Busy's Baby Birdie
Well, imagine your first name is Busy and your baby's first name is Birdie. The subject of names is bound to come up. This week on The Bonnie Hunt Show, actress Busy Philipps talked about her name and her daughter's name. (see full clip). Apparently Busy, whose given name is Elizabeth, was nicknamed Busy when she was just a baby becuase of her activity level as an infant. "Busy Lizzy" soon got shortened to just Busy and there was no going back to Elizabeth.
So, when it came time to name her own baby, Busy was adamant that she didn't want her own daughter to have to explain to teachers that her real name was one thing, but the she was called something else. She and her husband were inspired by a story they heard about the life of former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and they added "Birdie" to their list of future baby names. (Lady Bird was itself the First Lady's nickname her real name was Claudia). When baby was born in August 2008, Birdie was the name they choose -- a tribute to the Former First Lady and not that far off in style from mom's own name.
What do you think of the name Birdie as a given name? How do you feel about using a nickname as a given name?
--J.B.
Comments
EWWWW Yuck! I Think Celebs call their kids The "Fowlest" names!!!
I don't like 'Birdie' or "sparrow' YUCK!!!
Oh my God, the poor little thing!
Her parents have removed all choices from her. What if she doesn't like being called "Birdie", for heaven's sake?? At least with "Busy" short for "Elizabeth", if she'd decided she'd rather use a different diminutive or the whole thing, she still had the option.
I love Birdie as a given name. It doesn't seem so strange to me -- Bridie is a given name, after all.
There's no such thing as "removing all choices" when it comes to naming. The nicknames Busy and Lady Bird are proof enough of that.
Aside from that, I think Birdie is a lovely name.
If Busy Phillips had decided to go into law or medicine or some other career she probably would have liked the option of going by the more serious Elizabeth. Too bad she didn't give her daughter that choice.
I LOVE IT! I thought about this for my daughter. Eventually I settled on Margaret. There is a cashier at Whole Foods where I live who goes by Birdie but her given name is Roberta.
It's a really cute name, but it's also a bit silly, imo. I would have gone with, perhaps, Brighid (or Bridget), nn Birdie. But then again, I don't go around with the name Busy!
I've often thought of naming a daughter Roberta after my father, and nicknaming her Birdie as well!
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