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
A few more possibilities for Hudson's brother...
Sawyer, Thatcher, Garrison, Sullivan, Lennox, Owen, Gavin, Declan/Deacon (can't really explain the last ones-they just seem to work to me).
I really do love it with Zane, though, and honestly, Zany isn't a bad nn at all.
Back to families using the same first letter in names...
In my small, midwestern hometown (Pop. 500), there are two families that did this. They range from high school age to adults with their own children:
Jordan, Jared, Jake, Justin, Josh
and
Jennifer, Jolene, Justine, Jeannie, Jordan, John, and one more boy that I can't remember (that's a lot of J names)!
Sarah--This is contrary to my previous thought that your baby's middle name should be a classical man name (Peter,George,etc.).. I just thought of Elliott Ames Carlson and it sounded like a retired college professor-which I thought was smooth, strong and intelligent.
How about Elliot Jack Carlson ?
Then if he wants a more popular name, he has one that you like. :)
I like:
Elliot Paul Carlson
Is there a relative you would like to honor? MN is always a good spot to do this...
I'm one of those people who chose a name they "just liked", but then found a sort of story for it.
I saw the name Luka mentioned on a baby messageboard and immediately liked it for my daughter. Then I found it's generally a boy's name. But then I remembered a character in George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man" - a feisty servant-girl named Louka. So I went with that.
On the other hand, some bad associations can kill a name. I love "Enola", but could anyone get past Enola Gay?
"Enola" is "alone" backwards, which is a worse association for me than the Enola Gay is.
Of all the suggestions for Hudson's brother, so far I like Dexter the best. The last name is Louie, right? "Dexter Louie" just sounds the most like a real person. I can imagine him being an actor or a politician.
Elizabeth T.-- Yes! . I had forgotten Thackeray and Whittier's interesting triple-barreled names. "Greenleaf" is handsome.
Speaking of three names, why do so many young actors insist on being known and billed by three names? That's long been a convention among writers, but I notice celebs doing it-- Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Love Hewitt, etc. etc.
Those of you plugged into current pop culture probably know more examples. There are a couple of young guys who do it too, whose names escape me. Is it because they feel their rather popular first names aren't memorable enough on their own?
It's funny-- I don't mind writers and historians doing it, but in the case of actors, it seems pretentious. Part of the post-Sixties narcissism? "I'll make you say my whole name-- that's how important I am" kind of thing?
Not sure...
...by the way, Liz & Louka, I think "Louka", spelled just that way, and with the Shaw association, is ravishing! Does she love her name?
Sarah: Our Eliot's middle name is Robert (our last name has the same rhythm as yours). To me, Eliot is lyrical sounding enough that a one-syllable middle name seems to stop the flow. But maybe that' just because I'm so used to Eliot Robert!
I love the suggestion of Thatcher to go with Hudson!
I just wanted to add, to Expecting in December, that I LOVE the name Jane. It's not too plain at all--it's gorgeous, classic and underused. And it would suit a variety of personalities. I think it could go well with a longer friller middle name as well, like Jane Victoria or Jane Rebecca or Jane Penelope. And you never hear it on little ones. I would consider it!
Anna- I love the Harry Potter movies,don't read the books(no time, Is there a Ronan in the series? is he good?Bad? young ?/old? so out of the loop
Anna- I love the Harry Potter movies,don't read the books(no time, Is there a Ronan in the series? is he good?Bad? young ?/old? so out of the loop
Eo--Ashley Parker Angel immediately comes to mind...but then, I guess "Ashley Angel" sounds rather feminine (APA is a guy).
And I will admit, when I was younger, I loved the sound of Veronica Persephone Lastname for a girl. :)
jess--Ronan is a centaur in Harry Potter, a really minor character...pretty much a generic HP centaur. And if you love the movies, read the books! They are soooooo much better, more detailed, more intimate, more coherent, just great! (imho of course)
Ronan is the name of one of the centaurs. Bane is another centaur. Harry Meets Ronan in the first book and Ronan later plays a bigger role but I won't spoil it for the people who have not read the books.
