What is in a name...

I find names very interesting. And I thought naming a baby would be fun. But it isn't really. Quite stressful and a huge responsibility. And then of course we want something that works in both languages and cultures which is quite the additional challenge.

Here in Norway there has been a baby naming storm in a very strong coffee cup this week, as Princess Martha Louise (younger sister to the crown prince) gave birth to Emma Tallulah, her third daughter and second home birth. Emma Tallulah (and I think she would be called that all the time, they don't really do middle names here) joins older sisters Maud Angelica and Leah Isadora.

I probably wouldn't choose any of those names myself but I do think they show a bit of flair. I mean, poor Mary in Denmark didn't even get to choose her first child's name - kings of Denmark are Fredrik - Christian - Fredrik - Christian - Fredrik - Christian - Fredrik - Christian so I don't think she was going to be able to sneak a Bruce in there.

The princess has a reputation for being a bit of a flake so people are always quite quick to criticise (she opened a school last year to teach people to communicate with their angels and has said she is clairvoyant and a healer - each to their own but that is some background on where people may have gotten that impression). I said to a colleague that I knew a girl called Tallulah at school and she said - yes, but we don't use names like that here! And Mr T said the airwaves had been buzzing with it all day and very unfavourably. I think "the people" could handle Isadora and Angelica but Tallulah just pushed them over the edge!

So nice that the only people who will criticise the names we choose are family and even then most of them will be polite! Imagine the whole country having a go.