Naming Isaiah

I love that Isaiah's name is full of meaning for us, just like Isaac's is as well. I also love that, like his brother, his name isn't one I ever thought I would name my child, but is one that God inspired in our hearts.

First we looked to our initials for ideas. We had a pattern going in our family: H, I, J, K (Hailey, Isaac, Joshua, Kristin). Somehow we needed to stick to our pattern. We first looked to G and L boy names but none stood out to us. We did like the name Luke but he didn't feel like a Luke, not to mention that was the name of Isaac's best friend and that could have been a little confusing. We eventually decided we could go with an initial in our pattern that we already had.

Almost immediately we both thought of the "I" name: Isaiah. Not only do I love the name and loved the thought of having two boys named Isaac and Isaiah (which I thought had a nice ring to it), but Isaiah has been my favorite book in the Bible for the last 5 years. It is full of my favorite God-breathed words that have continually spoken straight to my heart. It also holds a special place in my life in relation to Hailey, as it is a place where I found so many words of comfort and healing after her death.

I learned that the name Isaiah means generous, which I also love. For me, while I was pregnant, facing so many fears and unknowns, it helped remind me that The Lord is generous in so many ways to us. It also made me hope The Lord would be generous in the specific way of giving us another healthy baby, the dream we dared to dream.

For awhile Isaiah had no middle name. We wanted one that was a family name or full of meaning. We were leaning towards our dads' names as inspiration. I personally liked the ring of Isaiah Thomas (after my dad who I loved and lost in 2010 to cancer), but as some of you may know a certain famous athlete shares that name, and so it was vetoed by my husband. We then agreed to using my husband's dad's middle name for Isaiah's middle name, John. Of course John is an incredibly Biblical name, but I loved learning that it means God is gracious.

So Isaiah John means God is generous and gracious.

It speaks something that is so true and beautiful and perfectly captures Isaiah's life for us. God has generously blessed us with another healthy baby, and ever so graciously as well... Giving us gifts over and over that we do not deserve. Grace is kind of an overarching message God has been teaching me about in the past year so it's very personally fitting to me.

I hope that Isaiah lives a life that rings true to his name, one that witnesses and testifies of the Lord's generosity and graciousness.



Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
{Isaiah 30:18}


I have redeemed you,
I have called you by name
You are mine.
{Isaiah 43:1}


but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
{Isaiah 43:1}