I field questions about baby names every day. They run the gamut from the profound to the silly, the deeply personal to the can-you-settle-this-bet. The variety is boundless, but one familiar question comes up again and again:
I made up this name for my child, can you tell me what it means?
On its face, this might seem like one of the silly questions. If you created the name yourself then surely you know where it came from. It's a new twist on a popular name, or a combination of your grandparents' names, or the catchiest arrangement you could make out of your Scrabble rack. That's its origin and thus its meaning, right? But the fact that this question is asked so often suggests there's more to it. Think of it as a call for connection in an era of extreme individuality in baby naming. We all want to go out on a limb, but with the comfort of knowing the tree's roots are still down there somewhere keeping us grounded. So parents choose a name first, then hit the books to reassure themselves that the name is "real."
Perhaps the greatest beneficiary of this post-hoc search for meaning is Jaden. Jaden is a biblical name. Don't take my word for it, look it up in an online name dictionary. You'll learn that Jaden is a Hebrew name meaning "God has heard," from Nehemiah 3:7. Granted, the Biblical version is Jadon and it isn't pronounced to rhyme with Aidan, but close enough:
Next to them repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite--the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah--who were under the jurisdiction of the governor of the province Beyond the River. (Ne 3:7)
Nehemiah 3, if you're curious, chronicles the vast construction project of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. You read of the many men (and a few unnamed women) who replaced bolts, rehung doors and repaired roofs. In fact, it may be illuminating to see the full range of names mentioned in this chapter. Due to space concerns, I'll limit myself to the first half, verses 1 to 16:
Eliashib
Zaccur
Hassenaah
Meremoth
Uriah
Hakkoz
Meshullam
Berechiah
Meshezabel
Zadok
Joiada
Paseah
Besodeiah
Melatiah
Jadon
Uzziel
Harhaiah
Hananiah
Rephaiah
Hur
Jedaiah
Harumaph
Hattush
Hashabneiah
Malchijah
Harim
Hasshum
Pahath-moab
Shallum
Hallohesh
Hanun
Machijah
A fashion goldmine this is not. As recently as 15 years ago, when the revival of Old Testament names like Ethan and Hannah was already in full swing, not one of the dozens of names in Nehemiah 3 cracked the top 1000. Even the best known of the names, Uriah (familiar through a different character in the book of Samuel), was a relic. But Aidan and rhyming names like Hayden and Braden were rising fast. A few Jaydens and Jadens -- not Jadons -- crept in around 1994. Then in 1998 Will and Jada Pinkett Smith named their baby boy Jaden. Open the floodgates! Overnight, Jaden was red-hot in every imaginable spelling, just like Aidan, Hayden and Braden. And parents of Jadens, Jaydons and Jaidens were explaining to friends that they chose it because it's a biblical name.
Are those parents wrong? Delusional? Not really. If they cite the biblical connection, I assume it's legitimately important to them. It may not be the real reason behind the choice, but it's a lasting justification. Knowing a biblical Jadon is out there gives parents a reassuring glimpse of the roots of a tree of fashion that we're climbing dizzyingly higher every day. Thousands of years after his first job, Jadon the Meronothite is performing another round of maintenance work: helping parents stay happy with the name they chose.
Comments
I have to admit that I am a justifier. Not immediately, but when someone asks my eldest's name and I say "Emma", they almost always IMMEDIATELY go to, "Oh, I like that name! I have [a niece, a daughter, 20 second cousins] named Emma!" because it is SO popular. And some of the ones who DON'T say that usually make "The Face" because it is TOO popular. Whereupon I can't stop myself from saying, "Yeah, I've had it picked out since I was 14." I don't mean to, it just comes out! And I usually explain further, "We dithered when it became popular but finally decided not to let anyone else's naming choices dictate ours. Her first and middle names, Emma Rose, come from a Kate Wolf song. And I was one of 5 Annes in my preschool class, and it never hurt me." Whereupon even those people who are not overtly hostile toward a popular name seem to warm up to it a little more.
Expecting, I think that a 1 syllable mn is nice in your case. Heck, many parents just like 1 syllable mns with ANY fn. (How many people do you know with the mn Lynn or Anne?)
Rachel G - regarding Mortimer. I can see why you like it - it's got that "old" feel to it and it's kinda spunky too.
