Puritan "Baby" Names

I love thinking about baby names. My name was pretty deliberately thought out and it's pretty different. Perhaps that's why? I grew up explaining "why" I have the name I have and in turn became interested in why other people have the names they have. I have to admit "we liked the sound of it" as a valid reason to choose a name, but to be that reason is pretty low on my list of "reasons to choose a name".

So when this article floated along the internet to me, I was very intrigued and save the link to a draft blog post. I wanted to investigate the names further, but didn't make the time... but then my pastor wrote a blog post about it too, so I read the original article again. And then just even today a friend announced the name of their baby girl, which would probably be considered "Puritanical" by today's standards.

My favorites from the list in the Slate article:

-Wrestling
  if we were doing noun names for boys, I'd lobby hard for this one.
-Fight-the-good-fight-of-faith
I like the meaning of this, but wouldn't ever dream of using a multi-word name.
-Thanks
So simple! So profound! But probably too common a word.
-What-God-will
I love this meaning, just not the hyphens.
-Joy-in-sorrow
Um, see above.
-Remember
Again, probably too common a word.
-Humiliation
Humiliation, no, never. Humility? Yes, I would strongly consider that name.
-Diffidence
I like this!
-Free-gift
I wouldn't use "Free-gift" but some other name like/meaning "Gift"? Probably.
-Tenacious
If it weren't for the band Tenacious D, I would strongly consider this name.
-Verity
So pretty! I really like it.

"Republicans and Democrats can’t even agree on baby names"

Fascinating!

"As we see in patterns of baby names, liberal elites use esoteric cultural references to demonstrate their elevated social position just as conservatives invoke traditional signals of wealth and affluence. Instead of divides between “Red and Blue states,” it is more accurate to say that America is divided not just by “Red and Blue elites,” but also in the ways these elites seek to differentiate themselves from the largely “purple” masses."

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/04/republicans-and-democrats-cant-even-agree-on-baby-names/]

Naming Anxiety

“Finding a name that has authentic roots, but is completely undiscovered, is the ultimate baby name status symbol,” said Pamela Redmond Satran, a founder of the site Nameberry.

 Um, yeah.

Even when parents look to the Bible, they often thumb past “Adam” and “Daniel” in favor of “Joah” or “Obadiah,” she said. 

In 2002, 77 percent of babies born in the United States had names on the Top 1000, according to government data. By 2011, only 73 percent did.

 [http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/fashion/the-new-baby-name-anxiety.html]

Baby Names Spreadsheet

This is our spreadsheet of baby names. If it made the spreadsheet I liked it enough to consider it, if only slightly, and ask Seth's opinion. The numbers by the names are Seth's ranking, on a scale of 1-10. The blue cells are his favorite names, the pink cells are my favorite names.