So, as most of you know, Trevor and I take our time naming our children.  We put a lot of thought into it for many reasons.  We want our child to have a name that has significant meaning as well as familial significance.  With Amabella and Adeliza we waited until they were born to make a final decision on their names.  When we saw them, we knew more clearly which names did NOT fit, and what they looked like to us.  Thus, with Avalina, we have waited until her birth to name her.  This time, when we looked at her, a name didn’t pop into our minds as it did with the other girls, but the name I leaned toward all of the pregnancy is what Trevor thought fit.  Her middle name wasn’t really on out list originally.

The meaning and purpose of each name has been very important for us for each of our girls.  As a review, here are the girls’ names with the breakdown of their meanings/significance:

Amabella:  Ama (born on Saturday), Mabel (loveable), Amabella (Loveable, amiable), and Bella (beautiful)

Louise: Family name – first daughters have the middle name of Louise (for the past 5 or more generations)

Adeliza: Adi (ornament, adornment, or noble kind), Adeliza (noble, of kind spirit), Eliza (my God is  a vow, devoted to God, the chosen) (Eliza is also a family name: her great-grandma and great-great grandma)

Emeline: Emi (beautiful, blessed with beauty, blessed), Emeline (peaceful home) (Emeline is also a family name we came across twice in our family tree)

So, for Avalina, we knew her name must hold the same significance: naming her when we saw her, have meanings we agreed with and/or valued, and some family significance.  Also, it has been crucial for me to have each girl know that they are beautiful to us and even more importantly before God.  So, it was important to have beautiful as the meaning of part of one of their names.  Here is the breakdown of Avalina Lola’s name:

Avalina: Ava (life, strength), Avalina (life or life-giver; lively, pleasant; refuge in battle), Alina (beautiful, bright) (Also, Avalina is derived from the name Eve.  It is significant because all through my pregnancy, the girls have been wanting to read about creation and Adam and Eve in their Bible.)

Lola: Family name – Trevor’s mom, Judy’s middle name is Lola as is her grandmother’s first name (Helen’s mother is Lola Mildred) (Although the name sometimes means sorrows, it also means strong woman, which we hope is who she will become.)

Overall, In our day and age, with the messages sent to girls, I really wanted all of my girls to know that they are beautiful to us and even especially before God.  In addition, family is very important to us, so including family significance was crucial.  Lastly, having a name that suited them in sound and hopefully in meaning as they grow has been essential.  Already the girls’ names seem to fit them well.

We love our girls and are so thankful for them!