Sunday, December 16, 2007

The Name Game

I seriously love names. I love baby names. I'm thinking of every now and then (translation: all.the.time) throwing out a name I've heard somewhere, anywhere and just seeing what you think of it. OK? Anyway, I'm always the one to ask, "What'd they name him/her?" Right away. I always have been like that ever since I was very young. My mother told me I should write for soap operas (I totally would LOVE to) when I was young because I always gave my characters these big, elaborate names. Even my stuffed animals and baby dolls had fancy first and middle names.

Lindsey, Luke and my mom are always telling that I am NOT royalty (says who?) and that my children only need a first middle and last name. I LOVE how princes and princesses have a ton of names. Prince William's full name- His Royal Highness, Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis Windsor of Wales, Prince Harry's is- Prince Henry Charles Albert David Windsor. Princess Caroline of Monaco- Caroline Louise Margurite Prinzessin von Hanover, Erbprizessin von Monaco. Yeah, some of that is just about what she's the princess of or whatever.

I just like so many names and don't want that many kids. My top two girl names are, of course, Isabella, and Julianna. I think. I like so many others. Amelia, Anna, Julia, Corrine, ... Boy names, Luke is the worst at this. I have a great list and he hates them all. Asher, Jonah, Brodie, Holden (he doesn't hate that), Davis, Harry (my dad & paw paw)...

When I got married, or right before I should say, I went a little crazy about the giving up a name thing. The "dropping" a name. I had always said that I would add his name to mine because both my maiden and middle names are a part of me. My middle name is an old family name on my father's side and it's important to me. I was NOT giving up my maiden name. Some people told me, yes they did, that you HAD to give up your middle name. It was, of course, a male. I knew that wasn't true but, how dare they!

Lots of people acted like I was being all "hippy-dippy" when I freaked out and toyed with the idea of not taking his name at all. I decided (pretty quickly) against this because of a lot of reasons but mainly because I knew we'd give out children that last name and I wanted to have the same last name as my children. I told Luke how I felt and even jokingly (kinda) suggested he take MY name. Why not? All of his family was in GA and all of mine are here. We'll be the odd-balls. He was very cute and suggested we become our own last name- "The Jankins." It was very funny.

I added. I'm Kristen Middle Maiden Married. I don't hyphenate. My initials are Kristen Maiden Married (only because I toyed with it and they look the best). On my driver's license and social security cards, all four names appear. I have no problems with that. None.

It took me longer to deal with the Mr & Mrs Luke thing. I specifically asked to be presented at the end of my wedding ceremony as "Luke and Kristen Our-last-name" instead of Mr & Mrs. I had a hard time being Mrs Him after dealing with the whole identity thing of the "dropping" names. I didn't want to drop ME! I didn't want to be Mrs HIM. I think it's because I was very young. I was 22 when i got married but, we were married long before that and maybe I'd felt a little like Mrs Him for long before that. Whatever the reason, I'm fine now. I am not a 1950's wife who signs my name as Mrs Luke Jankins or introduces myself as that but, whatever!

It was also very expected of me to be a Mrs Luke Jenkins in the small southern town that Luke was raised. This town is very behind in it's ways. Everything is proper southern etiquette of old and I mean really old. Things are written in the society pages as so, "Mr & Mrs Luke Jankins visited blah, blah, blah..... Mrs Jankins is the former Kristen Maiden." Isn't that crazy? Ruth is a member of both the DAR and the other one. Whatever the one is for Daughters of the Confederate soldiers. Blacks and whites are still separated. There are proper parties for everything. The scandal is the WORST.

Luke's real name is not Luke but, that's what he's called. He's named after his paternal grandfather so he's the second (II). I get teased because Ruth and I are formally the same name, Mrs Formal Name I and II. That is a huge thing in the small town Luke's from, naming your child something and calling them something else. I'm not talking about a nickname that makes since: Williams being called Will, Katherine being called Kate(ie), Matthew being called Matt. In my husband's nuclear family of 5, only his mom and brother go by their given first names. Sonia (MIL) and Graham (BIL). My FIL is called Russ. His name is John Russell. My SIL is Haley. Her name is Elizabeth Haley-Ruth. I know! Almost all of his friends are like that, too. Neil is really Thomas Neil, Laine is really Mallory Elaina, Blair is Amanda Blair, his aunt Pixie is Jerry Piccola. If you say you like a name for your child, they will ask you what will you call them.

I'm sorry if you've done this with your child. I'm sure you have your reason and that's fine. I just think if you want to call your child Elizabeth, name her Elizabeth. It makes sense to me. If you want to call her HALEY and not Elizabeth and you want to also name her after her grandma Ruth, name her Haley Elizabeth Ruth OR Haley Ruth Elizabeth. Right??? Yeah.

Well, I think that wraps it all up. Tomorrow I'll have some names for you to comment on. Right now, you can just sit back and revel in my craziness.

P.S. Spellcheck hated "Jankins". That's my new last name now, by the way. I'm Shoeaddict Jankins! Nice to meetcha.

Labels: baby names, crazy, life