What's in a Name? That Which We Call a Rose by any other Name Would Smell as Sweet.

      "The moment a baby is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." Rajneesh

      So, I have a confession to make...I've been debating over baby names since I was like, 16 years old (like I said in previous posts, I always knew I was going to be a mom! I just started my homework early). But come on, honestly, what woman has not at least given some thought to her future children's names? I've chewed on many names throughout my life, some being pretty (Madison, Shea, Tess), and others being down right weird (Pepper, Clover, Desdemona - I've come to accept that only gorgeous, millionaire movie stars can get away with giving their children an unforgivably strange name). There are some names that have fought their way to the top of my list (and it has been a long, bloody battle).

Here are my top contenders:

GIRLS

Giovanna - means "Gift from God" or "God is gracious"
Arabella - means "Answered prayer" or "Beautiful alter"
Evangeline - means "Bearer of good will"
Madalena - means "High tower"

BOYS

Russell - meaning "Red haired fox" *daddy's name <3*
Rylan - meaning "Island meadow"

      I'm surprised by the value I'm putting on the meaning behind the name. Before my pregnancy I didn't care what my future baby's name meant, as long as it had a nice ring to it I was satisfied. Now, it feels as though my child's name is setting up some sort of foundation; it's sacred. His or her name contains the hopes and dreams I have for my child..."Answered prayer".... "Bearer of good will." Even though the names Russell and Rylan don't have particularly strong meanings, the reasoning behind those names is still special (explained in the next paragraph). In the Bible, names served different functions, whether it was to explain someone's birth (Moses), secure family ties (John the Baptist was almost named Zechariah), or to communicate God's message (Shear-jashub), names were seen as a way to further communicate something about that child to the community. God even went so far as to completely change the names of some people in the Bible to illustrate a new beginning for those people (Saul became Paul). You can read further about the significance of names in the Bible at: http://outoftheoverflow.com/2009/12/09/the-significance-of-names-in-the-bible/  So naturally, I take this task seriously. This process requires a lot of time, thought, and debate. Thankful, I have a husband and mother who are more then ready to share their opinions on the matter (for better or for worse lol).

      Something I love about both of the boys names is the connection they have to Russ and I. If we named our baby "Russell Guise III" he would be named after the most wonderful man in the world <3, what could be better then that? If the baby is named Rylan then the meaning of his name is connected to mine (Ashley means "Ash wood meadow;" Rylan means "Island meadow" - even my mom's name, Kimberley, has "meadow" in the meaning). Although either name is personal, I'm still leaning more towards Russell, to keep on the tradition (besides, who wouldn't want the old school charm of having "the third" attached to the end of their name?).


       If I'm pregnant with an adorable baby girl then the name choosing process becomes a little more complicated. There are four names that resonate with me, and all of the meanings connect with faith, which makes it harder to narrow down the list. The one name that I have adored since I was a teenager, and is the top contender in the names department, is Giovanna. It's such an elegant name. When I picture a Giovanna, I picture a tall, beautiful model strolling down a busy street in NYC. The name Giovanna can also have the equally pretty nicknames: Gia, or even Anna. An additional bonus point is that the is a shout-out to my Italian heritage. As strong a name as Giovanna is, Arabella is putting up a good fight. Besides the fact that the name Arabella *pronounced AIR-a-Bell-a* rolls off the tongue, it also has a beautiful meaning. Russell and I have been praying that I would become pregnant soon, and to our great joy I became pregnant within a month, so the name Arabella is a literal reminder of our answered prayer. The nicknames are also very pretty: Airea or Bella. The last two names, Evangeline and Madalena, are also very pretty. I like that Madalena can be shortened to "Maddie" and Evangeline to "Eva." There's something about long-scripted, European names that rings nicely in my ears.

So, although I like the name Rylan, I think my first son will be named Russell. Boys name solved. Giovanna and Arabella are at the top of my girls name list, followed by Evangeline and Madalena. Because Russell and I can't figure out with name we like the most, we decided to name her (if we're having a she) when we see her in the hospital. Follow our gut. 

So mommys, what did you name your children? Why did you chose that name? For women who aren't pregnant - have you picked out some names for your future children? Do you care about name meanings?