Name News: We Stand with Ukraine

Ukraine flag

As the events continue to unfold in Ukraine, our thoughts are with the people of that nation. While you may be feeling helpless, there are little ways you can help if you choose to do so. One way to help the Ukrainian people immediately is by booking AirBnBs so that the hosts can immediately access their money. Another way is through reputable charities, some already there on the ground.

Former US president, Barack Obama, has listed charities on his website. The UK newspaper, The Guardian, also lists a number of charities providing aid. Then there is the World Central Kitchen, which is on the ground in Ukraine or across the border, feeding the displaced as well as those who are staying.

On the matter of names as they relate to Ukraine, you may have noticed two things name related in the coverage. First, the capital of the nation is spelled Kyiv, not Kiev, as you may have learned in geography during your school days. Why is this? The conflict between Ukraine and Russia play a big role in this. Kiev is derived from the Russian language name Киев; where Kyiv is derived from the Ukrainian language name Київ. The tension and conflict between Ukraine and Russia also relates to why Ukrainians want their nation to be called simply Ukraine and not the Ukraine, as Ukraine is a nation; the Ukraine is how Russians referred to the region when it was part of Russia.

In other name related news of a lighter nature, did you all hear about the Super Bowl Baby who was born the day his daddy won a ring with the L.A. Rams?

Wide receiver Van Jefferson was busy playing in the game of his life when his wife, Samaria, went into labor. At halftime, she was rushed to the hospital to give birth to their second child, and the star athlete skipped his team’s postgame celebration to meet his new son. While the high school sweethearts had been considering the names Wynn and Miles for their son, they ended up choosing instead the name Champ. How appropriate, indeed!

Speaking of babies of the rich and famous, the youngest of the KarJenners, Kylie, recently gave birth to her second child. The new son of Jenner and musician, Travis Scott, was given the name Wolf, who joins big sister Stormi. All things considered, it’s not the most out-there celebrity baby name even in her own family populated by cousins, Psalm, True, and Dream. Wolf is in fact quite popular amongst the Hollywood famous, though more in use as a middle than first name. (See Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet’s son, Nakoa-Wolf, and The Hills star Lauren Conrad’s son, Charlie Wolf Tell.)

But the story gets a bit juicer. Because, is Wolf’s name a result of baby name theft? That’s the assertion by Jenner’s former friend, Tammy Hembrow (or at least by one of her Instagram followers). There’s drama on social media about how Jenner stole the name from her former friend’s firstborn. In a recent post, the Australian influencer captioned a post with her son, “My Wolf.” Is this name theft, though? You let us know!

Lastly, in stressful times, a little humor can be a healing balm. This Reductress article gave us both a giggle lately: Woman Has No Idea She Is the Reason Couple Can’t Use Her Name for Their Baby.

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