The Naming of a Child

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. -Proverbs 22-1

Have you ever been responsible for the naming of a person? Naming a pet is hard enough because you know you'll spend a lot of time calling that name. Naming another human being, on the other hand, is a daunting task. In naming Baby Sister, we've taken many factors into account. Well, I have at least. I think Jason either likes, or doesn't like, the way a name sounds. Being a mom, and a worrier, I've taken much more than that into consideration.



1. Popularity. I steer clear of the most popular names simply because my name (Laura) was everywhere when I was growing up. In a high school graduating class of 47, I was one of four! And there were at least 7 variations (Laura, Lauren, Laurie, etc.) on my hall in the freshman dorm. So, to me, originality is important.

2. Originality. Okay, so I just said I wanted something original, but not too original. I don't want to burden my daughter with having to spell or correct the pronunciation of her name over and over again.

3. Family. I just love family names, so I've listed all of our known relatives and even looked at a few family trees. Big Sister, Anne Parks, is named after her great-grandparents, and I want Baby Sis to have a family name, too.

4. Sound. How does it sound with our last name? Does it sound like anything else that will result in an undesirable nickname? How will it sound when I yell it across the yard? How will it sound when her teacher calls the roll? These are the things that keep me up at night. Crazy, huh?

5. Writing. How does it look on paper? on a diploma? in lights? on the cover of a novel? (Mothers can dream.)

6. Initials. What will her monogram look like? Do the initials spell anything embarrassing?

7. Opinions. While I try to focus on what Jason and I like, others' opinions do factor in. In fact, my #1 choice was shot down by not only, Jason, but my mom, and my sister, among others. If only Jason had been against it, I probably would have fought for the name a little harder, but with that much opposition, sadly, it was immediately removed from the list.

8. Looks. The final factor in the naming of a child, for me, is her looks. We didn't reveal AP's name until after she was born because, in my mind, she had to look a certain way to be an AP. This was the cause of much consternation for family and friends aching to have something monogrammed.

This time around, we've done it early! With about 9 weeks until Baby Sister arrives, we have finally decided on a name. It's a family name that's not too popular and not too original. It looks good on paper, and I like the way it sounds.
Let's hope she looks like an Eleanor Rose or a Nora.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
- Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet