This Is the Story of How Caitlyn Jenner Chose Her Non-K Name
We talk a lot about creative baby names here — who doesn’t though?! — but with Caitlyn Jenner’s stunning debut earlier this week we were super curious as to how she chose such a beautiful name. Choosing your own name is way different than your parents doing it for you and definitely much more personal. Not only were we interested in how she landed on Caitlyn but we, like the rest of the world wide web, wanted to uncover her thought process on breaking free from the Kardashian/Jenner tradition —”K” for a first name.
The moving Vanity Fair piece reveals the answer to how she decided on “one of the hardest things in life — choosing your own name.” Just like with parents naming their newborns, there’s a process and ideas come from everywhere. With Caitlyn, a big influence was a beauty pageant. According to Vanity Fair, “She began the search process over two years ago,” which included surveying Miss America contestant names for ideas and deciding if any of them (Heather? Cathy?) fit her. Caitlyn told VF that one day her assistant Ronda Kamihira randomly suggested the name to her, she liked it and that’s how Caitlyn came to be.
After making the name official, the inevitable spelling challenge was the next hurdle. While there are numerous ways to spell Caitlyn, the obvious biggest issue was keeping with the Kardashian/Jenner naming routine or breaking the mold. She ultimately decided to once again travel down her own path, detaching herself from the “K” and the associated media connection to it.
According to babynames.com, Caitlyn is an Irish name that means “pure,” which we think makes sense for someone hoping for a fresh start and a new journey as the person they’ve always been.
What are your thoughts on how Caitlyn came up with her name and why she chose a “C”? Let us know in the comments.
(Photos via Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair)