Table of Contents
Name-inspired news and notes for your Sunday reading.
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This #namehelp question came up a while ago: Eleanore belonged to me first.
There’s no resolution just yet, but given the circumstances, that’s not surprising.
In brief, two sisters were planning to start their families. One was expecting; the other, just getting married. The second sister has always planned to name a daughter Eleanore after their beloved grandmother. But now the sister who is actually expecting? Announced that their girl name is Eleanor.
Drama ensued. I think my response – and the reader comments especially – are spot on.
The gist? Choose the relationship. This goes both ways. It means the pregnant sister would sit with her choice, taking others’ feelings into account. And the not-yet-expecting sister would be prepared to love her new niece, regardless of her personal feelings about her name.
Lately I’ve been thinking about the fact that this only works best in mostly healthy, loving families. I privately answered a question involving loss that I’ve decided not to share publicly, and the solution? It required acknowledging that a relationship was really problematic.
Some situations might call for taking a little bit of space. And that’s okay, too. We can offer good, practical advice about names – but the complexities of human experience are many, and not every moment calls for boundless generosity.
ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Xyla, Xylia, Xyri, and Xyliana … Thanks to Jennie for sending me this set of quadruplet names. It’s so interesting to me that some families go out of their way to choose very, very similar names for their children. Especially multiples!
Raymond, Edith, and more undiscovered classics are in the spotlight at The Art of Naming.
Leonie, Ida, Mortiz, and more popular names from Austria. Nancy has the full list, including the Top 50 for boys and girls, plus rarities like Aorta. Yes, Aorta! There’s got to be a story there …
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
Molly feels sweetly old-fashioned, doesn’t it? I think it’s the perfect sister for Kate.
Esme has become a rising 21st century favorite, because of – but also in spite of – Twilight.
Handsome, literary Dashiell has never caught on, and I remain astonished.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
