by Amanda Giannaros

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 15, 2009

William Shakespeare wrote in the famous balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would sound as sweet." This may be true of flowers, but what of people? Would Sarah grow up to be the same person if she were named Beatrice? What parents choose to call their children has significant bearing on who those kids personalities and outlook on life.

Names have meanings. In Greek, the word Melissa means honey bee. This is not to say that a girl named Melissa would run around the house buzzing and wearing pipe cleaner antennae but that child might grow up to be a very determined and hard working person. The meaning of names weighs heavy on the minds of many parents who are trying to decide on a name for their little one.

In some cultures around the world a child isn't named until a few years after birth. This serves two purposes, 1) there is less chance of the child passing away, and 2) they can give a name that fits the child's personality and characteristics. This is also useful to parents who can't decide between two or three names. A lot of times it can help to have a couple of options, then when you see your little bundle for the first time decide which name fits best.

Most girls come up with names for their children at a very early age. You can ask almost any 14 year old girl if she has an idea of what she wants her children's names to be and chances are she will be able to list at least two for each gender. The problem is, getting her husband to agree to these names twelve years down the road. Unless there is some significant meaning to the girl the names she picked out at age 14 probably wont be the ones she actually gives to her children.

Tradition is very important to many people, especially those who live in America but come from other countries. A way to keep their culture alive is to follow some of the traditions including the naming of children. In Greece, children are almost never named after their parents, nor are they given a name just because their parents liked the name. The first born son will almost always be named after the paternal Grandfather or the first born daughter after the paternal Grandmother. It is also common for a priest to refuse to baptize a child if they are not named after a saint.

There are many things to consider when naming a child. Will your child get teased for his name? Will teachers be able to pronounce it when they take roll? Is it a name that can be shortened? Whatever you decide to name your child, he or she will grow in to it and make it their own.

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