"Annika"

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Have you ever met someone and felt like their name was totally wrong for them? When I first knew my friend Nicole, the first several times we chatted, I had the hardest time remembering her name because she looked like a "Rachel" to me, for whatever reason. After some time, I finally told her that, and her reply surprised me: "Yeah, I don't think I'm a Nicole either. I don't think it fits me at all, but that's the name my folks gave me. People have the hardest time remembering it 'cuz it doesn't fit me at all."

In TNG, it became such a priority & milestone to give the Borg survivor Hugh a name as a means for asserting his individuality and uniqueness. To do otherwise would've been to deny that uniqueness, dooming him to a Borg designation that represented his past.

In Voyager, however, Seven of Nine chooses to keep her Borg designation, and I have to wonder whether that choice was made (from a writing perspective) because they gave her a human name that just wasn't a good fit for Seven/Jeri Ryan. Every time her human name is mentioned, it comes off as awkward, like they're talking about someone else. I don't think it's because "Seven" is just such a fantastic fit, I think it's because "Annika" was a poor choice for a name. In the same way that my friend Nicole's name didn't seem to match her, "Annika" was just a bad fit for someone who was on the same path that Hugh was.

 

[Finn]

"Annika" goes with the surname "Hansen" well.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

"Annika" goes with the surname "Hansen" well.

Swedish or Norwegian, no? Yeah, they obviously work together.

I think the OP was more on about whether a name fits the personality of the person. Hard to say with Seven, she was damaged quite a bit by being a Borg during her formative years. If she had grown up as a human, she could very well have been an Annika.

 

[Finn]

I know

 

[marlboro]

Why call her "Seven" when she's clearly a "Ten"?

What name does sound right for 7 of 9, OP? Sophia? Vivien? Olivia? Jeri? Septima?

Is anybody really happy with their name? I don't know how people with kids ever settle on one.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Is anybody really happy with their name? I don't know how people with kids ever settle on one.

True. And the trend these days is to give names exotic spellings, whether they're common names or not. Emmaleigh, Kaytlynn, etc. Not doing any favors for their kids when they get older.

"Annika" and "Hansen" go together fine, but can you hear either one of them being used by Janeway when she's calling for Seven in an emergency? Certain names work better than others, which is why several characters were usually referred to by just their first name or just their last name, or with/without their rank attached. Some names and titles just roll off the tongue better than others, and that's true of all the ST series. So really I would've advocated for a different first name and a different last name for her, because neither were that palatable for use in that particular setting. And thus she was left with the Borg designation.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Seven has very little memory of her human identity so I'm not surprised she chose to keep calling herself that.

Out-of-universe, I don't think the name 'Annika Hansen' is at all inappropriate. Seven is clearly of Nordic background (the fact that her father's name is Magnus lends further credence to this) and the name fits her quite well.

 

[marlboro]

"Annika" and "Hansen" go together fine, but can you hear either one of them being used by Janeway when she's calling for Seven in an emergency? Certain names work better than others, which is why several characters were usually referred to by just their first name or just their last name, or with/without their rank attached. Some names and titles just roll off the tongue better than others, and that's true of all the ST series. So really I would've advocated for a different first name and a different last name for her, because neither were that palatable for use in that particular setting. And thus she was left with the Borg designation.

Maybe that's the point though? Every time you hear the cold, efficient, former drone referred to as Annika it reminds you that she was a warm, human, little girl who had her humanity stripped away.


I agree with you about having an improper name can damage a character. Nobody wants to watch the adventures of Wendell Skywalker or James T. Humperdink.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

I agree with you about having an improper name can damage a character. Nobody wants to watch the adventures of Wendell Skywalker or James T. Humperdink.

Thank you! That's accurately portrayed in the Overstock commercial in which Matthew Bubbletummy the Third introduces himself to a potential love interest, and she bails.

