What's in a Name?

It amazes me how opinionated people can get regarding your own choices.

I've never really liked my own Given name. It makes a confusing sound that people often mistake it for another more common sounding name. I started abhoring it, ever since I became aware that there was another girl in our little baranggay, about my age, with the same name -- too much for originality. I abhored it to a point that, I campaigned to be called Sunshine by people in our neighborhood. Later on, I made my peace with my name (I really don't have much of a choice, anyway. And in the Philippines, changing names is an expensive and rigorous court process, unlike in other places like England. I digress.)

So as early as 4th grade, I had my thoughts as to what I'll name my future children. The list goes:

Sofia, Serena, Alexis, Anthony, Elijah, Ethan... All very western sounding. That's because the television I grew up watching (save for Batibot) would have these western names.

I was already living in Boracay, about 2 years ago, when I made a concious decision to name my future children in a very Filipino sounding, hopefully meaningful, name. Thus my first dog is named SinagTala (Tala for short), our first cat is TakipSilim (Silim).

Sometime in August or September last year, during one lazy afternoon, while Josua was target shooting and I was knitting a cotton scarf. I brought up the "What would we name our future children game?" That was when I learned that Josua wanted his children's name to start with a letter K, for some reason he cannot explain. So I settled with that, making sure that the final decision would be mine as long as the name starts with the letter K, with clarification that the name would be Filipino and would have a dictionary meaning.

Here's a rundown of what we came up with:

Girls:
Kalangitan - Heavens/Sky (doesn't sound right)
Karaniwan - Ordinary (who would want to name a child ordinary?)
Kutitap - Shine (doesn't sound like a name)
Kislap - Twinkle (PERFECT!)

Boys:
Kidlat - Lightning (too harsh, and I know someone with that Given name)
Kalayaan - Freedom (didn't pass Josua, and again the same person above has this for a second name)
Kawayan - Bamboo (Kidlat Kalayaan's brother)
Kahoy - Wood (no really! who would wanna be named Wood? and be nicknamed Woody?)
Kulay - Color (TO ME THAT'S PERFECT!)

For the longest time during the 1st and 2nd trimester of my pregnancy, we thought we were having a girl. And we kept calling my tummy Kislap, I searched for a second name to be attached to this. My final option was Kislap Chaya. After finding out that we are infact having a boy, it took about two weeks to get used to calling my tummy Kulay.

I was so set on having Kulay only as the name but Josua thought it needed a more macho companion for a second name. He wanted Kulay Makisig and I was set on Kulay Dakila. Until I found out someone else in our baranggay was named Dakila, and Makisig just sounds too showbiz for me.

After about a week or two of some convincing, Josua was okay with just Kulay. YESSS!!!

I don't think I have told my mom what I'll name my kid, cause I just don't want to hear what she'll have to say about it. As for Josua's mom, as much as she doesn't like it, she just won't say anything.

Among my friends, it's a mix of: "That's nice."; "It's a bit feminine."; "I like it."; "Such a "cool" name!" Generally a positive reaction, I should say.

As I was sending out the baby shower invites, I heard the worst comment regarding our choice of name: "Kulay ang pangalan? Ang baduy!" (The name is Kulay. How corny!) I think I handled it pretty well with an answer: "Wala kang pakialam!" ((not sure how to translate this one) What do you care!) and cut the conversation there.

As far as Josua and I are concerned, we love the name we've chosen. And I can only hope that Kulay will love it as well.