Ok, so as you can infer from the title, the story I am about to tell you today is why we named Lex his name.
I've been trying to write this blog entry for the longest time but I can't seem to find the right words to express how we really came up with it for fear that it might come across as "mababaw". Because whenever people would ask us why we named him Logan, we would say that he was named after the X-Men character Wolverine, which is actually in part, true.
IN NEED OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT
My husband and I have a very common surname, not at all unique like my maiden surname. So at the onset we were in search for a first name that is uncommon here in the Philippines. Because do you know how many hits my husband's name get in the NBI?
A NAME I'VE ALWAYS LIKED
The first time I heard the name Logan was in the Babysitter's Club movie. Logan Bruno was Mary Ann Spier's boyfriend. Omg, do you know that? 90s kids will know! Even then the name already struck me as cool and unique.
Years later, I met the name again in the person of Wolverine. Upon hearing it, it's like a long untapped desire for the name came through me. "One day, I'm going to name my child Logan.", I decided. And so since then, Logan has been one of my top-of-mind choice for a boy's name. It took 14 years for that thought to come into fruition.
A NAME IS A GIFT
Of course they say that when you give a baby a name, give them a name that they can be proud of. A name is actually the first gift a parent gives his child. It can signify what the parent may wish for him, what he aspires for his child to become.
Many babies are named after Biblical characters and historical icons because their parents hope that their children will grow up imbibing the traits of their namesakes. The operative word there is hope, which means that this practice is largely a myth. Just because I named my son Barack, doesn't mean he'll grow up to be the president of the United States, right? Right. But I'm not saying that it's a bad thing ha. In fact, it is actually what gives meaning to a name.
Believe it or not, names are quite powerful. Good thing is (or is it a bad thing?), it is entirely up to you.
ALEXANDER
Do you have name biases? I do. I have different perceptions on names that is perhaps based on people I know or just my general perception of how the name sounds like. Like when I hear the name Emily, my mind would visualize a cute little girl. Think: Binx's dead sister in Hocus Pocus and/or Princess Sarah's doll. Or Patricia, a dainty lady. I don't really know of any dainty Patricias. It's just how I perceive it in my head. Or Raymond, an erudite. Coincidentally, that last one proved to be correct with my husband.
I've always had a positive perception with the name "Alexander". For some reason, I always think Alexanders are strong and responsible and independent. People surmise that it's because of Alexander The Great. But no. I don't even know the guy! I mean, I've heard of him and he's obviously great because you can't just attach "The Great" to a name if that person is not great right?, but I don't really know who he was or what he did. Is he even good? Is he even really great?
Nonetheless, I picked the name Alexander because of that perception. Who knows? It might actually be true just like how my perception of his father's name turned out to be true. Crossing my fingers on that!
AND THEN THERE'S "LEX"
Coming up with a nickname was tricky. I had different nicknames in my head: Logan, Alex.. but every single one of 'em names did not get the husband's approval. "Lex", he said, is what we will call him. Now I don't really know of anyone called Lex save for Superman's enemy, Lex Luthor, so I was of course hesitant at first. The fact that the husband actually decided on his son's nickname after THAT Lex made me cringe a bit more. But he made me see the beauty of that name. Lex Luthor may be a villain, but he is the most intelligent man in the DC universe. Imagine, he can fight against Superman using only his intellect (and money of course!) and be a worthy rival. I mean, if there is a real Super Man, that would be Lex Luthor! Because technically, Superman is not from this world. He came from a different world and he's just an ordinary man in Krypton while Lex is an extraordinary man on Earth.
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL
I think every name we give our children is special for the very reason that picked it out of millions of names in existence. For us, it is special because Logan, Alexander, and Lex are names we really like. It's not something we picked out of impulse.
Also, we see that he really is growing up to be a strong and independent boy. Just like how I perceived an Alexander would be. Imagine that? But clearly, one day, he will grow up to be his own person. And that's just the way I would want it to be. At the end of the day, I wouldn't want him to be like any one else but himself.
Many babies are named after Biblical characters and historical icons because their parents hope that their children will grow up imbibing the traits of their namesakes. The operative word there is hope, which means that this practice is largely a myth. Just because I named my son Barack, doesn't mean he'll grow up to be the president of the United States, right? Right. But I'm not saying that it's a bad thing ha. In fact, it is actually what gives meaning to a name.
Believe it or not, names are quite powerful. Good thing is (or is it a bad thing?), it is entirely up to you.
ALEXANDER
Do you have name biases? I do. I have different perceptions on names that is perhaps based on people I know or just my general perception of how the name sounds like. Like when I hear the name Emily, my mind would visualize a cute little girl. Think: Binx's dead sister in Hocus Pocus and/or Princess Sarah's doll. Or Patricia, a dainty lady. I don't really know of any dainty Patricias. It's just how I perceive it in my head. Or Raymond, an erudite. Coincidentally, that last one proved to be correct with my husband.
I've always had a positive perception with the name "Alexander". For some reason, I always think Alexanders are strong and responsible and independent. People surmise that it's because of Alexander The Great. But no. I don't even know the guy! I mean, I've heard of him and he's obviously great because you can't just attach "The Great" to a name if that person is not great right?, but I don't really know who he was or what he did. Is he even good? Is he even really great?
Nonetheless, I picked the name Alexander because of that perception. Who knows? It might actually be true just like how my perception of his father's name turned out to be true. Crossing my fingers on that!
AND THEN THERE'S "LEX"
Coming up with a nickname was tricky. I had different nicknames in my head: Logan, Alex.. but every single one of 'em names did not get the husband's approval. "Lex", he said, is what we will call him. Now I don't really know of anyone called Lex save for Superman's enemy, Lex Luthor, so I was of course hesitant at first. The fact that the husband actually decided on his son's nickname after THAT Lex made me cringe a bit more. But he made me see the beauty of that name. Lex Luthor may be a villain, but he is the most intelligent man in the DC universe. Imagine, he can fight against Superman using only his intellect (and money of course!) and be a worthy rival. I mean, if there is a real Super Man, that would be Lex Luthor! Because technically, Superman is not from this world. He came from a different world and he's just an ordinary man in Krypton while Lex is an extraordinary man on Earth.
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL
I think every name we give our children is special for the very reason that picked it out of millions of names in existence. For us, it is special because Logan, Alexander, and Lex are names we really like. It's not something we picked out of impulse.
Also, we see that he really is growing up to be a strong and independent boy. Just like how I perceived an Alexander would be. Imagine that? But clearly, one day, he will grow up to be his own person. And that's just the way I would want it to be. At the end of the day, I wouldn't want him to be like any one else but himself.
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