What's In a Name

So, as many of you may know, Ray and I have picked out a name for our lovely daughter. Her name will be: Elektra Cali Mattingly

Okay, yes this name is different. And I expected a few questions about the name. But Neither Ray nor I expected the uproar and rude remarks that would come at us regarding our daughter's name.

Recently Ray and I attended one of those time-share seminars. (We only went to get the free gas card at the end of the presentation.) One of the sales people asked the usual questions- 'When are you due? Do you know what you are having?' And then she asked if we had a name picked out.

And Ray proceeded to tell her, "Yes, its going to be Elektra".

"Oh! Well...um...that's a...um interesting name. It's...um...different."

The look Ray gave her was enough to kill.

When Ray was at work one of the guys there asked him what we are naming our daughter.

"Her name is Elektra."

This guy broke out in pure laughter.

"No, really man, what's her name."

"I just told you. It's Elektra."

"Oh, you're serious. Wow. Okay."

Upon hearing the name people have asked why we are naming our child after a movie or why we are naming her after Carmen Electra. Neither of these crossed our mind when we chose our daughter's name.

Then there are the really rude responses:

"Elektra! Well, you must not be expecting much from her, since you're giving her a stripper's name."

"Wow, so I guess you don't mind your daughter dancing around a pole when she grows up."

"Well, that's not exactly a name you give a child if you want them to be a lawyer or doctor when they grow up. You're never going to hear, 'Dr. Elektra please come to the ER'."

"Why would you name your daughter that? That's the kind of name porn stars have."

"Was that really your first choice for a name or did your husband make you choose that one."

Of course, leave it to my husband to come up with a great comeback to these remarks.

"No, our daughter will not be a stripper. She will be Playboy Bunny. She will become Bunny of the Year and will live inside the Playboy mansion where she will get her old dad access to all the cool parties."

We picked the name because it sounds beautiful and it feels right. We hope our daughter will be very proud of her name. It is unique, which is why we love it.


FYI- The meaning behind, Elektra (also spelled, Electra):

Origin- Greek
Meaning- bright, the shining one, amber

1. Daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Her story is dramatized by the three great tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

2. Electra is one of the brightest stars in the Pleiades star cluster, more commonly known as the Seven Sisters of Pleiades. The most visible stars in this group are named for the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology: Asterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygete, Celaeno and Alcyone. Electra is the third brightest of the stars in the group. She is approximately 400 light years from the sun.