What’s in a Name?

whats in a name

By: Melanie Braga


Twitter: @melmbraga

Picking a name for your baby is an important decision to make and that is why it can be difficult to pick one. There are many things to consider when picking a name for your baby, such as popularity, origin, pronunciation, and family history, but one of the most important factors is its meaning. The meaning behind the name can be the definition and where the name originated; the personal meaning to you; and/or how the name was picked for your child. Once you know the meaning, it will help when your child asks, “What does my name mean?” I know that I asked when I was a child and therefore I’m preparing myself for when my daughter asks me.

When my husband and I were expecting our daughter, we started making a list of names that we would love to call her. Once we narrowed it down to our top three, we looked at the meaning of each name and from there we picked her name, Nikki. And no it was not short for Nicole, it was N-I-K-K-I. What sealed the deal with our choice was the moment we held her in our arms……She just looked like a Nikki!

Why Nikki?

We just loved the name Nikki and it had such a nice ring to it. It was also an easy enough name for my parents to say and pronounce (English is a second language for them so this was important in our decision). When we researched the definition of the name we liked it even more and the character behind the name were all qualities that we valued as well.

What does Nikki mean?

The meaning of Nikki is “victory of people.” We went a little further in our research and found the character meaning of the name which was really beautiful. It stated: “You desire to inspire and lead, to control other’s affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented, energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.” What a powerful meaning behind a name and we thought this would be perfect for our new bundle of joy that was on her way.


Nikki is now 1.5 years old and seeing her develop since birth has been truly amazing! As each day passes we see her personality develop and many character similarities to her name definition. Nikki is an energetic, fearless and loving girl. She is also very strong willed and giving. As she continues to grow and learn, we are excited to see where her journey takes her. Of course, she does not need to fulfill the meaning of her name but we know whatever she does will be great as we can only hope as her parents. Since the day she was born, we just knew that no other name would do her justice and till this day we know in our hearts that it was the best name for her.

So what is in a Name?

At the end of the day, what matters most is that the name you picked for your child is special as it was picked with love. That in itself carries all the meaning in the world!
A name to me is one that you have carefully picked to represent the little person that you fell in love with before you even meet them. A name is unique, carries meaning, has a story and is full of love. So it doesn’t matter what others say about the name as long as you love it. Let’s embrace all names for their uniqueness and the special meaning it carries for the parents who created this little being.
– Momma Braga