Parents should think deeply before naming their children because names are paramount, they tell hidden stories about us and probably what we may become in the future. Names also impact the lives of children either negatively or positively. Negative names never inspire a child towards positive growth due to its negative connotations, and such children may end up not making any positive growth in the community.
It is your duty as a parent to make sure your child gets the best you can offer physically, mentally, financially, educational and emotionally. Do not wait for a face adversity cry from your child to God before, you realize you ought to have done better. Make your child a good and honorable citizen by building their confidence which actually begins with the name.
All wisdom put in check, there are many ways of coming up with a child’s name, and one of many is inheritance. You may choose to go the traditional way and name your child after a family member or friend who may have impacted your life positively in one way or another. This will certainly not sit well with everybody but naming a child after a family member is a sign of love and reverence.
Before you decide on naming your child after a family member or friend, please make sure you have a solid reason for it. It’s in your reason that the society finds the beauty of the name.
Here is to reasons why you may find it beautiful naming your child after someone:
It’s historic
Pulling a name from the family tree means you maybe the 5th of even 10th bearers of the name, but the greatness is in keeping the tradition rolling with your child. It could as well be a person of much significance in your life, either way your child will carry the historic memories, something that should make both you and the original owner proud.
It’s Monumental
In some communities a name is part of an inheritance that passes on from one generation to another, and having your child be the next to carry the family name is like paying homage to the original owner of the name. Alternatively, it could be someone who meant the world to you in the near future, your destiny shaper maybe. Naming your child after them could be a lovely way of honoring their good deeds.
It’s something to live up to
There is nothing wrong with wanting the best for your child or hoping they would fill into a great persons shoe someday. This could be a good reason for naming your child after one of your life icons. It would be great narrating stories of their namesakes’ achievements and inspiring them to aspire towards being as great as they were.
It speaks volumes
We draw our attachment to different people from various activities that may have happened in the past. You could love your sibling so much that you would want your son or daughter to carry his/her name in appreciation. Also, it could be a good gesture of how much you love them and what they mean to you.
It shows what you represent
You could be so passionate about the challenges affecting the society, civil rights or environment, so much such that you choose to name your child after the main activist or leader of that course. This gesture will pass a message of how much you would love to be associated with that person. For instance, you may want to name your child after Barack Obama, well we all know why, don’t we.
It’s a constant reminder
At one point in life we meet great people who we would never want to draw apart from. But then life happens, they could possibly relocate or pass away, what better way to remember them than passing on their name to your child. With the name comes the light she or he lit in your heart and that adoration should be extended to your child.
It’s an unbreakable bond
You know what they say about lemons, when life throws some your way use them to make lemonades. You may have gone through a rough path to be where you are today and can never wish the same for your child but would want him to continue your legacy from where you stop. For such reason it may feel safe naming your child after you for a special bond and aspiration. You would hope your story propels him to greatness while he builds your name, like from Jack we get Jack Junior.
It’s Empowering
Have you had people you admire but lack the courage to face or rather never got an opportunity to interact with them. Alternatively people who inspire you to greatness, such people may unknowingly be the reason for your child’s name choice. It may be nice naming your child after them as a sign of respect for the inspiration.
It’s a peace maker
When you are stuck in a back and forth with your partner over the child’s name, choose to take the highway and bring in a family member or friends name, someone who means the world to both of you as a tie breaker. This will effortlessly solve the hiccup.
Conclusion
The process of settling on your munchkin’s moniker should be a personal and private moment. It may come with a roller coaster of emotions, but the final decision should be purely yours as a parent, and you owe no one an explanation unto why you settled on that particular name. However, many parents have great significant stories behind their names of choice.
So, in whatever direction you chose to take, I’m here to let you know that naming your baby after someone may not be bad, but will surely come with a story attached to it. Whatever your reason may be for choosing to name your child after the said person, stand by it and forget about the myths surrounding it because hypothetically speaking, we all are named after either somebody or something.
What was your consideration for naming your children?