Evan Reid, the name . . . & the compromise

When selecting Evan's name, Matt and I followed the same basic formula we used with Tobin's name: a name we liked plus a name with a family connection. Evan is simply a name we came to love. It is Welsh for John, which means "God is gracious." Reid is the maiden name of my wonderful great grandmother (my dad's mother's mother), who was known by friends and family, even her grandchildren and great grandchildren, simply as Dody. Dody was so dear to me. She lived with my dad's parents, so I got to see her about as often as I saw them growing up. When I stayed at my grandparents', I often slept with her, and was treated to her very imaginative bedtime stories. My grandparents and Dody moved just down the street from us in Columbus when I was in high school, so I got to spend even more time with her up until her death in March 1995, my senior year in high school. Even though she was 98 at the time, I was really caught off guard by her passing and missed her terribly. Dody was a woman who absolutely delighted in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; it was impossible not to reciprocate. To know her was truly to love her.

As you may recall, Tobin wanted to call his brother Tobin Chevy. In hindsight, we may have played this up a bit much. I guess it was too hard not to, since it was so hilarious and clever. When Aunt Ashley told Tobin his brother's name was Evan Reid, he informed her very seriously that, no, his name is Tobin Chevy. When T came to see us at the hospital to meet Evan, he again argued with us, almost tearfully, about his name. We suggested that Tobin Chevy could be Baby Brother's car name, but his people name was Evan Reid. This was acceptable to Tobin. Around here these days, Tobin refers to Evan as Baby Brother, Evan, and sometimes a sing-songy "Evan Weed." And Mama and Daddy even affectionately call him Chevy sometimes.