What's in a Name?

Everyone comes up with their child's name differently. The first step the hubs and I made was a compromise--if Baby Kotowski was a boy, he picked the name; a girl, I picked the name. Seemed like a logical and fair process. Then we found out it was a girl and the pressure started.


I knew part of the name, but wasn't sure about her full name. Trying to pick out exactly what name would flow with the first, had meaning, would fit our baby girl and wouldn't embarrass her is very overwhelming. (I know this is coming from someone named "Polly;" but while my name has a bazillion ways to pick on me, it suits me very well!) 


Despite having agreed that I would pick out the name, I constantly bounced stuff off of my hubby before we were even pregnant (yes, we were thinking names before she was conceived). The name bouncing increased after we found out she was a girl in October 2011. I'm pretty sure I was driving my husband crazy--"What about this?" "What about that?" Most were met with a resounding "NO" for one reason or another. Then it came to me...


Her first name is Cynthia, after my mom. My mom has been my rock in so many ways and she continues to be. She's also my best friend in the whole world next to my hubby. But more than that my mom is by far the strongest woman I know, and I want my daughter to have that same strength. Plus my mom doesn't really know the word "no;" and while I hope my daughter does, I still want her to have my mom's generosity. 

My mom and I at my brother's wedding last year.

The second name was harder. At first I said we should combine our mothers' names but it just didn't flow as well as we wanted--too many A's ending words. So, we went through the gamut when I spoke my grandmother's name with Cynthia and it was perfect! I was reluctant choosing two names from my family because I just didn't think it was fair, but my husband liked it. Thus she was named Cynthia Gail, in hopes that she will have my grandmother's grace and big heart. 

My grandmother and I.

The idea for the name we call her--"Thia"--has a slightly cheesier origin. When I was WAY younger (I'm talking about 13), I saw the movie For Keeps with Molly Ringwald. The movie is definitely one of Molly's more serious films--she becomes a teen mom before it was made cool on MTV. Any who, her boyfriend/husband in the film Stan (played by Randall Batinkoff) named their baby Theodosia. Molly's character Darcy is horrified but nicknames her "Thea," which I thought was the most adorable name ever. 

And that's how we (I) picked our daughter's name. She's named after two of the most inspiring and lovable women I know. Then, with me being a true 80's child, we call her a name inspired by one of mommy's favorite 80's movies. Thia fits her perfectly, and sound like it should restrict her to any profession (don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about). Also, Cynthia Gail flows amazingly for the future if/when she ever gets in trouble!