Monday, 16 January 2012
-
What's In a (Baby's) Name?
MINOR SPOILER ALERT! If you have not seen "Bones" season six, proceed with caution.
In the episode "The Killer in the Crosshairs" (season 6, episode 15) of the TV show, "Bones", Angela's father (ZZ Top's own Billy Gibson) suddenly appears in light of Angela and Hodgens expecting a baby, saying that a name for his future grandchild suddenly came to him somewhere "between A-7th heaven and A-minor genius" (the dude is a guitarist, after all). If you're at all familiar with Angela's dad, he's the sort of Texan you don't mess with (earlier in the series, Angela and Hodgens broke up, and the next thing Hodgens knows is that he's waking up in the middle of the desert with a tattoo of Angela on his arm).
Mr Z-Top is actually a really cool guy, and warmly accepts Hodgens as his son after the wedding (though not before sending Hodgens on a mad chase to reclaim his father-in-law's stolen car from a local biker gang bar), but Hodgens is still very frightened of his father-in-law. Which is why Hodgens has serious apprehensions about confronting him about his insistence on naming his grandbaby instead of leaving that tradition to the parents. At this writing, I haven't finished watching the rest of the episode, so I don't know how things turn out just yet.
This got me to thinking, though.
Just imagine you are an expectant parent, and someone insists that you name your child a particular name, and/or criticizes your choice for your yet-to-be-born baby.
What would you do? If you were (or are) pregnant - fathers, you can chime in, too; this is your child, as well, after all - how would such input from others make you feel?
And most importantly, what would you name your child?
 Name? "Pin It")
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to momaroo's Momaroo Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in momaroo's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: Rhindon@xanga
- Name: Michael Miller
- Location: Tyler, Texas, United States
- About Me: ("Formerly" NaitoOfNarnia.Xanga.com) Aspiring... ...singer. ...author. ...programmer. ...apologist. ...husband. ...father. I am many things and hope to be many things, but the one thing that makes me ME is that I am a son of God and friend of Jesus Christ. I enjoy reading; writing; playing video games; playing silly games with children; exploring how God crafted relationships to be between men and women, parents and children, siblings, husbands and wives, and how he imbued His nature into men and women; programming; roller skating; bowling; ...many other things.
-
Premium
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 1 Views: 0 2939 Comments: 0 37 View all posts by Rhindon@xanga
Comments (37)
I wanted to name my first daughter Jaysin or Jayslin. Thank bejeezus I didn't. Everyone told me Jaysin is a boy name and that they know to many Jason's and it just didnt seem right. What my daughters name has to do with their relationships with other people is beyond me... But apparently someones relationship with another person that has nothing to with me is a reason I shouldn't name my child something. I ended up naming her Gia although at first my husband was opposed to it after seeing the movie "Gia". It fits her better than any other name I could have named her.I still like the name Jaysin and might use it for a middle name if I ever have another daughter. I don't like popular names, or regular names. My other daughters name is Ayano . No one liked that name and they couldn't say it correctly. They kept saying it with a Mexican twang to it and alot of people tried to get me to name her Ayana. Ayano is a Japanese name. It means "My color". I specifically chose that name for the meaning and because...well, My husband and I like the name. My friends and family just did not like the name because it was foreign to them. It was stupid of them to try and convince me that the names I chose were not worthy because they did not like them. You know what? They fit their names perfectly and they are beautiful just like my daughters!
my man and i went with the boys name the boys and the girls name the girls. we named our first son the named i picked out, he was lost in our accident. our second son we named after my man to give him an especially long name. I don't necessarily plan on having a girl, in which case I would get first dibs on the name. If #3 turns out to be another boy we would both name him. :)
Why should the name be up to people who are NOT THE PARENTS?! There's a reason why the parents are allowed in the maternity ward for delivery when these paper gets organized.
If I were told the name is off and this and that, I would have to tell them it's my baby and I will think responsibly before having it set. (Only because I overthink.)
A lot of people regret but if they were to think about themselves having that name, how would it be like? How many friends would they have?
I know someone whose name is William but he prefers to be called Steven (even though it's not legally his name). Only because there's a lot of people of the same ethnicity has the SAME name. And honestly, just changing the way that it spells is a personal preference.
This should just be agreed upon by the parents of the child(ren), not some strange people who has "more experience" with naming.
I won't decide on what to name baby until I meet him/her. What if the name you pick sounds great, but does not suit the baby at all?
