From the RadioWest Inbox:

A couple of names:Our daughter's middle name is Cairn - the marker that shows you the way on hiking trailsA friend's daughter is named Talus - the rock field on a steep mountain slope. One I saw in an obituary years ago: LaBobby for a first name

From the RadioWest Inbox:

Don't forget the naming for a message biblical names, e.g. "Not my people."

New England puritans also did that: "Flee Fornication."

Alan, SLC

From the RadioWest Inbox:

After hearing the name 'Kai' on NPR's Marketplace, we named our son Kai. We were pleased to find that in a few Polynesian languages in has meanings associated with the ocean. Then our friend's wife who is from Thailand laughed when she heard our choice; I guess in Thailand, Kai means 'egg' or is used as slang for a part of male anatomy. I guess we'll use his middle name if we travel there!

Amie

From the RadioWest Inbox:

my husband and i had the hardest time naming our little girl. i wanted it to mean something, to honor someone, in the tradition of our family baby namings....so i presented him with multiple options.
i wanted her to be gabriela in honor of our colombian nobel prize gabriel garcia marquez
no, he would say, she does not look like a gabriela

how about juanita in honor of my beloved younger brother pablo

no, that reminds me of a prostitute's name, he would say

how about paz, the spanish word for peace, so that she knows how wanted she was

she never "looked" like any the names i offered

so, what does she look like to you, i would say in exasperation!

a little flower he said....
I could not argue with that

so, i wanted her name to be in spanish since her lastname would be in english....i wanted her to know that she was both from the US and from somewhere else
so we settled on Lila...the spanish name for Lilac

One of the things that came to mind imediately was a Lila Downs concert; that beautiful woman and her fantastic blend of mexican and world music...strongly influenced my acceptance of our little one's final name. It means something and that is importat to me....

maria

From the RadioWest Inbox:

I just wanted to share my children have unusual names my daughter's name is Azteca Pilar (indigenous first name and a family middle name) My son's name is Kenai Savino (an indigenous name and a family name). My daughter actually named her brother because we felt bad she really wanted a sister the summer he was born "Brother Bear" was the popular movie so she named him after a character in the movie.

Cathy

From the RadioWest Inbox:

My wife and I just had our first son. We named him Miles Ian Dickey. It seemed like a fun, slightly bookish, and unique name. So far, we've received positive feedback when we share his name, although I doubt people will tell me that to my face that they hate it!!

Jeff