Jaime Case and Chris Hodges knew they wanted a nontraditional last name when they married, which Jaime explains on their blog as being for the following reasons:
1) I didn’t want to take Chris’s name and he wasn’t quite comfortable with the idea of there being two Mrs. Hodges (the first being his mother).
2) Chris didn’t want to take my name, which is fine, because Mr. Case is in fact, my father.
3) We didn’t want to hyphenate our names, thus creating a new disease, the Case (of the) Hodges.
4) We wanted to choose a name that would work for the whole family, which may or may not someday include children, dogs, and random goldfish.
The journey to becoming Mr. & Mrs. Ford began with a few rules:
1) The name had to be American, because neither of us thought it was appropriate to take on an ethnic last name just because it “sounded cool.”
2) It couldn’t be the maiden name stolen from a good friend.
3) It couldn’t be a first name, last name. (ie: Chris Ryan, Jaime Bruce)
4) It couldn’t hurt anyone (ie: taking my stepdad’s last name would hurt my father)
5) It had to be easy to say and spell so that we don’t torture our future kids.
After months of deliberation, Jaime says the name Ford was chosen because:
1) The word “Ford”, as defined by dictionary.com, means “to cross a river.” It implies strength and determination, two qualities Chris and I hope to embody in our marriage.
2) President Gerald Ford, an adopted member of the Ford family, was from Grand Rapids, Chris’s hometown. Chris holds Gerald Ford in high regard, as does the rest of his family.
3) Betty Ford helped raise awareness for breast cancer and was considered a leader in the Women’s Movement. She is also the founder of the world-famous Betty Ford Clinic, which helps treat substance abuse and addiction.
4) Ford is the only American car company that didn’t take bailout money.
5) Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company with the idea that the common man should and would be able to afford his own car. The Ford Motor Company still works to achieve this goal today.
6) Roxy (the Ford Fusion the couple drove on a pre-wedding road trip) has been like a family member to us, and since her last name is Ford, we’re happy to share it with her. Even though we’re going to have to say goodbye to her this week, she’ll always live very large in our memories.
7) Driving around the country seeing the Ford sign everywhere made Chris and I feel like a part of a larger family- we loved that.
8 ) Chris’s mother has an extensive history with Ford.
9) My father, who was the student body president of Fresno State, was given a Mustang fastback during his presidency.
10) My first truck was a Ford Ranger- a vehicle that is infamous to anyone who ever drove with me in high school. My brother, who was one of my best friends growing up, always had Mustangs.
11) My grandfather Bud loves the entire country in his Ford truck.
The couple will keep their maiden and bachelor names as middle names so people will “know where they come from.” Their entire journey is documented at WeddingRoadTrip.com.
This story may sound plum crazy, but I’ve known and helped real Name Counsel clients who choose completely new last names. I’ve seen “Meadows” for a love of open spaces, “Carolina” because the couple met and married there, and “Bell” for Buddhist inspired mindfulness. Most often the new names come from a distant family member– a grandmother’s maiden name, perhaps– but more and more couples are opting for a choose your own approach. Wonderful that we live in a place and age where we have these options.
Best wishes to Mr. & Mrs. Ford!
Nasty comments about basketball player’s hyphenated name not funny
July 21, 2009 in Uncategorized | Tags: Bucks Diary, Don Imus, Don Imus nappy-headed hos, Evan Brunell, Hillary Rodham Clinton, man with hyphenated name, Most Valuable Network, Most Valuable Network blogger TCW, Most Valuable Network president, MVN.com, nasty comments about name, Nik Caner-Medley, nontraditional names, Southern Poverty Law Center, Speak Up!, Teaching Tolerance | Leave a comment
Caner-Medley image from The Baltimore Sun
Basketball player Nik Caner-Medley is getting flack about his hyphenated last name from Most Valuable Network blogger TCW. A recent post in the Bucks Diary slams the “annoying” surname:
Wow. It’s tempting to ignore this kind of bigotry assuming that the writer is too far gone, but it’s important to speak up. I find TCW’s “jokes” unfunny. The “professional woman who is full of herself” and “emasculated husband” stereotypes are unfair and harmful. No one knows why Caner-Medley’s name is hyphenated, or what his parents considered when they made that choice for their son. Regardless, it’s no one’s business but their own. Nik is an incredible basketball player with a bright future. His name is completely unrelated to his athletic ability. I won’t even mention the jab at Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Most Valuable Network (MVN.com) needs to get rid of blogger TCW immediately. His comments are no less offensive than the ones that Don Imus made when he referred to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, which is comprised of eight African-American and two white players, as “nappy-headed hos.” Young boys are watching, and it’s imperative that a good example is set.
Teaching Tolerance (a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center) has a wonderful document called Speak Up! about responding to everyday bigotry. I’ll be writing to the Most Valuable Network president to tell him that TCW’s comments are utterly unacceptable. I will urge him to download the full Speak Up! pdf document and share it with his employees– right after TCW gets his walking papers. I’d love it if you’d do the same.
I find it ironic that Evan Brunell, president and co-founder of Most Valuable Network, is profoundly deaf and wears a cochlear implant. Would TCW think it was funny to joke about the deaf? Would Mr. Brunell have allowed deaf jokes to be published in the Bucks Diary? The sexist and bigoted remarks about Caner-Medley’s name and parents are no different.
Grow up, TCW. And take some responsibility for your bloggers, Mr. Brunell. Disgusting.
Write to Most Valuable Network president Evan Brunell at evan@mvn.com.
UPDATE: I heard back from Most Valuable Network president Evan Brunell and his response is below. He and I are both interested in any reactions YOU have, so please leave a comment.
From Mr. Brunell Tuesday, July 21, 2009 1:49pm:
My response to Mr. Brunell Tuesday, July 21, 2009 2:18pm: