(no subject)

[kitten-wrangler.livejournal.com]

Heya all....

Wondering what you think of these names. A bit of background first:

I've always considered names to be a reasonably fluid thing, so the SO and I are yet to discuss anything about surnames. It'd be either 3 syllable starting with 'C' (hard) or one syllable starting with 'G' (also hard) or 2 syllable starting with 'R' - for what it's worth. He's a Dutchie/English extract, I'm a French/English extract, and we were tossing up naming possibilities using things such as our common ancestry, favourite poets and writers, things we like, etc etc.

Here's the list :)


FEMALE:
Sunshine Ardeer
Ginifer Albion
Laverton Aircraft
Chelsea Bonbeach
Rosanna Macleod

MALE:
Preston Bell
Clayton Westall
Patterson Bentleigh
Willison Hartwell
Gowrie Fawkner
Croxton Northcote


** I know they're a bit odd at first. But here should be a comment where I've elaborated a bit more on the meaning and personal reasons behind them.

Comments

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

I know where you're coming from. I love unconventional names and my list includes names like Koi, Rhubarb, Crow, Gryphon, and Iorek.

We weirdos have the right to name our children according to our own rules. I was left absolutely SLACK-JAWED when I found out people thought "Apple" was a ridiculous name but didn't have a problem with Amber or Rose. What makes a flower okay but the fruited result of the flower abominable? Is it somehow, subconsciously, too sexual? And I'm the weird one?

BUT. Here is The Thing. As much as we want these quirky names for ourselves (and we, to some large extent, reserve that right), names have the slightly dubious honor of being given to OTHER people — the children in question.

I'd love to think that my DNA is completely, totally, physically unable to produce a REMOTELY conservative or mainstream individual, and I'd love to think that my upbringing will grind home a Magic Schoolbus, Headless Cupid sort of existence. But there are no guarantees. Hippies spawn stockbrokers; politicians raise hermits; performance artists give birth to IRS agents.

If you want to give your kid the name Aircraft, keep in mind that you are doing that for YOURSELF. It's okay. I mean, it's your kid. But that name and virtually all on your list serve you and your desire for quirk (again: totally okay).

Build in a safety net for your child, JUST FOR YOUR CHILD, so that (s)he can make the decision whether to play with people's perceptions or lead a less alliterative, bean-counting existence. Pair a totally off-the-wall first name with a business card appropriate middle name, or vice-versa.

Does it suck that society accepts certain combinations of letters and vowels as Name Appropriate and not others, sometimes seemingly arbitrarily? Sure. But your child WILL be subject to that society, and I think it's only fair to offer the option of both iconoclasm and congruity.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of this. Much more eloquent than my post below.