I understand the real & symbolic importance they hold but I feet this was something you did to honor someone who had passed away.

In part, I just prefer less confusion, two people with the same name, in the same house, can be hard.

As to the statement “and she felt that nine months of pregnancy entitled her to this opportunity to shop for a name,” “entitled” and “shop” are two strong words and perhaps inflamatory in our marriage.

I was not entitled. I am not a person who feels entitled. Perhaps I had earned the opportunity. It was, however, a JOY that I looked forward to and I would have been sad to not have a part in devising a name for the child versus being handed one.

And what if the inherited name did not suit the child? Whether inherited or one based on our research, I wanted to meet my child before naming them. Upon meeting Marcel for the first time, her father had to admit that she was less suited for the clothes with small delicate flowers that we she wore home from the hospital and more suited, as her father said, for “black leather”.

Actually I did not feel like I was “shopping” for a name but continuing a tradition, perhaps. I have fond memories of my father telling me how they chose our names (triplets), the meaning behind each, historically and personally. I wanted my child to have a part of us, my husband and I, a part we devised together.

And by the way, I did agree (if we had a boy) the husband could give him one of his names. He does have a beautiful name after all.