“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

It’s a sentiment that has survived centuries – and is one of the most famous lines from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

And it’s true – expect it’s kind of not. A rose might smell as sweet, but would you want to go sniffing something that was called rotten? You’d just give it a miss wouldn’t you? It’s why pollock doesn’t sell nearly as well as tastes-almost-exactly-the-same cod.

And when you are having a baby, names suddenly seem to matter like never before. Let’s face it, it’ll be a defining piece of his or her identity for a lifetime. Often it’ll be the first thing people know about about them – and opinions will be formed on what sort of person they are, on just the moniker you have picked out for them. No pressure, right?

I was named after my grandma – who died before I was born. My husband shares the same name as his dad.

Katy and Gary. Neither are names that will offend any sensibilities – they are solid, not particularly imaginative, but pleasant enough.

When we were expecting our little one, we had a yearning for something different. I didn’t want my tot to share the same name as three other people in their pre-school class. But I didn’t want something weird or wacky either.

Gary favoured “proper” names. William, rather than Billy. James not Jimmy. For girls, we both liked “pretty” names. Flowers. Or seasons. But from the first moment, on that sunny March day, when Gary held his boy in his arms and said, “hello son” his name was set.

Sonny. Sonny James William in full. Sonny Jim for when we’re playing.

And it’s a name that I don’t think could suit my sweet boy any better. He will forever be our sunshine.

How did you decide on your child’s name? I’d love to know… do leave me a comment below!

This post was first published in the Echo newspaper on Friday, August 18 2017: www.echo-news.co.uk