Naming Babies
By Contributing Writer, Molly Evert
We are in the process of adopting a daughter from China. Though it has always been challenging to choose a good name for our children, I have never struggled as I did this time. There are so many things to consider, such as whether or not to keep part of her Chinese name—and how her name will shape her sense of identity.
We have tended toward giving our children some unusual names, and sometimes they weren’t as well received by the relatives as we would have liked. Nevertheless, we believe that naming our children is the first public exercise of our God-given authority over them and part of our dominion-taking responsibility .
A few months ago we settled upon a name for our soon-to-be adopted daughter, but it never felt quite right. It was “good enough” but never seemed perfect for her, and I dearly wanted her name to fit her exactly. With an important paperwork deadline looming in which we would have to name her, we made it a matter of regular prayer.
Puritan author William Gouge, writing in 1622, contended that the naming of a child is vitally important and that Christians have the duty to see their children well-named. He shared the following guidelines for naming children in his book Domestical Duties:
1. Names which have some good signification: and among them such as are warranted by the Scripture, as John [the grace of God], Jonathan [the gift of God], Andrew [manly], Clement [meek], Simeon [obedient], Hannah [gracious], Prudence [wife] and such like: that thus their name may stir them up to labor after the virtue signified thereby.
2. Names which have in times before us been given to persons of good note, whose life is worthy our imitation, as Isaac, David, Peter, Mary, Elizabeth and such like: that the names may move them to imitate those worthies.
3. Names of our own and ancestors and predecessors, to preserve a memory of the family: which appears to have been an ancient practice even among God’s people, in that the friends would have had Zachariah’s son named Zachariah (Luke 1:59); and when the mother had just cause to name him John they answer, none of thy kindred is called by his name.
4. Usual names of the country, which custom hath made familiar, as Henry, Edward, Robert, William and such like among us.
The Lord answered our prayers and gave us a new name which seems just right, and which I trust will be a blessing to our daughter.
Tags: naming babies, puritans
Would you be willing to share your children’ s names?
I would if there weren’t so many nasty little trolls out there looking for tasty little morsels.
I’m still a wee bit paranoid, although I suppose anyone could find out anything by Googling.
LOL! I just realized you wanted to know Molly’s children’s names! I was wondering “Why would Jess want me to share the kid’s names here? She knows their names, or most of them at least.” I’m such a dork sometimes! OK, Molly, I was wondering the same thing, actually. I’m not sure if you feel comfortable with that though…
Natalie Klejwa recently posted…Naming Babies