What is in a Name? Apparently a Lot

I gave a lot of thought to my son's name when he was still causing me to have to pee at all hours and making me run to Wal-Mart for a cantaloupe at four in the morning. I wanted something that would be as unique and special as the little life inside of me was destined to be.

I pondered names. I looked up their meanings in all of those baby name books at Borders. Wrote them to see how they looked by my hand. Said them out loud with my last name to see how it flowed and even tried to come up with every horrible name that a grade-schooler could throw at a child by each name thought up.

I had two girl's names and one boy's name that both my husband and I could agree on. (Our son decided not to let us know what color the nursery walls should be until he graced us with his presence.) We were thrilled to have made such an important decision and decided to just ignore the, "Really, that's interesting." And "Oh, and how did you come up with that name?" comments that we received from our more traditional family members. We knew that the name that we were giving our child would be perfect.

One of the most famous lines from Shakespeare comes from Romeo and Juliet where Romeo makes the renowned statement, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." So, what is in a name? Why is it one of the first questions that are asked of an expecting mother? What causes millions of pages of baby name texts to be printed every year? What is our fascination with names?

Names can inspire so many non-verbal reactions. We hear the name Maximilian and we think of a child in an ascot and suit, where the name Hank might inspire thoughts of a truck driver. Girls are no less spared from the assumptions. Have you met very many CEO's that go by Candie, with an ie? How about an exotic dancer named Gertrude?

Names can also give clues to your economical background. Ever see a Bubba drive a Mercedes Benz? How about a Buffy who lives in a mobile home? I am sure these people exist, but these are not the typical pictures our minds paint when these names are delivered to us.

Your name can also give clues to your ethical background. My husband is of Irish decent, and that weighed heavily when we chose our son's name. Asian, African, and Middle Eastern names are also easily discernable. I had a friend who was of an English background, but had an African first name. She was constantly asked to repeat her name and given strange looks when it was confirmed that yes, the fair skinned girl in front of them was in fact named as she was.

So maybe Shakespeare was wrong and there is something to a name. Maybe a rose would smell as sweet, but would you be as inclined to put your nose into it if it was called a stench flower?

I guess our daunting search for our son's name was not without merit. We gave him a strong name of Irish decent that means "Poet" and rolls off the tongue when said with our last name. We only had one boy's name picked out, though, so let's just hope that the next child is a girl. I don't think that I could handle the pressure again!