Hi ShuGar Loves!
How are you? I am surviving on very little sleep these days as I commute from my parents’ house to my job. It’s killing me, but the varnish smell is still too strong for me to be in our house just yet. I need a nap right about now!
For my last preggo update, I revealed that we picked a name for our ShuGar Boy! It was much harder than I thought. For some reason, we had already picked out girl’s names and we had a harder time coming into agreement for boy’s names. No revealing of the name just yet. It’s top secret until we meet our little man!
This whole naming process got me thinking about names in general. What’s really in a name? Do names reveal our personalities or vice versa?
It’s a lot of pressure to pick someone’s name because, after all, it will stay with him forever. I wanted to make sure we picked something unique enough, but not too way out there (no name like “Apple,” “Zen,” or “Pilot Inspektor”). I think we found just the right name, but this entire process had me reflecting on my name and Mr. ShuGar’s name. We both have different takes on our names.
My name Carmen means “song” and I think it is a perfect representation of my personality. In fact, my abuelito used to say I was the “rattle” of the house because I brought life with my quirkiness. Mr. ShuGar’s name is Peter and I believe his name means “rock” since it’s a biblical name. When we were searching for boy’s names, we had several people suggest taking Mr. ShuGar’s name, but he wasn’t too keen on the idea and neither was I. I want our boy to have his own identity. Plus, Mr. ShuGar never really cared too much for his name.
I have found time and time again that names really can reflect who a person really is inside. It’s kind of crazy sometimes, but it’s true! I don’t know if the name helped develop the personality or vice versa, but names are a big deal. I have met people that seem to be full of joy and their names reflect this vibe. It almost defines their entire being. On the other hand, I have also met people who seem bitter and angry all the time and their names suit this personality.
When I was younger, I hated my name. It was too different. I wanted to be called “Michelle” or “Jennifer.” Instead, I was teased with “Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?” I didn’t even know what that meant as I had never watched that show. Plus, my name helped me feel like an outsider because my parents were both both born in Mexico and I spoke Spanish with my mom and English with my dad. Most of my elementary school friends spoke only English. As I got older, I began to embrace my name. It’s a tradition in our family to have the oldest daughter named Carmen. I was probably not going to continue that tradition had we had a girl, but I have grown to cherish my name. It reflects my culture and also embodies my love of life.
It’s amazing how much we judge by just seeing a name on a page! Makes you stop and think if each name has a meaning and also ponder on what the parents were thinking when they chose that name out of thousands of options.
Do you like your name? Does it have any special meaning? Which names do you like? How did you choose your child’s name?
Have a sweet day!
Photo credit: Alphabet
