The Story Behind Auggie’s Name

Augustus Charles. It’s a big name for a little kitten, but it comes from such heartfelt inspiration!

I will start with a little backstory to help you further appreciate how Auggie’s name was selected… Isla just might be the most literal namer in the history of namers. (We’re just going to pretend that namer is a real word). Her favorite stuffed animals (a rat, a piggy, and a squirrel) were named Rat, Piggy, and Squirrel. As Isla grew older and began using adjectives, her names evolved to include descriptors. Enter Little Cutie and Little Sweetie. I was so worried when we got Charlie that she was going to want to name him something like Little Fluffy– which, hilariously enough, she briefly considered! So, prior to surprising Isla with her first kitten, I read her one of my favorite childhood stories: a Little Golden Book called Charlie. Thankfully, the story made an impact and that was the name she chose for her kitten. Phew! We gave him the middle name Miller after our beloved orange tabby we had prior to Charlie.

I must admit I was still a little worried about Isla’s name choices when we brought Auggie home. We sat together in her room, snuggling our sweet new kitten and trying to think of the perfect name, but nothing seemed fitting. We reminisced about naming Charlie and then Isla remembered another one of our very favorite stories, Augustus and His Smile. “Mom! We named Charlie after a book and this kitten is orange like a little tiger. We could name him Augustus!” I was delighted by the idea, and then a deeper sentimental connection hit me. The story is about a tiger who loses his smile and sets off on a journey to find it. When Charlie disappeared the grief was crushing for us all. This sweet new kitten was such a symbol of hope and happiness– he brought back our smiles!

Isla loved the name Augustus, the symbolism, and the connection to naming Charlie, so it became official. She was also totally tickled by the nickname Auggie! In keeping with tradition, we chose Charles for the middle name as a nod to our precious Charlie.

Yesterday, Isla read Augustus and His Smile to Auggie. He surprised us by showing genuine interest in the story! Although, how could he not?! Even a kitten could see that every word is perfection and the illustrations are absolutely enchanting! Friends, this is truly one of our most treasured and enjoyed books.

Reading with his mommy relaxed Auggie so much that he snuggled up on her shoulder and fell fast asleep.

Oh, sweet Augustus! Thank you for bringing our smiles back.