What's in a name? By Trent Becker

People have asked what our daughter's name means.

Ila Vieu sounds like I love you. That was what we were thinking when we thought up the name. After some sleuthing on the internet about this sort of literary debacling we've decided it is simply a phonological similarity: where it sounds like one thing, even though it isn't spelled the same.

In French, "il a vieux" would mean something like "It has old" which isn't the sort of meaning we were wanting to convey at all! And since there isn't an x it isn't even spelled right to be French, so there won't be that confusion anyway! It did get me thinking though, while we were trying to decide on a name, about Isle, which is the same root in Latin that Ila comes from... Ila Vieu = old, island

Ila: Islands are known for their independence and fragility as well as their prominence and steadfastness. These are good characteristics to have as an individual, and a leader. Who doesn't want their child to grow up to be affirmative and strong though, right?

Vieu: Old... what is good about old? Well, we were talking about an island and it being steadfast, so that means it is around for a long time, weathering storms and the relentless waves crashing upon it day in and day out. These were the sorts of things I was thinking about when I was thinking of "Vieu" and its associations with oldness. It also sounds and looks very similar to 'view'. Something to gaze at, a beautiful thing or wonder, a reminder of something perfect. I also had these sorts of things tracing through my mind.

So, what does her name mean? At this point, God only knows. Of course it means I love you as a phonological similarity, and we'd like to preattribute all sorts of admirable traits and characteristics to it as well in hopes of Ila picking them up osmotically, or however, but time will tell if all of these things I've been saying end up defining our little Ila!