What is in a Name?

I love names. Always have. Can't explain it. I love sounding out names, knowing the meaning of names, hearing different names... names just fascinate me! Again, can't explain... I'm weird like that.

When people tell a story and say, "and then her sister..." or, "and my cousin said..." I always rudely interrupt and ask, "what is their name?" because I just love hearing different names and the wide variety of names out there.

I feel like names say so much about a person. A guy can be SUPER hot... like, the hottest guy you've ever seen. But if his name is Milton, it's just not going to work. (No offense if anyone's hubby's or children are named Milton, haha). Same goes for a girl! I don't think I've ever seen a "Harriett" on the Victoria's Secret fashion show runway, if you know what I mean.

I'm not one to "judge a book by it's cover" so to speak... and I don't think its the actual NAME itself that makes these judgments... it's the associations we have with those names. For example, I actually really, really love the name Eliza, and almost considered it for baby girl. But every time I say it out loud, I think of "Eliza Doolittle." I LOVED My Fair Lady as a kid... but I don't want anyone to associate our daughter with crazy Eliza Doolittle! Nor do I want her introducing herself as "Eliza... you know, like 'Doolittle'?" .... Insane? Maybe... but these are the things I consider when choosing a name for our child.

I remember in high school, my friend Mika (Hi, Mika!) and I made a list of baby names we loved... (and, Mika, if I'm not mistaken, your #1 girl's name was Margarita... I think you need to change little Sofi's name!)

Since then, this list has changed... grown-up, grown-down, been shortened and then lengthened. Today's popular names have been removed and new names have been added.

I have just always had an affinity for different, beautiful names. I never really "loved" my name growing up - mostly because no one could pronounce it - but I did love that it was different and I was always the only "Aliya" in my class, and people always told me how unique it was.

Choosing a name for Kyran was HARD. Like, wicked hard. Boys names in general are SO MUCH harder, I think... For us, it was hard to find the balance between something cute that will grow with them, but also masculine and professional.... Not too common, not too wacky.. it was impossible for Hubs and I to come up with his name.

When we found out we were having a girl this time around, I was ecstatic because I already had a list of Hubs-approved girls names in my back pocket. Now that we actually need to decide on one, it's proving impossible. We're having the opposite problem than we did with Ky... we love too MANY names and can't narrow it down!

I think the ideal girl's name for me would be unique and elegant, adorable on a little girl, sound beautiful when I tell people what her name is, have an exotic bounce to it when she introduced herself to friends in college, look killer on a business card, and still be classic enough that when she was a mom herself it would stick with her and not be too babyish. And something easy to pronounce is a must. A high bar to reach, right?

So what is in a name? What takes precedence? Uniqueness or Pronunciation? Should it be trendy or classic? Exotic and Different-sounding or something out of a Henry James novel? Should we name her after a fruit like Apple Paltrow or steal Beyonce's "Blue Ivy"? (Vom, btw). What makes a name THE perfect name? And with so many beautiful names out there... how do you choose?!