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!"
