What's In A Name - A Game? Special Origin? Or Way Of Life?

Come on everybody!



Let's play the name game

 Mandy!


Mandy, Mandy bo Bandy Bonana fanna fo Fandy


Fee fy mo Mandy Mandy!



As you may know or have guessed, my name is Mandy.  That is NOT short for Amanda, Miranda or any other longer version of the nickname you may have heard. 

Have you given much thought to your name?  Where did it come from?  What is its origin?  Does it have a special meaning?  Is it a family name or just something your mother or father picked out randomly for you?  Did you know that in other cultures and countries, the freedom to name your children is not even an option!?   These are all things I was thinking about recently when I received the 50th compliment on my daughter's name - Vivian. 

But let's start with some naming history and origins in my family, shall we?

First there is me - Mandy.  The name printed clearly on my birth certificate is simply Mandy.  My mom chose it because she was (and still is) a huge fan of the singer/song writer Barry Manilow.  His popular hit, "Mandy," broadcasted on the air waves just a year before I was born. 

My brother Stuart was named after a character in the film Earthquake (different spelling though - Stewart played by Charleton Heston).  My mom Ginny (pronounced just like "Jenny") was supposedly named after a figure skater.  My dad Larry was named after..... hmmm, I'm not sure what he was named after actually.   My husband Kirk was partially named after the actor Kirk Douglas and also after the character of Captain James T. Kirk from the original Star Trek television series.  (His mom is a "Trekkie").

My daughter Vivian's name was selected mostly due to my love for actress Vivien Leigh (pictured below).  Her original birth name was actually spellled with an "A" in it by the way, "Vivian" just like my Diva.

                                     Vivien Leigh - a beautiful, talented actress with an even prettier name!


After I had an ultrasound revealing that Kirk and I were having a girl over three years ago, my husband and I had dinner at an Applebee's Restaurant.  We noticed a Gone With The Wind film poster hanging on the establishment walls while we ate and tossed around name ideas.   We were living in Dayton, Ohio at the time.  I thought it sounded like a beautiful, classic and Southern name.  Even though my daughter would be born in the northeast, I wanted to give her a Southern-sounding name since I am from the deep south.  Plus I love the movie and believe Leigh is one of the best actresses of all time.  Kirk liked the name and we were both settled on it.  (Side note: I never dreamed that later on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would name their twin daughter a variation of the same name - Vivienne.   Back off Brangelina - I had the name first!) 

After our dinner outing at Applebee's, I went home to look up the Latin origin of the name "Vivian."   According to the documents I discovered, "Vivian" means "lively" or "alive."  (Full of life to be more accurate!) 

How funny and accurate of a description to describe my daughter, especially in these current days!  I've had several friends and acquaintances tell me that after you meet my child, she is NOT easily forgotten!  :-)

Selecting a "family" name or one associated with our ancestry has never been a priority in my immediate family.  In fact, I don't think there are any juniors, thirds or fourths on either my maternal or paternal sides of the family tree.  It's the same way with Kirk's family as well.  However, I certainly appreciate and understand why some couples choose to pass on that family name. 

In America we have the freedom of naming our children whatever we choose.  That is not the case in other societies or cultures though.  I recently finished reading "Eat, Pray, Love" where author Liz Gilbert describes the importance of name and order in Bali, Indonesia.  Every child is given a distinct name.  There are only four names to select from and are bestowed upon by the order in which a person was born.  To explain further, I'm going to insert a description of this Indonesian naming system, taken and printed from Wikipedia --

"(In Balinese culture) Regardless of being male or female, each person receives one of four names based on birth order. Though there are significant variations in the four names of Balinese people, there are four names in Balinese culture that are repeated frequently. The firstborn is "Wokalayan" (or Yan, for short), second is "Made," third is "Nyoman" or Komang (Man or Mang for short), and fourth is "Ketut" (often elided to Tut).

The first born is usually shortened to Wayan, and if there is a fifth child, he/she is often called Wayan Balik (or Wayan "again"). Of course, Balinese children/people are given other names, including a new "name" after death. However, it is important to realize that by and large, everyone does use these birth order names to refer to each other, and to call each other constantly throughout the day. "

Can you imagine an entire village where every fourth person has the same name?  I can't!  This is just one example of a unique naming way of life.  There are many, many other traditions and naming systems in other parts of the world that I won't write about nor will I pretend to understand. 


And then there are folks who choose to change their name legally to something completely different from what they were born into.  That always baffles me.  Well, unless of course your name is something like Harold "Harry" Dick.  I've actually known a few people with the last name "Dick."  They are all very tough-skinned folks.  You have to be, right?!

What is the meaning of your name?  Why did your parents bestow it upon you?  If you have children, did you give careful consideration to their names based on meaning or origin?  

Please share your thoughts on naming with me.   Come'on - let's play the name game.  Leave your responses in the comments.