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
Liz and Louka - There is a movie with Steve Martin based on the same premises (mom dies in the snow outside his house) - it's called A Twist of Fate. In the movie he gives the baby the name Mathilda. At the time I saw it I thought it was the most repulsive name in the universe (LOL). And while I certainly don't love the name now, it's gained some steam and favor with the more eclectic amongst us. Funny how things change...
I second Keren's comment. My name is also quite unusual and that is a nice conversation starter. In fact, that was one reason I sought less usual names for my kids; I loved the fact that I have literally never met another person with my name (and no, my parents didn't make it up; it's been around for at least 100 years).
No matter what your name is, people will have an immediate reaction to it ("Oh, that's my sister's name"; "I knew a total jerk with that name"; "What a weird name"), even if they don't articulate it.
I do think it can be a problem if you are very sensitive about people mispronouncing/ misspelling your name. But as long as you can ignore or casually correct this, it's great to have an uncommon name. When I call someone I know, I never have to say, "This is Liz Lastname." My first name is all I need!
so MJ what is your name? you can't leave us hanging like that
I love this discussion! I haven't participated too much but I have loved reading it all!
Amy A- Yes it is a form of Alice but it also may of been a surname at one time and a male name. It wasn't like she was upset she just looked at me like it was too much info. Some people don't care what the background is on a name.
When I named my daughter Ingrid, there were quite a few people who looked at me askance when I told them that it was NOT a family name, and that I chose it because I like it. Ironically, many of these detractors had children with names like Jaden and MacKenzie that were chosen for the similar reasons. I think the key to getting good reviews from the baby name critics is to choose the same names everyone else is choosing. Ingrid just doesn't fit with the current trends.
My name is Melora. It's from the Civil War epic poem "John Brown's Body", which my parents apparently loved. I've always gotten very positive comments on it--but it may just be people being polite!
It is usually pronounced pretty well (think Melissa plus Lora), but spelled wrong: Malaura, Malora, Mallora, etc. I know the first syllable is pronounced "mah", but so are the first syllables in Melissa, Melinda, etc.
Anyway, I was actually proud of not being able to find my name on keychains and such, and have tried (probably like many, many other people) to give my kids names that are "real" but unusual. And I've never minded talking about my name with strangers!
This fascinating discussion makes me want to ask all you name connoisseurs your favorite ALREADY EXISTING or famous FULL name. Is your attraction to the name or names purely aesthetic, or somewhat colored by the personality of the bearer?
My favorites: "Alvilde Lees-Milne". Love the obscure first name. I think she is (was?) a garden expert and writer.
"Georgina Fairholme", a quintessentially English decorator. She struck me as quirky, and her rooms often had something slightly whimsical or "off" about them.
"Tobias Smollett". Just for the look and sound of it.
"Oriana Fallaci" The lilting rhythms.
I immediately loved the look of the name "F. Tennyson Jesse". Turns out she wrote thrillers (in the Twenties or Thirties?). She was related to Alfred Lord Tennyson and her hidden first name was, I believe, "Fryniwid" or something similar. Love!
"Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu". For the look and sound mostly, and for sentimental reasons...
Is it bizarre to hoard favorite names in your memory?
mj-- Melora-- can I add that to my list of favorites? I'm sure people are not just being polite. Beautiful! And the provenance, so interesting...
A response to a post a bit upthread: for the record, I find AJ's posts temperate and illuminating and I am sure there are others who feel the same way. I have seen very few people using this board to call anyone names, generalize about others' well-intentioned posts, or accuse them of having personal issues, and I hope things stay that way.
Eo: Calliope Stephanides, from the novel Middlesex, stayed with me. Also Thalia Zedek, the singer. And an ancient relative, Jeremiah Bump Whiting Lewis (can't say I love it, but it sure is fun to say!).