For what a personal name represented in TNG with a Borg (Hugh) who was also taken at a young age like Seven, it's an odd contradiction in ST thought. But what I'm getting at is the writers didn't really give themselves a realistic OPTION of going to her human name as she distanced herself from the Collective, and that's unfortunate. It was 1 more way in which *everybody* on that ship seemed to be locked in a time capsule indefinitely. [Ensign Kim agrees.]

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

Well, Annika is a lovely name, which gives a certain idea where you come from (often,countries of Northern Europe like Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway but Germany, Austria too)

I can understand that Seven wanted to be called under this designation on Voyager (she still was a Borg trying to reclaim what she was before her assimilation) but once back on Earth, she should be used to be called by her Human designation, in particular if she wants to melt away into the masses and be accepted. However, this should not prevent her friends known on Voyager, to continue to call her by her Borg designation when they will be alone with her, especially if she requests it or if her friends feel that she is more comfortable to be called as well.

I think a name can stick to the skin but does not - and should not - change the perception you have of yourself or the one others have of you but, let's be honest, it greatly facilitates exchanges with other people, especially strangers. Only those who know you very well, will designate by the name you have chosen, which will remind some familiarity.

And what to say about Chakotay, Neelix, Tuvok or Spock?!

 

[Myko]

Swedish or Norwegian, no?

Norway or Denmark, Sweden would be "Hansson".

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

It's a shame they didn't have her go by Annika Hansen eventually, even the last episode, as a sign that she is truly leaving her traumatic past behind her and coming into her own as a human once more. Would've been more serious development for her than the Chakotay thing

 

[Six of Twelve]

In the episode where B'Elanna and Tom are stuck in space in their space suits, Janeway strongly suggests that Seven resume being Annika Hansen because Seven of Nine is "too cumbersome". Never mind that Seven of Nine is one less syllable than Annika Hansen.

And here is where Seven makes her first choice as an individual human being. She resists Janeway's almost-an-order, and chooses to retain the designation she has been known by for 18 years and is most comfortable with. She compromises by allowing people to call her just Seven, as they would with any other crew member by using just their first name, but for official purposes, she is still Seven of Nine, and others still use it often enough.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

In the episode where B'Elanna and Tom are stuck in space in their space suits, Janeway strongly suggests that Seven resume being Annika Hansen because Seven of Nine is "too cumbersome". Never mind that Seven of Nine is one less syllable than Annika Hansen.

And here is where Seven makes her first choice as an individual human being. She resists Janeway's almost-an-order, and chooses to retain the designation she has been known by for 18 years and is most comfortable with. She compromises by allowing people to call her just Seven, as they would with any other crew member by using just their first name, but for official purposes, she is still Seven of Nine, and others still use it often enough.

I dunno how to take that from "Six of Twelve."

 

[Six of Twelve]

I dunno how to take that from "Six of Twelve."

I don't get what you're saying.

 

[Delta Vega]

Seven is a great name
Just saying, like

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

It's a shame they didn't have her go by Annika Hansen eventually, even the last episode, as a sign that she is truly leaving her traumatic past behind her and coming into her own as a human once more. Would've been more serious development for her than the Chakotay thing

In the novels there is a dramatic moment when she announces here name is Annika, won't spoil it but there is a biological reason for it.

I think Annika perfectly fits the warm little girl we saw and that's just part of the sadness.

I knew a woman for years who was named Ruth but I always thought of her as Eve, I called her Eve accidentally a few times and even now it took me a few moments to remember her real name. It was the weirdest thing. So yeah, people can feel a bad fit to their names.

 

[at Quark's]

Norway or Denmark, Sweden would be "Hansson".

Well, Lily (First Contact) also thought the Borg were Swedish at first, only to discover they were definitely not

 

[F. King Daniel]

My mind will always associate the name with Annika Rice of early-90's British TV fame.

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So yes it did seem all kinds of wrong for Seven. Even if she was also blonde and tall

 

[Jetboogieman]

I have known Annika to be used as a name in South Africa where I hail from.

Apparently in different variations its used in Netherlands, Estonia, Germany and Sweden.

Bit of an odd throw away name that was only gonna be used a few times in a North American TV Show, but... Meh.