How did you find the right name for your child?

[Mahogany Momma]

I thought this was a great topic to share with the group, get us all thinking about our pregnancies and such. So, how did you come up with the name for your kids? Do tell...

I will start by sharing my story. Umm well why my son's father and I found out we were having a boy, it was very important to him that we find a name that really meant something. He strongly believes that a name dictates not only your personality, but your life. He wanted to find a name that was all about wealth, power, and strength. I'm not quite sure what I personally wanted but I was always clear on what I didn't want. Like when he thought it would be a good idea to name him 'The Greatest Unknown.' - Yeah, I vetoed that one right away, but it was always funny to think about it. Sooo well, at some point I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and rushed to the hospital for having way to high sugar levels. During a very stressful week there, my many mothers would call and read bible verses with me. It was during that time that I found 'Eden' and thought it would be the perfect name. Of course his dad hated it. Well one night I woke up and in a flash it came to me, let's use Eden as his middle name, his last name will be Ottley, so if we could find a first name that started with 'C' his initials would be 'C.E.O.'. When I told his dad my idea, the first C name that came to mind was Christopher, and so his name was created, Christopher Eden Ottley - a.k.a. C.E.O.. Christopher means of God, Eden means pleasant, and well CEO just about covers all the wealth and power that his father was hoping for. Strangely enough he is just that. Every one comments that he is such a pleasant baby, with such a strong spiritualness around him. So many random people have come up to us, looked at him and said that boy has something special about him, he is blessed. And to top it all off, he is quite a busy baby. From birth he's been in more meetings, on more airplanes, and outside more than his father and I put together. So I guess he is a business baby in training. LOL. Well long story long, I think his name is such a strong part of who he is and I love it.

Alright, that's the end of my story. I would love to hear yours.

[Ms. J]

lol i love it!! i didn't know what i was having until she popped out. i had been wishing for a boy the whole 9 months, so i didn't even consider any girl names. the nurse told me i was having a boy at two ultra sound visits. so when she got here, she ended up with my middle name as her first name, and my mothers middle name as her middle name. the middle name was easy because i knew i wanted to honor my mother who had passed away 2 years prior, in some way.

[Mahogany Momma]

I thought about adding my dad's name as his middle name, like you did. My dad passed aways some time ago too. But my sister used it for her son's middle name and he was born before my son.

It's so weird how ultrasounds some times come out wrong.
-lh

[Mahogany Momma]

Aww, that's interesting. I like the name Ivy, I think it's short and sweet.
-lh

[HBCUkidz]

Beautiful testimonies to the power of a name!

I am big on family heritage and being connected to one's ancestry. My names were chosen to incorporate my dad (his only child) and my mom's mother (who predicted in a letter written to my mom shortly before her death that my parents would marry and I would be born). Joan Estelle. So I wanted to carry the legacy forward when I found out I was carrying a girl. My co-workers at my job came up with a technique of taking my first and middle name and combining it with my husband's first and middle name. So we brainstormed a list of about 25+ combinations (I still keep the list in her scrapbook). I shared it with my husband (Thomas) and we decided on Tomeara Jeanelle. His mom's name is Jean and my mom's name Vernelle. When I delivered her sister 13 months later, we just went back to our list of names and picked one which used my Grandmother's name. Toleah Estelle. So we teach them that they represent a combination of rich ancestry full of love and hope for a brighter future and through the combinations generation upon generation...they have arrived as that bright future. They love their names and do not allow people to mispronounce nor misspell. They began trying to write their names at age 2 and 3. They are now 4 and 5 and love to tell the story of how they were named in honor of many great people who are now in heaven.

[Mahogany Momma]

I love it, that is definitely a creative and ancestrally respectful way to create your children's names. Very nice.
-lh

[Michelle Cobbs]

Well, ever since I was a young girl I would always say that if I had children my first son would be named after his father period. My first son is name after has father which is something special because he is the fourth generation with his first name, He is also nameed after his great-great grandmother as well as a tribute to her since she passed 1 week before my son was born.

