Names, names, names!!

Baby naming is a huge topic of conversation. I don't really discuss our naming process openly until the names are decided upon, but a lot of people do. Sometimes I really don't get it. Of course, in our kids' generation, when they grow up, maybe it will seem less than ridiculous to trust a cardiac surgeon named Cayleigh with your life, and vote for a senatorial candidate by the name of Jayce. From my Gen-Y vantage point, though, it looks to me like a lot of people are naming babies, not future adults.

Now, as I implied before, naming trends and societal expectations change. 20 years ago, giving your kid an ethnic name (and no, I don't mean ebonics. I mean, like an actual name, but one that is Japanese, or Russian, or Swahili, or whatnot) would have been a recipe for disaster, yet today, I am pregnant with either Chaiyo or Sirikit. A name that depicts heritage is no longer a shackle. We have enough successful people in our society from all cultural backgrounds, with names that portray that, that parents of today do have a bit more leeway when it comes to cultural names. Even so, I think it's important to make sure that the name we choose is not ridiculous, and especially that it works for an adult just as well as it does for a kid.

While cultural names are ok these days, I don't think intentionally misspelled names, or babyish names, will ever come into favor, or be regarded as respectable for an adult. "Creative" or "Cute" for a toddler, maybe, but not for a successful adult.

I like to test out names behind the title "Senator" and in front of the suffix, "M.D." If it's convincing, it's a good name. I wonder, if all parents thought long term while naming, what the top 20 name list would look like. I think it would be different than what we see today.