My concern is that a mort is "the note sounded on a hunting horn to announce the death of a deer" or "three-year-old salmon" and an obsolete usage for death (think: mortician). :-\
With one of my kids I was in love with the word "Talus" and was SO sure that this was the perfect name for us (I like word names). Then someone told me "you know that talus is a sloping mass of rocky fragments at the base of a cliff, right?" :-\ Now, it also means just 'a slope' but the whole 'scree' (synonym for talus) thing turned me off. I do still think that Talus would be a way cool name though...
Ultimately, if you love it, and you adore it above all others, then go for it. (how many people know mort is a salmon???)
Anne/kq - I would never make the face at Emma - Emily, sure, since I think it's been SO over done and I never liked it in the 80's when it was popular, but not as popular as it is now. I absolutely LOVE Emma, but DH and I agreed that no matter what, we'd stay out of the top 50, so it's certainly out for us. It was on my list for awhile, even with it's popularity. It's just such a pretty name. For me, it goes back to the Sunset Dreaming books I read as a teen.
I like the name Johanna, but I, too, am wondering about the rhythm of Johanna Amman. It doesn't "rhyme" per se, but it sounds very similar to me. It gives it a lyrical or sing-song feeling. If you like it, go for it. I personally don't like the sing-song sound to my own name (I insist on going by my full name instead of my familiy nn w/ my married name because it reminds me of that "little girl on the playground" sing-song sound.But that's my personal preference.
Thanks for the feedback on Cameron and the BFF situation. I was ready to drop it from the list, but DH says it shouldn't matter. What's funny is, she and I have the same nn, so there is already the confusion when we get together as a couple of which Christy?
I don't think she would tell me it was okay if it wasn't - she's really not that sensitive to other's feelings -
The other problem I have is that DH doesn't think that anyone else's names should make a difference to us - including siblings! So, he doesn't want to consider other kids around us as crossing the names off his list, etc. Men!
I'm sympathetic, Emma's mom. I met a woman in the park the other day who had a beautiful little daughter, around three years old. After chatting with her a bit and finding her very sympatico, I asked her daughter's name . . . turns out to be Isabella. My reply, of course:
"Oh, that's a beautiful name." (It is.)
But maybe she saw something on my face? I never meant to be that kind of a@#, I swear!
She went on to explain/lament: "I didn't know it was sooo popular when I chose it."
And then I remembered that perfectly nice, reasonable men and women can be blissfully unaware of naming trends. Of course, this woman was apparently now aware (and none too happy) that Isabella is everywhere.
Anyway, I reassured her that the name is lovely (it is!) and that it suited her darling little girl (it did).
There's a funny story about inadvertently choosing a too popular name in the memoir "How My Breasts Saved the World" (it's about breastfeeding). The writer chooses to call her daughter Sophie, and then regrets it as she makes the rounds it Park Slope, Brooklyn. Every other girl seems to be called Sophie; she recounts parents attempts to differentiate their daughters by spelling it with an "f" or insisting on "Sophia." Discouraged, she decides to start introducing her daughter as "Piper," but she's ultimately exposed in music class by the father of another Sophia who wasn't about to let her get away with defecting . . . it's pretty funny.
Laura et al.
Do you have any suggestions regarding reliable names-meanings resources? There is so much misinformation, especially on the internet, and I would love to have a reliable source to consult. I really want to name my children after family members, but my husband and I have a hard time agreeing on names from this limited list. I thought if we chose names with the same meanings as family members' names, it would still feel like we've honored our relatives but maybe we'd have a better chance of finding a name we agreed on...
Along the same line, do you know of any reliable resources that provide a list of names that are essentially the same name but in different languages (e.g., John, Juan, etc.). I have Ukranian ancestors and would be interested in using the Ukranian versions of the French, British, etc. names in our families.
- Like the one syllable middle name for Johanna
- Think Cameron should be left alone; it does cause hurt feelings
- Like the website behindthename.com; you can look up similar names (which often have different language versions), also features reader's comments, ratings, etc.
Don't Trust Google - behindthename.com is very reliable and very 'cautious'. He doesn't post 'new names' (aka made up names like McBanarama or whatever). And he's careful about his name research. Other than that, I have to recommend going to a book instead of an internet sight. Laura's book is great, and there are other name dictionaries out there. Just don't expect to find 'alternate' spellings (like Muhkenzye or Kayci) you've got to look for root names (Mackenzie and Casey).
