Handles

Ok, notwithstanding all the crazy things happening in the world even as I type this, I've decided to break from my brilliant political insight and personal introspection for a while and talk about kids' names. Regardless of Shakespeare's stuffy opinion ("What's in a name? A rose by any other name would be just as sweet"), a name is incredibly important. It can have deep religious meaning or family significance. It can be ugly or it might sound bad with the last name. In any case, it'll be with the kid forever so you'd better do a darn good job of picking it out.

Now I know most of this discussion is meaningless unless people are planning to have kids, upon whom they may then bequeath the names they've long toiled to assemble. Obviously my theoretical husband will help me decide on names for our theoretical children. But I do realize that a) I don't have any kids; b) I don't have a husband; and c) I don't have a boyfriend or anyone who, as far as I can tell, may soon become my husband. So this exercise is kind of pointless because I won't be having any kids until I'm married and, from my survey of the current pond, not many fishes seem promising to fulfill that prerequisite.

Anyways, lots of famous people seem to delight in giving their children unique (read: cruel and unusual) titles. Examples include Apple, Phoenix, Rocco, Scout, Lennon and Kyd. Now we all know celebrities can't do anything un-cool but these names are just weird.

Most of the names I like tend towards the less usual side as well...they are cool but maybe only for middle names, because I don't want to scar my children. Seriously, a girl named Apple, no matter how cool her parents may be (her dad is Chris Martin, her mom is Gwyneth Paltrow), is going to have self esteem problems for her entire life. It's been shown that strange/exotic names go hand-in-hand with underdeveloped social skills.

I really like the name Cadence for a girl, but I really don't know if that's too weird. Is it? I totally made it up on my own but I've also seen it other places. I thought maybe I could call her Cady for short -- that's cute and normal-sounding. Also I think Liberty is a good middle name. It could go along with Cadence...Cadence Liberty. And Audrey? It's kind of old-fashioned. You could put it with lots of middle names: Audrey Rose, Audrey Christine, Audrey Michelle, Audrey Jane. I have a great-aunt named Jane. I think I like Audrey Jane.

I haven't thought much about boys' names except that I like August...once again, probably for a middle name. August was a great-grampa (I think) of mine who I never met but I like his name. I don't know why I don't really think about boys' names. Maybe it's a premonition that I won't have any boys. But I think I would go crazy if I only had girls. I like Wayne, maybe for a middle name. I guess I'd start better thinking up some first names. Here are some other names I like...feel free to add your own! It's always fun to hear what other people like (or have already named their own kids). And you can vote on the name combinations I've mentioned. :)

First names: Joey (a nickname for Joseph), Seth, Chloe, James, Dakota

More middle names: Macy, Jean, Britta (a family name), Courtney, Brooklyn, Esther, Ivy, Renee