Monday, September 26, 2011

Name Clarification



When it comes to naming our children we don't have a lot of stipulations. It doesn't have to be a Bible name. It doesn't have to be a family name. We don't even worry about the meaning of the name. The name we choose is significant to us because we like it. That's it. And the name will eventually have significance and meaning if our children live a life of service ministering to others and glorifying God.

We basically have two rules that we follow when we name our children. #1). The name cannot be trendy. I do realize that Owen is now a popular name but I can honestly say that we did not know anyone with that name or anyone who planned to use that name when we chose it. And rule #2). It has to be easy to pronounce when read on paper. After five years of teaching I quickly learned to feel sorry for the student who was constantly correcting people who mispronounced his name. I have spent my entire life clarifying for others how to pronounce my last name. If you think I have an unusual last name now then you must not know my maiden name! While I can't choose my child's last name I can at least spare him future trouble by giving him a first name that is straightforward and easy.



Well . . . .it appears that in naming Miss Evelyn Kate I have broken rule #2. Everyone knows how to say Evelyn. But we usually call her Evie Kate. As people are meeting her for the first time after seeing her name on my blog or facebook I'm noticing that many are pronouncing her name with a hard e. She has been called "Ee-vie Kate" many, many times. I'm not offended, so if you're someone who has called her this don't worry about it. I just think it's funny that I have managed to name my child something that is easily mispronounced! Perhaps it's the way we are spelling it. Either way, let me clarify. It's pronounced "Ev-ee" a soft e sound in the beginning, you know, like Evelyn. Soft e, then the hard e. So for everyone who told me that you loved her name, I'm now wondering if it's really her name you love. Ha!

2 comments:

christina said...

funny…. i wouldn't think that would be a tough one. but i guess it's not as common. my first grade teacher (and teaching partner when i taught) is named evelyn and we call her evie. and there's a young girl in our church named evelyn, so to me it seems obvious. perhaps just b/c i'm around it. there's a guy in my sunday school class named stefan. i've asked him five times how to properly pronounce his name and each time i've screwed it up. :~/ it's almost like i'm more concerned about offending him and i make myself nervous. he doesn't care though. he said even his family pronounces it differently each time. tomato, ta-MAH-to

Kelly Glupker said...

So how do you pronounce Stefan?