Lynn Ruth Miller on the tough game of naming
What’s in a name
We aren’t naming our babies George anymore. Evidently, parents don’t want to saddle their children with names that imply delusions of royalty. Instead of naming our little boys nice solid names like George, William or Harry, we are turning to something more exotic like Mohammed, or Elijah. I think that is a huge mistake. A very young child can manage to spell George or Harry easily enough, but what is he to do when he has to remember how many em’s, and where the a’s and the e’s go in a name like Mohammed? The challenge is even greater for the little guy if his parents go further and opt for Ibrahim or Corinthian.
Girls fare no better with the top name of the year: Sophia. You have to be pretty mature to understand that p and h together make f. And worse, the i in that name sounds like an e. That is a lot of remembering to expect from a little 4-year-old maiden trying to spell her name for her teacher.
The truth is that simple names sound much more solid and reliable. You can trust a guy named Bill and you KNOW you can count on a Jane or a Mary. I have found that people often adopt the characteristics implied by their names. If I have a friend named Lucretia, I know she is going to be all over the place with so many syllables and letter combinations … a frivolous, unreliable person who forces you to think before you address an email to her.
“Kate and William had the right idea when they christened their little prince”
I personally love the name George, and I think Kate and William had the right idea when they christened their little prince. When I envision a George, I see a no frills, honest, down-to-earth guy I can trust; just the kind of qualities women look for in a partner, and bosses want in their interns. No doubt about it, you name your child George and everyone will believe in his integrity and look up to him before they even meet him. A name like George reeks of authority. It gives you a feeling of security. A guy named George could very well end up a king. Mohammed, or Elijah? Perhaps not so much.
“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
– William Shakespeare
