Day 103: Name Game

Lilybeth's great grandma, Mary, made her this lovely pillowcase. It has her name on it, which is a bit difficult to see from the picture.

Today the Social Security Administration published the top baby names of 2009, so I was inspired to do a post on names. Here's a list of the top ten boy's and girl's names for last year:

Boys:	1) Jacob	Girls:	1) Isabella
	2) Ethan		2) Emma
	3) Michael		3) Olivia
	4) Alexander		4) Sophia
	5) William		5) Ava
	6) Joshua		6) Emily
	7) Daniel		7) Madison
	8) Jayden		8) Abigail
	9) Noah		9) Chloe
	10)Anthony		10)Mia

"Mia" was actually on our shortlist of names for LB--in the top 10. I also love the name "Olivia," but Tom is not such a big fan. From the boys, I like "Daniel," but it is not Tom's style. He likes "Jacob." Actually, I think he likes the nickname "Jake" more. It's very succinct and masculine. I love the name "Jacob" now because it reminds me of our dear little friend, Jakey.

You can do a search of individual names on the SSA website, http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ and I found that "Lilybeth" didn't even crack the top 1000 names.

When we decided on this name and after it was written down on the birth certificate, I think I had a few days of naming regret. Maybe because it seemed so permanent? And also, I had imagined giving her a more traditional or classic name like "Mia" or "Isabel" or "Juliette," so "Lilybeth" was a bit out there by comparison. But now, of course, I love the name and appreciate its uniqueness and difference, just as I love and appreciate LB's own individuality. I also think it is simultaneously modern and classic (it's new and I think rather American but also combines "Lily" and "Elizabeth" which makes it feel more traditional). I love both its simplicity and its distinctiveness. I also love that she can go by "Lily" or "Beth" if she wants to later. Options are always good.

We haven't had any "trouble" with it, the kind I think people tend to have when they give their kid an unusual name. This is no doubt because "Lily" and "Beth" are such common names in and of themselves. People don't tend to mispronounce it, but they do tend to misspell it. Also, when I tell strangers her name is "Lilybeth," they tend to just call her "Lily," seeming to assume that "Beth" is her middle name. This really annoys Tom, who thinks we should tell them her name is "Lilybeth Mary," but this just seems too awkward and unwieldy to say to people whom we are going to meet only once, for maybe five minutes, in the coffee shop or in line at a grocery store. Sometimes I'll just tell them her name is "Lily" so I don't have to explain that "Lilybeth" is all one name, but I need to stop doing this because I don't want her to think I'm ashamed of her name or anything. No, Mommy is just being lazy.

When I asked Tom tonight what he thinks of the name, now, almost a year after picking it, he replied, "I love it because it is our daughter's name." A bit of circular logic, but I understand his sentiment; I love Lilybeth and I love "Lilybeth."