Welcome back to WWYDITHTY! I am so pleased with the response I got from my previous article of the same title, and happy to report the WWYDITHTY will be joining my roster of options for articles. Of course, that’s not to say it’s immune from being demoted, but so far, it seems to be something that you all really enjoy. Now, who doesn’t like a fun name game on a random Wednesday? Well, I would assume you would like one, if you clicked. If you weren’t here for the first article, WWYDITHTY stands for What Would You Do If This Happened To You, and it’s essentially a fictional scenario followed by a couple options for answers, though feel free to take your ideas to the comments section for debate. There's always an "Other" option for those who like to take a bit more of their own naming creativity to a scenario and put a totally different name on the table. On to the first scenario, readers!
Close Call
Sarah and Ted Thackery are expecting their very first child, a rainbow baby. And even better, Zach, Sarah’s brother, and his wife Annabel are expecting at the same time! The Thackerys and the Birches are already planning playdates and babysitting rounds, and both decide on a baby name for their children. Sarah and Ted share that Reagan is their name of choice for a daughter, while Zach and Annabel share that Lily is their first choice. For sons, Sarah and Ted have settled on Matthew, and Zach and Annabel decide that Bentley is perfect. They're pleased with the obvious differences between all of the names, and they make a pact to stick to names that they know won't be the same or similar to the other's choices. Sarah and Ted are excited to welcome their little Reagan or Matthew, and Zach and Annabel couldn’t be more thrilled to see their little Lily or Bentley in just a few months. A few months later, Zach and Annabel become the proud parents of a baby boy, Bentley Wells. Sarah and Ted love him, and they are thrilled to welcome their own baby soon. But when Sarah gets her ultrasound, she discovers that she’s not just expecting one child: she’s expecting two! And they're both boys.
Sarah and Ted are forced back to the drawing board. The first little boy would be Matthew Liam, without a doubt, and they're pretty set on Henri in the middle spot for their second son, since it's the same as Ted's and Ted's father. They’d been thinking about Alexander before, but Alex sounded too modern to them, so they weren’t really all that satisfied. Michael also appealed, and they loved the sound and style as well as the nickname Mike, but shared initials with Matthew was concerning. Finally, one name in particular piques their interest, Benjamin. It matches Matthew perfectly, it has the perfect meaning for them (quick, namenerds, challenge time! What’s the meaning of Benjamin? The answer's at the end), and it has the adorable nickname Ben. Ben and Matt are perfect, and Sarah and Ted are nearly racing to sign the birth certificate before their sons are even there. But then Zach and Annabel’s son Bentley crosses their mind. Even though Zach and Annabel told them that they didn’t like the nickname Ben for their son, Bentley may grow up to like the nickname Ben someday, and at a certain point, Zach and Annabel can’t control what he calls himself, especially such an intuitive nickname. Sarah and Ted don’t want to betray their agreement with Zach and Annabel, but they also love the name Benjamin, and know that Bentley won’t ever be called Ben by his parents. So when the nurse asks their second son’s name, Sarah and Ted say…
Alexander Henri: They don’t want to back-stab Zach and Annabel, and no baby name is worth losing the trust of family members.
Benjamin Henri: If Bentley won’t be Ben, then sharing a first syllable won’t be a problem. Zach and Annabel will surely understand.
Michael Benjamin: Sharing initials isn’t the end of the world, especially for a name that won’t hurt Zach and Annabel and that Sarah and Ted love. And the middle name Benjamin includes their favorite name with no hurt feelings, even if it erases tradition.
Other: Explain in the comments!
Celebrity Honors
Anne and George Kelly are expanding their family of three to include another baby! Both work in the music industry, and have bonded over their love for music and the arts. Since music is so important to them, they decided that it was only fitting that they name their child in honor of one of the musicians that they had danced to on their wedding day. The couple named their first daughter Skye Everly, Everly for her Aunt Evelyn, and they absolutely adore her name. She’s ten months old when Anne and George discover that they’re expecting again with the due date right around Christmas, and they’re so pleased to give their little girl a sister. As soon as Anne discovers that they’re adding another girl to their family, her and George are set on Lennon. It’s a name that they both love, and John Lennon’s song Imagine was their song. They played it at their wedding, and the whole way to the various destinations of their honeymoon. To them, the name Lennon represents their family and their love for each other and music perfectly. Lennon Claire Kelly is set in stone, Claire after Anne’s beloved late mother. Anne and George order “Lennon” letters for the nursery wall, refer to her as Lennon, and purchase “Lennon” bibs, blankets, and pillows for her bedroom.
It’s only a few weeks before Anne’s due date that she begins to search up John Lennon as a person. She’s horrified to find that her favorite artist wasn’t such a good person. George is particularly startled by this, as many of the decisions he made conflicted with his morals heavily. Anne and George both feel uneasy about honoring their favorite musician when, in reality, what he stood for wasn’t really worth honoring. They’re torn. On one hand, they’ve already announced the name to family and friends, ordered all of the customizable merchandise, and they love the sound and style of the name. But they don’t want others to look down on them or their daughter for honoring such a morally compromised individual. They brainstorm other names, but Cora, Ezra, and Zoey don’t give them the same warm feeling as the sound of John Lennon's music as they race along the highway on their honeymoon against a setting sun. However, Lennon has been ruined too, every time they say the name, their minds go right to the sinking feeling they felt when they looked up “John Lennon”. Nothing feels right, and Anne and George begin to worry that their daughter will end up nameless. But when their second daughter joins their family, Anne and George call her…
Lennon Claire: You can completely separate the art from the artist, and Lennon still has that gorgeous sound. Soon, the uneasiness will fade and be replaced by happiness for their daughter!
Zoey Coraline: John Lennon isn’t someone they want to honor, so they shouldn’t choose such an explicit honor name. Zoey may not stick out now, but they’ll fall in love with it once their daughter wears the name.
Claire Ezra: Sure, Claire might not be Anne and George’s style, but it has a glorious association tied to it, making the name truly sparkle. And Anne’s mother will be so happy to have the baby named after her as opposed to a not-so-honorable musician.
Other: Explain in the comments!
Thank you so much for participating, and I’d love to further hear everyone’s perspective in the comments! I hope you enjoyed, and had fun determining the right move for Sarah and Ted’s baby boy, a twin brother to Matthew (that doesn’t get too close to Bentley, his cousin) and Anne and George’s new daughter, a sister to Skye Everly. Oh, and if you're looking to the answer for the meaning of Benjamin, it means "son of the right hand." Congrats to anyone who got that one right! Alright, farewell, dear readers and friends, and have a lovely rest of your day.
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon