What's in a name?

A famous question from a famous quote:
Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
by any other name would smell as sweet."
Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) Thanks to: enotes.com

Ah, what a wonderful thought, but not always the case in your particular reality in life.
Over the last few days two wonderful FB friends of mine have found out that a new boy child, a baby, was soon to become a member of each of their families and so logically what do you do besides tell the world and smile from ear to ear and start planning to save up for their education and turn that guestroom into a nursery?
You start trying to come up with a name for that little darling that everyone will love and one that will be as diplomatic as possible as can be and won’t hurt anyone’s feelings!
Family names seem to be where these two lovely women’s name configurations seemed to be emerging from, more than likely from a close relative who has some motivation and something to gain, perhaps?

WARNING, WARNING, WARNING NEW MOM and FIRST TIME GRANDMA!!!!
Children grow up and when they do they either love or hate what you may have chosen.

And this I speak from personal experience, since you all do know that Tobi, which I do like, is not my real name but my pseudonym.

Believe me when I confess how after being teased relentlessly as a child about my name and called anything that would rhyme with it and so by the time I was a teen and went to a resort with my parents I changed my name to Carol, which I associated with… Gosh I forget now but it had to be better than the name I was given in my childlike opinion, sure I was a child, so I was entitled to that! Besides I was named for my dead grandmother who everyone had loved, and so sainted in my mother’s eyes I was not allowed her popular nickname, which today or as a teen I sure would have used if it wasn’t considered Blasphemy!

My parents didn’t realize I had changed my name until one of my resort friends paged me over the intercom there with my made-up name, using my actual last name and that too was not what I would have thought to be common or conventional at the time, but a gal can only go so far as a ‘teen incognito’, on a vacation with mom and dad.
Oh yeah, that’s right now I remember where I got the name from…I had a brand new cousin-in-law married to one of my older cousins and her name was ‘Carol’ and they were such a cute couple, so why not she wasn’t there? But that’s what confused my parents since him being on my paternal side (father’s side, my uncle’s son, my dad’s brother’s son), my parents weren’t quite sure they weren’t there too, got that; from that page and all embarrassment ensued with a big explanation of course after! Yep we had the same last names although they had shortened theirs.

And up until a few years ago I felt that my name was that of an old maiden aunt, although I married at twenty years old, and was never what anyone would consider an old maid in anyway shape or form!
But it always bothered me until I found out that an actress had the same name and hers was actually contrived from her many other actual ones and had chosen it as her ‘stage name’, WOW! That made it feel like it was no longer associated with dead grannies or old maids anywhere!
And so I think that I have finally made peace with my Mom’s and Dad’s choice unfortunately they are not here to know that, but up in wherever the good go.
And yes, when it came to naming our sons all those years ago I went with the popular choices of the day, and I am happy they both loved my choices and that Hubby did too!

Another interesting addition to this little anecdote of mine and quite amazing coincidence too that relentless teasing child when I was a youngin, that nasty boy that tortured me so as a child about my unusual name is now one of my many FB friends today, and believe it or not, an attorney! I wonder if he has to ever help people legally change their names or helps in litigations against bullies who tease them. LOL
It’s OK, all is forgiven, because he is probably one of the many who made me, me!

On that realism note of identity growth I will wish you all a very happy night to all and to all count those blessings and we will too!