FAQs #4

Your children's names are very distinctive, strong, old fashioned, etc.  Why did you choose names like that?  Are those family names?

Thanks...I think.  Most of the time people make positive comments about the boys' names but sometimes the tone and wording leans a bit more towards the critical. The reality is that no matter the name a couple chooses for their child, some people will not like it.  I am quite alright with that. All that to say, Abraham and Winston are not family names.  We wanted names that were readily recognizable but not common.  In our circles we did not know any children with the name Abraham or Winston.  We also wanted names that connotated strength of character and leadership.  With Abraham we thought of the patriarch of the Old Testament, Abraham Kuyper the theologian and Abraham Lincoln the president of the United States.  The name Winston immediately brought to mind Winston Churchill, the so called Lion of England.  It was also important to name our children with the idea that one day they were going to be men as opposed to naming little babies.  Hopefully that last sentence makes sense.  We were looking to the future and hope that our sons would be out in the world and no matter their vocation that they could be be proud of their names and identities.

We personally did not want rhyming or alliterative names for our boys.  Since we knew that our boys would be monozygotic (identical) twins we did not want their identities to be entirely about their twinhood.  We wanted stand alone names that were entirely separate from one another and to help us keep from mixing the boys up.  Please understand that is our personal preference and I am not criticizing people that choose similar names for their mutiples.  It was just not our way of doing it.

I am personally also really into the meaning of names and liked the meanings of Abraham and Winston.  When we decided to have the boys' middle names after their great grandfathers, we liked how Abraham worked with another biblical name, Simon, and how Winston worked with another English/Germanic name, Carol. 

Abraham- Father of nations
Simon- Listening, has heard

Winston-Joyful stone
Carol-Free man

It is our prayer that our little boys will one day be strong, independent men that love the Lord and will be bold in proclaiming His name. 

Winston Carol (from left) and Abraham Simon