Table of Contents
Name-inspired news and notes for your Sunday reading.
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Can you name your child into a particular destiny?
I’m going to say not really and yes of course.
First, this question is courtesy of an interview with singer Reneé Rapp. (You might know her as Regina George in the movie version of the Mean Girls musical.) She says that her mom chose her memorable name “just in case she wants to be a pop star.”
Why I say you really can’t name your child into anything:
- Have you met a child? Or ever been one? They don’t do what we want them to do. That’s what they – we – are supposed to do, actually. Most of the time, at least.
- We’re often wrong about what names will signify to a future generation. I mean … Collins Chibueze is a handsome name. But it was whispered down the alley into Shaboozey, which turned to be star-worthy in the 2020s.
- Even if we’re right about a name’s shine, it might not be right for our child’s path. You name for pop stardom and your kid ends up a starting quarterback. Few names check both sets of boxes.
Why I say yes of course names are destiny:
- It’s not just the name. Parents who want to raise star athletes also sign their kids up for sports early. Or they take their future Broadway leading lady to see every musical that comes to town. The name is part of the culture in which our children grow up. I’ll be the first to tell you how our children go their own ways, but sometimes they do share our interests.
- Perception (sometimes) matters. If your kid’s name sounds like a great first baseman, a prima ballerina, an academic all-star? Chances are that some people, some of the time, might respond differently to your child. The right name can make a difference, at least at the margins.
But ultimately?
Even if you can, you probably shouldn’t.
Reneé Rapp is a pretty normal name. The name Renee peaked in the 1960s, and had fallen dramatically by the time Rapp was born in the year 2000. In other words? Everyone knew a Renee. But alliteration is memorable, and it works for her – which is great.
But should you name your kid something unusual in a bid to ensure their future success in a highly competitive field? I think that’s a mistake. Our kids are here to surprise us, and their names should, ultimately, support a wide range of possible futures.
ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Are you into dark academia? It’s not my genre, but this new R.F. Kuang novel Katabasis intrigues me. The main character names, Alice and Peter, aren’t my idea of Dark Academia, either, but there’s a compelling case for their use. A good reminder that classic, even popular names, often carry layers of meaning and significance.
Laura has the list of names on the verge of extinction. So long, Candice and Kirk.
This year’s Playground Analysis is in! Kelli Brady has been compiling this for years. She recalculates the US Top 1000 by combining spellings. In her new tally, Olivia drops to #3, while Adeline surges to #8 on the girls’ list. On the boys’ side, Jackson jumps, but classics like James, William, and Henry are slightly less popular than their official ranking because, well, very few of us spell our son’s name Jaimz. So glad Kelli is still on the job!
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
Conan – Because when I was a kid, Conan was the rough equivalent of He-Man. Plastic action figure, very fictional. So glad it’s being reclaimed as a traditional Irish choice.
Cordelia – The name that I always find myself asking “how in the Amelia-Cecilia-Coraline of it all can Cordelia fail to rank in the US Top 1000.” I’m a broken record by now, I know. But still I ask … how?
Luna – I have a quiet love of old school amusement parks. (Especially carousels.) Luna has a place in that history, and I love the name as a result. (Which reminds me again: just like Alice and Peter can be deeply meaningful, while still remaining classic popular names are sometimes chosen for very personal reasons, and so the same thinking applies.)
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading and have a great week!
I feel the *exact* same way about Cordelia! What a great name! I thought there was a chance by new niece might be Cordelia, but she turned out to be Cleo!!