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HelpRe: Would you give your child a name with a negative meaning?
in reply to a message by TMyers
Meaning is one of the criteria I use when choosing a name. It's not the most important thing but a good meaning is an added bonus.
I like some names with negative meanings. Cecilia/Cecily/Celia mean "blind". Not very encouraging. If my child ask the meaning, I would be honest with a more positive slant. I would say something like "yes it means blind but I chose it with the wish that you would grow up with an appreciation of music. St Cecilia is the patron saint of music".
You can even turn a negative into a positive regarding Mallory "unlucky". You could state the meaning and then tell her that you named her this to ward off evil spirits. In some cultures, a child will be given a "bad" name in the hope that it will deceive the evil spirit into thinking that the child is unloved and therefore not worth harming and allow the child to live.
I like some names with negative meanings. Cecilia/Cecily/Celia mean "blind". Not very encouraging. If my child ask the meaning, I would be honest with a more positive slant. I would say something like "yes it means blind but I chose it with the wish that you would grow up with an appreciation of music. St Cecilia is the patron saint of music".
You can even turn a negative into a positive regarding Mallory "unlucky". You could state the meaning and then tell her that you named her this to ward off evil spirits. In some cultures, a child will be given a "bad" name in the hope that it will deceive the evil spirit into thinking that the child is unloved and therefore not worth harming and allow the child to live.
