Picking a name

Random post.

Picking a name for another human being is really hard and feels like a huge responsibility.

Dan and I had trouble coming-up with boy names. We had a girl name picked out before we were even married but when we found out we were having a boy, we struggled. I kept a list on my phone of potential options and the goal was to have three names we liked and we would pick one once the baby was born. We didn't come up with three options until the end of July.

When the doctor asked us shortly after delivery if we had a name we both told her, Kipling Alan Johnson, without any discussion. Truthfully, we settled on that name a couple of weeks before he was born but left it open for change if for some reason he didn't look like his name. However, once we were asked, we didn't even hesitate. Though I will say, it was weird to actually call him by a name after referring to him as "baby" for nine months.

So, why the name?

Kipling
My mom suggested Kipling months and months ago and I really liked it because it is unique in that it isn't used frequently and feels a bit classic but it isn't bizarre like some unique names can seem. The full name, Kipling, works as an adult and professional name but it can be shortened for something that works well for a teenager or little kid like, Kip. There are also loads of cute nicknames like Kippy (what we mainly call him) and Kippers.

Alan
The middle name was an easy choice. My dad's name is Allan and Dan's dad's name is James Allen, but he goes by Allen. Choosing Alan would honor both of our dads and we like that since Alan isn't a super common name anymore. We chose the spelling Alan with one L because our dads spell their names differently, one is EN and one is AN both with a double L. So we went with a third spelling so we didn't favor one dad over the other ;o).

So far we've been calling him mainly Kippy or Kip. But I also call him totally random things that just fall out of my mouth when I see him. Mostly, monkey or boo boo and I still call him baby. Mandy calls him Kippy K or K Man. Dan calls him monkey and boo boo too.

I hope Kippy likes his name as he grows up and feels like it suits his personality. We think it works well because he has a unique first name that stands out a bit more with a common last name and he gets a familial tie with his middle name.