February 11, 2007
Name Time…
Alright, I’ve worked out the names. Just don’t tell my wife that my mind is made up, she hates these names… I’m just hoping I get to the birth certificate with the pen while she’s still lying there wondering who’s going to cut the umbilical…
A) If it’s a boy, Odin. After all, he’s the Norse god of wisdom*. It’s uncommon, but it’s not some sort of pretentious, easily-identifiable name like “Thor”. And Odin Warbiany just has a nice ring to it…
B) If it’s a girl, Sophia (or Sofia). Again, the Greek word for wisdom (see a theme here?). It’s also fairly uncommon. It’s got a hint of elegance and an exotic quality, but yet without being too far out there. Plus, one of my favorite aunts, Sophie, just passed away last year, and it would be nice to use the name.
What do you think? How can I convince a woman who likes girls’ names such as “Kendall”, “Madison”, and “Avery” to name a child Odin or Sophia?
* I realize Odin is also the god of war, battle, and death. And sometimes magic. Those Norse gods appear to be pretty multi-talented. The reason I don’t say he’s the god “of wisdom and war” is that every Norse god, as far as I can tell, is the god of something “and war”.
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If it is a girl definitely go with your wife’s names.
Brad, I realize we haven’t talked in a while, but please listen when I tell you that looking at the meaning of the name is very important. What is also important is your child not being killed on the playground. Sophia, beautiful and classic. Odin will cause problems.
Brad, I know you’ll have a hard time convincing Joanna of ‘Odin’. Although I think she’ll favour Sophia for sure, especially the reasons behind it.
Never worry about playground fights over names – they’ll sort it out. It will make Odin stronger. But your ‘Odin’, character wise, will have to be strong to carry a name as this in any event.
Basically, knowing by experience, Joanna will have the biggest say, like I did when Jeff wanted to name Jack – ‘Basil’!! – NEVER…….
Yeah,
Odin’s gonna get his ass handed to him for a long time. Plus, let’s think of nick names:
O.D. – Hey, everyone when you OD aren’t you supposed to die?
Odie – as in the dog
Odin the rodent – kind of rhymes
Now, knowing you as I do, I’m going to believe that you will teach young Odin not to let others opinions affect him. Eventually, kids will come around, as long as young Odin doesn’t prove to be too weird a kid. Even then, he will have his group of friends, and all will be well in the world. Then he will go to college and hang out with all the enlightened chicks and get the freaky deaky poon. Once again all is well.
Sophia just plain rocks though.
Nick
Jacki,
That’s because my dad wanted to name Jeff “Basil”. Probably a good thing that he didn’t, though. But I gotta say that naming your child after a Norse god of wisdom, war, battle, and death is probably a little nicer than naming him after an aromatic leaf used in cooking.
Nick,
We can’t assume Odin won’t be “too weird a kid.” Descended from me, I think he’ll be plenty weird. Although, having my genes will be helpful, because he’ll at least be bigger than his critics. I think he should be taller than you by the time he’s 8 or so
Or he could get Joanna’s genes and be 5 and 1/2 foot tall with the name Odin. You’ve heard of people with a Napolean complex? Of course, you did turn out alright, after you stopped being the jolly black giant. But, then again, what the hell do I know about being normal?
Nick
You do realize that Odin is an old, one-eyed guy dressed in a blue cape, don’t you? And that some think that him flying around on his eight legged reindeer was the model for Santa Claus?
At least he’ll have a day of the week named after him, I guess…(Wednesday, just in case you didn’t know.)
Even though he’s kind of the head god dude, he’s still pretty dependent on Freia and her little apples.
Dana,
Actually, I’ve been getting away from the name Odin ever since my nerdy neighbor told me that he’s a character in both “Magic: The Gathering” and D&D. I can’t do that to a kid…
But I do think it’s a cool name.
Brad, I like Sophia, it is a beautiful name. Odin would make a nice middle name for a boy. Let your wife pick the boys first name and then put Odin as the middle name. That way you can call him Odin and she can call him by his first name. You want peace in the household you will have to give your wife some say in the names.
My god, no, not Odin.
http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html
Go ye therefore and clickify.
Anyway: Avery is gender ambivalent (top 250 in both boys and girls), ditto for Kendall. Madison is the new “Mary” (#1 in 1890s to 1950s, #2 in 1960s). Madison is #3 on the most popular for 2003, 2004, and 2005. (I suppose that to some this is a “feature” but… not me.)
I like Sophia or Sofia! (But not Odin!)
congratulations daddy! i have two of my own hellspawn and know what you are going through! Its scary that God let me reproduce, ain’t it?
Forget Odin, I say go balls-out…
How about Conan? By the time the kid’s old enough for his classmates to tease him, Conan the Barbarian will be 30+ years old, and Conan O’Brien will be off the air.
Or better yet, how about going with some bad-ass leaders of men from the way back?
Ramses (allegedly the Pharaoh in Exodus was Ramses II)
Alexander (as in the great)
Ozymandias (another name for Alexander the Great)
Fezzik (not a leader, but definitely not someone to mess with)
Attilla (‘nuf said)
Genghis (definitely ‘nuf said)
Keep in mind that any kid of yours is likely to be ginormous…who’s gonna be dumb enough to start something?
And I do like Sofia…