This is a little late, but I just had to chime in about "the face." As I don't have any named children - we're expecting our first - I've only gotten "the face" in reaction to my name - and my reaction varies a lot depending on my mood, and the kind of face/question I'm given. There's the, "Oh, what an interesting name," group, actually meaning interesting, and then the crowd that says "interesting" as a synonym for "ugly" or "your parents were on acid, weren't they." Even when people don't ask, and I'd estimate less than 10% of people don't ask, they still give me the face. I am now OK with it and actually love my name, but there have been times when I've just made up names to avoid the look - especially at bars, with strange men, when I was always the pronouncable Kate. It doesn't help that I have an unusual nickname to go along with it - Oz - that invokes a whole set of questions on its own.
So, now that I'm pregnant, I'm asking myself is do I give my child a name that requires explanation or not?
I like Johanna, but feel that Johanna Jane might be a bit much. Jane is a lovely first name.
I also like Mortimer/Morty. I'm currently digging the old-man names, too, so I may be in the minority on this. Our dog is named Angus, nickname Gus, and part of my wishes we'd saved the name so we could use it for our human baby.
And, regarding avoiding names - my great-grandmother was Sophie, and, though I never met her, stories are that she was not a very nice person. She had a very hard life. My husband suggested Sophie and, even if it weren't too popular for my tastes, I still wouldn't have been able to use it, because of the stories about my great grandmother. His grandmother's name was Dororthy, nickname Dot, and one of her favorite expressions for her children/grandchildren was "Sit down so I can hit you." Needless to say, Dorothy is not on our list.
Hope I didn't make "the Face" and I had to choke to prevent LOL - last Friday a business associate said his grandson was being born that day. I offered congratulations and asked if they had named the baby. KAYDEN, he said! And all this time I've been thinking all this talk about the EN names was purely hypothetical!
As to naming babies for relatives or other, my mother and her best friend in college promised to name daughters after each other. My mom kept her promise but her friend didn't, pleading pressure to use a family name. But I got stuck with Marjorie which I have never liked much!
This is OT, but I am still struggling with a name for my baby (due in October). I have been leaning towards Augustus, but I started reading "The Baby Name Wizard" and got to thinking about the advice - what name would you want if you could choose (your own name)? I don't know if I'd want to be called Augustus. I like Jack, but I'm very concerned about it's popularity. I have been looking through the list at a local hospital and there aren't a lot of Jacks, but a TON of Jacksons (Seriously, like 5 born one month, and this isn't the only hospital in the area). Do you think all of these people will call their sons Jack or keep it Jackson? I might even call him Jackie as a nn. I'm going to ask my dh what name he would choose for his own.
Sarah:
That's a very interesting question. My answer would vary a lot depending on when you asked me. When I was eight, I would have loved to be named Katarina. Now, I'm glad my name isn't Katarina, and I like my name. I also wonder if what we might want to be named would be very different from what our children would want to be named, because of the generational trends around names. For example, my mom's name is Karen, and she always wished she had a name or nickname that ended in ie or y. But I'm glad she didn't name me Christy or Ashley or Brittany. In short, I think it is hard for us to predict now what our children might want to be named in 10 or 20 or 30 years. Now, I'd pick Astrid.
I do like the name Jack a lot, but it's pretty popular around here. I only know one baby Jackson, and his parents sometimes use the full name and sometimes the nickname. I kind of like Augustus, but can't quite get passed the Augustus Gloop association. Even with what I said above, I'd probably rather be Jack.
On Kayden - I had never heard it before and then I learned of 2 babies being named Kaden/Caden in a short time.
I've always hated that my 2 female cousins were named Courtney and Kelsey (and they call me Christi) so my grandma goes throug them all to call one of us - so I always wanted to make sure the cousins names sounded distinct. DH has 2 cousins who recently named their boys Kaden and Kaleb (brothers' sons who are 4 months apart). I feel so bad for DH's Aunt and Uncle who have to deal w/ that!
Sarah- All the little Jacksons I know are called Jack. To be honest, I think their parents must have picked the name to use Jack as a nn. I'm personally not very found of Jackson, but I think Jack is a nice name all by itself. It is fairly popular though. My father-in-law is a Jaoquin who goes by Jack. That's an interesting option.
expecting in dec.- Oh, I love Johanna! And I don't mind the musical way it goes with Amann. Jane is also one of my favorite names, but I think that I prefer Johanna May.
Yikes! Typing too fast- meant to say say "fond of" (not found of) and, of course my father-in-law is a Joaquin.
Well, I'm sure people will think I'm crazy but my first son is going to have the same name as his cousin.
We have had it picked out since before we were married, they knew that (we said so through two girl pregnancies), and they chose to name their son that anyway (it's a family name-- husband's and bil's father who died when my husband was 3.) It's not like we see that particular branch of the family much, so we are going ahead. Honestly I don't really care. If they don't like it, they can change their kid's name (I do intend to call our son by a nickname, my nephew goes only by his full name.)
