Baby “Beaman’s” Name Revealed! [Updated]

I told you all that Candice and I wanted to settle early on a name for our baby this time, unlike we did with Lily, where she went the first 16 hours after being born without a name. This time we wanted to decide on a name quicker and let everyone know. We also said that as soon as we had decided, it would be final. So here it is: His first name will be Isaac! We will be calling him Zeke for short. The middle name is not yet decided though. We have concluded that the middle name will depend on the day that Isaac is born. He’s due on my dad’s birthday, April 5, so we’re considering naming him after my dad in some way or another.

The name Isaac comes with some family history. Isaac Wardle was a Mormon Pioneer, the first of my family to join the church. Beginning his arduous journey as a convert from Liverpool England, he crossed the plains to the Salt Lake Valley as a member of the ill-fated Martin handcart company (click here to read a brief journal excerpt from him regarding his immigration from England to the United States and his experience in crossing the plains with the handcart company).

Isaac Wardle was one of only a handful of pioneers that is honored with his name being placed on the Brigham Young monument at Temple Square in Salt Lake City.   He was instrumental in the building of Zion in the early days of the church’s history,  and was the instigator of a legacy of Mormon faithful that now expands many generations to follow, including my grandmother Reah Wardle (maiden name) and my Late father Jerry, on down to me and my family now. He’s a man I have admired my whole life, and I’ve long awaited giving a son his name in honor of one of my great-grandfathers, a pioneer and a saint.

Three years ago, when Candice & I were expecting Lily, we had settled on the name Isaac if we were having a boy.  So it was only natural that when we found out we were having a son, that we would want to use the name Isaac. We also wanted to honor my dad, especially where our son is due on his birthday.  We debated how we should honor him, and finally decided that our son’s middle name will be either my dad’s first or middle name.