Expectant parents often labor over names for the children. Hours are spent searching for just the right name for their baby whether with books or online sources. When TechyDad and I found out that we were expecting our first child, we did not have to think too much. It is a tradition in most Ashkenazi Jewish families to name for relatives that have passed away. We immediately knew who we wanted to name our baby after. TechyDad and I agreed that we would name our first baby for my Nana and TechyDad’s paternal grandfather.

For quite some time, we looked at boy and girl names that started with our target alphabet letters.Needless to say, we had no problem finding girl names, but always had difficulty with boy names. Then when our ultrasound confirmed that we were expecting a son, the name hunt intensified. We stretched the traditional rules a little when naming NHL, but we were happy and that is what matters.

When we were expecting our second child, we did not think about names until we knew if we were having a boy or a girl. I knew that I wanted to name for my other maternal grandfather, but beyond that things were up in the air. Several weeks before the little guy was born, my paternal grandfather passed away from a long fight with Parkinson’s Disease. From that moment, we knew that our second son would be named for both of my grandfathers. There was no debate really, JSL’s name was very quick and easy.

So my question for you this week:

How did you decide on the names for your children? If you do not have children yet, do you know the story behind your name?

Have a great weekend everyone and Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there! 

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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.

Aloha #98