Baby Names

Baby names are a favorite topic of mine, my husbands and at least one friend. We discuss names we like and dislike irrespective of if we are expecting, planning, trying or not for a new baby. I have to admit, I breathed a sigh of relief when they told me that Will was a boy because we already had a name picked out and we did not have any idea what girl name to choose.

Our first two children were not named until their births. With our daughter that was partly because we did not know the sex of the baby and with our first son, well, my husband was having a lot of difficulty coming to a name. We are asked constantly why we have chosen the names we have. I know that I have discussed Will's name on the blog before, but not Shelby and Joey's.

Shelby Clare--the name Shelby did, in fact, come from the movie Steel Magnolias. My husband loved the movie and the name fit. I had wanted a saint name for her middle name and we agreed we liked the name Clare and named her after Clare of Assisi, a saint we also loved.

Joseph Patrick--the name Joseph means "God will add another child" so it fit for a second child and of course we named him as well after the foster father of our savior. Patrick, first of all fit with Joseph, but is also the patron saint of Ireland, the homeland of Joey's Godmother.

I like naming my children after saints, however, I don't make it a pre-requisite and like to cover it in either a first or middle name. I am married to a non-Catholic who is very generous in naming requirements. That being said, he has opinions too. If I like a name I think he might not go for, I have to come up with my argument as to why he should like it. A good example is the name "Helena" which I love because of St Helena, mother of the Emporer Constantine. So, I appealed to his sense of family. His father's aunt's name was Helen.

So, have we discussed names since Will was born? You better believe it.