Rainbow baby

[Zeke2018]

Welp, we had the name settled, buuuuuut

Cassius will be our little rainbow baby. We lost our baby in April. Daddy brought Covid in the house from work, unknowingly obviously, and we both ended up getting it. I lost my baby, as the hospital said “from Covid”. So something told me after deciding the middle name that his middle should represent rainbow baby somehow. I looked up what people name their rainbow babies, and came up with different middle name options.

Which is best? Any other ideas?

Cassius Grant (as in ‘Grant’ed a new life) my fiancé likes this one

Cassius Nathaniel (gift from God)

Cassius Beau (pronounced bow, as in rain-bow)

Poor Daddy. I hope he doesn't know you blame him.

What @AliceinBorderland said.

What you are doing is like telling the baby that he is a substitute

My rainbow baby has a vaguely appropriate name.

It’s a name we loved which happened to have a meaning that was very fitting of how special and precious they are and a celebration, which reflected the mood. Most people have no idea of the meaning. I don’t think it’s saddled them at all and it would be overthinking it to worry about it.

It does saddle them a bit.

Also Cassius means empty, hollow, vain depending on the translation. It's not a name I'd give any baby let alone a rainbow.

I really dislike the term Rainbow Baby.

Every baby is precious.

I’m a rainbow baby myself (not that that was a term then). I wasn’t given a name related to that fact, but I’ve always known what I came from, that it took something special for my parents to get me and the joy I brought them. It’s never been a case of being saddled, or burdened in any way. It’s a lovely feeling. If I’d happened to have a name that had some vague connection to that that no-one else knew (I’d avoid actually going with “Rainbow”)

I was originally going to say I wouldn’t dream of giving my rainbow baby their lost sibling’s name as a middle, but then I was thinking about a friend of mine who’s child’s middle name is the name of their sibling who died of cot death and it’s not actually any different to that when I really think about it.

Honestly, pay tribute to whoever you want, give your child whatever name meaning you want.

@AliceinBorderland

It does saddle them a bit.

Also Cassius means empty, hollow, vain depending on the translation. It's not a name I'd give any baby let alone a rainbow.

Good grief! No it totally does not! Have taken a quick look and yup this is the utter rubbish on the baby name sites including behindthename which usually has a bit more depth.

Cassius, like the feminine Cassia, is almost certainly related to the sweet spice (it's often sold as "cinnamon" in the UK, but sometimes as cassia.)

Some of these etymologies are actively satirical, others are just wooden-headed. BTW I am SeanChailleach, I just changed my user name so people stopped thinking I was a bloke called Seán.

@AuntDympna my understanding is that the Latin origin does involve associations with 'hollow'/'vain'. But like many words and names it has a number of associations. For example, it's also the name of a purple pigment used in stained glass and porcelain. And like you say there's a link with cinnamon. I think the Latin root also is associated with 'cassis', which refers to a helmet (hollowed out on the inside).

I quite like it as a name, actually, as I like the classical connection and the colour purple.

I’m so sorry for you loss and I hope you’re doing OK. But I agree with previous posts- please don’t do it.
Please seek therapy if you feel like you need some help processing this but please don’t burden your new baby with this loss:( he is a brand new person with a whole brand new life ahead of him- please give him his very own name.

First of all, I am very, very sorry for your loss.

Secondly, Grant, as a name, has nothing to do with the verb 'grant' = 'to give'. It's a Scottish surname probably derived from the French 'grand', meaning big.

Thirdly, in spite of what previous poster says, and backing up what another poster suggests, Cassius is an ancient Roman family name en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassia_gens It is not certain, but the name might refer to a pre-Roman Etruscan word meaning 'metal helmet' (which would of course be hollow). In any case, it almost certainly pre-dates the widespread introduction of Cassia (the spice) into the Roman world iwp.uiowa.edu/silkroutes/cassia-cinnamon The similarity of sound is just coincidental.

But, very, very gently OP, why notgive your new baby their own special first name? Remembering, with love, other family members - past or present - is surely what middle names are for.