Jul
8
2009
What’s in a name?
Bertie...often mistaken for 'Betty' as he is a bit girly..clip doesn't help?
Julocha’s very funny post today about her learner driver buddy named ‘Snow’ got me thinking a bit about names, specifically the huge responsibility that we have when we name our children. It’s so tough…interesting but not to whacky, popular without being ‘too’ popular, meaningful, easy to spell, goes with your surname etc etc etc. And then there are all those people who can’t resist sticking their noses in and giving their unwanted, unasked for opinion of your choices. A friend of mine named her son Barnaby..her mother in law rang her when the baby was a few weeks old to tell her she was, ‘Coming round slowly to the idea of the name Barnaby’. WTF?
When I was expecting Bertie I made the mistake of telling my cousin we liked the name Celia for a girl. She launched in to a major rant about what an ugly/old fashioned name it is and that I would be cruel to name a child Celia. I was rather hurt but put it down to her being completely off her face slightly tipsy at the time. But the next morning she sat me down, with a hurty head, to tell me again what a vile choice Celia was for a girl. Then she added insult to injury by adding that her chosen girl’s name was Lucy, our grandmother’s name…which was my second choice for a girl’s name. Two lessons learnt here: (1) NEVER discuss your name choices with other people and (2) bagsy family names quickly.
On which note, ‘Celia’ turned out to be a boy and we named him Albert, but he’s known as Bertie. Albert is a family name on both mine and MrSpud’s side: it’s my grandfather’s name (although he’s known as Bert) and it was MrSpud’s grandfather’s middle name. We thought it was a fitting choice and that everyone would be so touched at our thoughtfulness. Oh…how…wrong we were.
My grandfather’s reaction? “Bertie? Bertie? No, I don’t like that, not at all. No. Bert is a good name. You should call him Bert”. Hmmmm. And MrSpud’s grandmother on hearing the news that her recently departed husband’s name would be carried on? “Bertie? As in Albert? Oh darling, Grandpa HATED that name!” Lesson three: do not depend on family to be pathetically grateful for naming your child after them.
Another tip, check your chosen name isn’t a traditional dog’s name. We chose Digby (always known as Diggy or Diggers) for our second child because we love the name. No other reason than that. But sooooo many people say, “Digby? What, as in ‘The Biggest Dog in the World’” Gah, I’d never come across that film as it’s not on The Approved List. Ah well.
Finally, the acid test for all names should be ‘Does it pass the rock star/prime minister/president test?’ i.e are you saddling your child with a name which will preclude them from pursuing their chosen career without ridicule and scorn? Can Bertie be a rock star, probably not but his initials are ART which kind of works. Can Digby be Prime Minister? Yes I think so, although he’ll have to quit the tantrums.
Not so the two children I came across recently. I know, I know…you shouldn’t criticise other people’s name choices but these were SO ridiculous that I don’t care. If you are reading this, mother of GYPSY and PIRATE, then you are a cruel woman. Pirate? Pirate? Who on earth told you that was a good idea? Long John Silver?
Funny!
My daughter’s initials for first & second name are FU. My mother was the one who worked out that she’ll never be able to marry a Mr Knightley. Or a Mr Cook even. Or else she’ll just have to keep her own name …
My SIL’s maiden name was Digby and when she married my brother they got a cat and named her Digby to keep the name in the family. We call their kitty Diggers too …
Things learned previously: Never laugh your ass off when someone tells you what they are naming their kid, even if you think they are kidding. Wait for other people to laugh first and afterwards move up the totem pole.
Things learned from your post: Don’t name your child Pirate, even if you really want to, and don’t rant about other people’s choices, or how was that now? ;o)
I’m still waiting for the pig in a wig!
Waahhhh Gypsy and Pirate.. those are Webkinz names surely to God. We didn’t tell anyone the names of our kids until they popped out, hence Ash ending up with the nickname Peanut (long story).
When Syd was born everyone had been guessing and one of hubby’s aunts kind of wrinkled her nose and said “well I am still calling her Rosie.” …uh no you ain’t bitch her name is Sydney!!!!
The things one doesn’t realise! Like which of the three Daniels on mother’s side of the family to name the child and the consequent unpleasantness of that – the subsequent over-popularity of said name with the chattering classes, the slurring of the final L into the initial L of the surname sounding like a welsh poet with both emphysema AND a throat infection. The failure to detect the same problem with the middle name also ending in L. The idiots who insist on greeting you with a certain wellknown Irish Air when you walk into a bar in the more sectarian parts of Glasgow….
…. only in my 40s did I finally get a sensible moniker when the guy assigning email accounts at a workplace I’m not allowed to mention deliberately confused me with a starchy sales lady called Danielle. And suddenly after nearly half a century mother’s having posed me in the pram with the then-blond ringlets in front of a coop full of racing pigeons (think Young Morell’s haircut in sons + lovers) became more of a joke than even she intended.
Mrs L had to talk fast and hard to prevent me calling our daughter Archie.
When I worked at a local college which shall remain nameless, I came across some interesting names. One student had called her baby boy ‘Dre’, not Andre, but ‘Dre’, as in ‘Dr Dre’. I joked it was only a matter of time before the nursery had an ‘Eminem’! And then there was the girl with twins: Destiny and Beppe. Oh dear.
