"My mother's very proud of the name she gave me. She thought it sounded rhythmically better. It doesn't really make a difference to me what people call me, but since my mother calls me Holly Marie when she's angry, I prefer just my first name"
About this Quote
Then comes the turn: the full name isn’t neutral. “Holly Marie” becomes the verbal equivalent of a hand on the shoulder, the parental escalation reserved for moments when affection gives way to authority. Everyone recognizes that ritual - the middle name as siren, the summoning spell that collapses distance and reasserts hierarchy. By saying she “prefers just my first name,” Combs isn’t rejecting her mother so much as choosing a safer, looser identity. Holly is the public-facing self, the one that can move through rooms without being pulled back into childhood.
As an actress, she’s also pointing at a core truth of performance culture: naming is branding, but it’s also intimacy. The line splits the difference neatly. Let the world use the simple name; keep the full one for the person who can still make you feel five years old.
Quote Details
| Topic | Mother |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Combs, Holly Marie. (2026, January 17). My mother's very proud of the name she gave me. She thought it sounded rhythmically better. It doesn't really make a difference to me what people call me, but since my mother calls me Holly Marie when she's angry, I prefer just my first name. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mothers-very-proud-of-the-name-she-gave-me-she-68321/
Chicago Style
Combs, Holly Marie. "My mother's very proud of the name she gave me. She thought it sounded rhythmically better. It doesn't really make a difference to me what people call me, but since my mother calls me Holly Marie when she's angry, I prefer just my first name." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mothers-very-proud-of-the-name-she-gave-me-she-68321/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My mother's very proud of the name she gave me. She thought it sounded rhythmically better. It doesn't really make a difference to me what people call me, but since my mother calls me Holly Marie when she's angry, I prefer just my first name." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mothers-very-proud-of-the-name-she-gave-me-she-68321/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
