Rebecca Eckler's Baby Name Obsession
I’m the type of person who LOVES reading “Trend in Baby Names” stories and hearing what celebrities have named their children. I named my son Holt Samuel, after my grandfather, Samuel Burnholtz, and also after my grandmother Helen – Holt begins with an ‘H’) No, I didn’t name him after Holt Renfrew. I like the department store and all, but, really, come on people, I also like Loblaws and would I name my baby after a grocery store?
My first born daughter, we named Rowan. It was a name that her father loved and since I was such a bitch during that pregnancy, I allowed him his name of choice. Truthfully, it took me three years (yes, years!) for me to get used to her name. Even when I look at my son Holt, I still wonder if it’s the right name for him, and he’s now seven months.
Another name on our list when I was pregnant with Holt was Jude. I sometimes look at Holt and call him Jude just to see what it would feel like if I had named him Jude. Nah, I think, he’s a Holt (thank God!) But I now understand why parents post on Facebook pictures of their newborns without having yet deciding on a name. I get it. Coming up with a child’s name is one, if not, the most important decision of your life as parents. You are going to be calling them that name you choose forever!
So, sometimes, I now think, you need to actually meet the baby before you can see what name suits them first. I don’t think mothers or fathers should feel too badly about wanting to change their babies’ name, that they were so certain of giving them when the baby was still in the uterus. And, also, I’m finding, even after you have a child, or two, you can’t stop thinking of awesome baby names. I know Holt is my last, but that doesn’t mean I’m not constantly still thinking of cool baby names. One of the names I wanted to use, if I had had a baby girl was Jupiter. Wait. Don’t Judge just yet. Let it sink in. I think it’s a really cool (out of this world, pun intended, name.) It wasn’t going to fly I don’t think, and really is Jupiter that odd since parents are now naming their babies “Hashtag” and “Twitter?” (Yeah, I know, “Jupiter” is sounding a lot more normal.)
So, what do you do with all these names that you still love but have no baby to name? And why am I so obsessed with great baby names still, even months after I had a baby? This is why I think I’ll get some fish. Jupiter is just too good a name for someone NOT to have.
More from Rebecca Eckler:
- Rebecca Eckler: Why I LOVED People Touching My Pregnant Belly
- Rebecca Eckler's Family Portraits
- Rebecca Eckler on Mommy Brain
Rebecca Eckler is one of Canada's most well-known journalists. She has been a columnist with the National Post, Canada's national newspaper, for five years, including a stint as a New York-based columnist and feature writer. She is the best-selling author of Knocked Up, Wiped!, Toddlers Gone Wild, How to Raise a Boyfriend and The Lucky Sperm Club. Rebecca lives in Toronto with her fiancé and family.
