My parents have recounted the tale of how I got my name countless times. They were newlyweds in their early twenties when they learned my mom was expecting. They hadn’t discussed baby names before, but my mom was convinced I was a girl. They quickly settled on the name Katie—nothing else felt right.
When I was born and it came time to complete my birth certificate, my five-letter nickname started to feel less serious. After a brief discussion, they opted for Katherine, just in case I pursued a profession that might require a more formal name. My mom suggested Katherine Elizabeth, allowing me the choice of being Katherine, Katie, or Kate E. Options galore! Ironically, my maiden name turned out to be twenty-five letters long, which was a challenge to learn in kindergarten. Despite that, everyone still calls me Katie.
I’ve always enjoyed sharing my naming story and love hearing how others choose names for their children. If you’re intrigued by unique naming stories, read on for thirty delightful examples.
Megan T.
Before my partner and I crossed paths, we both had our hearts set on naming our first son Caleb. When our first child turned out to be a girl, we named her Callie. When our second child was a boy, we finally got to use Caleb as planned. This established a pattern, and we went on to name our four additional boys Canaan, Camden, Caelan, and Cash.
Jessica R.
Asher means blessing, and since he was born around Thanksgiving, I wanted a name that conveyed gratitude, which is how I landed on that one.
Hannah D.
Being a Southern gal, I have a fondness for monograms. My eldest daughter had plenty of monogrammed items, so when our second daughter came along, I named her Ava Layne to repurpose my first daughter’s personalized clothes.
Laura H.
We picked our son’s name, Henry Thomas, even before getting engaged. It wasn’t inspired by the character from ET; we just loved it. As we went through other options during my pregnancy, we always circled back to Henry, which suits him perfectly.
Samantha J.
My husband chose our daughter’s first name, and I picked her middle name, Wren. During our attempts to conceive, a wren made a nest on our front door and laid five eggs. Watching those eggs hatch and the babies fly away gave me hope. I decided that if this pregnancy resulted in a girl, she would be named after those wrens.
Emily Q.
After having one biological child and facing fertility struggles, we opted to adopt to complete our family. Just two weeks after bringing home our second adopted infant, I discovered I was pregnant again. I held my newborn daughter in one arm and a positive pregnancy test in the other—I couldn’t help but laugh. Her middle name is Isaac, which means laughter.
Rachel M.
My husband had a daughter named Nicole from a previous relationship who passed away at six months. We honored her memory by giving our daughter Mila the middle name Nicole.
Caitlyn A.
Our rainbow babies carry a piece of their late sister with them. Their sister was named Elaine Christine, so we named them Eden Elaine and Evelyn Christine. Each name holds a special meaning: Eden means “place of delight,” and Evelyn means “longed for.” After losing a baby, these names felt just right.
Daniel B.
As the youngest of six, my name starts with an S, like my living siblings Susan, Sean, and Shelley. My brothers who passed away were named Seth and Stephen. It seems my mom had a fondness for names that begin with S.
Nina T.
We wanted to honor my late father-in-law, Clarence, by naming one of our sons after him, but opted for his nickname Cob, modifying it slightly to Coby.
Megan L.
I fell in love with the name Rowen after watching a terrible Nic Cage movie as a teen. When I told my husband we should name our daughter Rowen, he found it amusing and agreed. I didn’t check the meaning until later—Rowen means “little redhead,” which suits her perfectly as she has beautiful red curls.
Sophie K.
In high school, I met a girl named Irie and thought it was beautiful. After years of dreaming about having a daughter named Irie, I finally got my chance after becoming licensed to foster. Unbeknownst to me, I was pregnant again, and our Irie is due soon.
Jason P.
My daughter is named after the town where we vacation. While watching TV, we joked about naming her after a favorite place. So, she was named Madison, after Madison, CT—named after Dolly Madison.
Cathy W.
I loved the name Olivia from the first time I heard it. My mom suggested it, and now my little brown-haired girl is named Olivia. It’s a simple story, but she’s actually named after Olivia Benson from “Law and Order: SVU.” I never thought the show would still be running when she was born!
Lucy F.
Growing up, I adored Star Trek, especially the character William Riker. I wanted to name my son William, and fortunately, my husband liked it too. Our William embodies everything I imagined. I look forward to sharing Star Trek with him.
Tina J.
We had initially planned for three kids, but pregnancy #3 resulted in twins. We named the youngest Cai, which means “rejoicing,” as a nod to our unexpected joy.
Sarah N.
My 14-year-old daughter is named Emily Leonor Anberlyn. At 21, I found Emily a tad boring, so I added Anberlin, our favorite band name at the time (spelled differently), and incorporated Leonor after my great-grandmother. She now loves her unique name.
Rachel S.
After five years of trying to conceive, I was shocked to discover I was four months pregnant! We named our son Ian Michael—Michael is my husband’s middle name, and Ian means “God’s gracious gift.” He is truly our blessing from above.
Shelly B.
In high school, I overheard a discussion about a boy named Aiden, and I immediately fell in love with the name. I later found out the reference was from “Sex and the City.”
Kate C.
Despite my husband’s push for Walter for our second son, I suggested Walker—after a child I nannied. We compromised, and thus, our son became Walker Rhys.
Jeanne S.
As the seventh of eight kids, I have twin brothers named Pete and Paul. My mom joked that to afford all of us, they would have to “rob Peter to pay Paul.”
Carli J.
My daughter’s name is Elise Kendra. Before we even married, my husband declared that Elise would be our daughter’s name. Kendra is my sister’s middle name, honoring a sibling I lost shortly after birth.
Unnamed Parent
Before we were pregnant with our first child, we settled on Jackson Christopher for our son.
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In summary, naming a child is a deeply personal experience shaped by culture, family history, and unique stories. Each parent shared a meaningful tale that highlights their journey to find the perfect name for their little one.