Naming a child is an incredibly delicate and difficult decision - often an exercise in compromise between the parents, as well as a lesson in family or cultural differences. When we went to name our two sons, we considered name popularity (or lack there-of), potential diminutives or nicknames (hopefully very few), people with the same name (famous or familiar), heritage, and the meaning of the name itself.
For our first son we decided on Søren Andrew. While we didn't know any Sørens, it is a popular name in several different cultures, mainly Danish and German, with slightly different spellings and pronunciations. Søren is related to the English Severus, and means serious or stern. We liked the gravity of it, as well as its international recognition, and it sounds familiar though uncommon. His middle name, Andrew, is after his Aunt Andrea, meaning "man". It also allows him different name options later in life, if Søren does not suit him.
For our second son, we had him named before we knew he existed. Isaac means laughter or joy (from the Biblical story where Sarah laughed at God when he said she was pregnant at age 90. She gave birth to Isaac, who became a patriarch and prophet in Christianity, Judaism and Islam.) We liked that the meaning of Isaac was a foil to Søren. And there are many famous, talented and dedicated Isaacs, any of whom would be great role models for our son. His middle name, Alfred, was the name of my paternal great-grandfather who immigrated here from Germany as a teenager. (He would have been 120 years old this week.) He was a driving force in my father's life, and is a truly worthy namesake.
A name is the first gift you bestow upon a child, something that will be with them the rest of their lives - we hope we have chosen wisely.
