Danna Staaf: Hello. My name is Danna Staaf. I tell people it rhymes with banana cough and that helps them remember how to pronounce it.

When I was born, my parents gave me the name Danielle Shulman, but then they wanted a nickname for Danielle. My mother suggested Nelly, but my father said that sounded like an old horse. So they came up with Danna, and I've always liked it. It feels right.

I liked Shulman too. It's a lovely name from the Jewish side of my family, but no one knows how to spell it. They always want to add a letter C. So when I got married, I thought, I'm ready for a change. I'd like a new last name that no one knows how to spell, and that's how Danielle Shulman became Danna Staaf. My middle name however, has never changed. It's always been Joy.