BOOK REVIEW: DIVINE BABY NAMES
The
Book: Divine Baby Names
The Author: Eric Groves
Publication
Info: Published April, 2008, by Sellers Publishing, Portland, Maine
Author’s
Track Record: Very few details given about the author, other than he is a student of 'classic Greco-Roman' literature. From the introduction, it is also apparent that he is a teacher.
What You Get:
More than 500 classic names -- some familiar,
some so obscure they sound like they come from another planet
-- and with each name you get at least a paragraph worth of
fascinating, original background in addition to the definitions.
The listings come from a broad range of classic Greek and Roman
names, including deities, heroes, heroines, mythical beings,
royal personages, and so forth. Many of the listings include
modern-day examples of famous people who bore that name.
When
you think of
Greek or Roman names, you might think of Atlas, Zeus, Diana,
Isis, and so on. And those familiar names are fully-represented
here, along with the fascinating stories behind the names.
But the book's real strength is in its choice of less familiar
names, offering unique and creative baby names that have a
lot of history behind them but which you won't find occupying
every third seat in the kindergarten class of 2014. Names like
Eos, the goddess of the rising sun; Daira, meaning 'the knowing
one'; and Phaedra, meaning 'the beautiful, bright one'. For
boys, how about Kyon, meaning 'the Dog Star'? Or Neilos, the
river god of ancient Egypt? And of course, there is Morpheus,
or 'the one who is the shape of dreams'.
The author does the
smart thing
by providing pronunciations for each name, which is very useful
when you encounter unfamiliar names like Inachus or Eucrante.
By far the best feature of the book, beyond the sheer range
of names, is the in-depth background that comes with each one.
Even unusual
names get a paragraph telling the story of who went by that
name, and what they did. Top shelf names get considerable background,
such as a full page for Hermes, Venus, and the like.
Groves
is less sure
when it comes to the exact definitions of names, such as his
definition of Michael as 'the one who is like God'. (A more
precise definition of the Hebrew name Michael is 'Who is like
God?' written as a question). But readers won't come to this
book primarily for its definitions. They will come come for
its range of names, and for the stories behind them. In that
regard, Groves has put together an original and readable compendium,
delivering many fresh names to an audience that is surely becoming
a little jaded with the latest round of 'made-up' baby names.
There are very good reasons why classic names are always in
fashion, and Groves gives expectant parents a lot of classic
options to consider.