What's in a name?
Friday, October 16, 2009 by Palmer Attaway
I have found recently that made up names (of course, they're all made up if you think about it), phonetically spelled names, state names used for people, and last names used as first names
truly unnerve me to my very core. They're everywhere these days. There's a Dakota on the news or a Garminy on a reality show or a Talulla-shay (spelled incorrectly) on a sitcom. They're popping up online now in the strangest places. I read several design blogs. I am an artist after all and an artist needs inspiration... don't give me that look. Any way, I slammed smack into “Saxyn”. That's not a name, it's a people and I'm sure they'd be very angry to find out that they're cultural name has been usurped by an obscenely perky suburbanite mom with a penchant for decorating ideas and odd names.
I have a strange name and some may say that “Palmer” is a last name. In truth, it's a title. The palmer would hoist the sanctified oil on his shoulders for pilgrims in the middle ages and carry these urns to the holy lands. The point is, it has meaning. It has a past. All of the Shaquitas, Bargundys, and Ashawns out there are never going to know the joy of what they're names truly mean because they are meaningless. I love African names... truly African names, not the misprinted, misspelled, and overly abundant false names used with such flair by less than educated teen mothers who just think it sounds cool. NO! I love the culturally significant names purposeful chosen and artfully pronounced. They're beautiful and actually have a meaning in a living culture somewhere in the world. I love the simplicity and understated Asian names and more over, the naming practice of what we would consider “last name first and first name last”. Anglo names, while having a distinct lack of panache, do have meanings and correct spellings, but the names like Jane, Barbara, and Timothy are comparatively rare and I think they need to make a come back.
When you are about to have your child and you consider a baby name book, don't buy it. Simply read some ancient history from your ancestors' part of the world and name your child something significant, powerful, and meaningful. If you hear a name you like, do some hard research into what that name really means and if its modern usage is actually correct. Don't name your kid after a place, drug, or beauty product... you're just asking for your daughters to be strippers. Some common names that are uncommon in today's world would be:
Molly – Irish origin, Latin derivative, meaning “Star of the Sea”
Emily – Latin / Roman origin, has 60 some odd different acceptable spellings most starting with A, means “imitating, rivaling”
Rebecca – Hebrew derivative, meaning “to tie or bind”. Nick name “Becky” or “Becca”
Jennifer – Old Welsh origin, meaning “Smooth”, “Blessed”, or “Fair”. Nick name “Jen” or “Jenny”
Rose – Germanic origin, meaning “Horse” or the more flattering “Fame”.
Margo – Old Greek origin, meaning “Pearl”. English derivative would be Margaret.
Christina – Latin derivative, meaning Christian woman.
Jacob – Hebrew origin, meaning “God will watch” or “ Yahweh will protect”. Nick name “Jake”
Keith – Celtic origin, meaning “a windy place” or “Forest”.
Palmer – Old English origin, meaning “Crusader” or “ Bearer of Palm Oil”
Stephen – Old Greek derivative, meaning “Crowned” or “Royal”. Properly pronounced /Steh-Fin/
David – Hebrew derivative, meaning “Favorite or friend”. Unrecommended nick name “Dave”
Gregory – Old Greek origin, meaning “Vigilant”. Nick name Greg.
Orin – Celtic origin, meaning “Green” or “Sallow”. Thought I would throw an weird one in.
There are so many options that are NOT Dakota or Shartruce. Do your home work and give your kid a meaningful and correctly spelled and pronounced name.
truly unnerve me to my very core. They're everywhere these days. There's a Dakota on the news or a Garminy on a reality show or a Talulla-shay (spelled incorrectly) on a sitcom. They're popping up online now in the strangest places. I read several design blogs. I am an artist after all and an artist needs inspiration... don't give me that look. Any way, I slammed smack into “Saxyn”. That's not a name, it's a people and I'm sure they'd be very angry to find out that they're cultural name has been usurped by an obscenely perky suburbanite mom with a penchant for decorating ideas and odd names. 
I have a strange name and some may say that “Palmer” is a last name. In truth, it's a title. The palmer would hoist the sanctified oil on his shoulders for pilgrims in the middle ages and carry these urns to the holy lands. The point is, it has meaning. It has a past. All of the Shaquitas, Bargundys, and Ashawns out there are never going to know the joy of what they're names truly mean because they are meaningless. I love African names... truly African names, not the misprinted, misspelled, and overly abundant false names used with such flair by less than educated teen mothers who just think it sounds cool. NO! I love the culturally significant names purposeful chosen and artfully pronounced. They're beautiful and actually have a meaning in a living culture somewhere in the world. I love the simplicity and understated Asian names and more over, the naming practice of what we would consider “last name first and first name last”. Anglo names, while having a distinct lack of panache, do have meanings and correct spellings, but the names like Jane, Barbara, and Timothy are comparatively rare and I think they need to make a come back.
When you are about to have your child and you consider a baby name book, don't buy it. Simply read some ancient history from your ancestors' part of the world and name your child something significant, powerful, and meaningful. If you hear a name you like, do some hard research into what that name really means and if its modern usage is actually correct. Don't name your kid after a place, drug, or beauty product... you're just asking for your daughters to be strippers. Some common names that are uncommon in today's world would be:
Molly – Irish origin, Latin derivative, meaning “Star of the Sea”
Emily – Latin / Roman origin, has 60 some odd different acceptable spellings most starting with A, means “imitating, rivaling”
Rebecca – Hebrew derivative, meaning “to tie or bind”. Nick name “Becky” or “Becca”
Jennifer – Old Welsh origin, meaning “Smooth”, “Blessed”, or “Fair”. Nick name “Jen” or “Jenny”
Rose – Germanic origin, meaning “Horse” or the more flattering “Fame”.
Margo – Old Greek origin, meaning “Pearl”. English derivative would be Margaret.
Christina – Latin derivative, meaning Christian woman.
Jacob – Hebrew origin, meaning “God will watch” or “ Yahweh will protect”. Nick name “Jake”
Keith – Celtic origin, meaning “a windy place” or “Forest”.
Palmer – Old English origin, meaning “Crusader” or “ Bearer of Palm Oil”
Stephen – Old Greek derivative, meaning “Crowned” or “Royal”. Properly pronounced /Steh-Fin/
David – Hebrew derivative, meaning “Favorite or friend”. Unrecommended nick name “Dave”
Gregory – Old Greek origin, meaning “Vigilant”. Nick name Greg.
Orin – Celtic origin, meaning “Green” or “Sallow”. Thought I would throw an weird one in.
There are so many options that are NOT Dakota or Shartruce. Do your home work and give your kid a meaningful and correctly spelled and pronounced name.
