Boy, this sounds fun! For context, my protagonists’ parents come from a fictional small, niche sect of Christianity in rural Arkansas. For the last 200-ish years, this sect has operated exclusively within a single town, populated by no more than a couple thousand, with the majority of residents being members of this sect. Their naming customs are heavily influenced by their religion, heritage, and history. They trace their roots to English Puritans and persecuted Irish Catholics, with additional admixture of Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, French, Manx, and other groups. My protagonists’ mother, Elizabeth Bermingham, is a born-and-raised member of this sect, with her tracing her heritage to Celtic and Anglo-Saxon roots. My protagonists’ father, Henry Mortenson, is a bit more unique in his background. His parents are of Scandinavian and Germanic descent, having joined the religion in their adulthood and meeting shortly there afterwards. When Elizabeth and Henry married and had children, they decided to compensate between honoring their religion (Elizabeth’s idea) and honoring their biological heritage (Henry’s idea). They also took into consideration the meaning of the names, believing a name with a positive meaning to carry good connotations for their children and negative meanings the opposite. The results were as follows:
Their first child, a son, was named Sebastian Torquil Mortenson. “Sebastian” finds its origins in Greek yet has evolved into such a globally multicultural name that its befitting of a boy from such wide ethnic descent. Plus, it’s the name of a Christian Saint, so bonus points right there! “Torquil” is the Scottish version of the ancient Scandinavian name “Torkel”, making it the perfect middle name for Sebastian.
Their second child, a girl, was named Harper Annamarie Mortenson. The name “Harper” is a surname-turned-forename from English, Irish, and Scottish origins, making it a trendy, yet meaningful fit for their daughter. “Annamarie” is a combination between “Anna” (meaning “favor/grace” in Hebrew and derived from the name “Anne”, which borne by Saint Anne) and “Marie”, an extremely common name all across the world and a variant of the mega-popular “Maria”, which itself is a form of “Mary”, the mother of Jesus Christ. All in all, Harper’s name is meant to blend trendy and classic meanings.
Their third child, an adopted daughter, was named Skyla Blythe Mortenson. “Skyla” is a variant of “Skylar”, which itself is a variant of the Dutch “Schuyler”, meaning “Scholar.” Her middle name, “Blythe”, is an old English surname meaning "cheerful, “joyous,” and/or “pleasant”, and a name I believe was common among the Puritans(?). Skyla’s name was designed to be as pleasant as possible to combat the grim meaning of her birth name, which was “Deirdre” (meaning “broken-hearted” or “Sorrowful” in Irish).
(As a side note, Henry himself is named by his father for his eldest uncle, Henrik Mortenson, who died in the Vietnam War in 1973.)
