In this week’s “Let Us Name Your Baby”, [name_f]Brynn[/name_f] and [name_f]Claire[/name_f] were helping a parent-to-be find an honour name for their father [name_f][/name_f]- who hated his name [name_f][/name_f]- and had explicitly said he didn’t want the name given to any grandchildren.
Their dad’s is name [name_m]Aristoteles[/name_m][name_f][/name_f] and they would like something that could honour him and that works in Spanish and [name_f]English[/name_f].
[name_f][/name_f]
So, some questions:
[name_f][/name_f]
1) What names would you[name_f][/name_f] choose to honour an [name_m]Aristoteles[/name_m] without using the name itself?
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2) What would you do in this situation? What options would you consider? [name_f][/name_f]Would you consider using the name anyway? Would you go for a sound-alike or a variation? Would you look for a different, less direct way to honour? Would you ditch the idea all together?
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3) And… if you want, if you found out that the person you wanted to honour hated their name, what options would you consider to still honour them? [name_f][/name_f](if you don’t like honour names, you could just do this with the name of someone who means a lot to you, whether that be a family member, a friend etc. or, a writer, a fictional character, a historical figure etc)
I’m thinking [name_m]Ari[/name_m] or another [name_m]Ari[/name_m]- name, like [name_f]Ariel[/name_f] or [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] (both of which work well in Spanish and English)! [name_m]Or[/name_m] maybe something like [name_f]Marisol[/name_f], which contains the “aris” part of his name? [name_m]Or[/name_m] I’d go completely different and use something like his birth month or something related to his favorite song/flower/sports team/color etc. [name_m]Or[/name_m] maybe ask him, if he’d had another child, what name he would have wanted to use? That way the honor is in the fact that he got to help choose the name.
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I wouldn’t use the name if the person I wanted to honor specifically asked people not to. I’d try to use a variant or something unrelated but with similar sounds, or find a non-name related way to honor them.
I would see if he goes by a nickname and use the nickname as a middle name. [name_m]Or[/name_m] I would let HIM choose the middle name. That why he’s directly linked to naming the child.
If they didn’t have a MN or a NN they’d be happy to pass down either I’d ask that member to maybe pick a name they’ve always loved & use that in either the FN or MN spot
Playing with the sounds of [name_m]Aristoteles[/name_m], [name_f]Maristela[/name_f] for a girl?
[name_f][/name_f]
[name_m]Ares[/name_m] could also be an option, maybe as a middle? It shares Greek connection and the grandeur without being quite as much. I know an Hispanic kid names [name_m]Ares[/name_m].
@EagleEyes I love the idea of another Ari- name - they’re separate enough and familiar enough to be a nod to Aristoteles without the parts their dad doesn’t like about his name> And Marisol!! that’s a clever idea!
I like the non-name related way of doing it too - that feels quite meaningful!
@atomicginge A nickname is a good idea - like a part of his name that he’s chosen to use?
@PeachyMum nicknames and middles might be a good way to go!
[name_f]My[/name_f] first thought was [name_m]Alistair[/name_m] for a boy! It has all of the same prominent letters, but it is it’s own name that isn’t tied to the philosopher, is well-known, and isn’t quite as long. Hopefully that hits the right boxes.
Yeah, like if he himself prefers to go by [name_m]Ari[/name_m] or [name_m]Stellen[/name_m] or something, use that nickname as a middle name for the child.
My first thought is something that shared the Ari- sound.
I would absolutely not just use the name anyways. I also would probably avoid any variations that still sound really close, but a name that shares one or two of the sounds could work or something more abstract like a reference to something else he loved or letting him choose the middle. I personally think its the thought that counts with honors so if the intention was to honor him and whatever you picked makes you think of him then its an honor name.
I’ve actually already thought about this because one of my grandmothers dislikes her name. I’m extremely fond of a variation of her middle name (which I’m not sure if she feels as strongly about) so a lot of names on my list already share sounds and I might decide to consider them honor names but most of my current options relate to the fact that she had an extensive teddy bear collection when I was little so I associate bear related names with her.
Edit: I ended up rambling for quite awhile about alternative honors on my list because most of the “honor” names on my list are abstract so I put that in a drop down:
Summary
Some of my other more abstract options for other people include: for my dad, names that share some sounds or are very distantly related to his and one of his favorite characters that I happen to like the name of. For my sister, we share a birth stone/month both of which work as a name and her #1 name that she is unlikely to use herself is also on my list so I might put it in the middle as a nod to her. For my mom and other grandma there’s a name that relates to my mom’s fave color and a storybook character she used to read a lot and a flower my grandma was very fond of that my mom now also grows a lot of so it manages to be a double honor with a lot of meaning behind it. If I wanted to go for a four-in-one there’s a smoosh of my mom and grandma’s middle names that my sister and I accidentally came up with as kids that has a very similar style/feel to my sister’s middle that my dad has previously expressed being very fond of. There’s probably more but that’s what I’ve got off the top of my head.
I think I’d stay away from anything that honors the name[name_f][/name_f] directly: variations, nicknames, names that sound alike…
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I’d just go with one of these options:
[name_f][/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f]
a name with a similar meaning. I know this isn’t exactly easy with [name_m]Aristoteles[/name_m], but maybe something like [name_f]Maia[/name_f] (“greater”), maybe even [name_m]Zenith[/name_m]? They’re definitely a stretch though
[name_f][/name_f]
maybe they could let him choose a middle name for the baby
[name_f][/name_f]
or honor him some other way, with something that specifically reminds them of him: a favorite place, hobby, music…
My Granny absolutely hated her first name and went by her middle name from the time she was young. In fact, her pastor of 40 years never knew it was her middle name he was calling her by until we were planning her memorial service… three months after she died (we had lots of military and students at the time so that was the soonest we could get leave for everyone).
I have looked at using a name that reminded me of her or her middle name to honor her. She was known for the ivy she had throughout he house, so [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] certainly could work. Also, she was famous throughout the area for her baking, so I am also looking at [name_m]Baxter[/name_m]. In addition, she was a nurse so there is an option to use a name related to nursing. Also, her birthday was in [name_u]November[/name_u] so [name_u]Ember[/name_u], [name_u]Nova[/name_u] or [name_u]November[/name_u] are options.
I only tell of my Granny to give some realistic examples of name ideas that may strike something in your mind. My biggest bit of advice is to think about what memories you hold near and dear and what characteristics make up the person you want to honor. If nothing else, ask your dad if there is a name he absolutely loves and consider using that.
