Dottie, Estelle, Rue: Unexpected Name Inspirationalismith
I’m roughly 39 weeks pregnant and still fairly undecided about baby’s name. This scenario is familiar, as we named our last baby an hour or so before leaving the hospital.
I don’t want to go through that again. It was kind of stressful. This time, I want to have my mind made up or at least have some solid names pinned down pre-hospital arrival. That way, we can settle on a moniker once we see our baby’s face.
Thusly, my eyes and ears are wide open right now. A kid at preschool, a clothing label at my favorite boutique, a pretty flower’s French name—any and all have spurred my baby-name imaginings.
Last night, inspiration came in the form of a TV sitcom. Can you guess which one it is?
I’ll go ahead and admit it. I’ve got a thing for “Golden Girls.” My husband cringes every time he comes home and I have these ol’ birds on as what I call “background noise.” But I love the pastel robes, the wicker furniture, the shoulder pads, the sisterly bond and especially the inappropriate jokes.
And as I watched the opening credits last night, I also started liking the names that flashed on the screen. From character names to real names, there were some pretty good options for baby girls:
*”Sophia” played by Estelle Getty
*”Dorothy” played by Bea(trice) Arthur
*”Rose” played by Betty White
*”Blanche” played by Rue McClanahan
The actors’ real names are even better than the character names. From the above eight choices, Dorothy is probably my least favorite, but do have a fondness for “Dottie”—and not just because I love Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. And I might switch the spelling of “Betty” to “Bette,” just because. And “Rue” is a refreshing option, even if it does mean sorrow. It’s simple, but interesting. Same goes for “Blanche.”
Thank you for being a friend to a pregnant lady, Golden Girls.
Where have you been surprised to find name inspiration?