Whats in a Name?

Dale and I argued for 9 months over what to name our son. We had names we loved but both feared our families reaction to the non-traditional. When we finally decided on Kannon for a name there was no going back--it just fit him. I know that in five years he might hate me for this but lets face it, kids are cruel and even "johns", "adams" and "scotts" get made fun of. (Even my name served up some pretty cruel name-calling!)

So, it was no surprise when I noticed on Facebook, that several people have started calling my son "Kannon-ball". I couldn't be prouder. There are worse nicknames in the world and its true, this little bundle of love is my little Kannon-ball. What is worse, is that I have jumped on the bandwagon and have started calling him my little Kol-Kannon (irish stoup) and my little Kannon-in-D (great orchestral piece).

Thank god, we gave him a middle name so he can at least go by "KC" if the jokes get too severe.

I feel that I should explain a little history behind his name, because we are so proud of the name we chose.

Last December, when we made the momentous decision to start trying to concieve, Dale and I stayed up late sharing our excitement, reservations, and fears. We shared our favorite names, both agreeing immediately that we like Kannon for a boy and Cora for a girl. Of course, when I actually got pregnant our naming game became much more critical as we were now naming a real child, not the one we invented in our imagination. I was afraid Kannon would be a recipe for torture but couldnt agree on any other name.

So I did some research and starting investigating the meanings of Kannon and every other name out there. Here are some tidbits I found.

"Kannon" (Kan-en) alt variations include "Kannen", "Kannan"--Orgin Japanese, Polynesian/Hawaiian--def: Variation of Krishna, Buddhist Diety of Mercy, "Enlightened One", "Free-Spirited", "Free", "Independent"

Things sounding like "Kannon" include: Cannon (weapon), Canon (fiction) genuine, perfect, Canon (music), Canon (culture) materials that have been essential in shaping Western Culture.

When Dale and I talked about the type of child we hoped to some day raise many of these previous words and ideas came to mind. We couldn't find any other name that accomplished such and it became clear that "Kannon" was our ideal name. It dawned on me on a bus ride in Seattle that if we named our son Kannon Charles, he could always go by "KC" or Kannon, or god-forbid he goes by whatever nickname we pass down (lets hope its not Peanut!).

So, when our son was born, we proudly announced the name we had been keeping secret all these months and it so far fits our little man perfectly.