boy's name - small problem

[interbang]

Okay, I'm 37 weeks 5 days along, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, and both DH and I, given our feelings about the current political situation, are starting to have issues about the boy's name we picked out back in February:

George Herbert Gooding

Gooding will be the kid's last name.

Please don't laugh! We both grew up with *favorite* grandpas. These grandpas were incredibly special to both of us. Mine was named George, his was named Herbert.

Unfortunately, we're rabid left wing types, and well, with a name like George Herbert, people might get the wrong idea about us and the kid. I know that most people won't know the kid's middle name, but it will be on all school records and stuff. It just seems like an unfair burden to place on the kid.

So, we were thinking about adding another name, like so:

George Bradley Herbert Gooding

Something to break up the "George" and the "Herbert."

DH thinks it might be too many names for the kid, but we should at least try. I am so open to suggestions - anyone got any ideas for a good name to stick in there?

Also, have any of you had a problem with a kid having too many names? DH said this could be confusing for the kid.

Thanks, I look forward to your feedback!

[kavamamakava]

I don't think it matters if you have one or two middle names. It gives him more to choose from if he decides he doesn't want to be george

[indiana ima]

Well, our current President's full name is George Walker Bush. It was his father who was George Herbert Walker Bush. That's why people call this one "Dubya" - because the other one was H.W. and this one is only W. So you really wouldn't be naming him after the current President at all.

Why do I know this junk? I am a wealth of useless trivia. The eldest son of the heir to the British throne is named William Arthur Phillip Louis, for example. Nice names, but why should I care? Sigh.

Anyway, I can understand your discomfort, but with any luck (please, please, please!) Dubya will be one for the history books soon and by the time your son is writing his full name on forms hardly anyone will think of either President Bush when they see "George" next to "Herbert".

On the other hand, lots of folks have more than one middle name - like my little brother for example. I don't think adding another middle name should be too big of a problem for anyone. Though in a few decades your son might think you slightly silly for breaking up two meaningful family names with something of no significance in order to avoid associating him with a politician you didn't like.

I think George Herbert is a distinguished, honorable sounding name. President Bush be damned. Don't let his name or his father's name influence your life any more than you have to.

Just my arrogant, cranky opinion.

[shelbean91]

I wouldn't have a problem giving the name you've chosen, even if Bush is elected, he'll only be around for 4 more years.

If you want to give him another middle name, that wouldn't be an issue either. My dad, brother, one sister, and dd each have 2 middle names. It's really no biggie- for things that call for an initial- they usually just give the 1st. My dd's middle names were for each of my grandmas--I couldn't choose just one.

[wardermom]

I wouldn't worry about too many names. Of our kids, only 2 have 1 middle name. Four of them have 2 middle names, and 1 has 3. That may sound excessive, but I think the names we gave them are beautiful and the extra name or 2 helps to make it so.

Oh, and if the names you picked are very special to you and your dh, which they are, then you shouldn't have to worry about anyone else's opinion.

[cottonwood]

Listen, I'm about as far left as one can get, and I don't have a problem with the name George Herbert. Honestly. It's not like Bush owns the name, you know? And years down the road, no one is going to be making the connection. I don't think four names is "too many", but I wouldn't do it *just* to avoid comparisons.

[JenInMpls]

Herbert was my dad's name, so I give you a big on that one.

if someone insinuates that you named your son after the pres' pop (or shrub himself), you can just blink startledly at them, put your hand to your chest as you gasp and say "goodness, no! He's named after his great-grandfathers!" as if it were the only plausible reason why he would be named George Herbert. (This is similar to what Miss Manners might tell you to do.)

With all due respect to the GOP supporters on board,

jen

ps: kids are as traumatized by their names as they are brought up to be. My friend's name is Wolfram Reinhard Wenceslaus and he doesn't seem one iota bothered by his long name, because he was brought up being told of the history and culture in his name. If it has meaning, and the kid knows it and the parents share their strong feelings about why they named their child as they did, I can't see trauma happening. I work with a lot of kids with kind of out-there names but they all LIKE their out-there names. Sequoia is very pleased to be named after a giant, strong tree.