Sarah: I love Elliot, and Nina's suggestion, Beckett nn Beck, is really cute.
nina - that's cool you could direct your cousin to the SSA site. Your post reminded me that I had a very similar conversation this past weekend at church. My friend, who is hoping to have another child, was saying how she liked the name Emily, but wasn't it popular in the UK? (We're in the US). She was surprised to hear that it's at the top of the charts here. I guess not everyone knows or cares about these things. :P
I am one of those who couldn't care less about a name's meaning. My name is supposed to mean "white wave". Huh? That's a let down!
Whenever I tell people my kids names I'll get a response like, "where did you get that name?" Like I have to give the name's provenance, or meaning, or state which relative we're honoring.
So now I just say, "Because I like it and it's uncommon and shows what great taste I have." Then I just get a weird look from whomever asked.
I have friend whose husband is named Jason. they named their first son Jadon (Her FIL is named Don so it was kind of a mixture of both names) Then they went a little crazy and named their next sons Jaron and Jaxon. So they have four boy names that are all one letter different. She's a very good friend so I have never told her what a completel lack of imagination I think she has. (She now has a dog named J.J. too!)
I just have to resort to posting snide remarks about her on the internet!
Jennie W ~ That is crazy about your friend! My question is --Does her name start with J too? It makes me a little crazy when people "outcast" a family member by their initials. Ex. My in-laws Bob, Brian, Brent, Brad (my hub), and Raye Ann? Huh why did my MIL leave herself out? Also friends Debbie, Dennis, Darryn, and Heather...Parents and son with same first initials then a random sister. Maybe it is just me but I would really feel left out.
A little off topic, about sons names... did you ever notice that while it's quite common that boys are named after their fathers (sometimes just the same name, sometimes "X Junior"), women would in most cases never dream of naming their daughters after themselves? I for one would certainly feel silly to name my daughter "Anna". Plus, I wouldn't want my daughter to be exactly like me, which is what I think these fathers hope for (like, that their sons learn the same profession, or take over the family business etc). I find this naming after oneself very weird and in a way narcissistic.
Naming after the grandparents, or someone else you want to honour, because you love them and think they will maybe make a good role model - that's something I understand. But naming after oneself is in my opinion a bit like trying to clone oneself.
What do you girls think about this?
AJ- If you are a troll, you are obviously under an evil enchantment, since I have never encountered such an articulate and insightful troll. Thank goodness your intellect and typing abilities were not affected by the spell, as I enjoy your posts so much. I hope that you continue to share your thoughts and observations here.
Eo- Zane Gray; I've never been able to make it through one of his novels, but I've always loved his name.
I completely agree ANNA!
I for one have always thought it odd that one would name a son after his father. For example, my friend is naming her son Jeffrey and her husband's name is Jeff. What I find so confusing about it is the son is already going to have his father's last name. Why give him the first name as well? I can understand being named after grandparents but after a father is to egotistical for me. Also, wouldn't it make family life extra confusing not knowing whom they are referring to? What I have noticed ends up happening is that the son ends up getting a nickname he uses for the rest of his life anyways. So what is the point?
I have also noticed that women don't name their daughters after them self. I happen to really like my name in Hebrew, (it is Rivka) but when I have mentioned it I get the look that I must be crazy or very arrogant. But those same people wouldn't mind me naming a son after my husband!
cont.....
cont....
By the way, I don't just like it because it is my name. I like it because I like the way it sound and I LOVE to say it. Plus it has the benefit of being my name. =)
I did give my daughter my middle name as her middle name. But is is also a very common middle name that goes with everything and her first name is really hard to pair with a middle name.
How many here would name their sons after their fathers but not their daughters after them self.
Anna, I couldnât agree with you more. Naming a child after someone is a great honor. To me it means that you respect that person so much that you want to make a tribute to them with a namesake. I have always thought it was arrogant and cocky to name a child after oneself. And I wish it was a practice that would die out. The one exception is when a one of the parents passes away before the birth or during the birth of their child. I think itâs a nice tribute to that persons memory to perhaps name the surviving child after the deceased parent. Such was the case with that woman who had a tragic accident or a medical condition (I canât remember the circumstances) when she was near the end of her pregnancy and they kept her on life support until a C-section could be preformed. The mother passed on and the father named the child after her mother. I thought that was very meaningful.
