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Why Parents Give Kids Funny Names

11/4/09 at 08:45 am | No Comments

by Hay House

“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.”

 — Chinese Proverb

I had to laugh when I read Russell Grant’s Zodiac Baby Names. In it, Russell warns us to take great care when we name our children . . .  and try to avoid doing so on a whim. It is a name, he says, after all, that will brand your little ones through eternity. Often when I’m introduced to someone who bears the name of a Woodstock band, a vintage automobile, or a Star Trek character, I have a pretty good idea of where he’s coming from!

I, too, had a few close calls in the name game when I was born. My parents have been avid movie fans since I can remember. And each time my mother fervently watched a new Hollywood melodrama, another potential name for their forthcoming bundle of joy was in the running. When handsome drifter William Holden swept small town girl Kim Novak off her feet during a Labor Day festival in Picnic, my mother wanted her new daughter to be called “Kim.”

Soon after, my mom was simply enraptured by a film featuring one of her favorite actresses. In it, a window dresser falls in love with a statue of the goddess Venus—which magically comes to life as Ava Gardner. I certainly could have survived being named after this stunning starlet. But no, Mom was convinced that I should be her little “Venus”!

Oh my! It’s a good thing that Mom was ultimately mesmerized by another film classic From Here to Eternity, particularly on the night of the Academy Awards when the Best Supporting Actress Oscar was won by Donna Reed!

I can’t say that I blame my parents for following their passions and traditions when it came time to name their heirs. My dad is a staunch Italian family man who declared early on that any male offspring would bear his name and carry the middle name of one of his parents. Most members of my dad’s side of the family have the same names, which makes it near impossible to get anyone’s attention at a family gathering! Dad went by his nickname “Jim” so often that I didn’t know his real name was “Vincent” until I had to fill out paperwork for college!

My mom, on the other hand, was named after her mother, Josephine. Enough said!

Or so I thought. After reading Russell’s book I see why my mom always disliked her name. It robbed her of any identity of her own. Who knew that her deepest desire was to be dubbed with a name of distinction, uniqueness, and star quality—like Venus!

So on behalf of Chastity Bono, Moon Unit Zappa, Ireland Baldwin, Scout and Rumer Willis, Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette, Kyd Duchovny, Sonnet, True, and Ocean Whitaker: If you have little ones on the way, you can read Russell’s Zodiac Baby Names to enrich their spirit and earmark their originality with an empowering name.

This could make the difference when your youngster becomes the next compassionate leader of nations, the future astute entrepreneur of a multimillion dollar business or the soon-to-be resentful holder of the keys to your future nursing home.

Something I Didn’t Know…

The 10 most popular baby names for 2009:

Boys: Ethan, Noah, Jacob, Aiden, Logan, Jackson, Jack, Ryan, Matthew, Jayden

Girls:  Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Sophia, Madison, Chloe, Abigail, Addison, Emily

The 10 most popular baby names in 1956:

Boys: Michael, James, Robert, David, John, William, Richard, Mark, Thomas, Steven

Girls: Mary, Debra, Linda, Deborah, Susan, Patricia, Karen, Cynthia, Barbara, Donna

Look up the popular names in the year you were born: Click Here 

Best Thing I Read Last Night:

In the late 60s, two researchers conducted a study to see if a child’s name could affect the way a child performs in school. They gave 80 experienced teachers eight essays—four written by girls and four by boys—and asked the teachers to mark them. The essays were all of roughly the same quality. The only identification on them was a first name and bogus last initial. The boys’ names used were David, Elmer, Huber, and Michael. The girls’ names used were Adelle, Bertha, Karen, and Lisa.

They discovered that the most popular boy’s name (David) earned the highest grades. They also found that the girl’s name Adelle—associated with a scholarly stereotype—scored the best. Bertha and Hubert received the lowest grades. Hmm.

FILED UNDER: RUSSELL GRANT, BABY NAMES, CELEBRITY BABY NAMES, ASTROLOGY

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