I find it interesting how people get possesive over heritage of names also. I am Irish now living in Canada, My son is Ronan (Irish name) alot of people are using Gaelic/Celtic(they are the best Hahaha) names right now and some of the Rileys/Liam moms question other moms about their Heritage as they feel they have more of right to them then non-Irish families. I hear all the time "they're not even Irish and they used the name Liam" Who cares? Its a name, a sound that you like, if you like the origin of it too thats great, but if I want to use the name Heidi and I am not from Germany I don't think I should have to defend my desision or apply for citizenship so I don't have to defend myself at the playground.
Heidi was Swiss, not German.
I like AJ's comments. They're witty and funny and true. I really hope she doesn't stop posting here.
I personally wouldn't choose a very Irish or Jewish or Swedish name if I didn't have the heritage. That's just me though. I really like it when names go along with the child.
I believe Heidi(the name) is German.
celebs and three names - a few more come to mind - sarah michelle gellar, sean patrick falnnery, joey lauren adams... while i think a lot of it comes down to style and trying to distinguish ones self in the business i believe that a lot of it has to do with the screen actors guild or some other orginization where (like a pedigree dog) your professional name *must* be unique.
Anne/kq- My friend with the son named Elias is an attorney.
Expecting in Dec- I really do think that Johanna is such a beautiful name (and I am a big fan of Jane). To me though, Johanna is just BY FAR the lovliest name on your list. It's a list full of beautiful names, but Johanna outshines them all.
Ronan is a centaur, but he is definitely NOT a minor character! He's a good guy, saves main characters' lives more than once and is on Dumbledore's side. Wasn't he in this last movie? I didn't see it, I'm a book girl myself. ;)
Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of my favorite actors. Molly H., I think you're right. I think that many actors use three names because the Screen Actors Guild requires it. I think that's why Michael Fox inserted a J. into his name (there was another actor named Michael Fox), even though his middle name doesn't start with J.
Yes, SAG doesn't allow duplicate names. That's also why many actors go by middle or nicknames and even pseudonyms, like Jamie Foxx (although there's an interesting story behind why he chose that name!)
A quick off-topic question: I've only read - never heard - the name Sorcha; can nyone tell me how it is pronounced? Thanks!
Going back to our favourite existing names, I've always loved Megan Mullally (Karen from Will and Grace). I like the first name and the last name, and I love the bouncy alliteration of the whole name! Someone mentioned Fred Astaire too; wonderful choice!
Eleni-Sorcha is pronounced SORE-ka in Dublin, I've read-but SORE-ha in the southwest of Ireland. It is the equivalent of Sarah, Sally or Sadie.
Thanks molly h, as soon as I read your explanation it made sense; I'm sure you, Elizabeth T. and Anne/kq have the right answer. It makes those celebs seem less of a pain if they're simply bowing to bureaucratic requirements, and not just being full of themselves (and their names!)
Interesting, jess, I tend to agree with you that any name (within reason) can be fair game, regardless of ethnicity. There's something appealing to me about a Hungarian child being named "Kenyatta", or an Asian child with the moniker "Astrid". (which I noticed on a TV show years ago.) It can be weirdly liberating...
Hubby, though, agrees with other posters that names need to be more congruent.
"Megan Mullally" is a great example, Amy A! Sounds like laughter! I was the "Fred Astaire" proponent. His very first dance partner was his sister, who also had a felicitous name: "Adele Astaire"...
ok, so I talked with my dh and actually got some input! What do you think of Julius Walker and Wyatt Alexander? We like Cassius too, but Cassius Carlson (or nn Cash Carlson) doesn't seem to flow (reminds me of cash cow). I think Wyatt has cracked the top 100, but do you think it is too popular? (I think SSA was #81 last year)
Sarah-
I love both Julius and Wyatt. I do think Wyatt is getting very popular-probably not so much that I'd rule it out personally, but I think you're looking for something more unique. Did you already rule out Jude-or Jonas, my other favorite J name?