I suspect a Johanna would end up being called Jo anyway, and Jo Amann is fine.
Sarah,
I wish I had time to read all the posts, but in answer to your question...
I have a Jack, and while I love everything about it, it is very popular. As you noted, Jackson is even more popular, and yes, they do seem to be called Jack a good bit of the time. I have to say, mine doesn't mind a bit when he meets other little boys with his name, but if popularity is a concern to you (and it sounds like it is), I think Gus would be a better choice (and super cute,too)! Another name Jack is sometimes a nn for is Gerald, but I'm not sure that one is ready for a comeback yet.
Best wishes!
Another justifier here..my version goes: "My daughter's name is Phoebe..no, not after Phoebe in Friends, she's named after my father-in-law." Sometimes gets me strange looks..
Rachel G: Mortimer does sound pretty horrendous to me right now, but with all the old man names coming back...
For me, the origin (Shakespeare) came first, and because of that, I'm definitely in the Justifier Club.
Henry was named back in '98, and since it was unheard of in Northern California at that time, EVERYONE (family, friends, strangers) gave me The Face, and many were quite open about their dislike of the name.
We're glad we stuck to our guns, though, and now all of our family loves the name and brings up different Henrys that he was "named after." *roll eyes*
p.s. Somehow Henry ended up with the nickname Morty (long, long story!), so it's funny that someone brought it up!
Obviously, we think it's darling! If you love the name Mortimer, go for it, and eventually everyone will come around! (I still remember the look on my MIL's face when she held him for the first time and cried, "Oh, Henry!")
I have a major hangup about names. This is for two reasons: my first name (Sarah) is very common and my last name (Carlson) is also very common. I solved this for myself by keeping my maiden name, so that I have two last names (no, it's not hyphenated, which people can't understand and computer systems -ie. DMV, doctor's offices, etc. - aren't set up to handle). I still have a problem with my first name being so common - I work with two other Saras - and even though they are spelled differently, it still sounds the same. And even though my mom says that she named me before it was popular (the other Saras are younger), it doesn't change the fact that last names have to be used when differentiating us. But when you put my first name and last name together (w/o maiden), you get a ton of people with the same name (check out the Babies 'R Us registry - there are like 10+ Sarah Carlsons registered). I am trying to avoid this for my son, which is why I am hesitant to use Jack.
Anne/kq: my brother and my cousin are both named John, my cousin after his father, my brother after our grandfather. My cousin was referred to by his first and middle names (even though he was older - I'm not sure what they called him before my brother was born!). I also have another cousin named John (other side). He is my aunt's before she married my uncle. We called him by his first and last name or Johnny.
Don't Trust Google: Another vote for www.behindthename.com for name meanings. It even has a list of Ukranian names!
http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/ukr.php
Sarah: Yes, Jack and Jackson are terribly popular. Where I live, it seems to be the default name cluster for boys' names. National popularity is very high (#35 Jack, #36 Jackson, #211 Jaxon, #391 Jaxson...not to mention #20 John which often gets Jack as a nn). If you dont' want a popular name, skip Jack/Jackson. And if you're on the fence about Augustus, what about Gustav? August? There are definitely some good options still out there if you're not satisfied with either Augustus or Jack.
Thanks for the comments. We've talked about it, and agree that Jane doesn't go well with Johanna.
But I think we're committing to Johanna. WHen I read that some didn't like the flow, it didn't bother me, so I think that's a good sign that we really love it best.
I am still open to other thoughts, though! Great site.
Astrid - I haven't read all the posts here, but may I just say that I love your name? There was an Astrid in my high school and she was so stunning, I will forever have a positive association with the name. I'm actually trying to get a friend of mine to consider Astrid for her little girl -- she also has Annika and Linnea on her list.
Rebekah - I'll confess to being a name snob too. I've admitted it to my husband and some friends. Maybe that's why I have such a hard time naming my own children. :P I do try to be be very polite to people when finding out their kids names though and I've not asked anyone where their child's name comes from.
I did start telling my family about the "ending in 'n' trend" and the state vs national popularity of Owen, at a party this past week. :P
Laurie - interesting comment you made about your family tree maybe tiping the scale in favor of one name, when you like several. I've been trying to pull that one on my husband. He's not keen on Henry & I was trying to sway him with the fact that we both have grandmas who had a a brother called Henry. I don't think he's buying it though - which is fair enough, as we didn't know the relatives. If this baby (due Oct) was a girl, she was going to be called Lucy - DH likes the name and it's my late grandmother's name. Whereas Rose isn't a family name, just one we liked.
