Does A Name Foretell The Future?

Johnny Cash said it all, so many years ago with his song, “A Boy Named Sue.” The story of a father who named his son Sue, because he knew he wouldn’t be around to teach him to be a man. His father thought that if he had to grow up with the name Sue, he would learn to fight and ultimately become a tough man. Being a tough man was what this father wanted his son to grow into and that’s what he got, all by a name. I wonder sometimes, what are people thinking by the names they give their children? You hear about celebrities naming their babies, Apple, Sailor Lee, Free, Rocket, Puma, and did you hear about the famous tennis player, Arthur Ashe, who named his daughter -- Camera. Can you imagine it now? Let’s say Camera becomes a photographer or director. Think of the confusion, “Put the camera on the stand, no, no, the real camera!” Hopefully, someone will think to call her Cami, that’s even kind of cute, as long as people don’t start calling her Camisole. A personal pet peeve of mine are the different spellings of the same name, why can’t we just leave a simple, classic, 1,500-year-old name alone? There must be 18 ways to spell Eric, a simple name that brings to mind Vikings and warriors. The true meaning is “Eternal Ruler.” I have actually seen it spelled E-R-Y-C-K-E. Parents can be very creative with their children’s names, but parents remember, the child has to live with this name. Being unique is what we all strive for and we all want to hear our friends and family saying things like, nice name, so different, clever, but no one wants to be so unique that it becomes odd. Someone once gave me a wonderful piece of advice and I’d like to pass it on to you. When naming your child, close your eyes and think. Think about the qualities you wish for your child. Would you like him or her to be big, kind, smart, athletic, think of the top three qualities. Next, think of the names that fit those qualities. Now, look up the name, find out the meaning. Does the meaning fit the vision you have for your child as an adult? Don’t forget to check the initials for your child’s name, Adam Samuel Stevens, would probably be changing his name by the age of 18. Some people like to figure out all possible nicknames or words that rhyme with the name they’ve selected. Trust me, parents are not the only ones that can be creative with a name, children will always think of a way to make fun of another child’s name. This advice is not guaranteed, I mean if you name your child Einstein, it doesn’t mean he will grow up to be one of the greatest minds of our time, but it’s a direction. If your child hears enough about the meaning of his name, well…who knows? When my son was 6-years-old, his best friend’s name was Stephen. When I asked him his last name he replied, “My whole name is Stephen Penos Donnatelli.” I didn’t think much of it, but all I could hear was my husband, who was standing nearby, “Oooh, kids can be cruel.”