What's In a Name

So, Jade asked a question over at her blog about names.  Not any name.  Yours.  Mine.  Whatever.  She specifically asks:


What’s in a name?
What does your name mean to you and do you think it shapes who you are?


I'm always game for a challenge.  But I never really thought about this question before.  I have thought endlessly about baby names.  We have three girls.  I didn't want too "girlie" of a name for them as I'm not a girlie person and I couldn't see me having to call one of my kids Olivia or Emily.  Not that those are really girlie names, but to me they exuded, unattached to a face, a girl in a ruffled dress not wanting to get dirty.  I grew up a sort of a tomboy.  I was always trying to keep up with my brother.  I didn't want to be girlie.  Boys names were harder.  It's good we didn't have one.  If he did have a boy I wanted a traditional name but not one that would be shortened with a 'Y' on the end, like Mikey or Billy or Tommy.  For me it seemed that the juvenile version of Michael, William, Thomas would be hard to outgrow.  T's name is that way.  And since I've know him since I was 13, my parents still on occasion call him by that version of his name.  It drives me crazy, but he doesn't seem to mind.  
But back to me.  Kirsten.  I've always liked my name even if I constantly got called Kristen or Christine. I didn't know another person named Kirsten until I was 12.  I still don't run into that many people.  I never really thought too much about whether it shaped me, but other people's names shaped what I options were outvoted in naming our children.  I'd throw a name out and T would cringe and say, "No, I knew this girl..."  Or it would happen in reverse.  Personalities get attached to names by people you meet  throughout life.  
I'm not sure if I've ever thought about how the name "Kirsten" is portrayed.  I think it is a fairly strong name.  It's solid.  It doesn't have much of a feminine or masculine tip to it.  Even-keeled.  Okay, now I'm just describing myself! *wink*  
I think our names can shape us, but they don't have to.  Maybe I wouldn't be so strong-willed if my name was Emily or Olivia.  Or maybe it's not so much the name shaping you as the people who surround you as a child; especially those people who gave you your name.  

Comments

  1. Jade @ Tasting GraceJanuary 9, 2010 at 12:15 PM

    Thanks for joining the challenge! (I like your new design by the way!) I have a cousin named Kirsten, but it's definitely not very common. And I definitely agree with you that it's nice and even-keeled and solid. I think it's a great name and does seem to fit you.

    I've thought a lot about baby names too, and for some reason, I have an easier time finding boys' names I like than girls' names. Because for a girl, I'd want something that is strong, but still feminine...but not too girly either.

    For a long while, I've liked the name Tristan Phoenix for a boy. I also like Aidan. For a girl, I've toyed with the name Isabelle. But then my husband mentioned he liked the Indian name Anjali and I think that's kind of pretty. So we'll see! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. No Longer 25January 11, 2010 at 1:05 AM

    That's funny that Kirsten's not that common a name there. I had two Kirstens in my year at secondary school. I like the name, although the girls called Kirsten were really nice so that's probably influenced me.

    It's interesting to speculate how things would be different if we had another name.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tiffany SJanuary 12, 2010 at 1:41 PM

    Hey, now. Tiffany is a VERY girly name, and I'm about as strong-willed as they come! ;)

    ReplyDelete

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