Keri Russell shares how River got his name

Earlier this year, actress Keri Russell, 31, and her husband Shane Deary were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their baby, whose sex they were keeping a delivery surprise. They did have names picked out, but in the end, didn’t use what they had planned on.

We had another one picked out. Then when he was born, he was so calm and realized that ‘River’ just worked.

River Russell Deary arrived on June 9th.

Source: People, Dec. 17th issue, p. 65

Did you change the name you had chosen for your child after you saw them?

Comments

When I was born my parents named me Ashley Elyse. But after they had brought me home they realized Ashley just didn’t fit so they just called me Elyse. Before I started Kindergarten they changed my name officialy to Elyse Kathryn. I am so glad they did because the name Ashley just doesn’t suit me!

- E on December 10th, 2007

We did change our plan after our son was born. I was REALLY stuck on our #1 name, but after seeing him, the name just didn’t fit, and although it had rolled off the tongue before I just couldn’t imagine calling him that daily. So we went to choice #2 which was hubby’s idea that I didn’t like much, but truth be told it was perfect once we saw him.

- Pam on December 10th, 2007

There was a drastic name change when my little brother was born because everyone thought he’d be a girl. We had a girl name picked out and then were stumped. He didn’t have a name for three days because no-one could agree. Eventually we just had to go with one because there was a deadline for registering the birth.

- Lilybett on December 10th, 2007

We had no idea what to call my daughter, whose gender we didn’t find out ahead of time upon delivery, we had a boy’s name ready to go, but no clue on a girl’s name. Once she was born, hubby suggested Jennifer, and then later changed it to Jenna, which fits her just perfectly.
We had Joshua picked out from when we were pregnant with Jenna, but we didn’t want to use it for whatever reason, so we picked Braden Michael, but once Zachary was born, we just knew that he wasn’t a Brady.

- Rachel on December 10th, 2007

I was supposed to be Charmaine Anne, but when I was born, my Dad finally said NO WAY. (Thank you Dad!!!). They named me Michelle instead.

My best friend had three girls names picked out (each with different middle names) but refused to pick one until she saw her baby.

- Melle on December 10th, 2007

Had I been a boy, my dad had every intention of unloading his love for the Beatles on me by naming me Ringo Paul. Thankfully, I was a girl and was named Sarah Grace.

- Sarah on December 10th, 2007

My mum knew I was a girl, and already knew I was going to be Devon, which definitely fits. Although, my dad HATED my name and called me baby for the first few weeks. He caved since my mum was knocked out and they almost lost me at birth. He was so relieved that we both made it, that he gave my mum what she wanted!

With my brother, my mum, again my mum *just knew*, that he was a boy but couldn’t decide. They had a few names picked out and decided when he was born and he was named Andrew.

For me, I think it’s best to have a few names in mind, but wait until the baby is born to name them. At least that’s my goal.

- Devon on December 10th, 2007

i didn’t have a name until after i was born. they were originally going with courtney or brittany (it was the 80s and my mother was 21, so i can forgive her) and then that was quickly discarded once i was out. she obviously went in a very different direction. my middle name is annette.

- maria on December 11th, 2007

we had 2 names picked out before our son was born, and after seeing him, a completely different name we hadn’t even discussed came to mind and fit him perfectly!

- tia on December 11th, 2007

With our daughter we had agreed on Livia (which means livid, dark) but when she came out she was petite, with pale skin and blonde hair so Livia seemed wrong. We named her Chiara (another Italian name) which means light/luminous and 18 months on it really suits her.

My husband said that the night before her birth he dreamed that he was telling people how to pronounce Chiara (Key-AH-rah). and so it was!

- Leishk on December 11th, 2007

My parents did the complete opposite. They stuck to names rather than personalities, or at least that’ how I interpret it.

I was supposed to be called Sarah but then a little while before I was born my parents’ friends had a daughter and named her Sarah. They completely panicked and while discussing the issue with virtually everyone else they knew, my actual name was suggested to them by another friend who had heard of people calling their daughter Hermione, remarking this would be a name nobody else would come up with. They also had two boy’s names picked out for me (they didn’t know my sex) and later gave one of these to my younger brother. My younger sister, finally, was named Sarah. By that time they were no longer close to said friends.

Strangely enough, I later ended up in drama class with the Hermione in question (that was quite odd) while I only met “the” other Sarah once in my life (in addition to countless regular other Sarahs, of course)

I don’t know if this means Hermione was a name well-chosen (apparently very fitting for amateur actresses) or that you should just go with your choice, whatever someone else does (as did Dave Grohl with his daughter Violet for example).

In any case I plan to wait until my children are born and then go with whatever I think suits them, no matter who else is called that way.

