Friday, August 06, 2010

Jameson

Oh yeah! The name. I was surprised none of my lurking family members guessed it, since I thought we had discussed it a lot when contemplating a name for Eli. I guess we actually haven't brought it up at all this time to other people, but between us we were frequently using it as the middle name when we were trying things out on each other. (Um, trying NAMES out on each other. Gah.) As in, "How about Isaac Jameson?"

My reasons for not wanting to use it as a first name were two fold: first, James is Jim's given name, though he almost never goes by it. When we discussed it last time around, it was as a namesake thing without actually making the kid James Junior. A nod to the name, if you will. James Son. Using it on a second son just seems kind of... weird, though. Like maybe the first kid wasn't quite up to snuff so you hung on to it and hoped you'd have another boy? I don't know. But then I got to thinking about Eli's whole naming story and how he came to be called Elias and realized that he probably would totally understand why we passed on it with him once we told him the tale of throwing our name list completely out the window on the whim of his Percocet-addled mother an hour after his birth. (BTW, that link is the whole birth story, so if you just want the name part skip waaaay to the bottom.) But what do you guys think?

My other, not quite as important reason, was that in general I'm kind of opposed to last-names-as-first-names. It's just super trendy lately, and for the same reason we're avoiding the Aiden/Hayden/Jaden/Braden/Kaden sound, we had agreed to try to avoid surnames. HOWEVER, this particular surname wouldn't just be chosen randomly because we think it sounds cool, it would be because it actually means something. Also, I really like all the nicknames for it, which matters a lot to me.

But back to the naming a second son in honor of his father thing: is it weird, or am I being weird and over thinking it?

EDIT: It would be pronounced Jame-is-son, not, like, "James' Son," just to clarify.

12 comments:

Jess said...

It's definitely unusual, but I think that's a good thing. I always thought it was a little unfair that the first son got the namesake and the other sons didn't, like that implied inferiority when it doesn't exist. I think the fact that you KNOW that you love both your sons unquantifiably much, and everyone else will know that too, means you should use this name if you want to.

Hillary said...

I like the name and don't think the second son thing really matters. I would never think of it.

But then, I just desperately like the nickname Jamie. It was a contender for The Lad.

Swistle said...

I think it's nice, and in fact the parents I know of twin boys deliberately named the second boy after his dad, so one is the firstborn son and the other is the namesake son.

jen(melty) said...

I think it's cool. And I never thought it weird - our first son has 2 unique names and our second son has my husband's first as his middle name. No one thought it was weird at all. I thought it was kinda cool that HE got it and not the older one. With the older one I was all about having his own two names. It must have been meant to be because up until my husband called his parents to tell them he was born, he had the husband's name as his middle, and while the phone was being dialed I changed it :D I guess I would have subconsciously realized "hey tubby you're gonna have another boy in 2 years and you won't be able to think of a name for him! Save it!"

Elizabeth said...

That's so funny - forgot to comment on your post but my guess was going to be James simply because that was our other choice for OUR Eli and if we ever have another boy, he'll be James. Great minds think alike!

Mary O said...

I think it would make the second son feel special. And Jameson is an awesome name... you should do it.

Jana said...

Jameson is great name! Unique, but not unusual or weird. Our first son has a non-family first name and my maiden name as his middle name. My second son has a non-family first name and my husband's middle name as his middle name. I kind of like that the second son got his middle name from his dad; I feel it gives him an importance that is not usually given to the second son.

Jen @ Rolling Through Looneyville said...

Jameson is a solid, strong name. Love it! I'm so scared this next one is going to be a boy because we can. not. agree. on. a. name.

d e v a n said...

I love it!:)

Marie Green said...

I love it! I'd go for it, if I were you!

Saly said...

I LOVE it!! Personally, I like the idea of caling a little boy Jamie--good nickname posibility, and also a strong standalone name.

And I don't think it's awk to name the second son after the Hubby. We only have one boy, and he is a jr., but my Lucy has 2 names with no association other than hers was the name I'd planned on calling my daughter since I was a teenager. And Liv has my middle name. I wondered if I should feel bad about Lucy not having a family association type name--but in the end, it's HER name and hers alone and that makes it special.

artemisia said...

Oh, I love that name!