Image by origamidon via Flickr

This week has flown past!  I’ll save the celebrity baby name news for my column at Nameberry tomorrow.

Here’s what caught my eye this week:

• Nook of Names reached the letter L on her surname list.  There are a few here that I think could really catch on, more likely for girls: Langley, Larkin, and Linley/Lindley;
• Then there’s Amasa, the kind of name you’ll stumble across in baby name books, but that no one is using.  Or really ever has …
• Nancy mentioned a couple who named their son for the many destinations they’d visited on their honeymoon.  Including Newark.  I like the idea of using a name from a honeymoon location well enough, but maybe there’s something more subtle than just putting the place name on the birth certificate;
• Speaking of a lack of subtlety, could an English footballer actually be considering the name Haribo for a child?  Haribo, the German candy company best known for Gummi Bears, is a global powerhouse.  The brand name comes from the father and son Hans Riegel of Bonn.

Now, since I’m leaving the celebrity babies for Monday, a comment on a controversy:  Dorcas surfaced the idea of claiming names, as previously discussed on Nameberry.  In general, I tend to think the idea of claiming names is pointless, save for a very few specific circumstances – like, your name is Amasa Gilroy Buchanan III and passing down your unusual name is a long-stated desire.  But I also think a lot of good can come of openly discussing your name choices – at least once you’re expecting, and it is no longer about claiming your most favoritest name in the world, but ordering embroidered baby blankets.

And so I’m curious: did you tell others your child’s name ahead of time?  If so, do you regret it?  If not, why did you choose to keep it under wraps – or was it because you weren’t quite sure?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!  Please leave a comment, and as always, thank you for reading and have a great week!