Wednesday
Nov152006
She's not even a twinkle in my eye yet, but I've already named her
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at 06:58AM
Despite not even knowing if or how I'll even have kids, I'm rather obsessed with baby names. The first thing I do when someone announces a pregnancy or a birth is ask about the name. What names do you like? Did you pick out a name yet? What did you name her?
And at least once a year my sisters and I discuss our future children's names with each other. My brother is the only sibling that has kids so far, so this is all hypothetical, but it never fails that someone has changed something in their kids' names lineup. Feelings change toward a name, and sometimes we even swap (fine you can have Jackson, I like Jude better anyway). There are slips of paper scattered throughout our homes with long lists of names attached to each person. Sometimes one of us plans to have four kids: two boys, two girls. Sometimes we plan to have only one of each. And almost every time the names change. It's just a fun game we play, imagining the future---our hypothetical children, nieces, nephews.
But for me, one name has always remained the same. Since I was in high school, I have loved a particular name for my future daughter. No matter how much her middle name changes, despite how often her hypothetical brother's name changes, her first name has always been the same. Everyone close to me knows the name and associates it with me; it's a well-known fact that this particular name is reserved for me to give to my daughter someday.
I mentioned it here before without actually revealing the name because I didn't want the name to grow in popularity amongst strangers. With my friends and family, I have some influence. Steal my name and I never speak to you again. But with strangers, that threat has no clout, so I've kept it to myself. But a terrible thing has happened anyway:
The name is BECOMING POPULAR!
This is really terrible news because I loathe to be part of a trend, especially in naming. I like less popular names that aren't too obscure. As in, I think Apple is a little ridiculous, but I like the sound of Suri. The name I had picked out was a name everyone has heard of, but there was no real risk of my daughter being one of three with this name in her third grade classroom. Until now.
According to the Baby Name Wizard, this name is rapidly growing in popularity for little girls. And the proof is everywhere. First I heard it on a plane to Phoenix a month ago, then there was a little girl in a tv commercial with this name, and just today somebody mentioned that her 2-year old niece has this same name. IT'S GROWING OUT OF CONTROL!
I think I'll preserve the name for now, so I'm sorry, I'm not ready to share it with strangers yet. But I fear I'm on the verge of having to sacrifice this name altogether. As much as I like it, I don't think I can be part of a trend. Not one growing this rapidly. You have to understand that I refused to give this name to my dad a couple years ago when his wife was pregnant with my little sister (who turned out to be a little brother, so it didn't matter in the end). I've never budged when other family members and friends have expressed an interest in the name. Go ahead and use it I guess, but know that my daughter is going to have the same name as yours! You can see this name has always been very important to me.
Brad likes the name too, and it's rare for us to agree on any future children names. He says I should use it anyway, screw the trend! But I feel very strongly about staying away from this wave of popularity. If I had come in before the trend, then it could be forgiven. My sister, Emily, was named such many years before that name became number one for girls in America. She may be one in a billion Emilys, but at least she's 20 years older than most of them.
And maybe I'll come in after the trend has passed. I don't plan to have (adopt) kids for a few years at least, so hopefully by then this name will have died in popularity. But I still think I might have to give it up after all these years in search of something a little less trendy. What would you do?
Update: If you want to know the name and can abide by the terms listed above for friends and family regarding use of this name, just email me. If I don't know you well enough, I'll just make something up!
And at least once a year my sisters and I discuss our future children's names with each other. My brother is the only sibling that has kids so far, so this is all hypothetical, but it never fails that someone has changed something in their kids' names lineup. Feelings change toward a name, and sometimes we even swap (fine you can have Jackson, I like Jude better anyway). There are slips of paper scattered throughout our homes with long lists of names attached to each person. Sometimes one of us plans to have four kids: two boys, two girls. Sometimes we plan to have only one of each. And almost every time the names change. It's just a fun game we play, imagining the future---our hypothetical children, nieces, nephews.
