Strawberry Saroyan (granddaughter of William) gives some friendly, reassuring advice for Apple Martin in the NY Times Style section.
Strawberry and her sister, Cream's names were suggested by their grandmother, but readily adopted by her artist mother and "one-word poet" father. Apple will probably grow up surrounded by kids with nontraditional names, Saroyan says, but they'll still make fun of each other. That's what kids do.
Saroyan's unintentional lesson may be something else Apple will need to master: how to namedrop well. That crazy grandma later married Walter Matthau; JFK Jr and Oprah both fawn over her; Richard Avedon took her childhood snapshots. So there's nothing wrong with naming your kid something unusual, just make sure you're famous--and famously connected--first.