- Hermione on December 11th, 2007

When I was pregnant with my second son he going to be Jonas (after the Weezer song My name is Jonas)… and the week I had him I changed my mind and he was born Eli Curtis! It goes with my older son Ezra Charles, and incorporates my father in laws name, because Charles is my dad. I had a moment tho when he was born where I almost named him Isaac after my husband because he looked JUST LIKE HIM. Good thing I didnt… I would never be able to do the Jr. thing

- Liza on December 11th, 2007

(I love the name Devon and Elyse for a girl!!)

My mom wanted to name me Norma Jean after Marilyn Monroe but my dad didn’t like it – he liked Bernadette. So, my mom loved the name Melissa and my middle name became Bernadette.

- Melissa 7/7/78 on December 11th, 2007

My parents named me Jillian when I was first born….Dad ran out and called everyone that little Jillian had arrived. However, when he came back my mum decided that I wasn’t in fact “a Jillian” so…..they changed it to Erin….it just so happened that my parents liked the show the Waltons……Oh and they wanted to spell Jillian….Gillian.

- Erin on December 11th, 2007

From the very start of my pregnancy, we struggled finding a girl name. We had quite a few boy names we agreed on, so I guess we should have known it’d be a girl! We found out at 5 months, so we still had 4 months to decide on a name. We went to the hospital with a long “short list” consisting of Genevieve, Addison, Kirsten, Tatum, and Jenna.

I had a scheduled c-section since she was breech, so I was in the hospital for 4 days. By the morning of the 4th day when she still wasn’t named, we knew we HAD to make a decision! But she just didn’t look like I’d thought she would, so none of the names “fit.” Finally, we came up with Ashlyn and Avery, and it was between those two. Even though I had swore against all “ee” sounding names since our last name ends in that sound, we chose Avery and it truly fits her.

The thought of another child and that practically 10-month naming process frightens me! Naming a child is such fun…but such a huge responsibility!

- sarah on December 12th, 2007

Thank god my mother didn’t get her way in naming my twin sister and I!

We are fraternal twins so we are completely different – I have blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes and my twin sister has brown hair, olive skin and brown eyes.

Our mum is old hippy at heart and was really in love with the names Paris and Sienna.
Don’t get me wrong they are both pretty names but I’m so very glad my dad put his foot down.
I was called Laura and my sister was called Kate.

Can you imagine the trouble I would have now being a 21yo blonde, blue eyed Paris?!

- Laura on December 12th, 2007

When I was born, my parents already had 2 daughters, so they were hoping I was a boy. My dad was set to name me Eric after his brother. My mom decided she liked the name Tatiana if I was a girl.

Well, they had a girl! (and one other girl after me-4 girls, no boys!) and they ended up naming me Shanna because it was what my grandparents wanted. My grandparents pronounced it “Shayna” but my parents and everyone else called me “Shauna.” I sometimes wished they had spelled it Shauna so that no one would mispronounce my name.

Oh and in honor of Eric, one of my middle names became Erica. (Shanna Lisa Erica)

- Shanna on December 12th, 2007

So, Im an only child. My mother was very sick during her pregnancy. It got to be that about the time my Dad come home from work, The Waltons would be on TV. So, I was named Kami after the little girl who played Elizabeth on the show.

- kamisue on January 13th, 2008

i knew i was going to name my 1st daughter Willow which i did. when i became pregnant with my 2nd child we didnt know what we were having. we had names picked out though. Hayden for a boy and either Liliana or Aspen for a girl. we had a girl and as soon as she was born i looked at her and named her Edyn (pronounced EDEN). i remember calling my mom and telling her we had a girl and she asked if her name was lily or aspen and i said, It`s Edyn. We now have a new daughter too. My hubby had names picked out for her but i wanted to call her Lyric. he didnt like it but after all the pain of having her he finally let me have my way lol hahahha

- Martina on January 14th, 2008

Our 1st daughter is named after my grandmother Hannah Marie, that was easy. When it came time to name girl #2, my husband liked Helice Maxine, but we were afraid that people would pronounce it HE-LICE, so we changed the spelling to Helise. It fits her so perfectly. Although, I had originally wanted to name her Calliope and call her Callie. That was short lived.

- melissa on January 29th, 2008

My hubby wanted to name our daughter Ginger Elizabeth but I SAID no way! She ended up being Peyton Elle, and it fits her great! With our 2nd, my hub said I COULD name him, adn I WANTED TO NAME HIM TAYLOR BUT my friend gave birth 2 weeks before me and named her son taylor lane. So i named mine Bayson pronounced bay-sun and his middle name is Lake. We named our second son Jagger Anthony.

- Morgan on November 4th, 2008