What's in a Name?
Doug and I got a lot of shit while we were pregnant when we wouldn't tell people our name ideas for the little guy. I think my Mom was the worst offender - calling me to give me good-natured guilt and guff from time to time! We had our reasons - we weren't certain ourselves and we didn't want to give anyone false hope. We also wanted to make sure the name fit the child that came out. It wasn't until 5-6 hours post-partum that we finally made the decision and called our families. They loved it!
We wanted to give little Pipsqueak a chance for a normal name - something mildly impenetrable and difficult to make fun of. The worst thing I can think of for Oliver is "All of her" and Maxwell - "Mad Max." While we did go through 7-12! name combinations, Oliver Maxwell was the name to which we kept returning.
Many people have requested the origin of his name. Here you go!
Oliver: My mother's father (my grandfather, Oliver's great-grandfather) was a special presence in my life when he was alive. His name was Ollie James Yates and he was a cranky old bag, but full of love and good intent. Doug and I have loved the name Oliver for a very long time and I really liked the idea of its shortened version giving some kind of a tribute to Grandpa. A bit of weird trivia - Grandpa passed away on May 23rd, 2002 and Oliver was born on May 22nd, 2011.
Grandpa was the Chairman of the Board of the Midlothian State Bank in Illinois and allegedly once refused a loan to a mafia member in Chicago. Supposedly, this refusal led to the exodus of the family from Chicago to Allegan, Michigan. He was a farmer, volunteer fire fighter and father of 8. He was the kind of guy who liked things done in a certain way- do it right or not at all. My mom used to say that Grandpa and I got along because I wasn't scared of him. One of my favorite memories was when I was at his house and decided to make myself a sandwich. Grandpa pointed out all the items in the fridge and then, with growing agitation, watched me put a slice of ham between two pieces of bread. "If you're going to make a sandwich, make a sandwich," he yelled. "If you're going to yell about something, Grandpa, yell about something worthwhile," I shot back. And that was that. He told my dad I had a screw loose.
So that's the story behind our future President of the United States' name.
Not the President? Maybe a famous artist? Actor? Director? Writer? Gymnast? Whatever he is...he'll be perfect and will make the most perfect name for himself!
We wanted to give little Pipsqueak a chance for a normal name - something mildly impenetrable and difficult to make fun of. The worst thing I can think of for Oliver is "All of her" and Maxwell - "Mad Max." While we did go through 7-12! name combinations, Oliver Maxwell was the name to which we kept returning.
Many people have requested the origin of his name. Here you go!
Oliver: My mother's father (my grandfather, Oliver's great-grandfather) was a special presence in my life when he was alive. His name was Ollie James Yates and he was a cranky old bag, but full of love and good intent. Doug and I have loved the name Oliver for a very long time and I really liked the idea of its shortened version giving some kind of a tribute to Grandpa. A bit of weird trivia - Grandpa passed away on May 23rd, 2002 and Oliver was born on May 22nd, 2011.
Grandpa was the Chairman of the Board of the Midlothian State Bank in Illinois and allegedly once refused a loan to a mafia member in Chicago. Supposedly, this refusal led to the exodus of the family from Chicago to Allegan, Michigan. He was a farmer, volunteer fire fighter and father of 8. He was the kind of guy who liked things done in a certain way- do it right or not at all. My mom used to say that Grandpa and I got along because I wasn't scared of him. One of my favorite memories was when I was at his house and decided to make myself a sandwich. Grandpa pointed out all the items in the fridge and then, with growing agitation, watched me put a slice of ham between two pieces of bread. "If you're going to make a sandwich, make a sandwich," he yelled. "If you're going to yell about something, Grandpa, yell about something worthwhile," I shot back. And that was that. He told my dad I had a screw loose.
Ollie James and Mary Phyllis Yates
Mardi Gras
Diamondhead, Mississippi
Maxwell: This was an early contender. Doug and I wanted a bit of a fun name to pair with the seriousness that Oliver could imply (if that name was chosen), so Doug started going through the Beatles' catalog looking for names. One of my favorite Beatles' songs is "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". Yes, it's about a serial killer, but we were mostly focused on the jumpy beat! Turned out well for us, we think.
So that's the story behind our future President of the United States' name.
Not the President? Maybe a famous artist? Actor? Director? Writer? Gymnast? Whatever he is...he'll be perfect and will make the most perfect name for himself!
Comments