What’s in a Name? - A Look Back

Naming a child is no easy task.  Mix in a wife who likes the unique and a husband who likes the plain, old-school and it is a recipe for disaster.  Oh, we had books and websites, and suggestions aplenty, yet nothing stuck. 

 

Let me back up 5 years.   We had a few names we could agree on…..some of those names died with our babies.   Other names, were used by friends and family.   Other names grew in popularity.  And other names were met with such a “what the heck are you thinking face” from our significant other, that we knew to drop them. 

When this baby started growing, we avoided picking names because we have learned to guard our hearts.  But then days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and suddenly, calling the baby Cuatro and Vamperina, seemed a little impersonal.  So, we set out on a mission.   We settled on our boy name so quickly….Anderson James Riggle.   We never wavered from that one.  Andy had a name.  But then we had to name a girl.  Mission impossible. 

We had our reveal party.   I knew it was a girl.   Not an ounce of me doubted that….but one tiny part thought, “Well, if it is a boy, at least he has a name!”  So, we had our reveal, and of course she is a girl, and I exclaimed, “She doesn’t have a name!”   We gave ourselves a deadline.  

We have been going back and forth all week.  Friends and family helping.  Arguing.  And Keith trying to convince me to go back to an old favorite.  Charlotte.   We would call her Charley.   Yet, I just couldn’t do it.   I tried calling her that at our ultrasound and it felt wrong.  I felt like I was talking to a friend’s baby who has the same name.  I felt disconnected in a way.  

With the clock ticking, I start searching Etsy, because the people of Etsy are creative ones.   And I see a name on a sign and underneath it says “My God Has Answered.”   I thought how pretty.   I would love to have that sign with our child’s name.  Then I notice the sign says Name Meaning Signs so off to Google I got to find the meaning of the name.   The name meant, “My God Has Answered.”   Cue the goosebumps.   I call my best friend and my sister, because I know I am going to need them on my team to battle the husband.   They are crying.  I message him to avoid hearing the sarcastic responses….and he likes it.   Almost the floor.

After a long 14 weeks, our daughter has a name……Eliana JoAnn Riggle. 

Eliana – Hebrew – My God Has Answered

JoAnn – Hebrew – God is Gracious