The Story of Forest’s Names

We offer our tiniest sugar pine these names and the poetry behind them, weaving together our values, our intentions, and our families.

Forest - This first name represents our shared gratitude for the beauty of the outdoors, our inspiring communities among the trees, and the so very many joyful times spent in nature together. We hope that Forest will be joining all of us in our favorite wildernesses in the years ahead!

Arileen (pronounced ar-leen) was the name of the adventurous matrilineal grandmother that Russell camped with and confided in when he was young. This unique spelling of a Celtic name meaning “oath” is intended to root Forest in her own truth and the power of her word.

Leung - The sense of being Chinese is a central part of Helen’s identity and the family we are building together. We chose Leung 梁 (pronounced lurn) as Forest’s last name.

敏瑜 (pronounced mun-ee) is the Chinese name offered by Grandpa Wayne. The name is a combination of Helen (敏珊), Aunt Linda (敏虹), and Grandma Bernice’s (保瑜) names. These Chinese characters mean “sensitivity” and “inner resilience”- traits we hope to help her cultivate throughout her life.

Strung together, these names are magical, musical, and meaningful in many ways!