Where did the weekend go? We threw a big surprise birthday party for my mom, which was all kinds of fabulous. But we’d originally planned for an outdoors, sort of spring picnic kind of vibe. Instead there was enough snow that one of our aunts had to cancel, and we definitely spent the entire event indoors!
Nevermind – it was still all sorts of fun, even if it was different than I’d imagined. Especially because surprising your mother is super difficult, especially when it involves having your 4 and 2 year old nephews keep a secret for weeks even though they see their grandmother every few days. They did great!
Now, on to the name news:
- Welcome to the world, Frederica! Gorgeous name. Congrats to Filipa and her family.
- I could probably name three or four children using this technique.
- So excited to read Duana’s new book! Soon, American readers, soon.
- My new favorite name that’s big elsewhere, unknown in the US? Venla. Definitely Venla.
- Variations of Pearl. No, make that Perle. I’m captivated by Griet.
- This quote! The number one thing that made naming our baby difficult also happened to be the best decision of my life: I got married. Readers, I adore my husband. But our taste in names is very, very different, so I completely understand how Katherine feels.
- I love this list from Sophie, but I still feel like formal names have their place. I’d rather be Patricia called Pixie than just Pixie.
- Given names in American Sign Language – a fascinating read.
- Wise words on what middle names can – and cannot – do.
- Nicely done, Alice, Kim, Theresa, and Vivian. (Found via Name News on Scoop.it.)
- Is this Duana’s Best Answer Ever? I think it might be …
That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
When I was in high school, a deaf peer gave me a name sign. As I went to college and studied ASL to become an interpreter, a deaf professor chased me down in the hall one day and signed, “Your name is now *new sign*.” And so it was. Professionally, that became my name sign, and all my deaf friends only called me that. It was the most bizarre experience to have someone not related to me give me a permanent name. It made me wonder if that’s how my ancestors felt at Ellis Island.