Perhaps you're asking yourself exactly why we chose the name John Paul Dionysius, and have come to realize that yourself doesn't know the answer.
There are, if you trouble to count them, about a million reasons for this name. Here are a few:
1. He is named John, after his grandfather. He is named Dionysius after his grandmother and great-godfather ("Diane" and "Dennis" are both derived from Dionysius).
2. JPD's dad is something of a nerd and took a class on Eucharistic theology in seminary which affected him greatly. The greatest writers of the New Testament are St's John and Paul. They are also the definitive voices on our understanding of the Eucharist.
3. See above about nerdy dad. Dionysius is the Greek god of flocks and vines. Hundreds of years BC the Greeks understood that a shepherd god could be present in wine. Early Christians hailed Dionysius as a pagan anticipation of Christ. So JPD is named for Jesus in a Greek-nerd kinda way. If you do any research you'll discover that Dionysius/Bacchus/Pan wasn't somebody you'd want your kids partying with. Insert a dissertation-length discussion on loving, hating, venerating, and anathematizing Classical tradition. Reiterate Dad is a nerd and guess which side he comes down on.
4. I've
mentioned previously the Hymnal is one of my favorite places to look for names. Hymnists have novel names, almost as a rule. In picking a name, we like the rule that a good name is one that could show up in a hymnal some day.
5. I have a preference for a name that makes strangers say, "You named him what?!" But a kid needs normal options for everyday use too.
6. Names are preferred that produce a plethora of nickname options.
7. Several people want to know if John Paul is named after a mariner, a pope, or a supreme court justice. Sometimes I think he's named in honor of JP2 but sometimes I think he's just named like JP2. Mariners and Justices had no identifiable influence.
There's a start on why he's John Paul Dionysius. Mostly he still gets called Spud, so we'll see what ends up sticking. If he's anything like big sis he'll get a succession of monikers and sometimes even get called by his real name.
