names...

While checking out at Walmart, I noticed the cashiers name was Katrina. The nightly news had a segment on names the other name and Katrina's name tag jogged my memory about her name. Until hurricane Katrina, it was a very popular name. Had always been in the top 100. Last year there were only 850 babies in the whole country named Katrina.

Emily and Joshua have topped the list as number one names for girls and boys for a long time Funny how we pick names for our newborn. Keaton has a kid in his second grade class who is named after a surfing comic book character. There is a family in our community whose last name is Wolfe and they have a Timber and Grey. I read an Ann Landers piece once where a woman named her off spring with the surgical operations she had been through.

My daughter, being born in the 70's, had a middle name of Sunshine all through my pregnancy. It sounded so cool but in the end, we went with Theresa. For me it was either Zalaine or Heidi - either way, I lose. I guess if I could have forseen the future, I would pick the name I wound up with but knowing there was a mad dash to sign my birth certificate and my dad got there first, it puts a damper on being a lovely sentiment.

You meet some people and can't imagine them having any other name. It is like it was completely out of their parent's control, divinely inspired if you will. I have a hard time with those names who try to come up with unique spelling. Amy aka - Aimee, Ami, Amee. I need it simple - hard to imagine you could not recognize a simple name like Amy but it is becoming more and more popular.

Whatever your name, whether divinely inspired or you are named after a rollercoaster in Iowa - it is something to be proud of. You may never have been able to walk into Target and buy a pencil with your name on it but maybe somehow, it has contributed to who you are today. Even if your name is Katrina...