Life
Can I register a complaint about that old nursery rhyme about the babies born on each day of the week? Six kids are blessed with great qualities: fair of face, full of grace, loving and giving...and then there's Wednesday's child, who's "full of woe." I call shenanigans! Speaking as a Wednesday baby myself, I say we ditch this poem and focus on the great things about these children. Among them are the fun names to give babies born on Wednesday, to help reclaim the pride in this important day.
The fourth day of the week is named after not one, but two powerful gods, according to Dictionary.com. In English, Wednesday is named after the Scandinavian god Odin (or Woden), who was thought to have created the earth, sky, and the first man and woman. But Wednesday is also associated with the Roman god Mercury, the son of Jupiter and Maia. As Windows to the Universe explains Mercury was the messenger god who also ruled games, business, and storytelling. Not too shoddy.
Because their birth day is connected to Mercury, children born on Wednesday are all about communication, explains Astrology Zodiac Signs: "They have a message to deliver to the rest of us." They're also versatile, logical, a bit careless, and don't like to stay in one place for very long (remember, Mercury is the one with wings on his heels). Knowing this, you might want to invest in an extra-secure baby gate.
So if you're expecting (or hope to expect) a Wednesday's child, forget the whole woe business and go with a name that fits the true spirit of the day. Some are exotic, some classic, all worthy of your short list.
Wednesday
This literal day-name isn't as unusual as you might imagine. It ranked #933 in popularity last year, reported Nameberry, so your child wouldn't be the only Wednesday out there. Yes, you might have to fight the urge to keep your daughter's hair in braids all the time, but that's not such a bad thing. And Wen would be a sweet nickname.
Odin
As name meanings go, you can't get much more powerful than the number-one Norse god. The Bump noted that Odin was also the god of art, culture, and war. Plus, if you're a Marvel Universe fan, this would be a marvel-ous name for a Wednesday-born boy.
Akuba
Naming children after days of the week is fairly rare in the United States, but in Africa, it's more common. This girls' name meaning "born on Wednesday" comes from Ghana, said Nameberry.
Driscoll
If you couldn't eat enough berries during your pregnancy, here's a sweet name for your sweet bundle. This Irish name means "descendant of the messenger," explains Behind the Name, which makes it a fine match for a baby born on the day named for the god of communication.
Malachi
Hebrew for "messenger of God," per The Bump, this name is popular across a number of cultures. For nicknames, you could go with Kai or Mal.
Patricia
Let's not forget that Mercury was also the god of business and shopkeepers, per Britannica, and is often depicted with a purse in his hand. With that in mind, you could bestow on a Wednesday baby a name that could give them a leg up in the business world. According to Business2Community, Patricia (from the Latin for "noble"), was the eighth most popular name of female executives.
Steven
This British name means "crown," so perhaps it's not surprising that there are more than 1,200 executives named Steven, added Business2Community.
Aulani
This Hawaiian girls' name means "king's messenger," according to Baby Names Meaning. You could opt for this not only for a Wednesday-born girl, but as an alternative to Leilani or Alana.
Evangeline
Another "communication" name, Evangeline is Greek for "bringer of good news," explains Babble. If you're a Disney fan, you might also remember fondly that Evangeline was the name of the evening star adored by Ray the firefly in The Princess and the Frog.
John
Talk about all-business. As classic as names get, John is "by far the most popular executive name in the U.S.," according to Business2Community, a stat that Mercury himself would be proud of. Pair that with a Wednesday birth day, and you've got a formula that can't lose.
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