Im glad the little ones we are adopting are already named by their birthparents.. we have 2nd middle names picked out for both of them, but I would never ever change or take away the names their birth parents gave them. I think adoptive parents who do that knowingly are selfish. (my parents did it without knowing, my birthmom never disclosed that she had chosen a name for me so no one knew)
I picked the name Esther for our child if she was a girl. We miscarried. 2 years later we were expecting again and I kind of "assumed" we'd name her Esther. Hubby shot it down, said "It is too close to the pagan god Ishtar." We are Christians, and I said, "C'Mon Queen Esther? If I perish, I perish? Our friends will know we're not naming her after the pagan god!" He held his ground, I chose Lydia. Our Lydia turned 3 last week and I can't imagine her any other name!
OMG my bf and i got so much crap from pretty much everybody when we were picking out our baby's name. before we knew what we were having we had decided, if it was a girl, her name would be Sky Harmony, and if a boy, then he would be Jason Presley.
nothing really on the boys name other than i guess it sound like the name of the guy who was on 90210 the original
but for the girl we got that it was a stripper name or how she couldn't go on to be president with a name like that and don't you think kids will make fun of her in school and many more stupid comments
and i was like you guys are all jerks because it was a name her mom (me) and her dad (my bf) picked out together for her (our daughter)
so we ended up having a girl and named her Sky Harmony Diana
and Diana came along because we named her after her Great Grandmother, who loved me as if i was her own granddaughter and was just like the personification of love and who was the first and almost only person who said "Wow that is such a beautiful name, i can't wait to meet baby Sky Harmony"
unfortunately she never got to meet her because she passed away a month before my daughter was born, but we still kept the name because we wanted her to be name after a great person and have what we think is the most perfect and beautiful name for OUR daughter.
<3
DH and i had to agree on the name and that was the end. no one else was able to have an opinion about what we named him- we decided on Brenden and no one really said anything. we were having problems with the middle name and we decided to name him after a dying uncle (jeremiah). we did get suggestions but i just told people they were nice and kindly told them that we already knew what we would be naming him. we already had names picked out before we found out the gender but didnt tell anyone until after we found out. i dont feel that its anyone elses decion but ours. i feel like if they like a particular name they can name their child that. i would try to be more tactful about it but sadly i am not very tactful at all.
@LadyGwenivere@xanga - i totally agree. we had like several names picked out and luckly Brenden looked like a Brenden. its great you are adopting and are open to keeping the names that their birthparents gave them. their name will always be special to them that way.
@sarahsmurfette@xanga - I whole-heartedly agree with you.
@prettyavocado@xanga - In high school, there was a lovely girl named Dustin...spelled just like that. While it was momentarily odd to hear a traditionally boy's name on a girl, what made her so special was her character (yeah, I had a crush on her big time...and boy name or girl name, she made a wonderful name for herself, at least as much as I knew about her).
I think any of the names you picked out for your little girl would have been just fine. If the meaning of a name is important to you, that might be a factor to consider when choosing names that are traditionally gender oriented, but other than that, I'm with everyone else here who commented on my post that you ought to be free to make the final say along with your baby's daddy.
@ladyandthemonster@xanga - It breaks my heart to hear you lost your first child. I'll pray that you have full healing in your own hearts...losing a precious new life is NEVER easy (I still remember at the age of six when my mom miscarried her 4th child...I always imagined she would be my first sister). I am glad that God blessed you with another child, though! :D
@Mandy_Man@xanga - When it comes down to it, while taking into consideration of how people will react to your child's name as he/she gets older, I agree with you that it really ought to be up to the parents. I'm a major fan of The Chronicles of Narnia (the movies, and ESPECIALLY the books) and love the idea of naming my daughter Paravel (after the castle Cair Paravel which the Pevensie siblings are crowned and rule from). While the name is uncommon by far, it has a beautiful resonance and theme to it. And with love for HER, my daughter will (hopefully) learn to find joy in her name because her parents adore who she is, regardless of any criticism (heck, my name is MICHAEL, one of THE most popular names in America, and even I got made fun of, including my name being misused; common names are not safe, either).
@LadyGwenivere@xanga - I'm inclined to agree with you, as well. Picking a name ought to be a special event and should not be taken lightly. A child who has a name ought to be honored by not treating their name so trivially.
@Stacey@xanga - Ester would have been a good name with a strong history behind it. Truly. But Lydia is quite beautiful, too.