I wouldn't use a name that has already been used by a close relative... or at least, that's what I always thought. After my daughter was born, I realized that my cousin, with whom I am very close, has the same name! (My daughter is Sarah and my cousin is Sara.) I never made the connection, though, because my cousin is Hispanic and her name is pronounced differently. And in Hispanic families, it is SUPER common to repeat names. In our family we have 2 Felipes, 2 Vivianas, 3 Javiers, etc. You have to use the middle names to distinguish them sometimes, although sometimes the context sets them apart, since the grandfather would never be playing in the sandbox.
Astrid, I have secretly envied you your name since I started posting on this board. Between Astrid Lundgren and Astrid Gilberto, there just isn't an uncool Astrid.
I was named the same as my cousin. She was born first so I got stuck with the blah nickname, and never really reclaimed Elizabeth. I wish I'd gotten there first.
Mortimer is, to me, still on the list of "names old enough that you reserve them for cats." But then again I have cracked myself up more than once by imagining generic 70s boy names for cats, like Steve or Craig or Brian. Just saying "Keith the Cat" is enough to cheer me up on a bad day.
It occured to me today that there are some explanations that make me like names less.
The new grandaughter of a former colleague of mine was named Cadence. Now, I don't like this name (although I am partial to Cady), but I knew the baby's dad was in the military and the mom had an interest in music, so I just assumed that was the connection. Then my coworker explained she was named after the girl in American Pie.
Suddenly, I liked it even less (name snobbery, I know-and no offense intended).
Sarah-Have you ruled out just Gus? I think it can stand alone as well as Jack. It's funny the baggage we bring to naming, isn't it? My name was misspelled so often that when we were naming our boys I ruled out anything that wasn't super easy to spell or pronounce. My friends who are Jennifers were all concerned with giving their daughters names that would "stand-out."
Sarah, if the popular name bothers you, don't use Jack. (I have the same phobia).
You might be interested in this site:
http://howmanyofme.com/search/
which will tell you that statistically there are 201 people in the US with the name Jack Carlson.
Somewherre in between Augustus and Jack there is a name that you will love.
How about Jake? While Jacob is popular, I don't think many Jacobs are called Jake...
Zeke
Jay
Jesse
Abraham with Abe as a nickname
Might try Nymbler for inspiration using Augustus and Jack...
Hey Sarah,
Here's a true unique Jack-based name find to lighten the seriousness of your naming plights for a moment.
The Cayman islands in the Caribbean are reigned by the Queen of England. The "forefathers" of the islanders are a bunch of Scots, and the last names Ebanks and Bodden are EXTREMELY popular. The folks are super friendly, and many of them clearly have both african and red-head-scott heritage. Their tradition of first names is an equally colorful one, and it is there, in the phone book of the Cayman islands, that I came across the name .... Jackbert. :) (there were many creative variants of the -bert ending variety, but this was truly my favourite).
Anyone else read phone books on vacation? :D
Oh, and on wasting nice names on animals, our kitten is called Roscoe... because he is red and it sounds like "rosso" and "rascal". Doesn't feel like a porch sitter to us!
Sarah - Instead of Jack, what about Beckett/Beck? Same sounds as Jack, none of the popularity. (Conan O'Brien has a son named Beckett, in case you're interested.)
As far as discussing names with people who could care less: Over the weekend, my 20-something newly-engaged cousin mentioned how she loved the name Emma, and that "it's one of those old names you never hear anymore." I, as many of you will understand, could not keep my trap shut. I said, "It's a lovely name, but did you know that it's been one of the most popular names in the country for the last 10 years or so?" No one believed me, and frankly I couldn't believe that they didn't already know this information. There was a moment of blank staring around the table. Then I said, "Really! Check out the SSA website!" And they did. For hours. And I slept well that night. This is seriously a crazy addiction. I wonder if it will pass.
Beth -- I have friends with cats named Steve, Frank and Marty. Thought you might enjoy that tidbit.
Thanks for all of the input! I did try Nymbler and rediscovered Elliot, which I am tossing around (I'm not sure which spelling I favor).
As for cat names, I have a Christopher, Sophie, Sadie, Lucy, and Macy.
Another "instead of Jack" idea: Ike, for Isaac. If my daughter had been a boy instead, that was the plan...
This discussion reminded me of George Eliot's "Silas Marner". Silas is a reclusive weaver from a distant town, still seen as an outsider. He takes in a baby girl whose mother dies in the snow outside his door. Then he has to give her a name:
"My mother's name was Hephzibah," said Silas, "and my little sister was named after her."
"Eh, that's a hard name," said Dolly. "I partly think it isn't a christened name."
"It's a Bible name," said Silas, old ideas recurring.
"Then I've no call to speak again' it," said Dolly, rather startled by Silas's knowledge on this head; "but you see I'm no scholard, and I'm slow at catching the words. My husband says I'm allays like as if I was putting the haft for the handle--that's what he says--for he's very sharp, God help him. But it was awk'ard calling your little sister by such a hard name, when you'd got nothing big to say, like--wasn't it, Master Marner?"
"We called her Eppie," said Silas.
"Well, if it was noways wrong to shorten the name, it 'ud be a deal handier."
AJ-
You would get your points across a lot better if you were temperate and friendly in your responses. You come across as a total troll, and I have no desire to engage you.
I would encourage others to ignore your posts, as well, because although your ideas are worthy, you don't have the skill to make your posts neutral. You fairly drip with bitterness and anger. I hope you resolve your personal issues, because this is a great board, and you are tainting it with your trolling.
LOL!! I am glad that there are people that can relate to my boring other people with name facts. Just last week I found myself telling my pastor's wife the origin of the name Allison. Which of course is the name she just bestowed on her 6wk daughter. I don't think she was too happy......=)
I try to stay quiet but can't help it. I don't realize what I am doing till it is too late......Oh well.....
I think this discussion has been very interesting. I am of the opinion that there are interesting aspects of all names, even ones that normally don't attract me like Jayden. But I think it is naive to think that people don't make judgements about names. I named my daughter India Rose, which I believe is one of the most beautiful names in the world. But I have had people look at me in revulsion because they are racist against people from India the country. I just look at them in sadness and laugh and say luckily they don't have to choose that name for their child. Perhaps they might choose Uzbekistan instead? Hahaha. :)
Tara
Rebekah, Alison is just an Old French diminutive of Alice. What did she find wrong with that?
Nina, thanks for sharing! I burst out laughing at the story of your cousin.
Sarah, I know a family with four sons named Nick, Jack, Gus, and Henry. So have you thought about Nick? :),
on pet names - someone mentioned that they'd saved a name for their kid instead of using it on the pet... i did that, unfortunately too. my husband and i named one of our cats 'nona' after a character on the nickelodeon show 'the adventures of pete & pete'. and we both wish we'd saved it for a future baby. ssa data shows that it was popular only at the first half of the last century.
also, regarding standard 70's names for pets - i knew someone once who named their cat 'carl' because it was 'just such a weird name for a cat'.
on jack vs. augustus/gus - i definitely vot for gus!
On cat's names...everyone thinks I am so wierd because my cats are Peter, Frank, and Shelby. Apparently where I live people think their names should be fluffy or furball.
I vote of Augusten over Augustus and both of those over Jack. I love Jaxon but honestly I could never do it because of the popularity of Jack.
There is a little girl in our nursery class at church named Hephzibah (she is 2-years-old) her brother is named Abishai. They are of Indian decent so I think that people assume that they must be Indian names but I think its really cool that they used really unusual biblical names for their kids. They call Hephzibah "Hephzi"
I think the larger point is being missed here. The problem with made up names or extraordinarily rare names (and the face that you get as an adult when you announce your child's name) is that YOUR CHILD will face this every time they meet someone new in their life--each time having to correct, or explain, or spell a name instead of connecting with another human being in some other way. In short, they will have to spend time explaining the name instead of sharing themselves. Think about that for a few minutes. Every job interview, every new friend, every new potential romantic partner. While I admire creativity, it just seems really short sighted to focus only on the "creativity" of a name when the child is too young to use it him or herself and fail to consider the consequences for the child later in life. You may say, well, it is hateful and stupid to judge people based on names, but, seriously, isn't that why names are so important in the first place?
As a counter to the post above: I have the sort of name that I have to spend a little time explaining when I meet new people (Keren not Karen, no, not a Celtic name, in fact biblical etc etc) It's an easy ice-breaker, no problem at all. It makes job interviews and suchlike less scary because I know how the first five minutes will go. It's not a choice between talking about my name and 'sharing myself', my name is part of who I am and if I wasn;t talking about it I'd probably be talking about the weather. But then I am English.
Post new comment