What's in a name?

In a momentary lapse of sanity, I came *this* close to being named Tiffany. My parents had selected baby names before I arrived, screaming into the world. The story goes like this - the doctor came into the room with paperwork that needed to be signed. My dad looked at my mother and asked her how she felt about the name Tiffany. Exhausted, but fierce, she defended their original choice. The doctor settled the dispute with a flip of a coin - heads to my mom and tails to Tiffany. To this day I always call heads in a coin toss.

Having come so close to being named after a poodle, or at best a lamp (sorry to all the Tiffanys out there - it really is a lovely name, for you), I sympathize with all of the children walking around with the wrong name.

At college orientation, I had the pleasure of meeting a Mercedes Bennes. I mean - WHAT were her parents thinking? Yesterday, I ran into an Epiphany. Poor girl is going through life named for a supernatural being.

With internet resources at our disposal, you would think that there would be fewer Sophie's and Emily's, and definitely less Matthews. With all of the options available, why are these most popular today?

There are the wonderful place names - Dakota, Montana, Nevada, Savannah. But why would you name your perfect baby boy Providence?

What are some of your all-time faves? Do you know the story of how you got your name? How did you name your own babies?