I found this link to answers.yahoo.com, and, of course, clicked on the baby names section. It's all "Should I spell it Raquel, Rakel, or Rakelle?" and "I was looking for a unique name, so I chose Cayden!" and "I like X because it's unique, and I like unique!" To a fairly traditional namer like me, it is painful. But it did make me think: why are people so obsessed with unique names? I understand not wanting an uberpopular one (that's why I sadly crossed Abigail, one of my all-time favorites, off my list :(), but why does your kid have to share his/her name with NO ONE else? Why does he/she need to be the ONLY one in the world with that name??
Okay, to be fair, I guess that's not exactly what they meant (but then, I'm very picky about words, so I am the kind of person who is annoyed by people saying "unique" for "unusual"...maybe that's just me). And also to be fair, some of the names there weren't really bad (just wayyyyyyy too trendy for my taste(plenty of Emmas, Makaylas, Avas, Isabellas, Madisons, etc.)).
I second Keren's comment about unusual names actually leading to interesting and memorable conversations. People always ask about my name. I usually start out by saying it's an obscure Old Testament name. If people express an interest in learning more, I can talk about how Tirzah and her sisters lobbied Moses to let them own land, even though they were women. I can also insert a joke here about how I'm glad my parents didn't name me after one of the other sisters, Hoglah. I can also tell funny stories about people who think I am Jewish based on my name, and who are flustered to finally discover that I am a Chinese woman. In other words, having an unusual name can be an easy path to developing a connection with someone. As some of you may know by reading my posts, I choose unusual names for my daughters. (Though I just met someone this weekend who said that her top secret name for her future daughter was Indigo. She just about fell over when I introduce my 10 mo. old daughter as "Indigo.")
MJ - I'm sure you don't want to hear this since you love that your name is unusual, but there is actually one semi-famous person out there named Melora. If you have ever seen the American version of the tv show "The Office," the woman who plays Steve Carell's love interest is named Melora Hardin. I always thought she had a very pretty and unusual name, and now I think that you do, too!
As for naming children after oneself, I don't think that it is horrible. While you can name a child after yourself for the wrong reasons, why should a name have to be off limits for your child just because you happen to share it as well? If you just think your name is the most beautiful name there is, go ahead and give it to your child. Plus, until maybe a hundred years or so ago it was not all that unheard of to name a daughter after her mother. It wasn't very common, but people did do it. That said, I probably wouldn't give my name directly to my child. Maybe as a middle name, or another name with the same meaning, like Grace.
I love the name Indigo! I have some friends, both artists whose daughter is Laura Indigo.
Another Anna:
Yeah, I know about Melora Hardin. It's not that I'm the ONLY Melora out there, it's just that's it's so unusual that I've only even met one person who KNEW another Melora. I don't need to be the only one, but it is nice having no baggage attached to by name from people that have met a Melora that they loved or hated.
Eo: Thanks for the nice words, although, really, I can't take any credit for my name!
Sarah-
I also thought of Malcolm. It seems similar in style to Elliot, and it would give you Mac as a nn, which has much of the same appeal as Jack without the popularity.
speaking of naming your child asfter someone... my friend L just named her baby after another friend, V. Problem is, L thought V's middle name was Dawn when in reality bit is Deanne. Akward moment when everyone figured out what happened. the new parents chose to keep the Dawn and "change" V's name. haha
Ah, Melora! This was the name of a children's librarian in my hometown. I loved it then and it's still on my Favorites List today! (A name nerd even at 7 years old!)
I think that naming babies after the mother used to be much more common than it was now. At least, it is in old books. Off the top of my head, Wives and Daughters, Cheaper By The Dozen, and Horatio Hornblower all mention a daughter being named after the mother.
The custom just didn't stick around, but naming sons after their fathers is much less common than it used to be, too.
