What Were You Almost Named?
The big trend right now is to name newborns after a werewolf or a vampire, as in "Twilight." While Edward and Jacob aren't that out there, we can only imagine that a future Renesmee might wish for a baby-naming do-over. (Baby-naming remorse is a trend right now, too, according to one recent poll.)
But does your name really define who you are? Would you be any different if you had grown up being called something else?
Before I was born, my dad wanted to name me "Giselle." It's perfectly lovely -- his inspiration was a romantic ballet with the same name -- but can you imagine the nicknames I might have faced in high school in New Jersey in the 1980s? Exactly.
Shine Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Romolini was almost named Prudence. Senior editor and writer Piper Weiss would have been Dustin if she had been a boy. Our parenting editor, Jessica Ashley, was almost Kristen. Love and sex editor Sarah Beston was supposed to be Lyndsey. Pets editor Sarah D. Bunting says that her mother vetoed the name Margaret. And Shine fashion and beauty editor Joanna Douglas narrowly missed being called Susanna.
Do you know what name you almost ended up with? Did you dodge a bullet, or do you wish you could change your name to something else now?
Also on Shine:
The most popular baby names: Welcome back, Jacob. So long, Elvis."
The hottest baby names for 2011
Do you have baby-naming remorse? You're not alone, says new poll
