What’s in a name?

Brock and I spent a lot of time dreaming of and planning for our children. Each one is a carefully thought out masterpiece (if you ask me!). I wasn’t one to live or die by the meaning of a name. But I did look to see what they meant before deciding. We took the whole naming process very seriously. Well, kind of.

When it came to Tate, it all started as a joke. My mom hates a particular name. I won’t share it, in case someone likes it, but she is pretty passionate about it! As a joke, Brock and I decided to tell her we chose that name. But we needed an equally ridiculous boys name to go with it. What could be more ridiculous than a bunch of T’s in a short name. Tate Tafelski. We said it so many times that we fell in love with it! Tate Tafelski. Nolan was a tribute to Brock. Brock’s middle name is Ryan, after Nolan Ryan. So my boys are linked by their middle names. It doesn’t hurt that Tate’s initials are TNT.

We chose Evangeline’s name two years before even Tate was born. I fell in love with it after watching Lost (Evangeline Lilly). Silly, yes. But it is so classic and beautiful. It means “like an angel”. I’m not sure she lives up to it right now! We had chosen Faith even before that. It was a virtue that we both had to have to believe that we would have the family that we so desperately wanted. And so Evangeline Faith was named four years before she was born!

So when we found out we were having twins and that they were both girls, no less, we had a huge task. Find a second name that we liked as much as Evie. We went through a lot of names but there was really only one that we were serious about. I think Brock may have just agreed to get me off his back! But Scarlett was special to me. My favorite book is Gone With The Wind. I have read it probably 100 times. My first copy is worn out, cover bent, pages worn and torn. Brock bought me a first edition copy for my birthday one year. And I love it because of Scarlett. I don’t see a selfish, greedy woman who isn’t afraid to do anything to get what she wants. I see a smart, strong, independent woman that doesn’t let anything stand in her way. I see Scarlett as being unafraid to do what needs to be done. I admire her for her strength and fearlessness. And I wanted my daughter to have those characteristics. Partially because I felt like it was the opposite of me. I was more like Melly. Quiet, reserved, timid. I guess I chose not to see the bravery and strength in Melly either.

I wanted Scarlett’s middle name to start with E. I admit, I just liked Eloise. It’s pretty. Classic. Old. But I recently revisited its meaning and found that it is so much more. Eloise means “famous warrior”. And she totally is. She is fighting the biggest battle. And she is fighting hard. My little Scarlett Eloise is a warrior through and through.

Without realizing, we gave her a name, a whole name, that completely encompasses the characteristics to fight. She is strong willed. She is brave. She is a warrior. Scarlett is living up to her name.