Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A rose is a rose

by any other name. I heard that some place.The original saying is from Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet: What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.
I just read an article by Tanja Cilia about naming children unusual names.
(http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120328/blogs/whatever-happened-to-baby-jane.413027)
  Unusual names? Heck, I have trouble coming up with names for my characters (normal names) I can't imagine thinking up unusual names for my kids. She stated some of the things parents chose to name their kids, like where they were conceived. That made me laugh.  The only odd name I can think of right now is for my 2nd child who was conceived in Florida. Don't think she'd like that name. The rest of them were all conceived in the same place - Cleveland (in my bedroom, if anyone cares, and I don't think they'd like to be called Bed, either LOL)
I guess I'm just not very original. I did spell Angella's name unusual though (she hated it for a while) and Patricia's nickname (Patti) I insisted on the i instead of y, not sure why. The rest are just normal, every day name. Kimberly (Kim), Brian, Timothy (Tim), and Daniel (Dan or Danny).  Guess I wasn't very creative back then. But, then I'm not today either. My characters all have normal, every day names.
My mother origianlly spelled my name Rozann on my hospital and birth certificate. Apparently, the priest didn't like it, and I was christened Roseanne and went through all of school and my life like that, until I went to get my birth certificate about 12 years ago.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered how my name was really spelled. Everything legal I had up to that point - SS card, Driver's License etc. had Roseanne on it.
Back then you were allowed to use your baptismal certificate to get these things. I had no choice but to legally change it, which took all of about five minutes.
 I guess that's not as bad as finding out I didn't have a name at all, like my sister did. There she was ready to retire and needed her birth certificate. Can you picture her surprise when it showed her name as Baby Girl.
Yep, for real. My parents apparently couldn't come up with, or agree, on a name before they left the hospital and neglected to legally name her. She also used her baptismal certificate for all her legal documents.
So, what's in a name?

6 comments:

Miss Mae said...

I think names should definitely be important, but nothing that our child will grow up to despise! My parents named me after both grandmothers. Bad idea. The first name no one has ever spelled correctly, or pronounced rightly...and it sounds OLD!!!

I wanted to do better with my child, and I think my daughter likes her name. :)

Good post, Ro. Imagine your sister being called Baby Girl! LOL

Tanja said...

I spell my name in Maltese (or German, or Russian), and so does my daughter (different name); funnily enough, I have to point out the "j" - and she doesn't.

Rosemary Gemmell said...

Lovely new look to your blog, Roseanne! I can't write a story or novel without choosing the correct name for the main characters first.

Liz Flaherty said...

LOL. I like unusual names (though I'm glad I don't have one) but I can't imagine finding out I was Baby Girl.

Good post and good thought.

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz said...

Hi Roseanne, stop my blog. I just nominated you for the Lucky 7 Meme award.

Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz said...

Hi Roseanne, stop my blog. I just nominated you for the Lucky 7 Meme award.