As those who have been following SKTyler.com since it's early days can attest, the name 'Aella Lei' used to appear everywhere throughout the site. I started writing under that name early in '97 when I was still quite shy. Like any good mask, the name helped me overcome my insecurities by hiding my true identity.
Aella (pronounced ah-el-la, with an accent on the first a), means "whirlwind" or "swift as a storm." I've also seen it spelled 'Aello', but I prefer the more feminine sounding 'a'. In mythology, Aella was one of the amazons, a fierce warrior known for wielding a double-ax. She died defending her Queen, Hippolyta, from Hercules when he stole Hippolyta's golden belt. I admired her courage and loyalty, which is probably why I adopted the name. At the time I was particularly taken to ancient Greece and Rome, especially the legendary women. The name Aella is apparently still used today, although it's rare to see it.
Lei (pronounced like the word 'lay') is typically thought of as the Hawaiian garland, or a necklace of flowers generally made from the flower plumeria, but it can also mean a beloved child or younger sibling in Hawaiian. I picked it for a last name because of its sound and the way it flows with Aella. 'Aella Lei' just seems to run off my tongue and has a definite singing quality to it.
People often ask why I choose such a strange name. Being difficult to pronounce makes it difficult to remember, which is not a desirable trait in a pen name. To me, 'Aella' sounds exotic and far off. Its short and simple, rather than long winded, and a little poetic. Most of my writing was at the time science fiction and fantasy with, so it seemed to fit my style. But the main reason I choose the name is simply because I liked the flow of the words. Even the abbreviation A. Lei works for me. I also never expected the site to grow so much, or for me to have quite the presence I do.
I've been using the name Aella for some time now, but it never fully migrated to real life. Sure I've began wearing shirts with the Aella Lei Online name and logo on them (available at the Emporium if you'd like to help a poor artist out), but still something was lacking. The difficulty in its pronunciation reduced its value as a pen name. More than that, I grew to the point where personally, and professionally, I wanted to me. For my online presence it's the name I've been using for so long now it'll never be completely phases out, but I'm ready to face the world as me.