The story behind Anna's name

It took us a long time to find the perfect name for our baby girl.  It’s such a huge decision.  It was important for me that our daughter’s given names be not only classic and feminine, but deeply meaningful (I am not a fan of “filler” middle names).  We wanted something uncommon, but not too “out there”.  Luckily we had it picked out ahead of time, because she ended up being born 8 weeks early.  We chose Anna Madeleine (pronounced “Mah-da-len”), with the traditional French spelling, of course!

Anna: Greek, meaning “grace”.  This name was special to us for many reasons.  We love the meaning: it is by grace alone that we are saved.  It is a gift we don’t deserve and can never repay.  Anna has a great Biblical meaning: she was an old widow in Jerusalem who prophesied about the coming of Jesus.  She never left the temple but faithfully worshiped day and night.  When she saw the infant Jesus at the Temple, she immediately recognized Him as the long-awaited Messiah.  The word grace also draws to mind the qualities of love, kindness, forgiveness, beauty, elegance, and charity.  The name Anna pays tribute to our Scandinavian heritage (Matt is Finnish and I am Swedish).  It also runs in my family: it was my Grandpa’s mother’s name, and both my mother and I have Ann(e) in our middle names.

Madeleine: Aramaic, meaning “woman of Magdala”.  Mary Magdalene was a native of Magdala and an admirable Biblical character.  Despite her sins, she was a devout follower of Jesus Christ.  She was present at the cross during His hours of agony, was the first to arrive at the tomb to find it empty, and the first person to see Jesus after His resurrection.  Our hope is that our daughter will grow up to be a devout Christian who will honor God through her words and deeds, and be a shining example to others of His love and steadfastness.  This name is also meaningful because it is a traditional French name.  Having traveled extensively in France in both high school and college, its people and culture hold a special place in my heart.