What's in a Name?

  When first hearing our son's name, people always ask why we chose that particular name. I suppose it is a little different. It's not something you hear every day since the name reached its peak in popularity in the 1800's. For time's sake I usually tell people it's the only name Anthony and I could agree on, which is very true, but I'd like to think we put a little more oomph into it than that.

  Naming your child can be a very daunting task. It's a gift you will give them that they'll carry for the rest of their life. In Biblical times, people's names were indicative of who or what they'd become. For example, Abraham means "father of many". Remember the song Father Abraham? I'd say his mother was right on the money when naming him. Anyhoo, the meaning behind the name Anthony and I chose for our son was very important to us because we, too, wanted it to be indicative of the type of man he would grow to be. 

  We had a few names that we both liked, but the meaning didn't quite fit. For example, Anthony was a big fan of the name Orson, and I was okay with it but I didn't want our son to grow to be a "little bear". I mean, body hair is okay but to be compared to a bear?..... No thanks. ;)

  After considering names like Rivers, Alfonso, and Oso (Anthony's picks) as well as Jesse, Jasper, and Jonah (my picks), we settled on August. It means "great" with moral or wise overtones. Of course we'd like to raise our son to be a great man, full of wisdom and possessing good morals. We liked that it's not a name you hear too often and, for the most part, would be unique to our son. 

  The name also has a personal meaning for us as a couple. Last August marked a new chapter in our relationship with Anthony moving to Dothan and starting medical school. We went from spending every free moment together to seeing each other every other weekend. To say I was apprehensive about a long distance relationship would be an understatement. However, it was a very positive change in that it showed us how much we loved one another and proved to only strengthen our bond. We really liked the symbolism in naming our son August. He, too, marked a change in our relationship that makes our bond stronger. While this is not the reason we picked the name August, I sure do like that it makes the meaning of his name personal to us.

  Once we finally settled on a first name, we moved on to the middle name. Thankfully this process was a lot easier. My dad is the caboose of our family name so we thought it'd be nice for it to be carried on in some way. Also, Anthony's middle name is his mother's maiden name so it fit perfectly.

  So there ya' have it. August Floyd Bianchi.