Baby Names - Future Family Heirlooms

Today, more than ever, people want to understand where they come from. Genealogy sites are becoming more and more popular and DNA testing kits are widely available and widely used. Understanding your family history may be trending, but more importantly, it matters.

Knowing where you come from gives you a sense of safety and belonging. And research shows that children who have a strong ‘family narrative’ have better emotional health. That means they have a stronger sense of control over their lives, higher self-esteem and a better functioning family life in the future. That all sounds pretty great!

At Oh My Giddy Aunt HQ, we’ve always been huge fans of the family narrative – in our case told in the form of beautiful heirloom jewellery. And while anything (and we mean anything!) can become a family heirloom, in our 18 years in the business we’ve seen some things that seem to tell more of a story than others, and impart our children and grandchildren with a physical reminder of their own family story, and their own place in it. We'd like to share some of our favourite baby name brooches and bracelet ideas.

 

Precious baby and toddler jewellery has been popular since the 17th century when European

craftsmen began making gold and silver nappy or diaper and big clips for wealthy families.  

 

Baby brooches are traditional baby gifts, often given on special occasions like first birthdays or christenings. Originally they had a functional use – to hold clothing together!  Today we have modern clasps, zippers and buttons to do the same work, but although brooches aren’t as ‘useful’ as they once were, because they can be hand engraved with dates and names, baby brooches still make the perfect future family heirloom.

 

During the Victorian period, the desire to have baby's name engraved for posterity grew to include baby bracelets and necklaces that could also be personalised as a record of a little person's start in life.

 

Pearls are the ultimate symbol for wisdom, but also represent serenity, safety, purity, integrity and loyalty. A sweet, real pearl bracelet is the perfect gift from a grandmother or godparent to a little girl on her naming day, or on her first, second or third birthday. After all, there’s no better story than the story of love and wisdom from a family member, captured in a treasured keepsake.

 

We love ID bangles suited for either a little boy or little girl. Sterling silver ID bangles can be engraved with the child’s name, a message, or even the giver’s name, to create a memory that will be kept and treasured for their entire life and, hopefully passed down, perhaps engraved with the next generation's names? Baby bangle sizes will depend on the size of the baby, but a bangle that expands provides the opportunity to wear it as baby grows.  Some little girls have been known to still be able to fit into their 'baby' jewellery when they start school!

 

 

Angel wings bring protection, justice, spirituality, remembrance, love and safe travels. And this beautiful angel wing bracelet will help them weave those wishes for love and protection into a baby or child's own narrative. This bracelet is especially meaningful to us because it can be worn from childhood through adulthood meaning your loved one can carry their story with them throughout their life. You can also have the back of this beautiful bracelet engraved with a few words as well, making it a simply lovely keepsake.

 

One of our long-term favourites, this Oval Set Baby Brooch is wonderful for a baby’s naming day. Choose sterling silver or gold, and a pink stone or diamond, and have it engraved with baby’s name and christening date, for a gift that will stand the test of time and play a wonderful part in your family history.

After all, wouldn’t you love to have a baby brooch with your grandmother’s name on it? Your Giddy Aunts definitely would! 

 

And if you’d like something to commemorate a baby’s milestone then this Blue Spinal Baby Brooch is the perfect choice. In our experience, we know that children love to hear their own stories and milestones told back to them and a brooch with their name is a lovely story starter! Have this lovely brooch engraved with the milestone – we love the idea of baby’s first steps – and the date, and you’ll have a piece that will be a record of baby's life. A growing tradition is to include a husband's baby brooch in the bridal bouquet as something old, something borrowed... and this one could even fulfill the requirements for something blue! 

This cute little platypus brooch has made our favourites list because it is so uniquely Australian – and makes a lovely addition to your loved one’s family story. You can certainly have it engraved as well, but even on its own, it’s a unique talking point. Because it’s a little bit whimsical, it will be a welcome favourite all throughout childhood and hopefully into adulthood. And something that they’ll be thrilled to pass down to their own loved ones.

 

More than ever, we want to leave a legacy for our own children. We want to make sure that they know their family stories, and carry those stories with them as a bolster during tough times in the big world. There are so many ways to do this of course, but we do love the jewellery way most of all! We love the images of babes in arms with their engraved bangles. And later images of those same babies with their own little ones, that treasured bangle now hugging the little wrist of the new generation. These images – these stories – make our hearts sing. And we hope they do yours, too.

Do you have a beautiful baby or child that you’d love to build a family story for? Take a browse through our "Baby's First Milestones" ideas or contact us - we're always happy to help!

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