Thursday, April 7, 2011

Seven

It's my birthday. 04/07. Four seasons, seven wonders. So seven is one of my favorite numbers.

You'll notice that I don't post a lot about the names of celebrity children. This is because, to be honest, I just don't care what famous people are doing. But it seems like you can't be a name enthusiast without hearing, "Can you believe what so-and-so named their kid? These crazy celebrities! When will they learn?" And I still remember years ago when Erykah Badu and Andre 3000 named their son Seven.

The knee-jerk reaction against Seven was, "Why did they give their child a number? It's degrading." I'll admit that it was my reaction at first. But the more I thought of it the more it made sense as a name. Seven isn't just any ordinary number. Seven is a very sacred and lucky number in many cultures. There are seven archangels, Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese mythology, seven saintly virtues and deadly sins, and seven islands of Atlantis. In European folklore, the seventh son or daughter will be a werewolf or a vampire. Others say that the seventh child of a seventh child will be gifted in clairvoyance and healing. In some countries, cats are said to have seven lives instead of nine.

There are also Seven Wiccan Clans. Most people believe that the Seven Clans are a work of fiction. Whether they're based on Witches that have existed or not, they have really awesome names. The clans are Rowanwand (teachers), Wyndenkell (spell writers), Vikroth (warriors), Leapvaughns (tricksters), Burnhides (gifted in gem and metal magick), Brightendales (gifted in medicine), and Woodbanes (the "Slytherins" of the group). They're practically asking for a big fantasy epic.

So do I still think Seven is degrading? No. And neither does anyone else, it seems. The snarky "weird name" police seems to have completely forgotten about little Seven. That's what happens. If you're famous and dare to name your children something outside the box, the media is going to jump on it and start a judgmental snit about how terrible it is. But then they're going to forget about it and move on to the next one. The parents will have the last laugh because after the storm, names like Seven become generally accepted.

If you would like a unique name that has a lot of symbolism attached to it, or maybe if you just really like math, Seven is a bold option.

P.S. How old am I? Um...22? Is that plausible? Okay, I'm 26. Ugh. At least I get cake and presents.

Sources:
http://www.babynamewizard.com/namipedia/boy/seven
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_(number)
http://wiccanwitches.webs.com/the7clans.htm

Image Credit:
http://archann.deviantart.com/art/The-Joy-Ballad-79278733

6 comments:

  1. Happy birthday! Seven is one of the most magickal numbers and if you think about it in our culture besides the examples you mentioned, there's also a famous "007" which is actually I've heard is how the famous astrologer/wizard John Dee signed his name...So seven wishes for you today!

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  2. Happy birthday! I'll be turning 26 in a few months so I understand your "ugh" :-)

    I actually fell in love with the name Seven a few years ago. Can't remember where I heard it (not from Erykah Badu and Andre 3000, I don't think), but I've always thought I'd like to give the name to a little boy.

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  3. Happy birthday! I'll be 27 in November, so...yeah. I feel you. :/ lol.

    I have loved the name Seven since grade 8, actually, when a fellow name-obsessed friend suggested it for our massive list of future baby names. I think it appeals to me as a softer, femenine version of Sven more than the number, so I actually like it for a girl more than a boy! The number 7 seems mystical and mysterious to me (which makes sense since it's featured in so many belief systems!), so I associate it with feminine qualities more than masculine. It'd be an awesome choice for either, though!

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  4. Happy Birthday! I'm turning 26 in July so I know how you feel. (its crazy that we are all so close in age!)

    I think Seven is a very interesting choice. It's not one I would choose, but as a fan of many other word type names I certainly support it :)

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  5. Happy Birthday!! I like the name Seven, if you think solely about how it sounds. But it being a number does make it a little weird for me. I don't think I would name my own that, but I sure will enjoy those named by parents braver than me. LOL.

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