Three Names Again

When Pia and Mike found out they were having a baby boy, they knew it would be a challenge in giving him a name.

Choosing their daughter's name had set up naming precedents they wanted to follow. Just like their daughter's name, Mike and Pia wanted their baby boy's name to be composed of three names.

The first name they agreed upon was "Jose", a variant for "Joseph". They wanted to name their son after St. Joseph, just as their daughter was named after St. Mary.  (Tala's second name is "Marie", a variant of "Mary".)

The first name was an easy choice but the next two names weren't.  In fact, Mike and Pia were stuck for several months.

During the long drawn impasse, Pia suggested "Miguel", a variant of  "Michael".  It was effectively naming their baby boy after Mike.  "Jose Miguel" or "Jose 'something' Miguel" sounded right for their little boy.  However, Mike felt his children should have a name all their own and not "borrow" his name.

Then Mike realized that two of Jose's godfathers were named Jose/Joseph.  That was it.  Mike finally decided it was alright to name his boy "Miguel".  (Pia afterwards reminded him that her name is also closely related to "Mary" and their daughter's second name, "Marie".) They felt they were on the right track.

Two names down, one more to go, but choosing another name was getting more difficult. Mike and Pia wanted one of the names to be Filipino in origin.  This proved difficult for a boy's name.  Strictly following this naming convention gave them options like "Datu" or "Kris". ("Datu" is a Filipino title for chiefs, monarchs or leaders; "Kris" on the other hand is a bladed weapon).  Unfortunately, it all sounded off.

Mike and Pia finally had the idea of Andres for the last name.  Andres, a Spanish variant of "Andrew", meant "brave or "manly". Like the name "Miguel", this felt right for their little boy.

Still Mike had some doubts about the combination of the names.  He thought "Jose Rizal na, Andres Bonifacio pa."  The doubt persisted until the morning their baby boy was born.  But that is another story.

Thus, it was on the day their baby boy was born that Mike and Pia knew his name would be "Jose Andres Miguel".  For them, the name meant their little boy was his father's son and he would be a brave hero of the family.

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