Names

Names are funny and weird. Everyone has one, but they basically don't mean anything anymore.

(I am writing this post because I have nothing else to do. I am making it up as I go. Usually I plan them in my head beforehand but nope, not this time, sorry.)

When I was younger I had a top six list of names to name my children:
Evelyn
Elaine
Irene
Joy
Noel
Gloria

Yes, I know they're all girl names. I don't know if I wanted to just have six girls, or if boy names just didn't appeal to me.

Now, I have a less definite list of names that I like:
Matthias
Michael
David
Dexter
Tae

Yes, I know. All boy names. I don't know.

I have a document on my computer that I've been meticulously putting together for years. It is called "My names".
There are 47 names on that list. All of them include what the name means and what the country of origin is. Oh, and a concise list of people I know (and admire) with that name in case I decide to name one of my children after one of those people.
Since my taste in names has grown a little more normal now that I'm older, I actually have a few normal names on there. But some of the weirder ones I liked when I was a few years younger haven't undergone purging from the list yet. Here are a few examples:
Ayla
Candra
Harmony
Lorelai
Melody
Rhapsody
Unity
Zoe
Ajalon
Atticus
Bronson
Gideon
Jaron
Josiah
Lincoln
Masato

Yes I have them categorized into boy and girl names, and yes they are in alphabetical order.

Now. Since we're on the topic of names, I'm sure you're all wondering where my name came from. Because you are all so interested in these personal details about me.

My first name is Maryann, as you probably know or at least have seen/read. It's not Mary Ann or MaryAnn or Mary or Mary-anne or Mary Jane or Marion or Marilyn or Morgan or Sarah. It's Maryann. (For the record, I have been called all of those and more. The Sarah comes from that's my sister's name. She looks nothing like me, so I don't know why people get us confused.) Although I am picky about the spelling of my name, I will understand if you're confused about whether the A is capitalized, in which case it would be proper for you to write my name as MARYANN. See? All caps does tricks.

Although my name is "all one word", there are two parts to it. Mary. and Ann. I understand that and will not argue with you about it beyond spelling technicalities.

The Mary comes from my mother's mother. Her name is Mary.
The Ann comes from my father's mother. Her name was Ann.

So my name is a combination of both of my grandmothers' names. I think that's pretty cool.

The meaning for "Maryann" according to most sources is "bitter". But once, somewhere, many years ago, I saw a card with my name on it saying the meaning was "Living Fragrance." Obviously living fragrance is a lot neater than bitter, so I tell people that's what my name means. When they ask. Which is almost never.

Also, my name "peaked" in popularity in the year 1943. It was the 135th most popular name in America. In the year I was born, it was the 976th most popular name. Barely on the charts. I have an old lady name. I still like it. So deal with it.

My middle name, Kathleen, was given to me because my Dad liked it. I like it too, and it means pure. Yay!

I'm not going to tell you my last name, because this is the internet, and I'm scared of you people.

Jesus was a name given to the Messiah by God. It means "God rescues". Emmanuel means "God with us", which also refers to Jesus.

And that's how I made this entirely pointless post about Jesus.


God bless.