What's In A Name?

What we call something, or someone, is rather important.  And can change depending on the region or the mood or the situation.  It defines who that person is.  It identifies that thing your talking about.  I drink soda, but you travel an hour and a half west, and they drink pop.  I get into an elevator, but 3,000 miles east, and they ride a lift.  I grew out of calling my mother mommy when I was about six, but for last fifteen years or so, she's been Mommy or Mama (as well as a host of other nicknames because that's a thing of mine) again.  

I see a lot of names in my day job.  A lot.  Thousands.  And I see some of those names and all I can think is "What were his/her parents thinking?!"  because obviously they weren't.  And still  others, I come across and I love them, love the way they sound and think that his/her parents must have given it some thought before they named their child because the name just works.

When I first started thinking about starting a blog, it was several weeks before I even did it because I couldn't think of a name.  This one finally came out to me out of the blue and made me sit up straight and consider.  But there was no way I could even start this without having that name.

And speaking of titles, I often have a hard time coming up with titles for my books/stories.  The short story that is going to be a part of the DSP Advent anthology?  I had no idea what to call it until I got to the very end of writing it.  

And don't even get me started on my characters.  I have a penchant for J names.  Don't know why.  And usually my characters tell me their names.  And more often than not, one of them begins with J.  But sometimes, there's just not a name that fits the character and I have to search and search (and ask the opinions of others) until I come up with one I sort of like.  That sort of fits.  Fortunately, the character usually grows into the name rather quickly once I choose one and then I can't imagine any other name for him/her.

There's my brother and his girlfriend and my nephew.  He's still getting cooked for several more months, but they've chosen a name already.  I don't happen to agree with it.  I don't like the way it sounds with the last name.  I don't really care for it at all.  Not for my nephew. And I already have two people in my life with that name that I love to pieces.  But it's not my child and I don't get choose.  I voiced my opinion, politely, and then moved on.  Because they are the parents and are going to pick the one they like best.

But speaking of naming a child, I have a personal peeve about parents who find out the gender of their baby and then pick a name and nothing can sway them.  I'm all for finding out what you're having.  I'm even a fan of having a few choices of names.  But wait until the baby is born before you pick one!  Look at your child and see if the name fits!  Because believe me, most of the time, you can tell.

Admittedly, I'm probably particularly biased about this topic because of my own situation.  I was supposed to be called Anne (Anna is a family name) but when I was born, my mother took one look at me, said I wasn't an Anne and gave me my name.  My father, perplexed, said they have never discussed my name.  But my mother, in that post birth glow, just said, "Look at her!"  I'm rather pleased with my name, honestly.  I think part of that is I've always known just how much my mother loved it.  But also, Christian is a family name as well...dating way back.  Every generation, there's one.  And in my generation?  I'm the Kris (though it is a feminine version, to be sure) which makes me feel like I'm carrying on the heritage a bit.  And I'm really not an Anne in any way, shape, or form.

It's interesting, too, how names make certain people feel.  I grew up with Emily's and adored them, loved the name.  My mother?  Wrinkles her nose.  To her, Emily is an old lady name, because when she was growing up, it was.  It's funny how names cycle, isn't it?  Twenty years from now, the nursing homes are going to be filled with Brittanys and Tiffanys as patients, while the nurses are named Grace and Anna.  (Not trying to be sexist, by the way, it just seems that female names have more of a cycle.  Yes, there are "cutesy" boy names, but really, the old classics never go out of style with boy names, you know?) 

Anyway, let me get off the soap box.  It just something that creeps up and invades my mind every once in a while.  Names are important, even if it what you call a baby's pacifier or the drink in your glass, and they can invoke all sorts of feelings when linked to a person.  Sis says she doesn't like her name, though I adore it.  Mom really hates her name, but I love her so much, that I think it's great.  

What are your thoughts on the whole name issue?