Sunday, October 24, 2010

K is for Keyara and Kieran

K is for Keyara and Kieran

I know. I know. Where have I been? Why is it taking me so long to get to K? I don’t know. I’ve been busy with the Amish, how’s that for an answer? Actually, it’s quite true, but that’s another blog. At any rate, here I sit on a sunny Sunday afternoon, thinking I better get with K or else. And I’m in a baby naming kind of mood!

Best Bible Name: Keziah: When I wrote A is for Adam, the name Keziah had somehow escaped my attention. Then I started seeing it pop up in the “MB Herald,” the august magazine of the Mennonite Brethren Church, in the Births section. Leave it to the Mennonites to unearth a great Bible name. Keziah was one of Job’s daughters, his middle daughter, after Jemima (see “J”), born to him after his great sufferings. Wikipedia says: “The name has been taken to symbolize female equality, since all of Job's three daughters received an inheritance from their father, an unusual circumstance in a time period when women and men were not treated equally.” I’ve also heard of it being used in families after a time of suffering. Runner Up: Keturah. Keturah who? Unless you’ve recently read the Book of Genesis, you may be a little sketchy on who Keturah is. She’s actually Abraham’s second wife, whom he married after Sarah died. I think it’s really cool, and a million times more original than Sarah!

Best Lit Names: Katerina: I always marveled at the fact that my Opa had a sister named Katerina, although by the time I learned of her, no one knew what had happened to her. Likely, she died in Stalin’s Russia, like so many members of my dad’s family. Katerina, I wax in “Atticus,” is “as luxe and gilded as a Faberge egg.” I love this name, and it’s fantastic short form, Katya. Oh, Katerina is from The Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky. Runner Up: Kit. Okay, I have many friends who have Kates and Katies, and of course it’s a sensational name (notice there’s no overabundance of Olga or Hilda). But what about Kit as a short form of Katherine (and you know me. I always endorse using a long form like Katherine or Kathleen, so the child has options someday…). Kit is similar to Kate, sleek, spunky, and alternatively glamorous and sporty. Kit Tyler is the heroine at the heart of “The Witch of BlackBird Pond, Elizabeth George Spears’ 1959 Newberry winning classic.

Best International Names: Keyara: Africa especially brings us some sumptuous, exotic beauties, and flat gorgeous Keyara rolls off the tongue and means “Beautiful river;” Kamaria is Swahili for “Like the moon. Also: Karimah (Generous Girl), and Kesia (Earth bound Girl).

Best Name I’ve Always Liked With No Category: Kerensa. A friend of mine has a grown niece with this lovely, unusual name, and I love it. Pronounced Ker-REN-za, this one will be one-of-a-kind in your sphere.

BOYS

Best Bible Name: Kenan: According to Genesis 5:9-14, Kenan/Cainan was a son of Enos and an unnamed woman, and a grandson of Seth. He was one of those ultra-hearty fellows in the Bible who lived through almost a millennium (he was 910 when he died). I think Kenan is very of the moment, yet also fresh and new. There’s also an Irish saint named Keenan, and indeed it sounds frisky and Irish, doesn’t it?


Best Lit Name: Keats: This poetic namesake name means “kite,” which seems to fit Keats’ sunshiny vibe. My son has a classmate named Banks, and I think Keats works even better as a first name.

Best International Name: Kieran: Laura Wattenberg says “This snappy Irish saint’s name hits all of today’s fashion highlights.” She’s right. Kieran sounds vibrantly Irish and completely accessible, and is much less common than Aidan, Connor et al. Irish Runner Up: Keegan.

As usual, Africa is teeming with vivid, unheard choices. Kyan means “Little king boy.” You may not be a member of the royal family, but your baby boy is always your tiny prince anyway. More from Africa: Keon (Boy), Kojo (Born on a Monday), Kuron (Thanks).