Take care!
Thanks for the input about the name Harry. Any middle name ideas? Last name is 2 syllabels.
Sarah- I love the name Wyatt.
Harry Owen
Harry Edmund
Harry Hugh (love the idea of Harry H. Surname)
Harry Mark
Harry Jackson
Harry Benjamin
It seems to need a strong constanant at the end of the mn. Harry Theo or Harry Louis for example doesn't really work.
Sara - my cousin just named her first born Julius (only middle name though), I think it's a great name! I think it sounds both more gentle and more masculine than Wyatt (hope I make sense here!), so I'd definitely vote for Julius.
Just out of interest, what made you choose Walker to go along with it?
Hi Eo,
Thanks for your comment on Louka. I hope she will like her name, but as yet she's not even 18 months old, so a bit early to say!
Funny, I'm the opposite of most people here, I think it's great when people tell you the reason they chose their child's name. I disagree that everyone should have to say "well, I just liked the sound". Obviously, you use a name that you like! But beyond that you have all sorts of reasons for choosing that particular name for your child. It's what makes the name special to you and special to them. To me it sounds snobby that it is seen as "justifying" the name. Everyone has reasons for choosing names. Is finding a meaning that you like any less valid than " it had to be out of the top 100, had to be traditional not made up" etc.? I just don't see it. Also, to me choosing a name in the family is a nice way of connecting a child to their history and heritage, regardless of whether you know that particular ancestor. As good a reason to choose a name as any.
I'm definitely guilty of telling people the story of my kids names. I guess I'll try to avoid meeting you name-boarders at the playground, lol!
Astrid, not sure you saw my post on the last thread -- what about Hendrik nn. Hank?
Kate, you live somewhere different than me. Jane is already little girl's name here. I know three under 4.
Denise, you've gotten some great suggestions. My friend with a Hudson has sibs Parker and Brooks. Another friend who considered Hudson has a Max and a Declan.
Sarah, I don't know about your area but where we are Julia is uber-popular (probably the most common name for the under 10 set). I'd personally have trouble using Julian or Julius for that reason. Too much potential confusion/teasing.
Christiana, tough issue! I think if I lived in a different town from my bf, I might use the same name but not if it was someone I was going to be hanging out with on a regular basis. Cameron is very cute!
Boys Names-need help! Trying to pick a boy name for baby #2, who is due in December. My son's name is William Donovan. I love William-it's classic, masculine but sounds soft to me (soft vowels, soft ending, etc). Donovan is after my grandfather, Don. No other boys names are striking me-I'd like something with the same characteristics of William, but so many of the classic boy names sound harsh to me. I also have 4 brothers, 7 nephews & a slew of male cousins, so a lot of boy names are already taken. I sort of like Nathaniel but it doesn't really grab me the way William did. If it helps any, the girl names I have picked out are Elizabeth & Margaret-although I am leaning more towards Margaret because Elizabeth is more popular. Middle name for a girl will be Ginevra, which is an anagram of my grandmother's name, Virgena. (sounds like Vir-GINA)
Was it the last topic thread that someone commented that there seems to be a greater need/desire for girls to have a unique name then for boys? I do hear more girls complain about being the 10th Heather in school then you really hear boys complain about being the 10th Matt. I'm sure this has something to do with the tendency for fathers to name their sons after them more than mothers to do the same with their daughters.
On initial names, my maternal grandfather only has an initial for a middle name. It caused a lot of problems with paperwork because it meant that a period after the initial was not correct. My parents decided to name my brother after his three great grandfathers whose names start with J. But because of the issue with my grandfather, they gave him the middle name Jay instead of the initial.
Alissa - for the classic Names, have you considered Edward or (how very Royal Family!) Henry? I think both are quite "soft" names; and very traditional. My secret favourite of all the King's names would be Charles - don't know if that appeals to you? Unfortunately, my fiance doesn't like any of the classic names!
Alissa- I love Anna's suggestions-particularly, Charles. Maybe, Charles Nathaniel?