My second son was name after me, his late uncle and my father. I knew his name would be the boy version of my name without question, since I did not know my father because he passed away the day my mom came home from the hospital with me I wanted one of my sons middle names to be has middle name.

So the end result is my sons both have 4 names, first, 2 middle names and last. Its a great conversation piece explaining how they were named.

Michelle

[Mahogany Momma]

I think its also great that their names are link to so many generations passed. Truly the best ways to stay connected with your roots.

[Donna]

I love the name Eden. It took a really long time for my husband and I to decide on a name for our son simply because for us, deciding on a name was a huge responsibility. Our struggle was that we wanted to give our son a name that was worthy of him but we also wanted the name to be free of any social stereotypes. We'd read all those studies about the implications behind names so our number one priority was finding a name that wouldn't automatically put him in the "you are black" resume pile.

Anyway, long story short, my husband called me at work one day and said, " How about Langston?" Up until that point, I had vetoed every name that he had come up with simply because I felt he wasn't taking the naming process as seriously as I was. He audits doctors offices for a living and everyday he'd call me with a name he read in some child's file--names like Neptune and Wednesday. No offense if those names belong to someone's child on this site. :-)

Anyway, once I heard the name "Langston" I knew it was for my son. His first name is "Andrew"--because that's what I had started calling him from day one since I was convinced from the start that he was a boy and his middle name is "Langston" in honor of one of the greatest African American writers ever--Mr. Langston Hughes.

He's ten months now and I think "Andrew Langston" fits him to a tee.

[Mahogany Momma]

I love it, it sounds so offical :) Andrew Langston, that boy better be a lawyer or some big tycoon with a name like that, skys the limit!

[S. Johnston]

I wanted to make sure that everything that happened in the next nine months would be in accordance with God's will. I was already a bit down because my son was conceived out of wedlock. I felt I was a disappointment to God. I'd allowed my flesh to take over my spirituality.

I prayed for God's guidance and two days later had a dream in which I was sitting in a beautiful garden on a stone bench. In front of me was a man in a long white robe with a white beard and kind face. I was explaining to him all of the plans I had and things that I wanted to accomplish in my life. I was trying to give the man reasons why I wasn't sure God had the right one or timing in me as a mother. His answer to me was still poignant. It was "Who are you to dictate your life to God?" I put my head down in shame and knew immediately that God was still in control and that this child's arrival was part of a purpose greater than any I could realize. The man continued to explain that this had been prepared even before I was a thought in my mother's head. When I awoke, the dream held comfort for me.

Later, when trying to think of the baby's name, I was sitting at my desk at work when the name "Kinley" popped in my head. It was almost a voice. I even said "McKinley?" and heard again "Kinley". I looked the name up online and discovered that Kinley" means "In the King's meadow" or "In the Royal Garden". I started praising immediately.

Kinley's middle name is Edward. It was the middle name of a dear friend of mine who was killed in a car accident in 2004. Because we were so close and because I loved him so much I chose to honor him with his name being carried on. Upon researching "Edward" I discovered it meant "guardian of prosperity, guardian of the mists".. So Kinley Edward means guardian of prosperity in the King's meadow or in the royal garden".

Kinley Edward Johnston

[Sortura]

Well when I found out we were having a boy I told my husband I wanted to name him after him. Daniel Joseph it is a stronge bibilical name. Daniel was an interpreter of dreams but the hebrew meaning is "My judge is the Lord" and Joseph "God will increase".

When I found out I was having a second baby my son was about 7 or 8 months old I was like OMG! When I found out it was a girl I was like thank you Jesus I am done. We named her Camille Anaya Mei. Camille "Perfect, Pure" Anaya"Look to God" Mei"Beautiful".

Along with finding names with meaning I wanted it to look good on paper

[Sanpri]

We named our son David Anthony---David after my husband's dad, Anthony after my father. We love the name because it pays hommage to two great men in our lives, it sounds like royalty, and I love the story of David. He was not a perfect man, but he held the favor of God, even though he sinned(he had an afair and plotted to have a man killed). But he was a mighty warrior and a wise king, and most of all, he loved God and always sought after him through every situation. I hope to share the story of David with my son one day.