I can’t tell if you can tell, dear reader, but I’ve been crazed lately. Because yesterday? Was the first-ever Benefit Consignment sale for my kids’ school. Which I chaired. And which was, if I do say so myself, quite the success. I’ve been neglecting the housekeeping here at AppMtn, for which you have my sincerest regrets. (But seriously, I could NOT sell one more candy bar.) And it’s a great school, so it was worth every minute of sorting gently-worn 2T tees.
The sale did make me think of something – you’d REALLY better like your kids’ names, because at some point, you will almost certainly introduce yourself as “Jackson’s mom, Ellen,” or be greeted as “you must be Ivy’s mom!” In some small way, your kids’ names become your name, too.
While I was otherwise engaged, it was a weighty week in the Baby Names ‘verse:
- First, check out a few quotes about naming over at Babynamelover’s blog – yes, there’s Shakespeare. But there’s also Salman Rushdie;
- Heard the one about Le-a, pronounced Ledasha? For a look at names, race and culture there’s Laura Wattenberg’s series on all of those urban legends about babies with outlandish monikers;
- I appreciated Nancy’s comments on the TIME magazine story Adios, Juan and Juanita – Jeffrey Kluger got it wrong, wrong, wrong – Juan and Juanita might be fading, but plenty of other Latino names are on the rise. He dismissed the rise of Diego as nothing more than parents inspired by Dora the Explorer’s cousin. Only trouble? Go, Diego, Go! debuted in 2005, and Diego’s rise started years earlier.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing was his “Juan and Juanita” construction. Wonder if he’s aware it is a nod towards the Nameberry duo’s Jennifer and Jason?
On a lighter note:
- Bewildertrix spotted this sibset: new baby Frankie, a brother for Tiarn, Sam, Sunny, Jet, Elwood and Ace. That’s two superheroes, a Blues Brother, a hippie chick plus two geezers and an Irishman – what a dinner table!
- She also reported a Curtin and a Tasmine. I love Tamsin, could really do without Jasmine and can’t help think of Tasmania when I see this one.
Lights, cameras, babies:
- Grandduggar Mackynzie Renee arrived in Arkansas, the first of what could be a veritable tribe of offspring produced by the television mega-family. Parents are Duggar firstborn Josh and wife Anna;
- Actors DB Woodside and Golden Brooks welcomed a daughter, Dakota Tao;
- General Hospital’s Tyler Christopher and wife Brienne Pedigo welcomed a son named Greysun James. Nope, that’s not a typo – it’s “sun” with a u.
I’ll be catching up with Names of the Day and all sorts of things in the next week or two – but tune in tomorrow for Zane. And, as always, thanks for reading!
I’m guessing that Curtin’s mother is either an over-enthusiastic yet kreaytiff interior decorator or a big fan of Australian politics?
Maybe she’s a Kate and Allie fan. Hy-oh!
Or, I can wait a week or so when an altered BA is placed in the Dominion Post featuring Curtis. They do stuff up occasionally but somehow I think Curtin is it.
Greysun. I think this sums up my thoughts on the matter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wl-tQPPm9c
I have the power! Really, I was more of a She-Ra fan.
LOL. Thank you for that!
I coveted a She-Ra action figurine of my friend’s. I don’t remember the series all that well.
Tasmin/Tasman/Tasmyn isn’t uncommon in Australia. I’ve seen/heard it many times. I’ve seen a few here in NZ too. A tad corny and very “Antipodean’ given the Tasman sea is the body of water that separates our two countries. I’d think of Tasmania second.
In response to needing to like your child’s name, I know in some cultures a woman would not be addressed by her given name, but by Mama (oldest child’s name). For example, I would be Mama Zafira. This would be a respectful way to be addressed.
I experienced this both while in Tanzania and when visiting my in-laws in Nigeria. There were many woman who I never did learn there given name. I was very aware of that when choosing my daughter’s name!
That’s fascinating, Wasino!
Tasmin is definitely interesting, but I hear you about Tasmania.
Tasmin reads like geography to me, and I’m not a big fan of place-name names. Elwood is certainly interesting, although I imagine anything beginning with “El” in modern North America will sound feminine to most ears.
Laura Wattenberg’s series was fantastic! It’s a revealing insight into the dark heart of much of “clean” humour.