Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Naming Kids

I was thinking about the thought process that parents have in naming their babies. Now, before anyone has any questions, I am not thinking about this because of any impending event in my life. I don't have any children and probably never will. But, I was named for my Mother's father--Walter Merrill. He was a judge and lived in Alabama. Thus, my full name is Walter Merrill Durst (the first). My mother had a brother named Walter, too. For a long time, my Uncle Walter thought I was named for him, but I was actually named for my Grandfather. My brother was named for my father, who was John Kemp Durst. Some would refer to Daddy as "senior", and my brother as "junior", but in fact, Daddy was John K. Durst III, and my brother is John K. Durst IV. So, you have those people who name their kids for famly members. Then, there are other creative ways. One friend of mine is named Aubrey. She was named for a wonderful song called "Aubrey" by Bread. If you aren't familiar with it, I am sure it is on iTunes. Check it out. It fits my friend Aubrey. Then, there is my friend Brandi. She was named for the song "Brandy" by Looking Glass. The song was a strange choice, based on what it is about--a bar maid. But, it makes for a good story. Then, there is my friend Joni. She was named for a singer named Joni James. Her father heard a song by her on the radio and decided that would be a nice name for his new daughter. Some people name their children based on Bible characters. The trend now is to either use last names as first names or as some sort of new-age names. When Frank Zappa named his kids Moon-Unit and Dweezil, people laughed. But, other celebrities wanted to make statements with their childrens' names. If anyone is reading this, who will have to face this issue down the road, please think of one thing. It is okay to be cutesy or thoughtful, and it is okay to give a name that expresses character. But, also think of if your child will be picked on by their peers because of thier name. If they go to a fancy private school, like many celebrity kids will, then I don't guess it will matter, but other kids will be cruel if your children are called "Moon", "Chevrolet", or "Captain Kirk". So, be careful.

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