what's in a name?

Only everything! Naming a child is no easy task...

If you select something too common, your child could become one of many Jacobs or Taylors in his class and could possibly get lost in the shuffle. If you choose something too strange, your child could become the target of ridicule and bullying, requiring years of therapy to rebuild his/her self-esteem. Plus, if this is not your first child, you have the added complication of making sure that the names of siblings match in terms of style and sound. (Ruling out the names Gates or Kate for our future children)

We are making life-long, future-shaping decisions here - talk about pressure!

In summary, here is our naming criteria:

1. Must be unusual, but not weird. (no made-up names)
2. Must not be used by any family or friends. (this applies only to the name he will go by - not both the first and middle names. Fortunately for us, Keith forgot that his good friend Shane has a son named Tate)
3. Must not be on the "top 100" name list. (again, this applies only to the name he will go by)
4. Must sound athletic. (on the mound tonight is....)
5. Must also be able to easily follow after "the law office of..."
6. Must not end with the letter "n". (just a personal preference since our last name is Golden)
7. Must find a name that is not associated with any bad experiences Keith has had in his 10+ years of teaching and coaching more than 1000 kids. (this one can be tricky)
8. Since Tate goes by his middle name (William Tate), we'd like to stick with the same naming strategy for #2.
9. Must be 2 syllables. (again, personal preference - sounds better with Tate)
10. No nicknames on the birth certificate. (i.e. Name him Charles if you want to call him Charlie)
11. Must not lend itself to obvious jokes or teasing. (i.e. Collier Golden sounds like you are calling your dog. We will also not be naming #2 "Tot" as several people have suggested)

Whew. See? Just a few simple rules.

So, with all of that in mind, it's kind of amazing that we were able to narrow it down and decide on a name at all. After several naming conversations and a long lists of rejects, Keith and I discovered our name at the most unlikely of places...the soccer fields across the street from our neighborhood. As one boy called out to another by this particular name, I did a quick mental scan through my criteria and my eyes lit up thinking maybe this was "the one". I cautiously approached Keith with the name, hoping he would like it as much as I did. Much to my relief, I was met not only with a huge smile, but a high five. A true sign of success. Done!

Without further ado, we are excited to announce that we'll be welcoming James "Bayer" Golden in the spring. Little Man Tate can't wait to meet the Golden Bear.

Editor's Note: I like the names Jacob and Taylor, as well as many names that end in "n"....even ones that end in "n" on the top 100 list. This post reflects my opinions about naming our child and by no means is meant to offend anyone who does not conform and adhere to my stringent naming convention. You may have noticed that I am type-A and slightly OCD. You may also not like the name we've chosen. That's fine, too. :)