I knew a couple that was trying for years to have a child. One night he told me they were feeling quite desperate about the whole thing and it was even affecting their marriage.
I suggested praying to the Blessed Mother and they both told me they did. Often. They said they held hands and prayed just about every night to the Blessed Mother for their marriage and a child. And guess what? It helped their marriage and they got pregnant. Hooray.
Due to some minor complications, they continued praying to the Blessed Mother for their child’s health every day and night. The night before they delivered they told me they prayed to the Blessed Mother. And the next day they had a baby girl. And they named her…well let’s just say not Mary. Not Maria or any variation of Mary. In fact, I looked up the name later and there’s no saint at all with that name. I asked where they got the name and my buddy’s wife said they just liked the sound of it. I, of course, smiled and said the baby was gorgeous.
Monsignor Bassano Stafferi is clearly beyond just smiling through it:
An Italian bishop has called on parents to stop giving their children “ridiculous” names and revert to traditional Christian names instead.
Monsignor Bassano Staffieri, retired bishop of La Spezia in Liguria, said that of the 500 girls born in the city this year, “not one was registered or baptised with the name Maria”. He added.”A name is not just a sound, it has a profound meaning.”
Mothers and fathers “should return to using a name like Maria, which is inspired by the Virgin Mary”, instead of opting for “exotic or strange names of which their children will later be ashamed”, the bishop said. There were signs that parents were reverting to traditional names for boys, “but this is still not the case with baby girls, alas”.
He said the reason was not so much that Italian families were abandoning the Catholic faith but rather that they did not give enough thought to baptismal names. “The problem is they do not think about what they are doing”.
The last few years we’ve seen an influx of silly baby names in direct proportion, I guess, to the number of silly adults running around. I think less silliness and more seriousness is my prescription for this foundering age. (This blog is of course excluded)
God bless the good bishop for saying the truth. Maybe it’ll give some folks pause and prevent another kid being named after fruit or some name that essentially begs for a hellish high school experience.
December 1, 2008 at 8:28 pm
My daughter, Rebekah, teaches ballet and has heard all manner of trendy names but “Abcde” (pronounced just as you say the alphabet) takes the cake. Ever heard of that one? Mary L.
December 1, 2008 at 8:30 pm
“I am sure it would have made her very popular with the boys.”
HAHAHA! My non-Catholic coworkers don’t get it. Sorry for the interruption. Back to your spreadsheets.
December 1, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Geez, Lourdes, that’s terrible! I think I heard something recently about a judge refusing a request to change a name to profanity..? Made me think of it.
Deirdre, not all Hopes are depressive! That’s what my name means, and I like to think I’m rather cheery. Maybe using it in translation helps? The Spanish version is Esperanza, and that is very beautiful.
December 1, 2008 at 8:42 pm
In the same article I referenced above, a judge ruled that a couple could not name their child “Friday.”
As much as I don’t like the name I really don’t like the idea of the government deciding names like the Weather Service hands out names for hurricanes.
December 1, 2008 at 9:54 pm
“Autumn Storm”
Don’t stone me, I actually think this is a super awesome name for a girl!
December 1, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I read an article this morning (can’t remember which news service it was, darn it!) where in an African nation, there have already been 6 newborn boys with the registered name of Barack Obama. Oh the humanity!
That’s a good name for a donkey…
December 1, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Oh, by the way – worst name EVER for a baby: Moxie Crimefighter.
That's the name of the daughter of the speaking half of Penn & Teller.
December 1, 2008 at 11:14 pm
We named our second son John Paul (after JP2-duh). We had a friend and a family member each ask if the next one was going to be George Ringo.
December 1, 2008 at 11:31 pm
We have a John Paul and a Benedict. My non-Catholic family thinks I’m nuts. My mom thinks I named the youngest after the egg dish. Hello?!
December 1, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Bravo, Bishop! Honestly, try putting names like Britney, Dakota, Montana, Cheyenne, Laramie or Cooper/Hunter/Trapper/Tanner into the Litany of Saints with a straight face…
Our son’s name is Ian Heath. You can guess what his monogram is going to be (HINT: there are worse fates, but I hope he doesn’t end up a Jesuit).
Our soon-to-be newborn daughter is Emma Caroline. The missus wouldn’t go for Charlemagne.
December 1, 2008 at 11:59 pm
I am NOT a trendy name person as you can tell from my kid’s names: William, Mary, Margaret, Charles, Timothy and Baby Sunshine.(we do an in-utero name before birth and baptism, she will be Julia)
When we were in Italy all the nonnas (grandmothers) were thrilled that we had a “Maria” but they couldn’t get our first son’s name down because Italian doesn’t have a W in it it. “Eeeeliam” was the closest they could say, it was was funny to hear!
December 2, 2008 at 12:49 am
In Australia we had a brothel-keeper called “Stormy Summers”:
http://www.abc.net.au/compass/s283249.htm
She even ran for Mayor once; then she went bankrupt…
December 2, 2008 at 1:11 am
Years ago I lived near a couple named Lear. Their first daughter was born amid great rejoicing, and they gave her the following name: Krysta Shanda Lear. Try saying that a few times, and you’ll see why I thought it was rather odd, to say the least, (I’m guessing that this now grown woman needed some therapy at some point to deal with this curse laid upon her by well-meaning folks)… Closer to home, my husband was thinking about naming our first-born son Gilhooley (surname Gonzalez). After heated debate, we settled on Carl Gregory. He is now a well-adjusted young man with a steady job. I don’t know what happened to Ms. Lear. Hopefully she married and was able to change her name.
December 2, 2008 at 1:27 am
I like Candace Barr.
December 2, 2008 at 1:28 am
Our boys are William Charles (Confirmation name Mark), and John David (planned Confirmation name is Gabriel — at HIS request). If I ever have another and she is a girl, her name will be Mary Elizabeth.
Can’t get much more trad than that!
Regards,
Jenny
December 2, 2008 at 1:35 am
Several hours later, and after racking brain with hubby, I remembered the sixth name:
Evelyn Margaret OR Margaret Evelyn. I like them either way.
Hubby also wants me to mention he came up with a fair portion of the names (he did).
By the way, Amy G., I snorted when I read about John Paul…
December 2, 2008 at 2:32 am
The princess in my life is named Sarah Elizabeth Hall. For confirmation she adopted Maria Goretti, and so her full name is Sarah Elizabeth Maria Goretti Hall. Did I brag that she’s a doctoral candidate?
As for me, well, I’m stuck with Mack. What were my Methodist parents thinking? Sigh.
December 2, 2008 at 2:43 am
The names Amy won’t let me use:
For girls:
Radegunda
Cunegunda
Waldetrudis
Walburga
Gomer
Begga
For boys: Nice ones like Florence, Laverne, Beverly, Lorraine, and Shirley…
And if we ever had fraternal twins: Hermione and Kermit. We could call them Hermie and Kermie.
December 2, 2008 at 3:33 am
I swear the following is true: I had a friend in elementary school whose name was Candy Cain…tall, redheaded girl, too…oy!
December 2, 2008 at 3:33 am
People have been arrested for less.