Sunday, July 10, 2011

What's in a name?


We didn't name Eleanor until she was born. We had picked a few favorites but we wanted to meet her before we decided on a name. I was a little surprised at how many people had a negative reaction to this. We didn't think it was that strange to wait. I knew when we saw her that we would know which one fit.


I wanted my daughter to have a beautiful, strong name with meaning. I find that I'm drawn to classic names as opposed to trendy ones. Eleanor was an easy choice, since I've always liked Eleanor Roosevelt. I found that some meanings for Eleanor include light and compassion. The middle name was a little more difficult. We settled on Clara as a nice compliment to Eleanor and a play on the County Clare, our favorite place in Ireland (land of the Freenys). Clara means clear or bright and is a Spanish word as well, which Brad likes.


So, our baby girl is named Eleanor Clara, a "bright light" in our lives. One of Brad's students said regarding her name, "She sounds important." To which Brad replied, "She is!"

2 comments:

  1. It's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. :) I love it. You know, my grandmother, whom I'm named after, had the middle name of Clara.

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  2. No, I didn't know that! I love the name Clara. I think it's so pretty and sweet for a little girl. :)

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