Naming a newborn; it’s one of the most challenging and controversial decisions parents are faced with during their lifetime.
Challenging because you are in sole control of strapping a child with the moniker he will likely live with until he’s six feet under.
Controversial because the world is your judging your choice, and we all know how cruel others can be.
I’m not big on parents who purposely call attention to themselves by bestowing strange names on their innocent offspring.
Remember: Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, ESPN and Peanut?
Who does that to a child?
Of course, I wonder the same of parents who take it upon themselves to legally submit one name for their child and end up calling her something completely different.
And by different I don’t mean the child’s middle name, nickname, a cute acronym or any other derivative of the legal moniker. I’m talking about children, like the girl in my daughter’s third grade class, whose given name is Nicole, but goes by Kacey. And, no, Kacey is not her middle name. Not even close. It’s Jean. What’s more, the kid’s last name starts with a “W,” so I’m not seeing the Kacey connection there either.
Sadly, this seemingly senseless name calling seems to becoming a new fad.
For example, I just learned the newest member of the Bush political dynasty has been named Mila.
Or at least that’s what her mother Jenna Bush Hager and father Henry Hager are calling the baby daughter they legally named: Margaret Laura Hager.
According to the new parents their precious baby was named after both her grandmothers.
Really?
Then why are they calling her Mila?
I checked with two uber-popular baby naming resources—Baby Name Genie and Nameberry—and neither list Mila as a potential nickname for Margaret, or Laura, for that matter.
Maybe the Hagers chose Mila because it sounded cuter than Margaret.
Then, why not just name the kid Mila?
I doubt teachers, doctors, job interviewers, bank tellers; the Social Security Administration or DMV employees are going to care how trendy the name Mila is when they are looking for Margaret.
Moreover, think of all those preprinted name tags poor Margaret Laura will have to change in the years to come.
Not for nothing, but if you want to call your child Mila… or Kacey, then why not just name her that?
Do you call your child by her given name or something completely different?