I’m still relatively new to Nameberry, and our daughter is now several months old but we had quite an adventure naming her and thought all you Berries might appreciate it.
When Vess was born she threw us all for a loop just by being herself, that is to say a GIRL! I managed to convince myself and everyone else that she was indeed a he. We had a boy’s name set to go ([name]Elias[/name] – [name]Eli[/name] for short), but for a girl, we got nothin’.
My husband and I like to take it slow when it comes to naming. We have our short lists of favorites, sure, but sometimes the little person you meet isn’t an [name]Eloise[/name] or an [name]Elenor[/name] after all. Our first went three whole weeks before we settled on [name]Cora[/name] [name]Adelaide[/name] – our ‘[name]Noble[/name] Maiden’. The second time it was even harder.
In our state we have 30 days before the birth cert is due. So the clock was set, but where to start? We went through the names we had for [name]Cora[/name] – [name]Ari[/name], [name]Freya[/name], [name]Soleil[/name]. No. [name]Noelle[/name], was nixed. As was [name]Poppy[/name], [name]Wren[/name], [name]Dove[/name]. Then our own personal favorites – [name]Maren[/name], my favorite and [name]Irene[/name], dear husband’s favorite. DH couldn’t come to love [name]Maren[/name]/[name]Marin[/name] the way I did, and neither of us was sold on the meaning. [name]Cora[/name], was still stuck on calling the babe [name]Eli[/name] and so [name]Eloise[/name] was again considered, but it didn’t fit. This peaceful charmer was no ‘battle maiden’.[name]Irene[/name] seemed a good fit – it meant ‘peace’ which was perfect. It is the Greek name for the [name]Roman[/name] [name]Goddess[/name] [name]Pax[/name], just as [name]Cora[/name] is for [name]Persephone[/name]. But it was too stiff to me as a first name.
I wish I had known about nameberry then! It would have been nice to have help! But eventually DH and I re-stumbled across [name]Vesper[/name] in a name list that also, by chance, contained [name]Cora[/name]. We had discussed it years before, both liked it. The minute I read it out loud we knew she finally had a name – the only name so far that we were both agreed on. [name]Vesper[/name] [name]Irene[/name].
[name]Vesper[/name] is Latin for ‘[name]Evening[/name] [name]Star[/name]’ a nod to the [name]Star[/name] of Bethlehem for our Christmastime baby. Also Vespers is the evening prayer in the liturgy of the hours. With her middle name, [name]Irene[/name], she is, without a doubt, an answer to our prayers for a peaceful child.
[name]Just[/name] as [name]Cora[/name] is Hawkeye’s capable lover, so is [name]Vesper[/name] [name]James[/name] [name]Bond[/name]'s equal, and [name]Irene[/name] a match for the indomitable [name]Sherlock[/name] Homes. We hope that one day our girls will find the strength and cunning that these literary women embody.
At 29 days she had a name. We made it with a day to spare!
Edited 4.13 for personal information. Silly me.