Too much of a reach?

austenreader85 · December 2012

I think I've finally decided that yes, Margaret is our girl name. And Ann has been the middle name forever now, after DH's late mother. For awhile we thought Marianne because it would also honor my late grandmother, Marian. But we weren't that close and some personal family reasons. But I like that one of the meanings for Mary (Marian is a derivative of Mary) means "wished for child." Perfect for this baby, if it's a girl. One reason we chose Theodore for DS was because it means "gift of God." Ann means "gracious" which is nice and all but it doesn't really symbolize anything spiritually for me. The closest I can think is that Ann is the English form of Hannah. Hannah was a woman in the Bible that prayed to conceive a son after years of infertility and God answered her prayer. I'm a name nerd so I get that Ann is from Hannah. But when I think about explaining how we chose the name to others and I say to myself "Well, Ann is after DH's late mother, but also it's a form of Hannah and we love her story in the Bible" and I just see everyone rolling their eyes at me.

Am I right and that's too much of a reach? Ann is definitely the middle name and we only want one. DH doesn't like any compound name aside from Marianne. Like I couldn't do Anneliese which would be Elizabeth and Ann, Elizabeth having a similar story to Hannah. So if this doesn't work then I will probably start second guessing Margaret again.

anvloveskme · December 2012

How about you just tell people you liked it and leave it at that?

austenreader85 · December 2012

anvloveskme:
How about you just tell people you liked it and leave it at that?

Because I'm annoying and think picking a name should be more complex than "I just liked it." That's how people pick names like Blue. I enjoy hearing others' stories on how they decided that name above the other thousands as just perfect.

Edit: That should be "is just perfect."

Elsa1984 · December 2012

Hmmm...I just have a fun story for when talking about my daughters name. That's about it. But I know plenty of people that pick a name just because they like it....and hearing the name and other names they considered is still interesting to me. I don't think you need an elaborate meaning or story.

LolaBelle515 · December 2012

I don't think it's a reach at all. Ann has great meaning to you, particularly because it was dh's mom's name. You could just say that...or you can add the Hannah link. If they don't get it, it is there loss. The name means a lot to you and you are the one that will he saying it the most!!

brookelynpaisley · December 2012

"It's a family name as well as a meaningful Biblical reference." Short, sweet, done. If they ask for the Biblical reference, you can tell about Hannah. But if the initial explanation is enough, I would think it would satisfy both their curiosity as well as your need to express it's importance. I really like Margaret Ann, BTW

aimee1899 · December 2012

brookelynpaisley:
"It's a family name as well as a meaningful Biblical reference." Short, sweet, done. If they ask for the Biblical reference, you can tell about Hannah. But if the initial explanation is enough, I would think it would satisfy both their curiosity as well as your need to express it's importance. I really like Margaret Ann, BTW

All of this.

llewzier · December 2012

brookelynpaisley:
"It's a family name as well as a meaningful Biblical reference." Short, sweet, done. If they ask for the Biblical reference, you can tell about Hannah. But if the initial explanation is enough, I would think it would satisfy both their curiosity as well as your need to express it's importance. I really like Margaret Ann, BTW

Perfectly said!

Sadly many people will not care about the elaborate meaning but since it means so much to you it is important to go with it.

austenreader85 · December 2012

llewzier:
brookelynpaisley:
"It's a family name as well as a meaningful Biblical reference." Short, sweet, done. If they ask for the Biblical reference, you can tell about Hannah. But if the initial explanation is enough, I would think it would satisfy both their curiosity as well as your need to express it's importance. I really like Margaret Ann, BTW
Perfectly said!
Sadly many people will not care about the elaborate meaning but since it means so much to you it is important to go with it.

I really like this explanation.

