Mormon Baby Names- What You Shouldn’t Do To Your Kids

Author: Chow Wilde

Mormons tend to name their kids some crazy names. My mom, a pediatric nurse in Utah, has seen more Navaeh’s (heaven backwards) than she can remember. The name is almost as common as “Amy” or “Tiffany” or “Jennifer.”

 

Some have speculated or studied on why Mormons name their kids such bizarre names. Perhaps the most in-depth study came from Utah State University (go Aggies!) student, Jennifer Mansfield, who wrote a dissertation on the subject.

 

Mansfield broke down the Mormon baby name habits into 6 specific categories. While this is interesting on a “bigger than one blog post” scale, I want to talk about why you shouldn’t give your baby certain Mormon-y names and not necessarily get into theory of Mormon baby names.

 

What a parent names a baby can be a guide throughout their lives. A parent has this one chance to permanently instill into their child something they want them to know, remember, and aspire to in giving them a name. Sure, some parents will say they gave their kid a name just because they “liked it” or “it sounded nice.” But that’s stupid. You are telling your kid that you flippantly made a decision that will affect the rest of their lives based on the sound of the word or pleasantries. So please, don’t do that.

 

Then, there are those parents who give their child those different names. The unique spelling, the unique sound. In her paper regarding this type of baby name, Mansfield explains parents who do this are seeking self-expression and creativity because the Mormon Church stifles these things in so many other areas.

 

Again, if you’re a parent contemplating naming your child “Twinkle” or “Kortny” just don’t. You shouldn’t do that to your child. They will spend the rest of their lives trying to explain why their parents couldn’t express their creativity by having date night at Café Monet.

 

Lastly, and especially, Mormon parents who name their children after some Book of Mormon heroes needs to stop. The thought I’ve heard is that they want their kid to have a good example. Or they quote Helaman 5:6. But again, please don’t.

 

First of all, you are not the prophet Helaman and the year is not 30 B.C. Helaman’s naming of his sons was a lot more relevant in time to Nephi and Lehi than it is today. If you want to name your kid after a prophet, go for today’s relevant time. Joseph, McKay, Hinckley, or Hunter. These are all acceptable and relevant names that don’t make people say to your kid, “How do you say this? Nee-pie?”

 

Parents of Nephi or Lehi or Moroni may argue that their child’s name is a missionary tool to share the gospel.

 

Again, nice try, but not likely. Please, don’t.

If the cashier at Wal-Mart in Tennessee asks your son Nephi about his name, he’s liable to be explaining the first vision, golden plates, and some mean brothers in 3 minutes time. Gospel sharing fail that leads to confusion about what we believe.

 

If the cashier at Wal-Mart in Tennessee asks your daughter Hinckley to explain her name, it’s much easier: “I’m named after a prophet from my Church. God still calls prophets today.”

 

Boom. Done. Gospel shared.

 

Not only does the time period matter, but think about who you are naming them after. Do you really think that your child is going to live up to Nephi??? He never did anything wrong! What kind of inferiority complex do you want to give your kid?

 

As a side-note, there are some Book of Mormon names that are totally acceptable. Benjamin, for example, works just fine in this day and age and King Benjamin was like the George Washington of the Book of Mormon. He’s timeless.

 

I’ve said a lot about what not to name your kid, so let’s talk about what Mormon names are good.

 

First, a name that has personal meaning to you or your spouse is always good. A mission companion who influenced your faith. An ancestor that you know or have researched that had admirable qualities.

 

Second, a name of a person who has struggled and overcome. Again, don’t give your kid an unachievable name. If you think it’s a good idea to name your kid something that conveys perfection, they will never live up to that name. They are going to make mistakes. Give them a name that is inspirational or hopeful. The name could even be mythical or magical. But a name that is too goodie-goodie will haunt them when they screw up and make bad choices.

 

Finally, don’t give the name the normal spelling. If you dandy up the letters in their name, they will spend a good portion of their life spelling their name over and over again. They will waste hours of their lives correcting their names on forms and recital programs.

 

If you’re determined to fall into one of these cultural Mormon habits with your kid’s name, please- do it as a middle name. Or give them a normal middle name so they can choose to not explain their parents every time they meet a new person.

 

Life is hard enough in this day and age. Parents don’t need to screw their kids up anymore by giving them a whacky name to grapple with.