Names and why they be what they be
We had an assignment on the Cochran family blog to write about what inspired the choices we made in naming our children so I thought I’d share what I wrote here as well. What I thought would be a short post, turned into a rather long one.
Our first boy was going to be David Hyrum Cochran. I still like that name, but after I got pregnant, Zach had changed his mind about the name and we had to start all over with ideas. We used to discuss names in the car and I specifically remember that we were driving down I-15 when one of us came up with the idea to name our son Isaac. 
I think it was my idea, but I think that Zach thinks it was his idea. We thought the meaning was perfect since it seemed like we were finally getting the promised blessing of having a child after a long wait, just like Abraham and Sarah in the Bible. The name means “he laughs†in reference to the joy that Abraham and Sarah felt when they found out they were pregnant. Later when I read the scripture again, it seems like they were laughing because of how old Sarah was when she was pregnant, but for me it will always be about the joy. We thought we’d call him Ike, but we never have.
In all of our names we discussed, there were several people we wanted to honor in our son’s name. We considered using a grandfather’s name. We also considered adding a name to honor President Hinckley, but at first we ruled out both Gordon and Hinckley. Obviously we changed our minds and gave him the middle name Hinckley. President Hinckley was the prophet during most of the important things that happened in our lives at that point and we felt impressed and inspired by him.
Charlotte’s name came from Zach. I was initially opposed to the name because of a strong 
connection I had with that name and the story of Charlotte’s web. We continued to discuss the name and the association softened enough that I started to really like the name. I liked that it was unique and still recognizable.
I think I came up with the middle name. I remember thinking about family names and wanting to honor Charlotte’s grandmother by giving her the same middle name. At that point I didn’t realize that Rose was also Charlotte’s great-grandmother’s first name.
Nicole’s name also came from Zach. Zach left work early to go to her ultrasound and he said 
that as he got into the car he thought to himself, “it’s going to be a girl and we’re going to name her Nicole.†I was initially opposed to the name because I thought it was too common. I loved how unique and familiar Charlotte’s name was and wanted something along the same lines as that, but eventually (while I was in labor and couldn’t think of a name I liked better that he’d accept) Zach convinced me that Nicole was not a common name for her generation. I wasn’t initially thrilled with the choice, but the day Zach blessed her I changed my mind. I remember him saying in the blessing how her name was in remembrance of Christ’s victory over death (Nicole is a french form of Victoria which means victory) and that brought tears to my eyes.
We chose her middle name Kate because it sounded good with Nicole and we wanted something more interesting than the common middle names like Marie and Lynn (no offence to Heidi or anyone who named her).
I assume everyone knows by now who we named our Ila after. I always liked her name, maybe it was partly because I loved my grandmother so much. I felt close to her and yearned
for more time with her throughout my life. I actually tried to get Zach to agree to putting the name Ila in Nicole’s name, but we couldn’t come up with a first name that worked with Ila as a middle name and we weren’t fully convinced that we should use it as a first name. We really struggled with finding a name for Ila. Zach liked the name Mellissa, but I couldn’t be excited about that name. We toyed around with several names and didn’t have a strong idea about what we wanted to name her. Jane was a name that I liked and was possibly at the top of my list for first names.
Out here you have to set up an appointment with the hospital and register before going into labor. The first step is to set up all of the billing information. As I was giving my information to the lady she asked me about names and if we’d chosen a name yet. I told her that we hadn’t and she continued to ask what names we had been thinking about. I told her the list of names that we had discussed and somewhere in that discussion, I said that I had wanted to use the name Ila, but I couldn’t figure out a name to go with it. Jane was also one of the names in that group and the lady suggested the name Ila Jane to me. I instantly loved it and even told her so. I wondered if Zach would agree to it, I was almost too afraid to ask because I was so excited about the name. I honestly could not wait to tell him the idea, but was very nervous that he’d reject it at the same time. That night I presented the name to him. I told him that me and the lady at registration had decided on a name for our baby and that I wanted him to think about the name while I showered and then I’d come back and he could tell me what he thought. When I came back into our “wood room†after our shower, he instantly agreed to the name without further discussion. I was so excited, but also afraid that he’d change his mind at the same time. 
We agreed not to tell anyone about it before she was born.
Someone asked me what we were naming her just after she was born and as I said the name Ila, I instantly felt like maybe it wasn’t the right name, but after telling a few more people it started to sound right again and by the time I left the hospital I was feeling good about the name. When my mom came she told me that we were at the hospital that they had taken my grandmother to after her stroke and that my grandmother’s room was even on the same floor.
As time has gone by, Ila’s name has increased in significance to me and I find myself more and more pleased with our choice. I know that my kids will all know about my grandma and that as she grows, Ila will want to know about the woman that she was named after. The name is unique enough that she’ll probably be asked where it came from throughout her life. I love that by using her name, my grandma will be remembered for generations more in a very personal way by Ila and by Ila’s children and maybe even by Ila’s grandchildren!
An unexpected consequence of naming her after my beloved grandmother is that I become emotional about hearing her name said in frustration and I have this increased desire for everyone to love her. There is a connection to her name in that desire that I can’t entirely explain because I know she’s a different person, but it almost feels like when people love Ila, they also love my grandmother.
The lady who lives there now was very kind and talked to us at length about the changes they had made and apologized for the roses and other things that didn’t survive. It’s strange that she’s been there for ten years already because in my mind that house has always been my grandmother’s house and for some reason I had it in my head that she had just moved in.
