Guest: The 'name' we give our fathers remains relevant throughout our lives and beyond.

What’s in a name? This overused phrase from one of Shakespeare’s works might seem trite in today’s vernacular.

Yet, historians and pundits have long researched what Shakespeare might have meant back in time. Today, Generation Alpha, X, Y or Z probably doesn’t care about the relevance of the phrase.

I firmly believe the "name" we give our fathers remains relevant throughout our lives and beyond. The name can convey love, appreciation and respect, at the very least.

On the day we are born, it’s likely "father" is the first human to welcome us into the world, since mother is often recovering nearby from the ordeal.

My father was away in military service when I was born, and he only found out about me when he received a telegram. Speaking of names, he wasn’t even involved in the discussion of what to name me, his first child.

There are many understandable and legitimate circumstances why a father might not be available at a baby’s birth.

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Even so, we know that families, especially Mom and Dad, pay close attention to baby’s first words in hopes the infant will learn to identify father or the father figure and mom.

My 4-month-old grandson now speaks out with "ahhchoo." Wonder whom he is referring to?

Because words are important, we adults tend to repeat over and over what we want the baby to understand and possibly repeat, getting up close and personal directly in baby’s face. Over time, children do learn to recognize father or a father figure using words.

Traditional names for the father are easily found on the internet — Dad, Dada, Papa, Poppa, Poppie, Pops or Pop are a few options.

One has to wonder whether these names are still popular today.

In the alternative, it could be that the first words or sounds uttered by baby could turn into father’s nickname, like it or not.

Babies are speaking out about what they recognize in the world almost from the start. As a baby, I coined the word "bop" for a bottle and "fofee" for coffee. Good thing I did not call my dad something crazy like those baby words.

One of my own child’s first words was "nodut," referring to the bag of doughnuts we thought we had kept hidden in the kitchen.

I know of one father who was always called Daddy Ann, and, to this day, I don’t understand the origin of that name.

Old Man sometimes is attached to father, although, to me, that doesn’t seem very respectful.

There are some unusual father names up for grabs, including Pal, Mr. D, Big Shot and Big Daddy.

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I called my father Dad as far back as I can remember. I don’t think I ever referred to him as Daddy, especially when he was living. That name seemed like baby talk to me.

Late in Dad’s life, for some reason, I began to refer to him as Daddio, and I don’t know why.

Daddio was a quiet man of Cherokee heritage who didn’t have a strong father figure present for very long in life. When Dad did speak, it was often to pass along advice or words of wisdom using his personal collection of quotes.

Don’t burn your bridges. … You’ll run into people like that all your life. … Pay yourself, first. … Looks like you got a good deal there.

And, my personal favorite:

Dad: Did you hear that giant sigh outside?

Me: No.

Dad: It was the power plant on the hill sighing big because you finally turned off some lights around the house.

Once Dad questioned why his daughter had to get her hair cut, highlighted or coiffed so often. Instead, he suggested, it would be better to shave the head completely and paint the bald area a color to match each day’s outfit.

Looking around in today’s world, I sometimes think his observation might have been a premonition of things to come.

It was only after Dad was gone that I fully began to appreciate his words of wisdom and silly comments. I call them Daddio-isms.

It’s your turn. Are you playing the name game at this time for a newborn or a toddler? Carry on, but don’t blink.

Just when you think the father’s name is settled, the family will need to consider what the child might call grandmother and grandfather.

Grammy, Granny, Nana? Grandy, Gramps, Grandpa?

All tough decisions to ponder this Father’s Day.

Andrea Chancellor has more than 20 years in newspaper and magazine journalism, and 20 years in public relations.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guest: What name you call your father can convey love, appreciation