What’s in a Name

Choosing a name for my daughter has been a very special journey into my family history. I am ½ French from my Mothers side both of my Grandparents emigrated from France. It has been my intent to give my daughter a name that will connect her to our family and when she asked me someday where it came from I will have this story to share with her.

Bare with me please...........

My mother’s name is Claudette. As Paulette I have collected “ette” names all my life thinking I would carry on the ette tradition if there is one, Mom did not realize she did this to us until I was 2 weeks old. I was to be Paul. Here’s my list:

Claudette
Paulette
Antounette
Annette
Fabette
Fannette
Georgette
Fennette
Lynette
Nanette
Juliette
Rhonette
Suzette
Bridgette (my Goddaughter)

And my favorit is...........

Nicolette

But Nicolette Irving is a bit of a mouth full for me and I don’t think that is her name so I decided to look deeper into my family’s name history.

Clair is my one of my Great Aunt but my brother had is heart broken by a Clair so that’s out. (I like this name a lot)

My Grandmother Meme, the matriarch of the family, who is 98 years old, is named:

Elise Mithilda (Mithilda is not my favorit)

My Great Aunt Tatie (French for Aunt) name is:

Anna Eugenie (Genie) Jeanne Bertheb (Bertheb is not my favorit either)

Tatie never went by Anna she was called Genie. We just found her birth certificate and Anna was her given first name. She had so many names because when she was baptized they added the godparent’s names to her original name. Jeanne and Bertheb were the neighbor ladies.

My little sister is named:

Christine Elise

after my grandmother and we are very close. I hope to travel to China with her.

I would like to announce my Daughters name, it will be:

Annalise

Anna pronounced as (Aunna not Anna) from my great Aunt Tatie

lise is to represent my Grandmother and my Sister.

Annalise means “Gracious, Consecrated to God” Anna-Gracious, Elise-Consecrated to God.

I also did a biblical search Anna is represented in the bible for Hanna, Samuel’s Mother from the Old Testament. She was barren and prayed to God for a son and said if God would bless her with a son she would give her son back to him. When Samuel was weaned she brought him to the temple and when he was grown became the King of Israeli. Hanna was very “gracious.”

Elise is also known as Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the Mother of John the Baptist. She was also barren, (beginning to see a correlation), and both Elizabeth and her husband were well in years. The Angel Gabriel came to her husband, Zechariah, and said Elizabeth would give birth to a son and they were to call him John. John the Baptist was filed with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Consecrated to God is to officially make something holy.

So there you have it Annalise is my daughter’s name. As her mother older in years, (42) never to have a child grow within me, I am very gracious to have this opportunity to raise her to know God and Jesus and to be filled with their love.

Thank you God for your continued guidance in my journey to bring Annalise home.