I, personally, appreciate learning the origin of your boys names. I’d never heard of either and they suit to a tee. Whatever you call your kids, they’re going to end up with nicknames (withing the family at least). My sons have the classic italian names of Davide and Gianluca and what do I call them? Skippy and Bugie.
Oh the politics of baby names! My darling husband was passionately against my choice of name for our first born right up until the moment after I gave birth – at that point he would have agreed even to Pirate I reckon, he was so
frightened byin awe ofall my screamingmy feminine strength.I know a family who are Alpha (f), Beta (m) and Omega (f). The middle names are even more ridiculous (but sadly identifable in the public domain). Every time I see Omega, I think, “What was wrong with Gamma?”.
Ahhhh another post from you that put a smile on my face
oh forgot…. I kinda like unusual names for kids… who says they have to be “normal” names… I personally like Gweneth’s daughters name Apple it’s cute..
of course we ended up with very usual names for our boys… but we wanted traditional Armenian names but ones that can be pronounced
… so we went with semi traditional and international…easy for all… Robert and Arman
My mother and fater refused to accept the name I chose for my son…Finley. My mom called him Dylan and my dad called him Ralph, for the first 6 months of his life.
I think they even tried to bribe me NOT to name him Finley they hated it so much. Seriously!
My eldest was named after an uncle and I got in trouble for that since the uncle’s girlfriend said (when my son was already 6 months old) that she wanted to use the name if they ever had another baby and it was a boy. So when she did have a boy she used it as his middle name and made his first name Myah as in “My”.
Let’s not overlook the fact that you will end up saying these names 2,635,449 times before they turn ten! With that in mind, I love the names Bertie and Digby, they have a ring to it that won’t get old..
Love your thoughts on the future! We named our daughter Eleanor because it was strong and sounded like the could be a Supreme Court Justice. Now she goes by Ellie which lacks the gravitas of Eleanor (like she needs more gravitas at the age of 8!)
My #2 (which is now #6) middle name is Nicole after my Grandma Niki. Only I found out after that Niki wasn’t my grandma’s real name. She was called Niki because her brothers started calling her Nicademus (not sure how they spelled it) because she started smoking at 10 years old! Might have been nice to know that earlier
I am much enjoying all these name tales…fabulous. I know I completely broke my own rule by wading in on Gypsy and Pirate but, c’mon!!
RACHE, I didn’t know you had a blog and mighty fine it looks too. Super, am off for a nose.
Oh, no! Another thing to worry about when I have children! Feel the anxiety?
I used to hate my name when I was a child, Blanca means white, so there were plenty of jokes! But I love it now!
I love the names of your two boys, their names suit them.
When my sister called her son Harrison I wasn’t sure. It was 1998 and Harrison was unusual. It’s so commonplace now, but I can’t imagine my Harrison being anything else.
I disnt realise how common Ethan was when I named our 1st born. If I had, I think we’d have been really stuck. And I adore Boo’s real name (Ysella, pronounced ee-ZELL-ah) but it worries me that shell spend her entire life wishing we’d chosen Cecily instead.
BWAHAHA! I love this post. Mainly because I always remember Robin Williams’ adage on naming your child:
“Pick a name unique enough that when you call them on the playground they are the only one that comes running. But not so unique that they come running because they are being chased”
You are KILLING me! ROFLMAO… Seems like you can’t win when it comes to naming. Man, your family was brutal! And “pirate” and “Gypsy”? That’s just cruel. My hubby is determined to name our first child Speed, so the kid’s name will be Speed Richards (boy or girl). I’m NOT impressed. lol
I never had to worry about choosing names so I didn’t realise it’s such a major task! Now I understand why my very good friend’s reaction was a very loud “I’m not telling you!” when I asked what name she chose for her unborn child.
I was shocked to hear, or perhaps I misheard, that Michael Jackson named his – Paris [okay], Prince Michael [bloody hilarious] and, the best – BLANKET? WTF? we know he was crazy [sorry MJ] but Blanket. Even Bubbles got a better name. I love Bertie and Digby. Both rock. I quite like Bert too though.
in denmark, you wouldn’t be allowed to name your kid pirate. we had to have a letter from odin to name sabin sabin and it was my grandmother’s maiden name. they’re really strict here…
and seriously, you have to take the barrette out of the kid’s hair if you don’t want people to think he’s a girl…
but i could totally see a british PM named digby…or at least a mayor of london.
my maiden name initials….BS
my married name initials….BM
your bertie….beautiful and perfect !!!
Pirate?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????
When my ex-sister-in-law was expecting, she told me she wanted a girl. And, that she would name said girl Jezel Shatara and call her Jazzy. CRIPES!!! We spent the next seven months praying for a boy. Alex has turned into a wonderful young man. The sister-in-law is now an ex. Wonder why?
Hey Spud,
You may or may not remember me from a certain online purple place many many moons ago… You were a great support when I lost my Bertie.
Well these days I’m now in England with a new Mr Steph and I absolutely still adore the name.. so much that the currently pooing on my lap 7 week old Maximillian has Albert and Ernest as his middle names.
Indeed we’ve recieved much criticism for his name and I never divulge further than ‘they’re family names’ when asked ( Ernest was Mr Steph’s grandfather) but he’ll grow to know about his half brother.