My first name, Ash, is just a name that I happen to like, probably mostly because it is earthy and unisex/neutral. It is not a nickname. I was also considering several other names, including Leaf, Olive, Aspen, and Ivy (do you notice a pattern?

), but I finally settled on Ash.
My last name, Wiseth, is my mother's maiden name. Interestingly enough, it actually used to be "Viset" (which is closer to how it is pronounced -- "Vee-set"), but my maternal grandfather changed it because he ran a photography business at the time (while my mom was growing up as a Muggle in Norway) and thought it "looked better" as Wiseth. I chose it as my name for several reasons: I simply like it as a name, it makes me feel closer to my mother and to my Norwegian roots, and it means "wise" (thereby reminding me that even the greatest magical spells cannot surpass wisdom).