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Naming a Child After Your Hero
August 8, 2012
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One
of the things to which the attention of expectant parents inevitably
turns before too many months of pregnancy have passed is the name that
will be given to their child. As the months go by, the need for maternity clothes
arrives, decisions are made about cots, car seats and prams and the
pressure mounts to decide on a name that will identify and define your
child for the rest of their life. It is a big and important task!
A name that is special…
Because
a name is so significant, many parents want their child to have a name
that is special and meaningful. Quite often, children are named after
people respected by their parents and some parents consider names that
honour those that they hold in high esteem -- namely, their heroes.
Names with personal history and tradition…
Within
families, it is quite common for particular naming traditions to be
followed. For example, sons may be named after their fathers, while in
other families, the same letter is used for the names of all children.
If you do have such traditions in your family, be mindful that every
child feels unique and special even if they share a name with someone
else in the family.
Make maternity lists…
This includes lists of maternity dresses,
the items you need for baby’s arrival and, of course, all the jobs you
have to do to prepare to welcome your little one home. Also, list the
names of people you love or want to honour and the names that carry
special meaning for you…
It
is a great idea to write lists of names that you and your partner love
and names that appeal because they have special meaning or honour
someone else. You will probably find that you quite quickly strike
particular names off your list, but also that you will revise, change,
edit and add to your list over time.
Thinking about your heroes…
Children
being named after people that are the heroes of, and much admired by,
their parents are certainly not an uncommon phenomenon. Heroes come in
all sorts of guises and may well be a family member, a friend or some
other ‘everyday’ type person.
But,
the heroes of some people may be characters, musicians, actors,
sportspeople, and so many others that are not known on a personal level.
And, reasonably often, these sorts of heroes have unusual and quite
outlandish names. While there are no official rules for naming a baby,
striking a balance between a safe, pleasant-sounding, traditional name
and a name that is unusual and unique is often a good thing -- but not
necessarily easy to achieve!
Role models and heroes can certainly be a source of inspiration when naming a baby. With the incredible success of the Harry Potter
novels and films, the name Hermione enjoyed a massive spike in
popularity, while a similar effect was seen with the name Isabella,
following the Twilight series.
Both
Hermione and Isabella are perfectly nice and acceptable names, but it
is worth keeping in mind that some names of heroes are controversial and
may not cross cultures very well at all.
Measure your expectations…
Parents
should also think carefully about how the names they choose set up
their own or others’ expectations of their children. Some parents opt to
name their child after a famous sportsperson or film star -- often in
hope that their offspring will enjoy a similar trajectory of fame or
success as the iconic figure. Disappointment sometimes follows when the
child isn’t at all sporty or has no acting talent or star quality.
Having
said this, parents of children who have been named after a person who
is celebrated for good deeds or positive historical importance rarely
regret their decision.
Naming
a child is a very big responsibility and much thought is devoted to the
topic as you wear maternity dresses, read baby books and prepare for
the arrival of your little one. Although it can be special and
significant to name a child after your hero, special care should be
taken to ensure that the selected name is fitting and will not cause
embarrassment, disappointment or hardship for the child as they grow up
and become an adult.
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