What's In A Name?

Dad Unit Here. As we march (or waddle) inevitably forward to our due date, we’ve been focusing on names for our Flipper. [And yes, Wendy has already vetoed “Flipper” as a name, although I’m still holding out hope that I can get the “Gibbous” in as a really sweet middle name.] The difficulty, is, of course, finding a name that is not a) too old fashioned, b) too outlandish, or c) too trendy.

Wendy and I agreed from the outset that we did not want a name that was too old fashioned. Names such as Gertrude or Ethel may be perfectly fine names, but they just did not speak to us. Outlandish names were right out. So, sorry, no Shadrak Smiseck, as in “Shadrak, Meshak and Abendigo.” The problem with such names, outside of potentially being silly, is that it can be hurtful to the child, both in terms of childhood taunts and acceptance as an adult.

So, we are now left with finding a name that we both think is groovenatious but that is not too “trendy.” I refer to the trendy trap as the “Dave Syndrome.” Those of you who know your Dr. Suess may remember a very short story he wrote called “Too Many Daves,” which reads, in part:

Did I ever tell you that Mrs. McCave Had twenty-three sons, and she named them all Dave? Well, she did. And that wasn't a smart thing to do. You see, when she wants one, and calls out "Yoo-Hoo! Come into the house, Dave!" she doesn't get one. All twenty-three Daves of hers come on the run! This makes things quite difficult at the McCaves' As you can imagine, with so many Daves ***

The lesson we learn from all of this is crystal clear: “Groovenatious” would be a great name for a rock band (Thanks, Dave Barry).

Actually, it’s that we want to avoid a name that may be shared by lots of others. The current bane seems to be the name Taylor. Go anywhere and shout, “Taylor, come here!” You’ll see at least three girls and two boys all come on the run. The name might be perfectly okay, but we do not wish to inflict such anarchy on our little girl. We’ll let all the other precious snowflakes sort it out. Unfortunately, this issue has caused us to question some names we really love.

So, Wendy, Kennedy, and I are still plowing through the baby-name books (for those with a quirky sense of humor, how can you have a list called the 100 most popular unique names???). We hope to find a name that is strong and successful and loving and beautiful and reflective of who we think our little girl may be. Leading names are Katherine, Julia (a name shared by Wendy's great-grandmother and my great-grandmother - a beautiful soul, for those of you who knew her), Grace, and Ophelia.

Your suggestions are, of course, always welcome. You may have an idea that we’ll love. Just post it in the comments section of this tremendous blog. We’ll let you know what we think.

Until then, Grace & Peace!