“I want to have a boy and a girl. The girl is going to be named ______”

Girls love to talk about their favorite names. These conversations quickly veer into the discussion of potential names for future babies, desired number of children, wedding fantasies, ideal dress, etc, etc...

Because these conversations come up so frequently in girlhood, I always have a few names ready to pull from. When I was 12 I invented the name Camarie and debuted it to the world as "my favorite name." It's ugly, and I knew that. And it was quickly pointed out to me that Toyota already makes a very popular car with an almost identical name. I didn't care. I stuck by Camarie, and to this day I still can't shake Camarie1085 from following me as my semi-permanent online identity.

I stopped saying Camarie was my favorite name about 5 years ago, and started adapting regular but not-so-popular names. Natalie was a big one. I never really cared about the names I was saying, unlike some girls who felt so sure of their choices. It was kind of like how I felt about talking about boys in high school. Umm, I guess I like him? Sure, I'll say him.

But recently I've finally discovered my name niche in the world: Vintage.

Names like Eleanor (Ellie), Edith (Edy), Beatrice (Bea), and Winifred (Winne).

I find these all insatiably adorable. They're like floral silk scarves and gingham wasp-waisted dresses. So vintage they feel fresh and modern. They convey the history carried in a grandmother but embodied in a youthful mold.

We'll save my insecurities with the rest of those recurring girl conversations for another entry.

Name: CHECK.



Postscript: according to facebook there are at least 23 people named Camarie.