What were they smoking?: The art of the tasteful hippy name

I am the owner of a boring name. It was the #2 name in the year I came to be and I was always one of several in my school class.  I always wished for something more unique and decided early in life not to bestow such popular names on my own future children. I am the now the proud momma of four lovely little ladies ages 10, 6, 2 and 4 months. So I have given much thought into the naming process over the years.

While I was expecting girl #3 I discovered the joy of on-line chat rooms devoted to nothing but baby names. I was overjoyed and quickly became a regular poster. It was a wonderful way to get honest, unfiltered opinions on our name list. Some of the advice was a touch harsh but I found the raw gut reactions helpful.  There is nowhere else I would find such blatant, unapologetic reactions. Face to face interaction is always confined to the politics of manners but that is not generally the case with the anonymity of the Internet. And of course being the fountain of opinion that I am,  I loved having an outlet from which I could dispense my advice.

Which brings us here where it is my turn to write something. I thought it best to start with a subject personal to me, hippie names. All of my girls have a nature element to their names. When people hear their names I get a variety of responses that range from compliments to a blank stare. My favorite bizarre comment over time has been that my daughter Maya’s name (Maya Sunshine) sounds like a designer strain of Marijuana. I take it all in stride because I love their names and so do they.

My belief is that the key to bridging the gap between a cute palatable hippie name and a oh wow mom and dad must do drugs hippie name is all about balance. Using a more traditional name with a more unusual name  gives a slightly more grounded feel and gives a name options for professional use later in life if needed. Take my daughter’s name for example, had I combined Sunshine with another hippie name like say Summer Sunshine or Aura Sunshine it may have become too much for the general population.  If perhaps you are very attached to the literal meaning or visual imagery of a name I recommend doing some  research for names with a similar meaning. A name like Sunny Sky may seem like a lovely name for a child now but as an adult it may be a touch juvenile. But if you went with something like Aurelia (meaning golden) Sky it becomes more versatile and appealing to a broader spectrum. Of course matters of acceptability and what is too much are purely subjective. I truly believe that no parent sets out to create a name that anyone find silly or bizarre.

Another recommendation is to test drive a name by introducing yourself by the name you are considering. If you cannot tell the guy at the quick change oil that your name is Atomic Angel without feeling a little goofy that is a good indicator that a child with that name may feel the same someday.

Always bear in mind that regardless of the lifestyle the parents have chosen the child could grow up to be different. Despite all my objections and motherly guidance my little Maya Sunshine may grow up to be an ultra conservative woman who thinks mom is a crackpot. In that case she can just go with Maya S on her business card and thank her lucky stars that I did not name her Sunshine Daydream instead.

July: Render Unto Caesar

Searching for the perfect name for your baby due in July? You don’t need to look any farther than the name of the month itself! July was named for Julius Caesar, and has several related names that would be suitable for any son or daughter.

If you aren’t looking to honor Julius Caesar, you can of course look in other directions. The flower for the month of July is the Larkspur, and the gemstones associated with the month are the Ruby and the Onyx. The term Larkspur is use to refer to two related flowers, Consilda and Delphinium, and there are several related names that are similar sounding. Ruby can be used a name on it’s own for a little girl, or as a nickname for Reuben. The stone received it’s name from the Latin word ruber, meaning “red”, and there are multiple names with “red” meanings.

Gemstones often have special meanings associated with them as well. The Ruby, for example, is said to represent peace, contentment, love, friendship, and royalty. The Onyx is supposed to bring happiness and protection. Any name with one of these meanings would be suitable for a child as well.

For American’s, the month of July is most noteably associated with Independence Day. You could go ultra-patriotic and name your child America, Liberty, or Justice. Or, if you’re looking for a more subtle way to honor the founding of your country- what about Betsy (for Betsy Ross) or George (for George Washington) or any of the names associated with the founding fathers?

Still stuck? It might help you to know that July is national Family Reunion Month. Maybe it’s time to dust off the family tree and see if any names jump out at you. If you don’t have a family tree, maybe some of these turn-of-the-century classics will work.

Expanding Your Inspiration: Saints’ Names

You do not have to be religious to choose a saints’ name for your child. Many of the saints have a history anyone can appreciate, a history of bravery, ethical fortitude and above all – some really cool names. I am going to be writing a regular piece on using criteria to craft a name you might never have thought of before, and I’m starting with the one of the pieces of my naming rubric: saints’ names, in whole or in part.

St. Lucy of Syracuse – alternate names, St. Lucia, St. Lukia – legend has it she committed herself to God and refused to marry a pagan. When pressed, she prayed to God and became immovable, the pagan would-be-husband tried to have her burned, and then stabbed, and finally had her eyes gouged out. She remained true to her pledge and herself and has been venerated in nearly every Christian society. Lucy, Lucia or other names associated with her sad tale would make fantastic names.  Possible nicknames include LuLu or Lucy from Lucia

St. Lawrence Justinian – left a fairly comfortable life and a future marriage to work for a religious order. He begged for the poor, held several administrative positions and then became a bishop. He wrote extensively on contemplative matters. Possible names include Lawrence, Justinian, Justin, Justus and Lorenzo and possible nn Larry. I know Larry might seem terribly out-of-touch, but I foresee a re-branding of 50s and 60s names as the next big thing, and Larry would seem very cutting edge.

St. Lydia Purpuraria – St. Lydia was St. Paul’s first known convert. She was a businesswoman who made purple (read: couture) garments for the extremely wealthy. She gladly invited the forefathers of the early church into her home, showing not just a head for business, but hospitality as well. Lydia would make a lovely name nn Lydie or Porfirio for a boy – it means “purple”

St. Louis Bertram – St. Louis (Lou-iss or Lou-ee) was a teacher, determined to follow the faith from a  young age.  St. Louis trained preachers in their vocation and showed mercy and care to plague victims in 1557. In addition, he survived an attempted murder by S. American shamans. He was very successful as a preacher, it is said that he witnessed 15,000 converts. Possible names are Louis, Bertram, Dominic (he was a Dominican), with nn Lou, Bertie, Dom. The names in their entirety, though, are incredibly handsome and would make stately names for any child.

These are just a random sample of the “L” names you might add to your inspiration – names with stories, history, but that will either fit in with current naming trends (as with Lucy) or take us into the future (Larry, Louis) and seem at once familiar and new (Lydia, Lawrence). A1

Launch Date

We are in the process of writing and compiling our thoughts. Please look for our first official post on 4 July 2008!

The Fredders