Billiard No. 13 by nemosocke via Flickr

First, an edit.  A few weeks ago, I said something along these lines: “If the kid is good looking a clunky name doesn’t matter.”  What I should have said was “if the person is confident …”  Beauty is a lottery over which we have no control.  (Though Seal and Heidi Klum’s kids are probably set.)  But confidence is something we can influence and develop.

Elsewhere online:

• This NameCandy article on favorite MomBlogger baby names is great!  She included a few of my favorites, like Girls Gone Child’s Rebecca Woolf’s Archer Sage and Fable Luella;
• I was tickled to see Krickit at For Real Baby Names. My friend C. often says that if she had a late-in-life child, she’d name the baby Cricket.  Based on the names of her (nearly grown) kids, I’m sure she’s joking.  But Cricket has become a favorite of mine anyhow.  This spelling takes a cutesy name and makes it look more like the opening cry of a Beastie Boys song – Kick it!  I can’t say it is an improvement;
• Spotted in Iowa BAs – they’re not my style, but I think Gage and Cooper make for a good sibset;
• Could you really name a child Kabuki? Despite the appealing sound, comic book character, I think it probably crosses a line.  Kateri, on the other hand, I can understand;
• Speaking of crossing lines, Nancy tells us about marathoner Susan Olsen.  She crossed a finish line – then delivered the appropriately-named John Miles;
• I spotted Carmindy again. Is she catching on?  Can it be stopped?
• Will Louella, Calix, and Imre have to share their names?  They’re among those on the rise at Nameberry;
• I first stumbled across Libba Bray when I wrote about Philippa, and finally had a minute to devour A Great and Terrible Beauty.  It’s packed with great girl names: Pippa, Felicity, Gemma. In another book, she named a punk rock angel with spray painted wings Dulcie.

After last week’s trip to the Big Easy to source Mardi Gras names, I’m fishing for something different at Nameberry tomorrow.

It was a quiet week for celeb births.  The big news?  Martha Stewart is a grandmother.  Daughter Alexis welcomed a daughter of her own, named Jude.  The best comment on the Appellation Mountain Facebook page goes to C., who pointed out that Alexis “isn’t exactly a frilly traditional girl’s name, either.”

If you have yet to vote in the March Madness Quarter Finals, Girls and Boys, there’s still time.  Polls will stay open until Friday morning.

That’s all for this week.  As always, thanks for reading!