an accidental "style icon."
    • “You were right. In addition to being basic, if you look up unfashionable in the dictionary, you will see me. But apparently I’m so good at being unfashionable that I’m kind of a style icon.” —[16:25, Ryan]

Post-Story Reflections

On Family and Names—Elise, Post-Story

[07:50] Jodi Ann shares an update:

• Elise now shares four surnames among her siblings, yet family remains her truest place of belonging.
• Looks forward to sharing her sense of discovery and belonging with her nieces and nephews.

On Cultural Impact—Ryan, Post-Story

[16:39] Jodi Ann reads Ryan Estrada's statement:

• Ryan continues to encounter “normcore” in pop culture:
  • “An hour ago, I was watching Succession and I heard Roman Roy...call someone normcore as though it were the most profane word on the planet...No matter what projects you choose to devote your time and energy on, you never know what fleeting thought is going to have an impact on culture. Normcore is my gag gift to the world.”

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “[Your] name is your first story.” —Jodi Ann Powell [02:38]
• “So nasal and so many consonants just banging up together.” —Elise McInerney [02:55]
• “My name, which meant that somewhere in the world there was a place where I belonged, even if it sometimes felt far away.” —Elise [07:21]
• "Created by cartoonist Ryan Estrada." —Ryan Estrada (on his surprise at seeing this in the dictionary) [13:15]
• “It’s a stupid trend made by an idiot. Singular.” —Ryan Estrada [14:45]
• “Normcore is my gag gift to the world.” —Ryan Estrada (read by Jodi Ann Powell) [16:51]

Important Segments with Timestamps

• [02:04] Introduction & episode theme
• [02:53] Elise McInerney’s story
• [07:50] Elise’s update & Host reflection on names
• [11:34] Transition to next story
• [11:48] Ryan Estrada’s story
• [16:39] Ryan’s update & episode wrap-up

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is thoughtful, honest, and lightly humorous, blending emotional vulnerability with self-deprecating wit. Both storytellers and the host approach the subject of names with curiosity, warmth, and an eye toward connection, making the episode both moving and relatable.

Summary

This episode of The Moth Podcast demonstrates how much meaning we attach to names—either inherited or invented. Elise’s journey is one of healing, rediscovery, and finding belonging through the very name that once brought pain. Ryan’s story hilariously illustrates how a trivial, even dismissive act of naming can spiral into a cultural phenomenon. Whether it’s a family surname with tangled roots, a hyphenated childhood name, or a sleep-deprived comic panel, names and the act of naming shape our stories, our identities, and sometimes, the wider world.