... By Any Other Name
Disclaimer: This is simply an observation. To those with children, no offense is implied.
I used to work as an inventory specialist for a furniture store chain. While my cubicle sat in a raised mezzanine overlooking the large distribution center, I occasionally ventured out to the stores to manage the scheduled inventory of an individual store's stock (floor samples and so forth). On one of these trips, I met a person who worked for one of those independent inventory contractors with a very peculiar last name. While I cannot remember his first name, his last name is one I will never forget. It was Cmunt (pronounced "smunt"). Given his small stature, I gathered he had his share of ass-kicking and name-calling while growing up with a name like Cmunt. His well-weathered, lined face adorned with a walrus mustache and bushy goatee complemented his cheerful demeanor though. When speaking with him, he spoke of his last name with a weary, good-natured humor. It was obvious he clearly enjoyed having his last name since it's obviously a talking point similar to a childhood scar or a bad haircut that hasn't grown out. The funniest thing he said about his last name was, "When my son was born, I wanted to name him Harry, but my wife said no."
I think of Mr. Cmunt and his story because many people I know who have and will have children most likely struggled (or will struggle) with names for their kids. I can only speak of this in the abstract since the only things I have named are inanimate objects like my computer's hard drive and my car (HAL 9000 and Firah, respectively). They cannot feel embarrassment or pride if their name is odd or cool, depending on your point of view, unlike children whose parents gave them names that are culturally significant, rich with meaning, or uniquely silly.
Glossing over the fashion of certain Baby Boomers who gave their children hippie names (Moon-Unit and Dweezil Zappa come immediately to mind), there are many children of my generation whose names can be lumped into certain categories. For example, I am sure most people in my age group knows or went to school with at least a half dozen girls named Jennifer or Kristen (the latter with different spellings). That phenomenon is most common among middle class white suburbia, along with boys in that demographic named Michael or Kevin. In more urban settings, boys and girls were occasionally given monikers with hints of bastardized Latin (Tranquilla), pidgin French, or had something that rhymes with "Shawn" following a D or an L separated by an apostrophe (if it was a girls name, it was feminized by adding an "a" at the end).
In an effort to create new trends in children's names, some people in my generation (who now have children of their own), have taken to giving their daughters first names that are or were more commonly known as WASPy surnames: Tyler, Taylor, Madison. Perhaps it's a nod to our 19th century American presidents (which makes me wonder if there is a klatch of girls in Ontario with names like Macdonald and Diefenbaker). Names like Haley and Kaley and their variants have replaced Jennifer and Krystin while for boys the trend seems to be inspired by the Bible (more Lukes and Ezras rather than Ezekiels and Hezekiahs).
Thankfully, there are those who choose to give their kids names that have cultural meaning. Americans who are culturally Irish give their kids names like Medb or Tadgh (pronounced Maeve and Teague), a mother originally from Barcelona naming her son Xavi (cha-vee), or parents who name their son that actually means something in Swahili. It's unfortunate that there are others who saddle their kids with odd names like Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter), ESPN, or anything connected to a geographical location (you know who they, or you, are).
I used to work as an inventory specialist for a furniture store chain. While my cubicle sat in a raised mezzanine overlooking the large distribution center, I occasionally ventured out to the stores to manage the scheduled inventory of an individual store's stock (floor samples and so forth). On one of these trips, I met a person who worked for one of those independent inventory contractors with a very peculiar last name. While I cannot remember his first name, his last name is one I will never forget. It was Cmunt (pronounced "smunt"). Given his small stature, I gathered he had his share of ass-kicking and name-calling while growing up with a name like Cmunt. His well-weathered, lined face adorned with a walrus mustache and bushy goatee complemented his cheerful demeanor though. When speaking with him, he spoke of his last name with a weary, good-natured humor. It was obvious he clearly enjoyed having his last name since it's obviously a talking point similar to a childhood scar or a bad haircut that hasn't grown out. The funniest thing he said about his last name was, "When my son was born, I wanted to name him Harry, but my wife said no."
I think of Mr. Cmunt and his story because many people I know who have and will have children most likely struggled (or will struggle) with names for their kids. I can only speak of this in the abstract since the only things I have named are inanimate objects like my computer's hard drive and my car (HAL 9000 and Firah, respectively). They cannot feel embarrassment or pride if their name is odd or cool, depending on your point of view, unlike children whose parents gave them names that are culturally significant, rich with meaning, or uniquely silly.
Glossing over the fashion of certain Baby Boomers who gave their children hippie names (Moon-Unit and Dweezil Zappa come immediately to mind), there are many children of my generation whose names can be lumped into certain categories. For example, I am sure most people in my age group knows or went to school with at least a half dozen girls named Jennifer or Kristen (the latter with different spellings). That phenomenon is most common among middle class white suburbia, along with boys in that demographic named Michael or Kevin. In more urban settings, boys and girls were occasionally given monikers with hints of bastardized Latin (Tranquilla), pidgin French, or had something that rhymes with "Shawn" following a D or an L separated by an apostrophe (if it was a girls name, it was feminized by adding an "a" at the end).
In an effort to create new trends in children's names, some people in my generation (who now have children of their own), have taken to giving their daughters first names that are or were more commonly known as WASPy surnames: Tyler, Taylor, Madison. Perhaps it's a nod to our 19th century American presidents (which makes me wonder if there is a klatch of girls in Ontario with names like Macdonald and Diefenbaker). Names like Haley and Kaley and their variants have replaced Jennifer and Krystin while for boys the trend seems to be inspired by the Bible (more Lukes and Ezras rather than Ezekiels and Hezekiahs).
Thankfully, there are those who choose to give their kids names that have cultural meaning. Americans who are culturally Irish give their kids names like Medb or Tadgh (pronounced Maeve and Teague), a mother originally from Barcelona naming her son Xavi (cha-vee), or parents who name their son that actually means something in Swahili. It's unfortunate that there are others who saddle their kids with odd names like Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter), ESPN, or anything connected to a geographical location (you know who they, or you, are).
Comments
Culturally, neither of us identify very strongly with a particular country, though a few names that were in the mix leaned toward Italian (the greatest percentage of my origins).
In the end, we wanted a strong name that was less common but not so far afield that nobody would be able to pronounce or spell it.
There were other considerations...we both work in schools, which means constant contact with a variety of names. Sometimes, the association of a name with a particular student can negatively (or positively) influence a name. Also, recent research shows that children with odd spellings have a harder time learning to spell in general (either because of confusion about the "rules" since their name may violate a spelling rule, or decreased confidence in their perceived spelling skill when people are constantly asking them how to spell their own name or questioning whether it is correct).
I think another issue with names is that parents fear they will choose the "wrong" name and this will be the first of many things they do wrong, which will somehow damage their child, cause them to get teased, and prevent them from getting into a good school or otherwise succeeding in life.
You take your best crack at it, and in the end, can you imagine yourself or anyone you kow with a name other than the one that they were given?
I know some of the 'modern' women in my life have strived to name their daughters with feminine, but non-'girlie' names, in hopes of birthing a future CEO. One ended up going with Eden.