@diaryofawanderingsoul@xanga - One of my closest friends has a daughter named Skye, and she is a most wonderful child. I'm GLAD you stuck to your guns and kept the name you and your man desired for your daughter. :) May God bless you all! And may your grandma rest in peace, I hope with Jesus, as well.
@laurenalissa@xanga - I'm assuming that's Brenden Jeremiah in your profile picture. :) He looks like QUITE the happy boy. :D
I'll listen to suggestions of names for my baby, but it will ultimately be up to me and whoever my hubby is to decide the name. If you think about it, my parents and hubby's parents already had their turn to choose names when we were born to them; now it's OUR turn. They can raise all the fuss they want but I will not allow anyone to push a name they want for MY child. And that is that.
i do agree that it should be the child's parents who name the baby. i also do know that SOME people are a bit "off" when it comes to names. before i got preggo w/ my first i used to talk about how much i LOVED the name evelyn and people were like "that is such an old person's name... no one is named that anymore". so when we got preggo w/ #1 we decided that boy or girl, we weren't going to let anyone know the name ahead of time so that way we didn't hear that b/c how many people will say "that name is horrible" when they are holding/seeing an adorable little baby
lol. we did find out gender and had the name picked out but held out and didn't tell anyone until he came out that his name was Scott Robert (after my father and my hubby aka baby daddy 
lol). when #2 came we didn't even find out gender and funny enough had a name picked out Evelyn LeeAnn for a girl which obviously was the name i loved and the middle name was a combo of both our mothers' middle names. then low and behold my sister (who was due before me w/ a girl and didn't tell what she was gonna name her) had her daughter 2 1/2 weeks before i had my baby and named her Eva Lee which we decided was too close to the name we chose so had to do some more name searching in the 2 1/2 weeks until my daughter made her appearance. Marabella Ann suits her just fine 
in the end, the parents are the one's who carry/labor/raise that child and they deserve to name this precious gift!
@Rhindon@xanga - I love the name Paravel, and I know someone who named their daughter that. and it really suits her. We have our own list of names we'd like to use (if ever one day we are blessed with a pregnancy).. But i know several children who have come into the foster system and they were never named by their parents.. and that just makes me real sad.
@laurenalissa@xanga - I love the names our children were named.. and even if i didn't. i just don't think I could change their names.. i would feel weird about it. I know couples who have changed the child's name once adopted (one was when the little boy was 3) and it just doesn't seem right. Its his name.
@loneshadow_wolf@xanga - I love the point you make. Suggestions are great, but it's insensitive to insist on a name that the actual parents may not like.
@LadyGwenivere@xanga - Aw man! I thought my (future) daughter would be the first! LOL Oh well, at least I know someone else likes the idea, too. :D
@DanielleinParadise@xanga - You're right. There's a sacred moment where the parents can set their child's life on its course just by giving him/her his/her name.
@Rhindon@xanga - thanks that is him about a year ago! he is so much bigger now but he is a very very happy boy!
Always think about how the name will sound 20 years from now as that person enters the business world. Our son James was Jamie for most of his growing up years now does not want anything to do with that name. He is in business now and likes the "manly name" of James.
When I was 10-ish, my god-sister got pregnant (she was 17). I joked with my dad that if I had a girl I would name her Trinity. He said, "I would disown you if you ever named my grandchild something that stupid." I told myself a long time ago that I would name my first son after his father. When I got pregnant with my son, before we knew he was a boy, we would go back and forth with names. We wanted something unique, but not something that would cause issues when they started school. I settled on Brooklyn if we had a girl and he wanted something that I can't even remember how to pronounce. When we found out we were having a boy, we were sort of relieved because we wouldn't have to think about names any more - he would be named after my boyfriend. A week later, I asked him "If we DID have a girl, what do you think about the name Marley." His face lit up and he said he loved it. Figures... LOL
My dad hated that we were going to make our son "a junior." He said "He's an individual. He needs his own name!" Says the man whose middle name is the same as his son's middle name and his father's first name. Funny thing is we just call our son SJ instead of "Shawn Jr." He doesn't even respond to Shawn Jr. SMH Anyway. I think that when it comes to names, it's up to the parents, ultimately. Outside parties can put their opinion in but that doesn't mean they have any real weight when it comes to the final decision. In my opinion, kids are cruel, and as much as we would like to believe it, society is not as tolerant about "unique" names.