My friend with Jason, Jadon, Jaron, Jaxon is named Tara. She is the odd man out for sure. Plus she's the only woman in the family too.
Tirzah--I never would have guessed that you were Chinese. I was just jumping to conclusions based on your name!
I think we're all so bent on unique names is because there is less and less uniqueness in the world around us. You go down the street and there's a Bed, Bath & Beyond, Chili's, Pier One, McDonalds, Home Depot. You could be in Cleveland or Dallas or Seattle. The neighborhoods are increasingly cookie-cutter; people dress similarly, eat the same kinds of food. There's less and less variety in everything we see and do.
So people try to show uniqueness in the one way they can. A baby name is free. It costs nothing, and it can be your statement to the world. ("I know I drive a Corolla, but I'm different than all of you! Look, I'll name my baby Cailleigh to prove it!" Unfortunately, we're not as unique as we imagine, hence the name Jadon. Or Bayleigh. Or Jace.
Oh, um, what about that family of 17 kids, all beginning with "J," and the fact that they had to resort to JINGER as one of them. Dear God, pass me the smelling salts. Giving same-letter names to sibs has always been a bit cloying to me, and why is J so popular with people who do that?
But if I'd named my child after her "father," Mr. Donor, she'd be #123 Junior. So myself it would be. My partner was twisting my arm so hard to name our daughter after me, though, and I said absolutely not.
Ok, I just spent the last hour, at least, reading through these posts and see that you all are an intelligent, passionate group when it comes to names. So here's my quandry:
I'm expecting #2 in January and STRESSING out about a name for this child. I think it is monumentally important to bestow on a name on someone.
Our first child is our son Hudson. Love, love, love that name. Initially people were surprised to hear the name but at least it's something people have heard before and for now, it's still a rather masculine name. I've tried Nymbler for suggestions on a sibling but I'm really stuck. I just don't love any of the other suggestions nearly as much as I do Hudson. We came across Elijah, which goes nicely with our last name, but it is soooo different from Hudson, I can't bring myself to do it.
Have any of you encountered this and how did you deal with it? I honestly didn't consider how hard it would be to name #2.
BTW, Johanna (Jane) Amann sounds great to me.
Elizabeth: My husband's name is Nick :), so that's out (goes with the later posts) I wouldn't name a child after myself or my spouse - I think it's arrogant. I guess if you really liked your name (as mentioned above) it would be okay, but usually the people who name their kids after them have (no offense) very common names like Michael and James. I just don't like it.
As for Beckett, my SIL is Beck (Rebecca), and it also makes me think of my aunt's dog (Beckett) and David Beckham (soccer player), so I wouldn't use it.
I really like your name, Melora. I've never heard it before, but it's really pretty.
I do like Elliot and I think I am going to go with that (unless I change my mind in the next 8 weeks, which could happen). I'm going to keep Augustus in the back of my mind just in case. I can always use it for another child. I keep seeing all of these celebrities who have named their sons August and I'm worried that might catch on.
As for problem of unusual names having to be spelled, people always (cont.)
(cont.)
ask me how to spell my name (with or without an H) and my name is not unusual.
I forget who mentioned Joaquin - is Jack usually a nn? I just wondered if your father (was it?) was trying to "Americanize" his name.
Denise: I really like Truman and Tucker, which IMO go with Hudson.
As for unimaginative naming, my SIL named her son Gerrett Nicholas after his father and my husband. I guess I understand because it is really hard to decide and this completely takes out any decision, but come on! His father goes by a nn, so there isn't any confusion at least.
And for the same first initial, my aunt named her kids Matthew (same as my uncle), Marissa, Miles, Mackenna, and another M that currently escapes me. I know a Kevin, Kelly, and Korey, Hunter and Hannah, Karly, Kit, and Kody. This seems to happen pretty frequently!
What about people using their names in their kids names - Mikayla for Michael, Breyana for Brian, Christina for Christopher, Johnine for John. I have to roll my eyes when I see this too.
