With the birth of a new baby comes the opportunity to give a name that is unique to that child.  It can be an overwhelming moment or a simple one. My niece is 12-years-old and is the first of my oldest brothers children. 

Since he was in high school back in the 80’s he knew that if he was going to have a girl her name would be Rhiannon. He held onto this name for 20 + years before she was born. This name comes from the Fleetwood Mac song Rhiannon.  When naming our first born, Darren and I were in a mall in Kennewick, Wash., when they said  over the loudspeaker that “Stephanie so and so” was wanted in the office. We both looked at each other and said, “how about Stephanie”?  

“The Guinness Book of Names” by Leslie Dunkling is our featured book of the week. The introduction to this book  asks us What’s in a name?  We learn how first name origins began, what first names are fashionable in each decade, why we choose the names we do, how people react to these names and how nicknames come to be. It then leads into surnames and the history of these, as well as most common place names like Dallas, Denver, Ireland, Whales.  

This book also covers street names, town names, hat names, dog names, cat names, and even yacht names!  

If you are looking to find some information about names, whether it be your own or just for some good humor, come on up to the Henning LIbrary and check out this book. We’ll keep the tea hot for you and help you find some great books.