What’s in a Name?
When Southerners are expecting a child, many of the first questions that come to mind are related to what said child will be named. Now, keep in mind, there is a difference in what the child may be named and what the child may be called, but regardless, here are some examples of the top questions that usually come up:
Will the name be a family name? There are many seniors, juniors, thirds, fourths, and even fifths around here. Five is a far as I’ve personally seen the names stretch, but I’m sure somewhere around the Mississippi Delta there’s a William the Seventh gaining on old Henry the Eighth. This also leads to expansive creativity, so family members and friends are not confused when speaking to the child or of the child. For example, I have married into a family of three Nathaniels. We refer to them as Big Nat, Brother Nat, and Natty of course. My own brother is named Ronald Victor Johnson, Junior. My mother was concerned with her choices for her first born child, so after much thought, she found the name Tory out of what she had to work with (thank goodness). And finally, when a friend of mine decided their son would be the fifth Thomas of the family, they thought outside the box and settled on “Quinn.” Plus, no one can really give you a hard time if it’s a family name. Pretty much anything can slide by. The same could be said for the next question.
Will the name be biblical? We all know the South is full of churches and God fearing church goers. They don’t call it the Bible Belt for nothing. In my opinion, there are only two reasons Southerners pick a name from the Good Book. Number one is because they have a very strong Christian faith, and number two is because any horrible name is excusable. Can’t you just see two little old ladies talking about a family and a terrible name they chose?
“Karen, have you heard? The Millers named their baby Zebadiah?”
“What on Earth? Why in heaven’s name would they do that to that poor child?”
“Well, it is from the Bible you know.”
“Oh, of course I know! He’ll make do. Maybe he’ll just go by Zeb. That would be better.”
*Please note, an exception to this rule would be naming your daughter Jezebel. I do not advise doing that.
What will the monogram look like? You may think I’m kidding about this one, but I most certainly am not. I know plenty of women who have decided on a name then went to the linen store to have pillows or baby blankets monogramed only to realize a change had to be made immediately. For example, I know a woman who had decided to name her daughter Elizabeth Kathleen Locke. This would have left her with monogrammed pillows spelling ELK, since the last name on most monograms goes in the middle. Now, she loved nature, but not that much. So, she eventually took Kathleen out and replaced it with Lane right then and there in front of the three ring binder full of font choices. And since Southerners monogram everything, I do not blame her. Who would want to be stuck with ELK until they married? And, who knows, maybe she never marries and is stuck with ELK for the rest of her life? Also, consider if there was someone driving around South Alabama with the name Diane Isabelle Underwood who decided to put one of those monogram stickers on the back of her car. She’d be pulled over every day with the car equivalent of a tramp stamp of DUI. She probably would have married the first guy who gave her a chance just to change up those initials. The point is, monograms can make or break a name choice in a heartbeat.
Will they have a double name or a single name? I have realized that the closer one gets to the Mississippi River, the more names they seem to have. Double names are extremely common in the South and especially in the Delta. Usually a Mary will always be followed by a maiden name of some sort. Some examples would be Mary Wade or Mary Thompson. I first realized the complexities of double names in college on the first day of every class at the beginning of each semester at Ole Miss. You see, it never failed to happen. On the first day, the entire hour or ninety minutes of class would be spent simply going through the roster. There would be a Mary Elizabeth or three, Ann Oliver, William Joseph, Joseph Edward, and so on. It wasn’t the roster that took so long, but the interrupting of the professor. After each name was called, a student would raise their hand and give the professor the correct name they would answer to, and he or she would then take the time to pencil it in beside the name printed on the official list. In the case of the previous examples Mary Elizabeth would be Mary Liz or Mary Beth, Ann Oliver would be Annie-O, William Joseph would be Bill Joe, and Joseph Edward would obviously be Joe Ed. And yes, I did have friends in college named Bill Joe and Joe Ed- and they were great.
So, in closing, when you hear people’s final name choice for their child, think about these questions they had to go through before getting to the final decision. And even if you don’t like it, think to yourself before giving your opinion: maybe it’s a family name? Is it biblical? And if you’re looking for a gift idea… may I suggest something monogrammed?
One of my favorite places to monogram things in my hometown is Monogram Magic of Jackson, Mississippi. It’s been around forever and is probably the first place I ever saw something monogrammed (if I had to guess). Click here to see all the beautiful things they can do.
I am obsessed with the monogrammed glassware from Hive Porcelain of Gastonia, North Carolina. Their things are just beautiful. Click here to take a look at all the amazing options they have to offer.
The Pink Giraffe out of Goodletsville, Tennessee, monograms just about anything. From burp cloths to acrylics- they’ve got you covered.
How beautiful is this monogrammed tray from Sew What Gifts of Brentwood, Tennessee? The have an assortment of accessories for the perfect gift of any age.