DH still tells everyone all about how we picked DS's name so I know even if I have the ability to realize no one cares (which I probably won't) I know he won't. And you personally know that people in our circle make such a big deal out of certain names. With DS they made a big a deal about it being after Teddy Roosevelt and Robert E. Lee but not about the meaning of the name which was something we really loved and DH was kind of upset about that. Strangely yes, it was he who was upset and not me. He doesn't get that by the time you start explaining TR and Lee people don't have the attention for yet another thing.

mamainseptember · December 2012

I think it's cool to hear stories of baby's names! You'd have a pretty story. DS is Landon and when people ask how we came up with it my husband says "Landon Donavon scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup" lol that's how he decided on Landon!

EastCoastBride · December 2012

Kimbus22:
I don't think it's a reach. But I also don't think anyone else is going to be nearly as interested in a very complicated story about why you picked your kid's name as you are. Especially when it's a really normal name. People really only seem interested in why you picked a name if you name your kid something like Princess Fifi Magoo.

Fully this. And I'm not sure why "how" you'll explain the meaning to people is actually a factor in whether or not you'll pick a certain name. That being said, this is also why I "ditto" brookelyn's response.

jlsimon56 · December 2012

I don't think it's much of a reach at all! I agree with some of the other posters that other people don't care. If you want to find as much meaning as you can about your future LO's to help you like the name more....go for it. I will say, I sometimes tell people "we just liked it" and I feel silly....so I get what you mean about that. Like, here I am, naming my child, a contributer to society, and I just liked it?? I think it's easy to read when people want more info though. That's when I give more.

EmarieDuke · December 2012

You know, I can't think of even one time when someone asked me why we choose Ann for my DD's middle name. My parent's know it is for my Mom, my DH's family made a big deal about the lack of e on the end, but they never asked why we chose it. Anyway, I don't think it is a stretch if that 's why you actually picked Ann. From your OP, it just seems like you aren't happy enough with the "named for DH's mother" explanation that you had to find more meaning to your choice so you found the Hannah explanation. I just don't understand what it so wrong with just saying she is named for her grandmother?

austenreader85 · December 2012

EmarieDuke:
You know, I can't think of even one time when someone asked me why we choose Ann for my DD's middle name. My parent's know it is for my Mom, my DH's family made a big deal about the lack of e on the end, but they never asked why we chose it. Anyway, I don't think it is a stretch if that 's why you actually picked Ann. From your OP, it just seems like you aren't happy enough with the "named for DH's mother" explanation that you had to find more meaning to your choice so you found the Hannah explanation. I just don't understand what it so wrong with just saying she is named for her grandmother?

The meaning of the name is a big deal to me. It always has been. I want a name that has everything I'm looking for. I don't want to settle. DS's name I had loved since I was 12, was perfect for about 10 different reasons. I like Margaret, it has some sentimental value for me but the biggest reason for using it is that it's all DH will agree to. Ann, the biggest reason is for his mother but I would love one of the names to mean something spiritually to me because it's that important to me. I guess really, I'm not sure for myself if it's not too much of a stretch. It's important to DH too but he thinks the Ann-Hannah link is fine. I'm not sold on it yet.

Helenahhandbasket · December 2012

So you want to name your DD Margaret Hannah? Or Marianne Hannah? Both are pretty but I am just a little confused.

I think that as long as YOU know why you picked the name, that is all that matters, KWIS?

And you could also just say Hannah is after MIL, if people ask. How many people will know that your MIL's name was actually Ann, after all? Just make sure your DH is on board and you are good to go.

kpaivel · December 2012

EmarieDuke:
You know, I can't think of even one time when someone asked me why we choose Ann for my DD's middle name. My parent's know it is for my Mom, my DH's family made a big deal about the lack of e on the end, but they never asked why we chose it.

Exactly this for me. People have asked about the spelling of DD's name, but never why we chose the name itself or if there was any story behind it. I don't know that I've ever asked anyone myself, either! I don't think it's a big deal.

But no, the Ann / Hannah thing isn't a stretch for me. I think it's fine.

