I always thought I would be one of those people who knew early on in their pregnancy what they would name their baby. Like many of you, I’ve named every pet, every stuffed animal, every appliance, and every other assorted object as early back as I can remember. I was more than a little opinionated about the name choices of my family and friends. However, much to my shock and surprise, my love of names only ended up complicating the naming process for my husband and I. The name question was a daily conversation from the earliest moments of my pregnancy with our little boy, and those discussions continued until we found ourselves at the hospital still trying to make the final decision on a name over two hours after we had been cleared for discharge. We bought all the books, stayed on forums continually, and were avid consumers of all things nameberry. It wasn’t that my husband and I disagreed on choices. Rather, we were so fixated on wanting the “perfect” name for our little one that all names seemed to pale in comparison to what we were feeling for him. Before leaving the hospital, we had a special moment where we told our little son what his name would be. We told him the truth – that we struggled so vehemently over what to name him. We told him the struggle was not because we cared too little but because we cared so much. Of course, while other name/word lovers may have the opposite experience, I’ve certainly learned that deliberating over names until the last minute does not necessarily equate with a lack of interest or attention to the name choice.
Our baby boy entered the world on [name_f]May[/name_f] 2nd. For a little backstory, my husband and I first met on an archaeological excavation in [name_m]Israel[/name_m], so we were drawn to the idea of a biblical name. However, we felt that biblical names tend to fall under two categories – extremely common or extremely differentiated. We weren’t so certain about choosing a top ten name for him. Ultimately, we fell in love with “[name_m]Silas[/name_m]” because of its biblical ties, but we decided that the name did not necessarily have to equate with a favorite biblical figure. I didn’t choose [name_m]Silas[/name_m] because I’ve had a particular affinity for the biblical figure. It’s not that I want my son to grow up to emulate him (although there are certainly qualities there worth emulating). Rather, I wanted the name to connect him and drawn him into the biblical tradition. I realized that there were a lot of unconventional ways to create that connection without naming him after my favorite person in the text. We liked where “[name_m]Silas[/name_m]” fell in the name ranks. It was just the right amount of familiar and distinct. In addition, my husband’s name is a [name_m]New[/name_m] Testament name, so we thought it was a fun way to tie him to his dad in a less traditional way. We liked the length of the name “[name_m]Silas[/name_m]” and the way it flowed with our last name. We also decided that the phonetics of the name were important to us. You can have all the best reasons in the world for choosing a name, but you’re ultimately left with how it sounds on a daily basis. We loved the sound and poise of “[name_m]Silas[/name_m].” We felt it would carry him well through infancy, childhood, and adulthood. To us, it had the right amount of strength and sophistication coupled with down-to-earth and homegrown vibes.
The middle name came along naturally once the first name was chosen. We’ve loved the name “[name_m]Tucker[/name_m]” for a long time. Again, my husband has a “T” name, but it’s a very traditional and common name. Throughout the pregnancy, my husband and I discussed the possibility of using his own first name as the baby’s middle name. While I liked the connection that would create for them, I was a bit uncertain about how many other people have the same name. We also felt strongly about providing the baby with his own unique identity. After choosing his first name, we felt my husband’s name just did not work well phonetically. “[name_m]Tucker[/name_m]” provided our son with with a “T” name just like his dad without pulling the identical name. No doubt, he would have likely had a different name if his father’s name had not had started with a “T.” If he ever publishes or chooses to use his middle initial for something, it can reflect his connection with his dad (if he so chooses). I have a double-barreled first name, and it was fun for me to think that he could easily go by “[name_m]Silas[/name_m] [name_m]Tucker[/name_m]” if he so desired. We also felt comfortable with “[name_m]Tucker[/name_m]” if he ever felt like he didn’t want to go by “[name_m]Silas[/name_m].”
Super excited with our name choice! I wanted to give a little encouragement to anyone majorly struggling over what to name their baby. While I haven’t posted before, I wanted to thank everyone for their posts in the forums and the blog content. I consumed a lot of information from here, and it certainly aided in our name quest! Thank you!