Ageless Names

Like the best cheeses, a good name ages well, and will suit its bearer in every stage of his or her life. It's equally strange (for me at least) to picture a baby Elmer toddling around as it is to envision a dignified, elderly Skyler (though it is a lovely name). Of course, in eighty years the earth could be teeming with senile Skylers, and there could be three Elmers in every kindergarten class, but at this moment those names would cause me to pause and consider before imposing them on my helpless infant.

So how do you know that a name will age well? To start with, names that tend not to age well are generally either ridiculous to begin with (think "Moxie" or "Cloud") or names that come seemingly out of nowhere (meaning they have little history and often are inspired by popular culture), gain various degrees of popularity, and then fade quickly away (like "Miley"). On the other hand, a name that has been around for at least a couple decades (sorry, Nevaeh) is more likely to grow with a child, even if it at no point is a “popular” name, especially if a handful of people in each generation use it (for example, “Tucker”).

Another tip: choosing a name with age-appropriate nicknames (people tend to love or hate nicknames- “I named her that so no one could give her a nickname!” or “There are a dozen nicknames he can choose from!” I am a nickname lover). A couple examples: the name “James” can easily become Jamie, Jimmy, or Jim, and “Christina” turns into Chrissy, Chris, Tina, Christine, etc. “Elizabeth” is another classic example, with nicknames for every personality and stage in life. In naming our daughter, Aurora, Blake and I considered that while Aurora is very feminine, her nickname, Rory, is more cute and playful. As her little personality comes out more and more, we’ll see what we end up calling her most.  

                The last thought for today is this: many names from the Bible are always in style, and there are lots of options other than “Mary” (though Mary, Maria, and Marie are all lovely names). For instance, “Samuel” is a name that will never been obscure, though it probably will rarely be top ten. It has nice nickname options and it’s easy to imagine a Samuel as President of the United States or as a mechanic. Even more unusual Bible names like “Eden,” “Joelle,” and “Asher” will be readily recognized throughout the child’s life (just make sure you know the story of whichever name you choose so your sweet baby girl doesn’t end up with the beautiful but unfortunate name “Jezebel”).

                To sum it all up, if you’d like a name that will suit your little one in every stage of his life, run it through these different scenarios: Will little  ___________ ‘s substitute teachers butcher his name for the first eighteen years of his life? Can you imagine a minister saying his name at the altar when he is about to be married ("Do you, Percy, take this woman…")? Is the name as suitable for the president of a country or corporation as it is an auto salesman or a volcanologist? Can you imagine your grandparents with that name?

                What are two of my all time favorite ageless names? Sarah and David. You simply can’t go wrong with Sarah and David.