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Once You Go Unique, Is There No Going Back?
| 24 April 2010 | Filed under Baby Names, Boy Names, Girl Names, Questions & Mysteries, Unique Baby Names |
Echo has four siblings: Clint (for Clint Eastwood), Milo, Disney (in tribute to Disney films) and Dali (after Salvador Dalí).
She’s also a mom. Her two children are Pharrell and Lovella. She says, “I had to carry on the tradition of unusual names–and I’m sure the rest of my family will do the same.”
Her comment made me curious. Are adults who grew up surrounded by unique names more likely to give their own children unique names?
Here are a couple of case studies:
- Frank Zappa’s four children are Moon, Dweezil, Ahmet (after Ahmet Ertegun) and Diva. His grandkids are Mathilda, Zola and Ceylon.
- Joaquin Phoenix’s sisters and (late) brother are River, Rain, Liberty and Summer. His nieces and nephews are Jonas, Rio, Indigo, Scarlette, Indiana and Atticus.
What are your thoughts?
Source: What’s in a name? Ask the Beavers
I’ve known people who went both ways. I guess it depends on how you’ve come to feel about your own unique name over the years!
I had a fairly unusual name (nothing too crazy) and I enjoyed having it. I would want the same for my kids.
I have a name that very much dates me, so when it came time to name my own children, I gravitated towards names that seemed to me were classic and timeless (which I must say seems to be easier for boy names than girl names).
I agree, it probably depends on how the parent felt about their own name growing up and whether or not they can get the other parent on board!
Since names have a tendency to reflect the parents more than the child, I think it makes perfectly good sense that if parents are enamored of their unique names, they will tend to give their children unique names. I think what we might be experiencing right now are a lot of folks who hate their boring names and as a result are giving their children the names they would really like to have. You know what my advice would be! Go ahead and give your child a unique name…and then consider your own name. It’s not the end of the world to change it. Great post!
My sister has an unusual, creative name. Her children have names that were in the top 10 for the years they were born.
I think it may have also to do with whether you’re a celebrity or not. :-)
My parents gave both of us-my brother and I- unusual names. They aren’t ranked, not by a long shot and are sometimes unknown to popular baby name websites.
My name “Damali” means “beautiful vision” was chosen by my mother.
My brother’s name “Runako” means “handsome” chosen by my father.
My name is more known than my brother’s. He ran into another Runako for the first time when he was in his twenties on a basketball court. Somebody said ” Hey Runako!” They both looked at the same time and then looked at each other and said ” You’re Runako? I’m Runako!” It was the first time for both of them and they had a moment.
Joaquin Phoenix: formerly known as Leaf.