‘Tis the season for popcorn.  I guess you could string it on your tree, but I’m thinking of the buttery kind they sell at the multiplex.

While you’re there, listen for these names:

• We’ve been talking about Tiana, Disney’s newest member of the princess juggernaut, for months.  Word is that The Princess and the Frog lives up to the hype;
• SJP plays Meryl, wife of Paul, in Did You Hear About the Morgans?;
• On a screen nearby, you can catch Meryl Streep playing Jane in It’s Complicated.  John Krasinski plays her son, Harley.  There’s also an Agness (played by Lake Bell) and an Annalise (played by Blanchard Ryan) among the cast;
• Let’s assume that the name Neytiri from Avatar won’t catch on.  But there is a Trudy, played by Michelle Rodriguez;
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus – Heath Ledger’s last film – features a Valentina;
• Invictus is poised to do well during award season.  The biopic could give a boost to Nelson, but what about François?

And check out Nameberry’s post on Best Movie Names of the Year, too.

Elsewhere online:

• Over at Legit Babe Names, Sebastiane covered Seija.  Apparently she’s the Finnish equivalent of Linda – both were big in the 1940s.  She also covered Teiksma, a Latvian name meaning fable or legend.  Of course, in the US these days, you’re more likely to meet a Fable;
• Over at Celebrity Baby Blog, Alyson Hannigan confirmed that Satyana comes from the Sanskrit for truth.  She mentioned that they call her Sati for short, which makes me think of Erik Satie;
• For Real Baby Names spotted a boy called Fate Whisper. If girls can be Destiny, Faith and Echo, I suppose a boy could be named Fate or Whisper.  But both?  Yikes;
• For Real also spotted a Paydyn, officially the strangest respelling of Payton/Peyton yet.  And a Danika Skyy.  Love Danika. Sky and Skye are one thing, but Skyy?  Is vodka;
• Bewildertrix spotted a Tiana.  Is it the Frog Effect already?  And Oliver Ziggy Bear.  Which is just fabulously strange;
• Namberry has ballerina names, just in time for the Nutcracker.  If you’re called Ghislaine or Violetta, surely you’ll grow up pencil slim and infinitely graceful;
• This post over at Swistle is fascinating. The mom-to-be has three stepdaughters – Airyn Dakotah, Brylee Brookelyn and Madesyn Tayler - plus three of her own - Frances Rosaline, Russell Stacey and Marjory “Midge” Kate.  Needless to say, the couple is stuck trying to compromise on a name that satisfies both of their styles;
• Which brings us to the controversy of the week.  If you haven’t read Jill’s guest post at Namberry on Yooneek Names, check it out – and make sure to click on the poll results.  With nearly 600 votes, an overwhelming 92% of Namberryites hate, hate, hate ‘em.  Jill did a great job with a difficult topic.

Lastly, a few starbabies arrived this past week.  Besides Benjamin Brady and Mason Dash Disick, there’s also:

• New Kids on the Block’s Joey McIntyre welcomed a son, Rhys Edward, a little brother for Griffin Thomas.  He and wife Barrett have a nice naming style;
• Soap stars Arianne Zucker & Kyle Lowder welcomed daughter Isabella.

Since I’m stuck indoors – when the news showcases the record-setting snow in the nation’s capital, that would be what has us housebound – I’ve started looking at the year-end stats early.  It’s an interesting list.  With a little bit of luck – or another foot or so of snow – I’ll post it just after Christmas.

That’s all for this week – as always, thanks for reading!