What's in a name?

I think the whole concept of baby names is ludicrous.

Don't get me wrong, baby names can be fun to think about. A Google search of "baby names" yields about 16 million results, including name generators, dictionaries of names in every language, and forums for parents to solicit naming advice. I'm perfectly fine with all of that, and appreciate some of those resources.

The problem is that babies don't remain babies, and baby names don't remain baby names.

I realize that I'm playing semantics here (pun intended), but baby names eventually become toddler names, which in turn become child names, and those grow up to become teenager names, adult names, and with enough passage of time, senior citizen names. Sooner, rather than later, we hope that our children's names will also be recorded in the Book of Life.

That's a lot of pressure for finding just the right name.

The Biblical tradition of naming is an interesting study, as children were often given names according to the circumstances of their birth. This was good news for Asher, but not so much for Jabez, as these names served as constant reminders throughout life of how they were received into the world.

Then there are cases where the Lord renamed people to identify new purposes for their lives. (See Jacob/Israel and Simon/Peter.)

There is also the less-documented, self-imposed name change of Saul/Paul, who seems to have changed his name for the sake of better evangelizing the Gentiles.

Even Jesus was given his name to describe his life's work.

All of this, however, is visible in hindsight. These names and name changes were divinely inspired knowing that the name-bearer would prove it to God's glory. How am I supposed to name our child without knowing the type of person he will become? How can I know which virtues he will embody when we haven't been formally introduced?

Shel Silverstein told the tale of "A Boy Named Sue," about a young man whose father gave him a name guaranteed to build strength and character. While the story is farcical, I believe that's similar to what all fathers want for their children: a name of depth, strength, character, and rich tradition. It should be something they grow into and from which they take all of the best qualities. The name does not guarantee those traits, but it can certainly help them along that path.

As for our son, Allison and I like the name Samuel Griffin. It is a name of great Biblical and familial significance. We dearly hope that he will take on all of the finest characteristics of his namesakes.