About Her Name

There is an interesting story related to the special names on the voting ballot. It might help you decide if I tell you the background. I have one sister, no brothers. Our father is the last male in his particular family tree branch. Thus, his last name would be ending. As a young girl, I always told him that I would have boys and not be married, so that I could leave their last name as his - thus continuing on the linage. When I married, my husband was well aware of my issue about "last names" and how a child is truly a blend of both parents/families, so guess what - the two children we had were given hyphenated last names. Thus, I kept the promise I had made to my father :-) and his name continued on. We worked hard to find first and/or middle names that were also a blend of my name and my husband's - Kenneth Allen and Michelle Lee. Thus came Bryant Kenlee and Alex Michael. When my sister had her first little boy, his name started with the letter C. We immediately began teasing her about having the "A, B, C's" (Alex, Bryant, and her son). The pattern was now set, even though it was purely by accident. Her next son's first name starts with the letter D, so guess what letter the next grandchild's name must start with? THE LETTER E.

As we've traveled on this adoption journey, many people have been aware of this "naming" procedure, so we've all been watching for unique and meaningful girl "E" names. Usually, we only refer to our daughter as "E" since we have no specific name selected yet. We have always intended to leave part of her Chinese name intact. We also plan to give her a hyphenated last name, just like the boys have. She will have a new first name, beginning with an E. Thus, her name will be a true blend of her entire life. She will have a new first name, her Chinese name, and a hyphenated last name.

Of the choices listed on this website's ballot, each has been selected with great care. If we name her Emylee (which means admiring, quick-witted, agile) or Emersyn (it doesn't have a meaning for a girl), we will likely just call her Emy for short. Elyse means "God's Oath" and is a form of Elizabeth, which was Ken's grandmother's name. ElleAnna is pronounced "Ellee-Awnuh" and she would probably be called Elle most of the time. That name means "God has Answered" or "Gift from God". Emylee would include my middle name and part of Bryant's. Elle is the last four letters of both my name and my sister's name - and is included in both Ellery and ElleAnna.... See why this is so difficult! This little girl is incredibly special. She comes with a rich cultural history and story of her life so far. She is being welcomed into a family that has its own traditions and heritage. We want to have a unique name for her that blends all this into one short, meaningful phrase. By voting on her name, we invite you to share the awesome journey with us!!