What's in a name? 2nd Edition.

We put a lot of thought into Finn's name, so this time around we wanted to make sure that our little guy number two had a name that was just as special.

We wanted the boys to have names that were similar but also unique unto themselves.  And since we didn't use a family name for Finn, we didn't want to use one for Cole. 

The middle name was actually easier for us to come up with than the first name.  Finn's middle name is Wilde, after Oscar Wilde.  It's special to us not only because we love Oscar Wilde the author, but because we visited his grave in Paris on our honeymoon.  The name really represents a place and time for us- our honeymoon, Paris, and the romance of Oscar Wilde's grave.

So for Cole's middle name, we wanted something just as special, and we always said we would use the middle names of authors, artists, or musicians for our kids.  Enter Andrew Wyeth.  One of my all time favorite painters, we have one of his most famous paintings- Christina's World- hanging in our kitchen.

I have always loved it because it reminds me so much of my Great Granny's farm in Western Virginia.  There's a really cool story behind the painting, too- Christina was actually Andrew's friend up in Maine where he had a summer house growing up.  She was crippled from polio and couldn't walk.  When Andrew died, his will asked that he be laid to rest in Maine next to Christina, and that's where they are today.

Andrew Wyeth has lots of other paintings, too,  a lot of them remind me of my Great Granny's farm, and ironically, those paintings are of the Pennsylvania countryside- because Andrew Wyeth was born and raised right here in Chester County where we live today.

But other paintings of his are from his summer home in Maine- again, ironic, because Billy's parents also have a summer home there as well- but those paintings remind me of Newfoundland where my mom was born and raised.

I like the feelings of nostalgia that these paintings invoke in me, but more importantly, Wyeth represents a new place and time for Billy and I.  Our home in Chester County, and the little family we have planted here.  Wyeth it was.

As for Cole's first name- Cole had always been on my list.  I love the appeal of a one syllable name, and Cole has always had a nice ring to it for me.  It's not super common, it's not super uncommon, it's easy to pronounce on the first day of school.  But what really sold us on Cole was when we found out that it's the anglicized version of the Irish last name MacCool.

For months we had been searching for a legend or historical character that stood up to the legend of Finn MacCool- the Irish giant who we so appropriately named Finn after.  But we couldn't find one that fit the bill.  I think at one point Billy said, "Can we just use Finn again?"  We love this legend and the Irish history and folklore behind it.  So when we found out Cole also payed homage to the same tale, we knew it was a perfect fit.  We love that the boys are named after the same character.  (We joke that if we ever have another boy we'll have to name him Mac).

If you look up the meaning of Finn, you'll find that it means "fair", and if you look up the meaning of the name Cole, you'll find that it means "dark".  We liked the balance of opposites in their names, and we hope that as they grow up together they will be a good complement to each other, just as their names are.

We are so happy with our little Cole Wyeth Murphy!  We think his name suits him just perfectly.