Bruno Mars, Biggie Smalls or Mr. Big

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – Quote from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Juliet asks Romeo a simple question, and follows with a profound metaphor. Her point is that names, in and of themselves, do not hold any meaning. Names, to her, are labels that help us tell people and things apart. If that, in fact, is the case, then why do we get so caught up in what we name our children and pets?

Many times, we name our children site unseen. We generate a list of possible names from baby books, family members, famous people and more. We decide on a first and middle name (and their spelling). We may even have the name painted, embroidered or forged in iron – before the baby is delivered – to help welcome them to the world. Upon delivery, even if the name is ill-suited for the tiny human, we complete the birth certificate and make it official.

With pets, on the other hand, we may have a few possibilities for names, but we wait to make a final decision based on the pet’s vibe, personality or physical characteristics. Think about it. You may have decided to name your dog “George”. You settled on the name weeks ahead of seeing the dog because you always wanted a dog named “George”. Any way you slice it, the dog is to be named George. Upon seeing the dog, however, a darker fur pattern around the dog’s eye, makes you change the dog’s name to “Spot” because you feel it “fits” him better. If your child came into the world with freckles, would you do the same? Hmmm . . .

Why the rant? Well, Sunday I traveled to Memphis to pick up our new baby. We had already announced to the breeder and Facebook, that we were naming him “Bruno Mars Sinkford”. After seeing him, “Biggie Smalls Sinkford” seemed more appropriate. Then, after realizing the names “Biggie” and “Iggy” would be too hard for the dogs to distinguish (and us too!), “Mr. Big” became an option. The bottom line is that we are still trying the names on for size, and hope to post a picture (with a name) very soon. We want to make sure it fits!

A good name is better than riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. – Proverbs 22:1