How SoFrena Got Her Name (Freya Was Taken)

We wanted to call this whole thing Freya. The Norse goddess — love, wisdom, war, and a chariot pulled by cats, which frankly tells you everything about her priorities. She was perfect.

She was also, it turns out, extremely employed. Freya is currently the name of a great many businesses — several of which, we were charmed to discover, are rather scrumptious coffee houses and bakeries. The goddess of love and war is in hospitality now, and honestly, gathering people over coffee and good pastry sounds exactly like something she'd arrange. We couldn't even be cross about it. But it did mean the name was spoken for, and we would need our own.

So Janine and I did what women have always done when the obvious door is closed: we built our own. We sat down, open to whatever the creative process wanted to hand us — lists were made, names were said out loud to see if they survived being said out loud (most didn't), and Janine, whose wit is dry enough to be a fire hazard, vetoed several candidates with a single raised eyebrow.

And then: SoFrena.

"So" — for Social, because nothing about this stage of life should be navigated alone, and, if you squint, for Sophia, the Greek word for wisdom herself. "Frena" — for Freedom, for Women, and yes, if you look closely, Freya is still in there. We couldn't have the goddess, so we smuggled her in. We like to think she approves. She seems like the type.

So that's the name: Social freedom. Wisdom. Women. A goddess in the walls. Stop guessing, start knowing — starting with what to call ourselves.