What's Your Name?

I read a CNN article this afternoon about what names are popular right now.  No big surprise that Barbara doesn't make the top 10, or even top100 these days!  That's not what caught my eye, though.  I read this quote, and it got me thinking...

Giving a child a name is perhaps the most personal decision a mother and father ever make. It is an act of absolute freedom. The government can't tell you what to name your child, your employers or extended family can't force your hand -- coming up with a name is a parent's first and biggest choice.

It struck me for one simple reason, we did not name several of our kids.  Their names were chosen by their birth families, their families asked us to keep the names, and we did.  It was a gift granted to them that we have never regretted giving.