baby names...
naming a child or even naming a dog should take a little thought
and maybe.... just maybe.... a little web searching

how important is a name?
does the name make the person or does the person make the name?


"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet."

--William Shakespeare From Romeo and Juliet
significant or insignificant?
how has your name effected the development of you and your "self?"

perhaps we should reference the Shel Silverstein song made famous by Johnny Cash; A Boy Named Sue
or
maybe we can just look back at our grade school years and reflect on how children responded to common names and how children responded to unusual names....
I do recall there was always a slight bond with any other child that I happened to meet that shared my name

in this day and age the naming has grown to be more and more obscure
or at least the common names have grown to be more and more obscure

everyone has a story or a reason why they have selected a certain name for their child
as for me.... well... I went through a list of names

go to the toddler park and scream out in a friendly parental way, "Madison" then wait... try "Zoe" then wait... then "Aiden" and then try "Jackson"
more than likely you will attract 95% of the kids in the park

check this list Babycenter.com's top 100 names for 2004
here is a short list from the Social Security offices

funny to see a name like Madison hit the top 100 list for girl's name...
What is the first recorded usage of Madison as a first name for a women on record?
Daryll Hannah's mermaid character in the movie SPLASH!
yes, a cute name... but a name that is turning out to be less than unusual
I anticpate my sons to be having crushes and dates with all sorts of Zoes, Madisons, McKenzies... when they get older

the whole naming issue can be funny...
a parent does their best to seek out a name that is unusual, strong, independent, and cool

for girls this can be difficult
as many women in different aspects of the "adult industry" have gone through a self re-naming process where they went through that same set of ideas for their new and improved name...
so when the mom's name their daughter Aspen, Jade, Ashley, or Jenna.... why don't their husbands speak up and tell them that the porn they just downloaded showed doing some Kama Sutra with the football team as she answered to that unusual, strong, independent, and cool name

boys are a little easier...
but I do find that there are some geeky couples giving their kids names that may be stronger than they can hold
not sure if my sons would want the pressure of living up to Laird, Zeus, or Thor
okay... I have not met any Zeus' out there
and Laird and Thor are fine names... but not if you are going to raise a skinny little book worm like yourself!

there can also be nicknames...
there can be pet names...
perhaps these will grow into the real name
as people intentionally have a "third/III" so that their child can be called Tre or Tripper (for triple_

when naming my two sons I went through this little process with my wife
we each had a list of favorites
we shared our lists
we canceled names off each others lists
then finally we came down to a few names.... and that is what we ended up with
names that we hope do not hit the top 100 for at least the next few years

for me I was concious of the names I gave to my two sons....
in the same what I was concious how I named my two dogs

people respond to the name
although it does not define them... it does label them
I wanted my children and my dogs to wear a label that they would enjoy
and
a label that would hopefully suit them

but in the same respect I did not give them a name that I thought would be fitting of a pro snowboarder or even a future cyclist....


to all who named their children names that were listed in my short list of names that have become of too common
my apologise
I know many wonderful little Jacksons and Zoes
Jackson was a name that we had considered

it boggles the mind how there could be these naming streams of conciousness
that girls could turn to women carrying a piece of paper in their perverbial pocket with that one perfect name that they had kept a secret
that name that they did not even share with their best friend as they knew that if their best friend were to have a child first they would steal that name

okay
this rant has wandered and rambled enough
to give cyclists that one little cyclist tangent....
as if being Eddy Merckx's son is not enough pressure... but to name him Axle
well...
last year at the Olympics he lived up to his name
did the name add additional pressure?
I think not.... the pressure was their at birth... before ink on the birth certificate was dry
there was pressure for him to reach for greatness on the bike
the name is just a name

so that is how I will close....

the name is just a name

with that said.... how can I change my name?