But for me, one name has always remained the same. Since I was in high school, I have loved a particular name for my future daughter. No matter how much her middle name changes, despite how often her hypothetical brother's name changes, her first name has always been the same. Everyone close to me knows the name and associates it with me; it's a well-known fact that this particular name is reserved for me to give to my daughter someday.
I mentioned it here before without actually revealing the name because I didn't want the name to grow in popularity amongst strangers. With my friends and family, I have some influence. Steal my name and I never speak to you again. But with strangers, that threat has no clout, so I've kept it to myself. But a terrible thing has happened anyway:
The name is BECOMING POPULAR!
This is really terrible news because I loathe to be part of a trend, especially in naming. I like less popular names that aren't too obscure. As in, I think Apple is a little ridiculous, but I like the sound of Suri. The name I had picked out was a name everyone has heard of, but there was no real risk of my daughter being one of three with this name in her third grade classroom. Until now.
According to the Baby Name Wizard, this name is rapidly growing in popularity for little girls. And the proof is everywhere. First I heard it on a plane to Phoenix a month ago, then there was a little girl in a tv commercial with this name, and just today somebody mentioned that her 2-year old niece has this same name. IT'S GROWING OUT OF CONTROL!
I think I'll preserve the name for now, so I'm sorry, I'm not ready to share it with strangers yet. But I fear I'm on the verge of having to sacrifice this name altogether. As much as I like it, I don't think I can be part of a trend. Not one growing this rapidly. You have to understand that I refused to give this name to my dad a couple years ago when his wife was pregnant with my little sister (who turned out to be a little brother, so it didn't matter in the end). I've never budged when other family members and friends have expressed an interest in the name. Go ahead and use it I guess, but know that my daughter is going to have the same name as yours! You can see this name has always been very important to me.
Brad likes the name too, and it's rare for us to agree on any future children names. He says I should use it anyway, screw the trend! But I feel very strongly about staying away from this wave of popularity. If I had come in before the trend, then it could be forgiven. My sister, Emily, was named such many years before that name became number one for girls in America. She may be one in a billion Emilys, but at least she's 20 years older than most of them.
And maybe I'll come in after the trend has passed. I don't plan to have (adopt) kids for a few years at least, so hopefully by then this name will have died in popularity. But I still think I might have to give it up after all these years in search of something a little less trendy. What would you do?
Update: If you want to know the name and can abide by the terms listed above for friends and family regarding use of this name, just email me. If I don't know you well enough, I'll just make something up!
in So Annoyed
So Annoyed
Reader Comments (9)
i MUST know the name!
i do this too -- endlessly name and rename future children. here's my list:
keagan irene
abigail ?
morgan amelia
hayden grey
mason oliver
spencer elliot
(i have waaaay more boy names on the list, but i'll spare you.)
Is it Sophie? Or Olivia? Those names are quite "in" these days.
Go with what you like. Who cares what everyone else is doing? We know that you aren't conforming?
I, too, have a list of names. 29 girl names and 11 boy names, to be exact. I have said for years that I am not going to have kids. Go figure!
No, not Sophie or Olivia, though it's along those same lines in that those are slightly different names that are becoming increasingly popular. Good guesses though. :)
I do that too! At least once a week, my co-worker and I discuss the hypothetical future names of our children. Except now she's pregnant and I'm the only one in the office who knows, so she's for real, and I'm hypthetically speaking.
Women are funny. Men don't do this. Ever. We dont' start thinking about names until we're sure what sex it is. Cuts the work in half. You gotta think smarter, not harder.
Jason---first, I think you're wrong. I've dated many guys who have put thought into future children's names. It was actually a big contention between me and my last boyfriend. And Brad is very opinionated about this stuff. So stop generalizing.. as usual. :)
Second, it's not hard, it's fun!
I like to generalize. It makes everything simpler.
Second... fun for you... not me. So stop generalizing. :-)
I agree with Jason. I never really cared tiil I knew she was PG.