Baby Name Reactions
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Friday, May 08, 2009 10:00 AM
When we chose the name Blaise for our little guy, I was curious to see how people would react to it after he was born.
Our daughter’s name, Camilla, is classic and a little old-fashioned. It tends to get one of two reactions. Some people say the name is lovely, and seem delighted by its vintage feel. Others appear underwhelmed, and I think usually what they’re not saying is that they find the name boring.
This doesn’t upset me. I realize that names are very much a matter of personal preference, and I don’t need everyone to love the name Camilla. There are entire categories of names that I wouldn’t use for my children, because they don’t happen to be my style. Wouldn’t it be a dull world if we all had exactly the same taste in names?
But as I said, I was curious to see what people’s reactions would be to Blaise’s name. It’s less common than Camilla and there isn’t a member of the British royalty with the name, so fewer people have heard it. In fact, the only people who seem familiar with the name Blaise are Catholics and people who are interested in mathematics or philosophy.
Despite not having heard of it, most people react positively to Blaise’s name. Many more people than I expected, actually.
It’s been surprising. Friends and acquaintances who reacted to Camilla’s name with ambivalence are enthusiastic when I tell them Blaise’s name. It’s funny, because Camilla is an old-fashioned name, but Blaise is an ancient one! I would have expected people who like newer, trendier names to dislike it.
It occurred to me the other day that maybe they think his name is Blaze!
Have any of your children’s names gotten reactions that were surprising to you? Have any of them gotten exactly the reactions you expected? Please share!
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