Thank you all so much!
I knew [name]Renae[/name] was out there but my mother in laws middle name is [name]Renee[/name] and my grandma’s was [name]Rea[/name]. I was just trying to find a way to have some family ties to the middle name, since mine or my husbands won’t work.
Agree that [name]Blithe[/name] doesn’t look quite correct.
My name is [name_f]Blithe[/name_f]. [name_f]Blithe[/name_f] is an ancient Germanic and later an old [name_f]English[/name_f] term meaning happy, cheerful, kind and carefree but in recent times blithe has been hijacked to emphasise carefree in a negative way, usually in a political setting.
My father was a journalist and my mother a librarian, both wordsmiths and they named me with intention of the true meaning of [name_f]Blithe[/name_f] - happy, cheerful and carefree (in a positive sense). In the Mother Goose rhyme about days of birth “[name_f]Sunday[/name_f]’s child is [name_f]Bonny[/name_f] and [name_f]Blithe[/name_f]”, I was born on a [name_f]Sunday[/name_f].
Blithe is an adjective and a unisex name but more often used for boys, [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] is a noun and is commonly used as girl’s name. Most people want to spell my name with a “y” and assume I’m female until they meet me. As a shy and gentle boy my name made me a target and I fought my way through childhood and for a short time I wanted to change my name; but I’m proud of my name and it made me the strong person and father I am today - happy, cheerful and carefree but also confident. Invariably when I meet someone for the first time they are fascinated and make comment that it is a great and beautiful name. I always have to spell it and explain the meaning. [name_f]Blithe[/name_f] or [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] are both character building names.
I love my name. I believe your name shapes who you are and your destiny, without a doubt [name_f]Blithe[/name_f] is who I am.