Whitaker Hawkins Leyland

Many people have asked what we are naming our baby and I realized I never posted about the name.

Our baby's name is Whitaker Hawkins Leyland. It is a family name and Jonathan and I love it! Each name holds special meaning and carries with it a story. Names mean a great deal, so it was not an easy task for Jonathan and I to choose one. We know Whit, as he will be called, will love his name. I also think it sounds Southern which is an added bonus!

Whitaker is after Jonathan's grandfather in England. His grandfather's name is William Walker Whitaker Leyland. Whitaker comes from his uncle who was a British soldier in WWI. Unfortunately, he passed away at the tender age of 20 in Belgium. He is remembered on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium and in Westminster Abbey by the Unknown Warriors Gate in London. Jonathan's grandfather wrote a lovely letter explaining the name and I have it framed and ready to hang in the baby's room.

Hawkins is my maiden name and it is important to me to pass on my family name. The Hawkins are from Mississippi and I am excited to share it with my baby. My father passed away when I was 8 years old, and I know he would be very proud. Living in the Northeast, it is important to me to share my Southern heritage with my child and I feel as though a name is a nice way to start! Jonathan thought he might like to call the baby Hawkins---who knows we could switch it around by the time he arrives!

We are thrilled beyond words about our little bundle of joy and we cherish his name. We know our loved ones whom he is named after would be proud too.