If your friend Tara ever has girls, she could go for Kara, Lara and Sara! :)
Sarah, thanks for the ideas. I like Tucker and Truman but my DH is the king of thinking up a nn - good or bad - for any given name the instant he hears it. Tucker is therefore, out of the question. ;-) Not sure what he doesn't like about Truman. But you get the idea.
Yes, some families are big on similar first initials. I suppose this is akin to the Korean tradition of giving the same middle name to all siblings in a family. I don't have a preference...just as long as sibling names sound like they go together.
But back to the article that spawned all this discussion...I think if you like a name, who cares where it comes from? With the exception of people trying/needing to defend naming their kid Adolph or Osama today.
Denise, one of my favorite undiscovered boy names is Sutter, as in Sutter's Mill where gold was first found in California. To me, it evokes the excitement of striking gold and the spirit of adventure/following your dreams associated with the California gold rush. I think it goes well with Hudson because the Hudson River is steeped in East Coast culture and history and Sutter's Mill marked the beginning of the settlement of the West. Plus, with so many boys names ending in "N," (see Laura's previous post), it's nice to find a name that doesn't end in an "N". Good luck finding something you love as much as Hudson!
Denise, one of my favorite undiscovered boy names is Sutter, as in Sutter's Mill where gold was first found in California. To me, it evokes the excitement of striking gold and the spirit of adventure/following your dreams associated with the California gold rush. I think it goes well with Hudson because the Hudson River is steeped in East Coast culture and history and Sutter's Mill marked the beginning of the settlement of the West. Plus, with so many boys names ending in "N," (see Laura's previous post), it's nice to find a name that doesn't end in an "N". Good luck finding something you love as much as Hudson!
EO: full names, already in existence? Here are some good ones, off the top of my head:
Theda Bara
Rem Koolhaas
Isabella Blow (yes, even though Isabella is outrageously popular these days)
I've enjoyed reading A.J.'s posts and hope we see more of them. My experience is that they're energetic and full of strong, well-reasoned opinions. And that's what I come here for!
Beth: Wow, "Calliope Stephanides"--excellent and memorable! I wonder if your "Jeremiah Bump Whiting Lewis" was by any chance related to the huge Bump clan here in upstate New York. Until I came here I had never encountered that surname, but they seem to be everywhere. He indeed had a great, rollicking moniker!
Heather A.-- "Zane Gray" has always been a favorite of mine too. I started reading him as a teenager mainly because of his name... Not to be rhyming, but I even like the simplicity of the ill-fated, historical "Jane Grey".
The discussion of "Indigo" made me think of another of my favorite historical names-- "Inigo Jones". It has no "d" in it so don't think it is related to the color. Could it be a form of "Ignatius", maybe? I think Inigo Jones was an early English or Welsh architect.
Oh, and "Aphra Behn" and "Jamaica Kincaid", both writers.
Anna - I have to agree. I don't particularly like the habit of naming children after their parents but figure if that's what they like, it's their choice. I would however hate hate hate a child to be named after me and would consider it no honour at all. Partly of course it's because I dislike my name(Prudence) but also I think because it attaches way too much baggage to a child to be named after anyone. Of course, I'd love to be asked to name a child though...
Tirzah - I love your name and also Indigo's. Your idea of Sutter for Denise's new son sounds great. An alternative I just thought of was Penn.
Sarah - both Jack and Jackson are very common here in NZ. I know of an uncle and nephew who are Jack and Jackson respectively. I didn't know August had been used by any celebrities though - oh dear! Gus is so nice. How about another name in the same vein - Silas?
Denise,
Names that, to my ear, seem to go with Hudson:
Tate
Avery
Kane
Roarke
Wylie
Baird
Rhys
Laird
Drake
Good luck!
Oh, Eo, I had forgotten all about Aphra Behn! Great name, thanks for recalling it.
