WHATS IN A NAME?

 What's in a name? Not long ago - I finally realized that I love my name, Dolores Rose. Not so long ago - I realized that my mother named me after her, Rose Dolores. She put her middle name as my first and her first name as my middle.

While growing up in the fifties I remember asking my mom why she named me Dolores. I told her so many times how I hated that name. Kids, what did I know?  I know now that I have a beautiful old fashion name.
I wish I realized that while my mother was still here on earth, so I could tell her that, but, duh, sometimes it takes a while, in my case - years.

Today I would tell her how much I love my name and what an honor to be named after her. What's in a name? If your lucky enough to be named after someone that's family or someone you love - then it's heritage being passed on.

In grade school there was one other girl named Dolores. I remember the two of us always trying to think up a "tough "(cool would be the name today) nickname we could use. She liked being called Dee Dee and I like the singular "Dee" . It caught on with all of our school chums and has stuck with me ever since, I don't know about Dee Dee, I haven't seen her in years.

The funny thing about this is that my mom and dad spelled my name Dolores and I am called Dee, my neighbor is called Dolly and her name is spelled Delores!  Today my close family calls me Dolores, my friends and some relatives call me Dee. I like being called Dolores Rose, as in one name, but I do love my nickname Dee, it's so quick and easy to write.

The one thing I do not like about my name is the meaning. I mean, why would they come up with that, tell me? " The seven sorrows of Dolores", hate it. But I have also read other meanings for the name Dolores and I do like them.

On my dad's side of the family, they named their children after their parents, sisters and brothers. Even today, those children have named their children after their grandparents, uncles or aunts. I now realize how wonderful that is. It didn't happen that way on my mother's side. I love my grandmothers name "Adeline" and my one aunt's name "Angeline".  No one has carried on those names or the uncles names.  Funny how two Italian families can be so different in traditions.

I can't say to much because I didn't name my children after family, I did name our first son after his dad and his middle name after my dad . Then our second son, I just loved the name, same with our third and fourth.  Would I change it if I had to do it all over again?  I don't know, if they would still turn out as wonderful as they are, then maybe, Their middle names all have meanings tho, after a dear friend, a favorite uncle, after two grandfathers, so there is meaning but I'm not sure if they are aware of that or not.

With six granddaughters and one grandson, I was the lucky one to have my name chosen as a middle name for one of my twin granddaughters,  I don't know if it would still have been chosen if there were no twins, according to my one son I got the impression that it would not of been, And our little grandson's first and middle name was named after the mom's side because he has our last name, Though my son did want the first name as an Italian name and it just so happened to be the name of a great uncle on the other side. My oldest granddaughters's middle name is after my mom and that is quite a honor. I am honored also that my name was chosen, because for the rest of my granddaughters life she will know she was named after me and hopefully that will make her remember me.

I can understand why people name their children after family, what I can't understand is why people name their children Apple, Dakota and so forth - I guess they have their reasons and hopefully they have a good family middle name.

I would love to know who you were named after, so please leave a comment and let me know.

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