Naming your child something that people can't pronounce like La-a (La-dash-ah), or naming them something odd like Moon Unit, Apple, or Blue, is setting them up to be teased when they start school, being hurt and embarrassed when teachers and other adults can't pronounce their names correctly, and possibly preventing them from getting jobs as an adult. I suppose as a celebrity or someone who doesn't NEED to go to school or have a 9-5 job, it's not that serious, but for the majority of the population, it is definitely something that needs to be considered. It's sad but it's true. Everyone wants to stand out now days. Everyone wants to be unique. I get it. Personality and all that. But don't lose a grip on reality and how the world really works.
I know I'm only 20, but I have had my baby names chosen for quite some time. When I have a boy, his name will be Jeremiah Alvin. Alvin was my grandpa's name, and he's had a huge impact on my life.
My girl will be Scarlett Virginia. I love Gone With the Wind, and Scarlett's strength. I also love the name Virginia for it's older, traditional sounding roots. (:
Would I ever let anyone else name my child? Hell no.
If I had a girl I would name her Ava Onelia (Onelia after my boyfriend's grandmother). If I had a boy, something between Dalton, Cameron, or Nathaniel. I love Nathaniel.
I think I would be interested in other people's input, because I wish my mother had asked for it -.-.
@laurenalissa@xanga - That's wonderful! It would be a blessing to meet your boy if ever opportunity presented an option. (I love children, so I'm always happy to meet them.)
@traveler@xanga - I can understand that. I do think that "Jamie", even for a guy, can carry a certain masculinity behind it. Even men must have a certain tenderness lest their strength (be it body or character) become overbearing..."Jamie" has that sort of tenderness; a strong tenderness, I say. "James" is still a good name, too, though.@ThaPlatinumOne@xanga - I hate to say it, but your dad seems to have issues. Trinity is hardly a name to get worked up over, even if you were just joking. Not to mention it's a beautiful name, and, if you're a believer in Jesus, a great reference to the Tri-Unity of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
I'm actually a junior, myself. I joke that I'll NEVER get senior benefits because of it. LOL
While it is heartbreaking for me, personally, that I don't have a strong relationship with my dad at all, being named after him still give me a bit of pride. For one, my dad may be absent from my life, he still has good points and I miss the times we had when I was a kid. Also, my name, itself, has a strong meaning (which reflects my faith in Jesus). So it's a good name to carry on...even a name I can "redeem" since my dad has basically "abandoned" me. I hope your dad will come to his senses and not make such critical remarks about YOUR child's name.
And may God bless Shaun Jr, for he is STILL his own self and can do good by both of his parents. :)
@alwayslighter@xanga - I think those are GREAT names. I pray you someday have a girl and a boy so you may bless them and love them. :D
@misslei11@xanga - I like the idea of "Ava Onelia". Loveliness and uniqueness all in one. :) The names for your boy also sound ripe with character. Good choices.
@under_the_carpet@xanga - *chuckles* Might I ask what your name is?
@Rhindon@xanga - Thank you <3
It's unfortunate that so many girls are given men's names. It's like women are no longer celebrated. My husband is a teacher, and usually has students of both sexes with the same name. That hardly sounds special to me. What's wrong with feeling special about being a boy or a girl? My son named his son Ryder, which I could have done without, but there you have it. And the little critter has so many nick names it'll be a miracle if he knows what to answer to!! The only time I got involved was when they suggested naming him Leviathon. I said, "That's a F---ing sea monster, and he's not going to be amused. We assume our children will be born with ridiculously high self esteem, and that teasing will not bother them. We do cruel things to them when we give them names that others will find odd and funny.
I think traditional names are great, especially for people who are immigrants or first generation Americans. I want to name my son Peter after my dad. I don't know what I would name my daughter but I've considered Sophia or Lily.
But, like my parents, I don't believe in middle names. People usually don't go by their middle names and I think it takes away from the first name. When I hear long names I literally get the goosebumps.
@Rhindon@xanga - Yeah, my dad is pretty "old school" in his mentality. I have yet to tell him about our idea for Marley being a future daughter name. I can only imagine the fit he will throw with that one. He just has a more extreme view on the "kids will be cruel" thing and prefers socially normal names like John or something. I've learned to take my dad's wisdom and lectures with a grain of salt. That's just how he is. I love him and we have the same stubborn attitude but on opposite ends of the opinion spectrum, so we agree to disagree about a lot of things.