Story behind their names

I've been asked questions about the kids' names - so here goes.

Story behind their names: both family heritage and new traditions were taken into play with each of the kids names.

Noah, like Chad, is a unique name in the Armitage clan. It was important to both of us that Noah has a unique first name since he will be carrying on the Armitage name.

Dawitt (Dah’-wheat) means David in Ethiopia. Marie’s mother was born and raised in Ethiopia, and Chad’s father’s name is Dave. We both liked the name and how it combines both sides of our families.

Naomi is a name Chad and I have always been fond of. Dave grew up with some cousins whose Mother (Naomi Armitage) died when they were little. She was a woman of faith.

Debre (Deb-ray) means Deborah in Ethiopia. It is also the name of Marie’s only Uncle on her mother’s side. Debre Haliemarium was a man of faith, much older Marie’s mom, who passed away in 2005.

Also, we chose their middle names and were settled on them before we realized that this would make them grow up with the same initials. This was NOT on purpose. **I will apologize at the beginning of the school year to each of their teachers.** :-)

It goes without saying that all of their names are Biblical – this was not completely on purpose, although we did decide on the biblical names Noah and Naomi before the end of the first trimester.