What's in a Name?

Genesis 25:24-26 - "When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them."

The people in Biblical times (which covers quite a timespan) seemed to really put a lot of thought into naming children. Many times when a child is named in the Bible, the meaning of the name or the reason behind the name is given. So, when choosing a name for my son that could be born within the next month, I took it seriously. I went through a baby book name by name and recorded each name I liked into a spreadsheet and gave the name a rating between 1 and 10. This took several hours. Unfortunately, I'm so picky, I didn't find any 8s, 9s, or 10s. I did find a few that I rated a 7, and one of which my wife happened to like a lot - NOLAN - so there ya go, the first name had been chosen. But, there's been a mighty struggle coming up with the middle name, mainly because it's up to me, and I've got issues. So...for the first time, the finalists for Nolan's middle name will be made known to the entire world -- in fact, because 1.) my wife is asleep, and 2.) she doesn't read this blog (I can't really blame her how badly I keep it updated), there's a good chance you'll find out the finalists before her.

ELIJAH
-- Source: The Bible. I love the character of Elijah in the Old Testament.
-- Meaning: My God is YAHWEH
-- Pros: 1.) Elijah is one of my favorite Biblical characters and would love to have a son take after him, 2.) creates the initials NEW, 3.) it's not that common of a name but not silly. 4.) I was reading and praying through an A.W. Pink book on Elijah when Nolan was conceived and we found out we were finally pregnant again.
-- Cons: 1.) Might discourage me from using it as a first name in the future, and it would make a better first name in my opinion than a middle name.

ILLINI
-- Source: My favorite college team is the Illinois Fighting Illini. I'm a diehard fan, and yes I'm serious. The state of Illinois got its name from the Indians that once lived there.
-- Meaning: shortened form of Illiniwek, which means "the people."
-- Pros: What a name to honor the state in which I came from as well as my favorite college teams. Perhaps I could tell Nolan stories of the great Rashard Mendenhall and how Illinois football rose from the ashes the summer he was in the womb.
-- Cons: I'll admit the name is a little odd. Plus, what if he grows up to be an Alabama or Auburn fan? Could a good dad let that happen?

LEVI
-- Source: The Bible. Levi was one of the 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and another name for the Matthew of the New Testament. At one of our baby showers, I had everyone suggest middle names for a game, and Levi (submitted by Ashley Hare) was the winner. I liked the way it sounded.
-- Meaning: "Attached"
-- Pros: 1.) I do think it sounds the best of all my options. 2.) I like the ability to use a name found both in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, each with a different story to tell. 3.) My wife likes it a lot.
-- Cons: The Levi of the Old Testament isn't always such a great character and at times is not worthy of having anyone named after him.

CAEDMON
-- Source: One of my favorite music groups is Caedmon's Call, who named their band after the
7th century poet, who has quite the interesting story.
-- Meaning: "wise warrior"
-- Pros: 1.) The name has a good meaning and good story behind it. 2.) I can honor a band that has been a big influence on me.
-- Cons: 1.) The name is a little odd. 2.) The name breaks one rule I am trying to avoid - back to back names that end in "N" - Nolan Caedmon -- it just sounds a little odd.

DANIEL
-- Source: The Bible. Daniel was a great and honorable character of the Old Testament. This is also a named suggested in a baby shower game and was the winner that day. I have a dear cousin and a dear friend both named Daniel.
-- Meaning: "God is my judge"
-- Pros: 1.) The name is a pretty standard name which will prevent the odd looks I'd get from Illini and Caedmon. 2.) The Daniel in the Bible is a great guy to name someone after, and my cousin and friend aren't half bad either.
-- Cons: 1.) While it being a standard name is a pro, it's also a con. I somewhat like different names.

So what's the call?

Nolan Elijah Walker
Nolan Illini Walker
Nolan Levi Walker
Nolan Caedmon Walker
Nolan Daniel Walker

I know - it's a tough decision. Feel free to voice your thoughts, knowing that I may or may not listen to your opinions!

Other news: I'm now a season ticket holder for Illinois basketball - but yeah, one problem. I live in Alabama. If you interested in purchasing tickets at face value, then let me know. I'm selling most of them.