Baby Name of the Day: Conrad

This handsome young man is Conrad Aiken, and he was a poet. From his calm demeanor and nicely combed hair, you might think his life was predictable and comfortable. Well, it started out that way. His parents were wealthy, socially prominent New Englanders who had moved to Savannah, Georgia. His dad was a respected brain surgeon. But then something happened to his father, and no one could ever find out exactly why. The father's behavior became increasingly erratic and violent until early one February morning, he murdered his wife and killed himself. Young Conrad was only eleven years old at the time, but he was the one to hear the gunshots and discover the bodies.

He seems to have recovered. He went to Harvard where he worked on editing with T.S. Eliot, and by 1930 (at the age of 41) he had won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. During his long life, he wrote or edited more than 51 books. He was also largely responsible for establishing Emily Dickinson's reputation as a major American poet.

Conrad's a good solid name for a little boy. I know a young Conrad myself, and he's always the only Conrad in his class. It's charming, a little vintage, and definitely strong.