Nomen Est Omen — The Name Is an Omen
Even when it comes to pet names
The name is an omen. That’s the meaning of the Latin phrase nomen est omen.
We tend to forget that when we choose names for our beloved pets.
Would you name your cat Grumpy, for instance?
Some people might think that’s a hilarious idea. And then it would turn out the cat is always unhappy about his food. He would take revenge on you by destroying your favorite armchair.
Don’t believe me?
I’ll tell you a story about my pet snail. I have fourteen giant African land snails, actually. But with one of them, I really learned a lesson about names.
I’ve been a snail mom for over twenty years, so you would think I’m an expert in snail names. Sure enough, I’ve had to come up with dozens of name ideas over the years.
One of my go-to options has been names that end with -bert. My first snail, bless his soul, was called Hubert. I’ve also had Herbert and Norbert (rest in peace). Gilbert, my youngest snail, is still alive and well.
And then there’s Eggbert.
Eggbert seemed like a brilliant name. There’s -bert in it, first of all. It’s almost like Egbert, but I added an extra g for a funny pun.
