State of Naming Babies



Reese Witherspoon



Actress Reese Witherspoon had a baby boy recently and named him “Tennessee.”  This caused quite a stir among my friends on Twitter, who debated what kind of future this name will bring for the child.  Whatever your name, I think you’re pretty safe as long as its spelled right in the Last Will and Testament of someone like Reese Witherspoon.  But it does raise an interesting question: Are there other states that might make good baby names?

In my own life, I have known a Virginia, Montana and a friend in high school named his extremely talented daughter Dakota.  Yep, THAT Dakota.  Although after several successful films, they changed her name to 401K.

There was Florida Evans on the TV sitcom “Good Times.”  She was first Maude’s maid, as I recall. Save that one for trivia night.  You might win some wings.

A tweet on this topic caught the attention of Hipster Baby Names (@MyNameIsPabst) who tell me some up-and-coming names include Alabama, Montana, Arizona, Alaska, Maine and Vermont.  Indiana also has a nice ring to it, but apparently that was so yesterday.

Arizona might work.  Mississippi?  Carolina?  The US Virgin Islands seems a little complicated for a kindergarten student to explain and then defend on the playground.

But make no mistake, this is an important decision.  When they are born, you give your child more than a name.  You give them an image, set expectations and sometimes stereotypes.  When we found out we were pregnant that fateful day in January, 1991, we went to Target and bought a book on baby names.  We went with Holli Elizabeth, but spelled it a little different so she’d get to be “that kid.”  It was also a tribute to my dad whose name is Hollis.  When she was old enough to add her two cents, our oldest daughter said she would have been happy with “Hollis,” but in life you have very little say that early on.

Three years later, we went with Emily Lauren, which proved to be one of the most popular names of all time that year.  Add five years and they have to add your last initial to differentiate among the giant throng.



Jason Alexander



George Costanza wanted to name his child “Seven,” which opens up a whole new world of possibilities.  Lots of numbers out there.  Why not give them a personality?

My only fear about using states as names is five years from now, first grade roll call is going to sound a lot like the Republican National Convention. 

Wonder if Reese thought about that?