A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but a name must still be chosen!

Ken and I have prayed quite a bit about our new little one's name.    We wanted it to work in English, Danish, Chinese and it would be nice if it also worked in Hebrew, since our oldest daughter's name is Hebrew.

We had thought about keeping the adoption agency name, which we liked, but after praying about it decided not to.   The realization came to me that some day she would ask how we chose her name-and if we were to answer that the adoption agency had chosen it, and we liked it....well that would be a continual reminder throughout her life- of her past as an orphan.   We wanted a name that had a future to it.   Something that reflected her life in our family.   A name that was pretty, feminine, and also had beautiful meaning.

Her name will be Elsa Mei...pronounced... Elsa May.


Elsa was the name of Ken's grandmother (paternal side).    She passed away when Ken was about 9 years old, and Ken has talked about what a wonderful grandmother she was.   She was Danish, of course, and she spelled her name Else, but it in English it is spelled Elsa.

Ken suggested the name but then mentioned it might be more of an older name, and I told him that the only Elsa I have known was young, beautiful, dark-haired, and also kind.    It is a lovely name.

Elsa is Hebrew in origin.   It is from the name Elisabeth, and means "God's promise" or "God is my oath".

I emailed a Chinese Pastor to ask him what the name meant in Chinese.   I wondered if I would get a response...and not only did he email me back, he called to further explain the email.   

He said the name Elsa in Chinese was very beautiful.   It meant love and poetry.  

Her middle name Mei is Chinese, and it means beauty.    We wanted to keep a reminder of her Chinese heritage in her name.   Also, my sweet Aunt Shirley who passed away a couple years ago, had the middle name May.  

And so when we say her name, we can remember these beautiful women that were in our lives and blessed both of us.

Also, I hope that as she grows up, that some day when she asks me how we chose her name, and we tell her of these beautiful women...that she will truly feel a part of our family...every time she hears her name.

While I was praying and trying to really feel certain about the name- I read that the name Elsa was used in the book (and later movie) Born Free.    So I decided to look up the movie.

In the movie, Elsa was a little lion cub- that was orphaned.   Some people adopted the little cub, and when she grew up they set her free.  Maybe our little Elsa Mei will have a heart of a lioness too, and some day we will set her free, and she will be all that God has called her to be.