Toby Speed: Hello, my name is Toby Speed. It is easy to spell, and easy to pronounce. Toby is TOBY, and speed is just like the word—quick-quick-quick. Speed was my husband's last name, and it's from England. It became mine when we were married, and I kept it afterwards because it's such a unique and zippy name, and it goes with Toby so well. People are always asking me if Toby is my real name, or if it is short for something else. It is my real whole name.

When I was a kid, I went through a brief period of telling people that my real name was October because that sounded so exotic. I didn't like my name much when I was little, but once I grew up, I was very glad to have a name that was one of a kind, Toby Speed.