Day to Day happenings in my life

Names

Names
"It is pitiful when a man bears a name for convenience merely, who has earned neither name nor fame."
Henry David Thoreau, Walking
Why do you think we are given names at birth? Do you know what your name means and do you live up to it? What about the people you know and their relationships to their names?

I was having this discussion earlier today with my granddaughter about baby names. It’s such a responsibility isn’t it? Bestowing a name that child will either love or hate for the rest of its life. I live in Australia and Australians are renowned for shortening names. My granddaughter’s little girl is named Evelyn. She gets called Evie, Eve, Mini, and even her real name, sometimes.
There is a new little one on the way. She is going to be named, Ava, because no one can shorten that. What we’re likely to do is lengthen it and call her Avocado!
My name, Susan, is boring. I’m usually called Sue unless I’m in trouble. Then it’s Susan.
I was nearly a Penny, which I would have hated so it was the best of two evils, I suppose.
I’m pleased with the names I called my children and they all like their names. Sarah, Benjamin and Emma. It wasn’t until it was pointed out to me they are all biblical names, I noticed. I’m not religious, but years of bible stories at school must have instilled the names into me.
As for second names. None of us have one. Not my husband nor myself and the children.
I wish someone could explain the concept of a second Christian name and the purpose. Some even have every relative’s name that ever existed given to them. Surely it’s to appease everyone whose name wasn’t used to call the new child.