When I had my older son I had picked out girl named before I knew he was a boy. It was going to be Francesca Rose after my grandparents. My grandfather was the youngest in his family and the first to be born in America. He and my grandmother grew up in new York city in little Italy where whole families lived on a block. They knew each other as teenagers and were happily married for over fifty years. They had seven children and 30+ grandchildren. They represented a strong head of the family.
Mr grandfather’s name was Francesco. His nickname was Cheech. This was before the days of Cheech & Chong so no one thought anything negative. He was a gentle and loving man who loved clowns, playing golf, and jazz music.
My grandmother Rose was a beauty. She came of age in the forties and was a new York city glamour girl. She loved anything Liz Taylor. She had a brazen personality and a tell us like it is attitude which complimented my grandfather’s soft spoken nature. As a grandmother she was all hugs, pinching checks, and always trying to feed you. I used to call it her ” secret plan” to fasten us up.
My husband lived the name Francesca, but he wanted a tie in to his family. His grandmother’s name is Jane, so I let go of Rose. I figured I was still getting my Francesca who cares about the middle name.
When I found out I was having a girl this time I was married. My daughter was originally going to have my last name (I never change mine), but that caused a huge uproar with the in laws. My husband said he didn’t care, at least the first thirty times I asked him, until his parents got upset. Then he decided he did care. By this time I had imagined her name so many times with my last name it threw me through a loop and upset me.
I ended up conceding and her having his last name, but I needed to feel attached so we have her a double middle name with my last name as her second middle name.
It will take her longer than most to learn how to spell and to write her name as her last name is long, too. She will have a few hiccups here and there on forms with middle initial, but in the end she will have a tie to both sides of the family. And if she decides to change her name when she marries she can still have my last name. 😉
Submitted by Rebecca M.
