What's in a name?

I love names. I enjoy knowing the meanings of names and whether people are named after a family member, friend, celebrity, etc. I like the story behind a name.

My name is Emily Grace. I was going to be Sarah Grace. I'm Emily because my dad decided he didn't want Sarah at the very last minute. My mom, in near-panic, told him to pick a new one because we'd be leaving the hospital soon. He liked Emily, so he chose it. My middle name comes from my grandmother, my dad's mom. Her middle name was also Grace.
Emily means "Industrious, to strive or excel."
Grace means "grace of God."
I like my name.

David's name is David Goulding. He was named after his grandfather whose name was also David. For many generations the names Harry and David were alternated - David's great-grandfather was Harry, his grandfather was David, his father is Harry, and he is David. His dad actually asked us not to name our son Harry, for which I was thankful. I can't imagine having a son named Harry. David's middle name, Goulding, is his mother's maiden name.
David means "beloved."
Goulding, well, the only thing I could find on Goulding seeing as it's a surname is that it means "Gold" or "slope where marigolds grow."

Xander's name is Alexander David. He was named after his daddy, the best person I could think of to name our son after. I hope he grows up to be just like him. Handsome, smart, kind, generous, sweet, loving...
But I digress. David and I agreed wholeheartedly on Alexander, as long as he would be called Xander. David's not real fond of Alex. We both liked the name Alexander, so we chose it. I really like what it means.
Alexander means "defender of mankind."
David means "beloved."
Our son is the "beloved defender of mankind." Awesome.

Baby girl's name is....

Amelia Jayne

That's the one.
We've chosen it.
And we love it.

Our daughter is named after two of the most loving and amazing grandmothers ever. David's mom is Amelia and my mom is Jayne. It's perfect. We couldn't think of anyone better to name our daughter after. These women who have been such integral, amazing influences in our lives. The women who've been there for us, cared for us, given us love, support and comfort. Plus, they're best friends. How awesome is that? And amazingly enough, the name Amelia is a variation of Emily. That's pretty darn cool.
Amelia means "Industrious, to strive or excel."
Jayne means "God is gracious."
I LOVE this name.

God is so, so gracious.