EmarieDuke · December 2012

austenreader85:
EmarieDuke:
You know, I can't think of even one time when someone asked me why we choose Ann for my DD's middle name. My parent's know it is for my Mom, my DH's family made a big deal about the lack of e on the end, but they never asked why we chose it. Anyway, I don't think it is a stretch if that 's why you actually picked Ann. From your OP, it just seems like you aren't happy enough with the "named for DH's mother" explanation that you had to find more meaning to your choice so you found the Hannah explanation. I just don't understand what it so wrong with just saying she is named for her grandmother?
The meaning of the name is a big deal to me. It always has been. I want a name that has everything I'm looking for. I don't want to settle. DS's name I had loved since I was 12, was perfect for about 10 different reasons. I like Margaret, it has some sentimental value for me but the biggest reason for using it is that it's all DH will agree to. Ann, the biggest reason is for his mother but I would love one of the names to mean something spiritually to me because it's that important to me. I guess really, I'm not sure for myself if it's not too much of a stretch. It's important to DH too but he thinks the Ann-Hannah link is fine. I'm not sold on it yet.

Yes, I understand if it's that important you, but then it doesn't matter if anyone else thinks it's a stretch or not, it's all in how you see the name. I was just lucky enough to find names my DH would agree with! Btw, I love Margaret Ann!

wcvsb3b5 · December 2012

brookelynpaisley:
"It's a family name as well as a meaningful Biblical reference." Short, sweet, done. If they ask for the Biblical reference, you can tell about Hannah. But if the initial explanation is enough, I would think it would satisfy both their curiosity as well as your need to express it's importance. I really like Margaret Ann, BTW

I agree with all of this.

blu-eyedwife · December 2012

I guess I'm not getting why it has to have more meaning to you than "it was DH's mother's name." Isn't that meaningful enough? I mean you obviously love DH, and honoring the woman who made him who he is, who raised him, who gave him the ability to create children with you.

My son's middle name is after my father - my DH sometimes gets tearful thinking of the fact that his son and my father share something. Because even though my father wasn't DH's father, he was an important person in DH's life.

lovebug33 · December 2012

I'll be honest, nobody cares about the long drawn out story of how we got my daughter's name and how it relates to Harry Potter. Just saying. Now, we just say, "We liked it!"

austenreader85 · December 2012

blu-eyedwife:
I guess I'm not getting why it has to have more meaning to you than "it was DH's mother's name." Isn't that meaningful enough? I mean you obviously love DH, and honoring the woman who made him who he is, who raised him, who gave him the ability to create children with you.
My son's middle name is after my father - my DH sometimes gets tearful thinking of the fact that his son and my father share something. Because even though my father wasn't DH's father, he was an important person in DH's life.

It's not that Ann isn't enough. It's actually more of a Margaret Ann is not enough. Margaret is great with another middle name. Ann is great with another first name. It's the fact that the two of them are still lacking in the spiritual meaning department for me. We've had other combinations before that did work within these parameters but DH is stuck on these two together now and I'm just not sure if it's working for me. Ann will stay, it would be Margaret that goes. I can't think of a Biblical spin on Margaret, but I can on Ann. This is basically a last ditch effort to make me say "Margaret Ann is the name" and so I can stop looking and make DH happy. I'm just not really sure that the connection is good enough.

And she died when he was 8 after a very long battle with breast cancer. He actually only has 2 memories of her. Which is very sentimental and definitely a reason why Ann has always been on our list, but unfortunately she didn't get to raise him. it's actually a miracle he turned out how he did because his father practically abandoned him and the TV raised him. It's pretty sad actually. And that's why FIL will never be honored. I do wish I could have known her.

MrsJ723 · December 2012

llewzier:

brookelynpaisley:
"It's a family name as well as a meaningful Biblical reference." Short, sweet, done. If they ask for the Biblical reference, you can tell about Hannah. But if the initial explanation is enough, I would think it would satisfy both their curiosity as well as your need to express it's importance. I really like Margaret Ann, BTW

Perfectly said!

Sadly many people will not care about the elaborate meaning but since it means so much to you it is important to go with it.

All of the above.

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