What's in a name?

What is in name? Everything. Your name is your identification.

My son was almost given the middle name Ferdinand. Don't laugh - it was my dad's middle name. He was a good German, alright.

My husband was joking before Jordan was born that we should name him Ferdinand - he pulled that name from the sky not knowing that was part of my dad's name. When he blurted his name choice out and began laughing, I hit him as hard as I could in the side as we were with my dad at the time. But thankfully, my dad was hard of hearing and didn't hear the joke. My husband nearly died when I told him Ferdinand was my dad's name!

Instead of Ferdinand for a middle name, we settled on Richard - better yet, as it was my dad's first name.

When our second son was born we considered putting together the names of his other two grandpas for his middle name - Royd - a combination of Roger and Floyd but as we tossed it around we thought maybe it was a little too creative. We settled on Austin Floyd - great-grandpa Floyd died three weeks before our son was born. Marissa suggested taking that even further - she was only 3 at the time he was born but suggested we name her brother "Grandpa Floyd." Can you imagine calling a 1 year old Grandpa?!

Marissa was given my sister's first name - Sue - and Meghan was given my middle name - Anne.

I came across a website that lists real and unusual names that parents have used. Check these names out: Paige Turner, Marsha Mellow, Noah Zark, Ella Funt, Mary Chris Smith and Wayne Dwopp. Barb B. Cue, Barb D. Wire, Bea Sting, Candi Dish, Bell E. Flopp.

These names perhaps gave the bearers some problems in their lives: Al K. Holic, Kitty Litter and Igotta Gobad.

Some parents, I believe, thought they were being "cute" by selecting names that fit with their last names. Some of the names I discovered surely must have brought snickers from the people who they associated with. I wonder, if some of these people with these unusual names regretted their names or resented their parents for being too creative. Maybe they found humor and were glad for a name that people would surely remember them by.

It is a big responsibility, selecting a name for a child, something they have to live with all their lives. I wonder if Barry D. Hatchett did just that rather than argue about the name his parents selected for him.

* Lorri Glawe is a member of the Pilot news staff. Reach the columnist at lglawe@stormlakepilottribune.com