Alissa,
I love Margaret Ginevra! What a beautiful name.
And to tie in with the SAG comments above... uniqueness of name is indeed a requirement. I went with an anagram of my own last name in order to find a unique SAG name!
On the off-topic of names in my memory bank that I like to say: Bob Newhart-it sounds so friendly and hopeful!Maeve O'Shaughnessy--I heard it once and decided that that would be the name I would take if I went into the Witness Protection Program---shhhh.No one would dream I was guilty of anything with that lilting name. And Mario Batali because it is fun to say, and Langston Hughes because it sounds writerly and dignified.
Margaret is a great name, we considered it for both our children (we had boys though). Tons of cute nicknames to choose from, Maggie, Maisie, Meg, Greta, etc.
Alissa, It is hard to suggest names not knowing what is "taken" in your family...For instance, my first thought was Thomas, but I suspect you have some of those in your family...
What about:
Marshall
Benjamin
Richard
Lincoln
Alexander
I also suggest using Nymbler...
melanie- Wow, I was sure that my step-father (and his grand-father, who he's named after) were the only ones out there with a middle name that was a letter (in their case I, no period). It does cause a lot of reprints to be done on paperwork, because people always just assume there's supposed to be a period after it. I wondered how "common" this is. (Obviously not very, but...) Come to think of it, my step-father's room-mate in college thought it was cool, and gave his son a single letter middle name too.
Cathie--where do you live? I was just curious about the Julias. My dd is named Julia and we're in Seattle. I know it's a popular name (in the 30's on SSA), but I haven't met a bunch here. Isabellas, Sophias and Jaydens/Braydens/Kadens on the other hand, are everywhere. Just curious :) Even if Julia became more popular I wouldn't feel the need to justify it though. I LOVE her name.
I'm not preggo yet, but I AM obsessed with names and have the hardest time coming up with a boy's name. I think my new favorite is Lincoln Edward, however. Julia and Lincoln? I also love Cyrus but dh hasn't gone for that at all . . .
Alissa - I was about to suggest the name Donovan for Hudson's brother. Great name!
For William's lil' bro, I like many of the suggestions above and I'll add a few more:
Julian, Jerome, Edmund, Abraham, Darius, Noah, Nicolai & Samuel. Good luck!
Anna - I picked Walker by flipping through the baby name book. I like Julius Alexander and Julius Dexter too (something with -er seems to go with Julius and my last name).
Why do girls have to ruin all of the boy names? There are plenty of girl names - people should stop taking the boy names for girls! (I say this although I was going to use Reese as a mn if I had a girl!)
As popular as the ssa says Wyatt is, does anybody know any (many)?
J&H's mom - I considered Jonah for awhile, but I don't think I like it enough (my mom and sister latched onto it and I got tired of hearing it) and I'm not sure if my dh is crazy about it.
heather a - I heard that Harry S Truman was just an S, but I could be wrong. I don't think I've run into any other only initial middle names.
My husband only has a middle initial. He is Indian and apparently it is very common to give a child (boy or girl) either the father's full name or initial as a "middle name". I think this is specific to the region they are from but most of his friends also only have a middle initial. Fortunately my husband didn't feel the need to carry on this tradition with our daughter but his cousin (living in LA) give his daughter his male name as a middle name.
Thanks for the nice comments on my name - coming from you name experts, it means a lot!
MMS, I am expecting, and I've had the same experience. Naming a real baby adds more pressure - it kicks the name lists out of the theoretical. Current tops are Lucia, Lucinda, or Charlotte (but that might be too popular), and I flirt with Beatrice, Ingrid, Annika, and Mae; for boys, we like Axel and Eamon, and sometimes Edmund and Jonah and Arthur. Maybe the same hormones that make us picky about food during pregnancy make us picky about names! Hopefully by early November I'll get out of this funk.
I can't quite do Hendrik nn Hank, but thanks for the suggestion! It's my pregnancy pickiness bubbling up at the "rik" sound.
Claire - I think Lincoln & Julia would be a great sib set.
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