V for Veronica.
I've been working up the various reasons that M. and I settled on Veronica as a first name for our daughter. My first criteria when brain-storming names was that I didn't want a name possessed by any living member of our family. I'm normally a very ecologically minded person, but that was one bit of recycling I'm not keen on. Secondly, I wanted a name that would work equally well in our three household languages - English, French and German. This consideration may become more immediately relevant than I could ever have possibly forseen. Veronica hit me as quite a good name actually for several reasons.
One big plus for me was that Veronica is not a made-up name. In fact, apparently, Saint Veronica offered succor to Christ on his way to the cross. I didn't actually know that until I started poring through baby-name websites. Originally, coming from Greek, it means Bearer of Victory, and an old fashioned variant is Berenice or Bernice.
Another definite perk that was a happy accident was that M. has never had a student named Veronica. I am not a teacher, so this is less of a concern to me, but apparently it is a very good thing that there are no school associations with Veronica.
Although Veronica is a bit old-fashioned, I find that is much better than being overly fashionable. There are going to be a cluster of of Campbells and a mob of Mackenzies and only a select group of Veronicas in her peer group. Additionally, Ronni is a very good, cute shortened name for Veronica.
No, I wasn't thinking of Veronica Mars, nor was I thinking of the lyrics of Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song for that matter. I don't think that I had given any thought to other famous Veronicas or references to pop culture. Veronica Lake, I suppose may have been in the back of my mind, but that's unlikely.
Hopefully, she will like her name as well as we do.
One big plus for me was that Veronica is not a made-up name. In fact, apparently, Saint Veronica offered succor to Christ on his way to the cross. I didn't actually know that until I started poring through baby-name websites. Originally, coming from Greek, it means Bearer of Victory, and an old fashioned variant is Berenice or Bernice.
Another definite perk that was a happy accident was that M. has never had a student named Veronica. I am not a teacher, so this is less of a concern to me, but apparently it is a very good thing that there are no school associations with Veronica.
Although Veronica is a bit old-fashioned, I find that is much better than being overly fashionable. There are going to be a cluster of of Campbells and a mob of Mackenzies and only a select group of Veronicas in her peer group. Additionally, Ronni is a very good, cute shortened name for Veronica.
No, I wasn't thinking of Veronica Mars, nor was I thinking of the lyrics of Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song for that matter. I don't think that I had given any thought to other famous Veronicas or references to pop culture. Veronica Lake, I suppose may have been in the back of my mind, but that's unlikely.
Hopefully, she will like her name as well as we do.