Monday, August 4, 2008

Name Game

My sister Erin and her husband Rob are expecting their third baby in January. They have some great girl names, but no boy names. This is because they are crazy.

Erin's choices for a boy's name are really red neck. She likes the following:
Jesse
Bo
Luke
Eli
Max

But these are better than Rob's choices. He like Buster and Barnaby. I am not kidding.

As a teacher, I have a different perspective. Because I have learned to really love some children and really "tolerate" some children, their names have special significance to me. There are names that I once loved that I can't think of now without thinking of the child I taught. I used to like the name James. Then I taught a James. I never liked the name Max until I taught two Maxes. Now I can see naming my own son Max. There are several boys who have impressed me so much I wouldn't mind using their names one day.

So I give to you, Erin and Rob and the world, my least favorites and most favorites, from my 9 years of teaching. (In hopes that perhaps you'll name your child after someone who doesn't have a car on cinder blocks in the frontyard and a stained couch on the porch.)

Please be assured that if your name is on here, and you were ever in my class, OF COURSE THIS ISN'T YOU. It's that other kid. You remember him, right?

Least Favorite Names:
1. James - Diligent in studying the effect of violent video games on his mind
2. Fred - Children should be seen and not throw things
3. Ian - Don't remind me, I know, you're smarter than me
4. Taylor - Just one second of silence. One. Just one.
5. Michael - If you touch another person . . .

Most Favorite Names:
1. Daniel - He sang "Sponge Bob" when he got an answer right
2. Max - This kid's gonna be a star . . . or a lawyer
3. Spencer - Do they really make kids that smart?
4. Nate - How do you tell a boy he's sweet?
5. A.J. - Best P.E. teacher in the whole fourth grade.

Really, there are only 5 least favorite names. I could have come up with a lot more than 5 favorite names.
So I guess I have been lucky.

I could have had a wonderfully talented and bright boy in my class named Barnaby.

3 comments:

sarah louise said...

Ah Fred and James...I too do not like those names for the same exact reasons as you! I wonder what ever happened to those boys?

Sharlon said...

I like Bo and Luke, but then again I used those ones!!
I read Rob's blog were he made reference to the Dukes of Hazzard. Made me laugh hard.
Isn't funny how certain names just remind you of people from your past? Ryan and I had similar conversations when naming our kidos. I finally gave into the Dukes names because I really didn't have anyone that made me not like them.
So funny!!

Jennie-O said...

You and I have discussed this already. I like Henry Rex Wells or Thomas Rex Wells. Both good names for authors. H.R. Wells and T.R. Wells sound like good author names to me.