Here are a couple I love, and they both happen to have boxed a little:
Evander Holyfield & Cassius Clay
Eleni-- your post just popped up now-- "Rem Koolhaas"-- great! Is he Dutch? I wonder what Rem is short for? Or, intriguingly, maybe it's a full name.
Also have been struck by the colorful name "Isabella Blow" in the past and wondered if she was related to Simon Blow-- isn't he an English decorator? They at least probably ran in the same rarefied circles?
I love the fact that you guys are prodding my memory with more marvelous names... do keep your favorites coming!
Sarah -- I like Elliot, not as out there as Augustus, and not as popular as Jack.
Denise -- How about: Ellis -- a form of Elijah that I think would go better with Hudson.
Consider also:
Parker
Spencer
Elton
Zane
I was always sorry Cassius Clay changed his fabulous name... Hasn't "Cassius" been taken up as a baby name by one of the royals? And "Columbus", for that matter? Love!
Although the names Jadon, Jaron, and Jaxon for siblings doesn't appeal to me, I know a family with three daughters named Rocio, Rosana, and Rosina, and this set does appeal to me... Maybe because they go by Cio, Sanie, and Nina, respectively. (Sanie once told me she thought her parents lack imagination).
One thought I had on the obsession with uniqueness was that perhaps it's just another symptom of increasingly neurotic parenting (and I'm including myself here). I remember fretting to my mother about something when Jack was little-I think it was something like whether I was a bad mother if I didn't want to do mommy & me swim or Kindermusik or something. Anyway, she just rolled her eyes and said, "You girls overthink everything these days."
I know this is a big leap, but maybe the obsession with unique naming is just an extension of our modern need to research and perfect everything related to our little ones. Just a thought...
Denise-I like Parker and Tate, of those mentioned. Also Wyatt or Asa... Maybe Gage or Griffin?
I'd avoid Ellis, as I predict it becomes big as a girl's name within a couple years.
Oh, and the thing I object to the most about the "J" family is that the names aren't just alliterative-some of them are practically the same name-Jinger is one of the older girls (embarassed I know this).
Denise, thank you for your kind words. Not that people should hold back on their opinions if they're not favorable about Johanna Amann...OK, I think I'm being pregnant hormonal lady!
Denise, I would suggest other names like:
Everett
Henry
Phoenix
(Will think of more)
Maybe you can give us some guidelines about names and the properties you want?
Eo, Rem is short for Remment, and he indeed a Dutch architect and theorist.
Isabella Blow got her name from her 2nd husband, who also has a striking name: Detmar Blow.
Detmar Blow is named for his father (speaking of naming for fathers) and, I think, grandfather, who was a British architect.
I love the name Cassius too, Eo. It won't work with last name, but it is so underused!
Great question, by the way. I hope they keep coming!
"I challenge you to find two parents who are a) married (to each other), b) both holders of university degrees, c) possess household income of $90K+, who then d) name their daughter the #37 name in the land, DESTINY. (cut)Might it happen? Sure. But all the Destinies I've met have lower middle class parents without degrees and with moms who are more likely than most to light up a cigarette on the playground."
Well,I for one want some REAL statistics to back this, in my opinion, EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE stereotype from AJ. I guess she/he is liked here, but I'll say that I for one, was pretty offended by this quote, as I have a niece Destiny whose mother went to Sarah Lawrence and is from an upper-crust family. However, I guess I'll have to prove the family's lineage before AJ will accept it as valid.
If anyone is generalizing about others' well-intentioned posts, it's AJ. I am frankly shocked that others are defending his/her post. Wow.
Also, trolls don't have to have terrible spelling or netspeak.
Denise--
I was interested in Elijah also (as a middle name), but thought it didn't sound great with the first name. We went with Eliot instead, which is an English form of Elijah. Maybe that could work with Hudson.
Expecting: I really like Johanna, but I have to concur with the posters who prefer Jane (or Josephine?) with the last name Amann. Since you seem to really be soliciting (and responding well to) opinions, I thought I would weigh in.
Post new comment