Lashawnda, pronounced luh-SHAWN-duh (/ləˈʃɔːndə/), is a modern American blossom of nomenclature, marrying the graceful La- prefix with the Gaelic-rooted Shawna to whisper “God is gracious” in each curve of its syllables. It ripples through the air like the silver laughter of acqua sotto i ponti, evoking the golden warmth of a Tuscan morning where olive groves and Mediterranean light conspire in a silent benediction. Though it once graced Virginia’s birth registry in the 1980s—hovering near rank 130 with six to ten sweet arrivals each year—in daily life it dances freely, bellissima and unassuming, an artful interplay of consonants and vowels that might tempt one to imagine a trattoria in Napoli, though in truth it’s decidedly human. Like a cherished sonnet spun over espresso, Lashawnda offers a gentle promise of warmth and la dolce vita.