Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

How was your Thanksgiving?  We spent the weekend in Disney World, trading turkey and the I-95 traffic for a healthy dose of Mouse.  The name spotting at Disney is phenomenal.  So many kids with personalized gear!  The low spots?  Siblings named Payden - a boy – and Torren - a girl.  I’m never sure what to do with respellings that imply a slightly different sound.  Does Payden sound like Payton?  Or Jayden?  And while I kind of love Torrence - think of Kirsten Dunst’s character in that cheerleader movie – Torren seems strangely incomplete.

But there were some fabulous finds, too.  Gust, Aurelie, Marine, and Lorne all stood out.  I resisted the urge to scribble down names as we wandered around, but it was tempting.

On with the name news:

• I thoroughly enjoying Anna’s interview with Sarah of For Real Baby Names.  Read it here.  Best quote?  “I was drawn to this blog like a Trekkie to a sci-fi convention that’s handing out free Spock tee-shirts.”  Snort!  Exactly.
• Umm … Kalia is a stripper name, but Kaleya is not?  I’m flummoxed, but if it is in the New York Times, it must be true.  No, seriously, the article’s most important point is towards the middle.  There are statistics, and then there are people like you – friends, colleagues, neighbors, fellow members of a faith community.  The more you have in common, the greater the odds you’re going to choose the same names.
• I am thoroughly enjoying the siblings posts at British Baby Names.  Elea’s Siblings for Leonidas is the most recent installment.  Clarice Maud, Alma Sebastopol, Oliver Archibald, Ira and Adonis, Ruby Violanthe, Flora Amanda, George Ocatvius – absolutely fascinating lists!  Based on the time period, I’m assuming that Alma’s middle was inspired by the Siege of Sebastopol.  Ten bucks says the family had some pretty serious military ties.
• Lil Sugar has another one of their quizzes posted.  I aced this one, even though I think it is flawed – especially their repetition of the wrong-headed idea that Twilight is responsible for the rise of Isabella.
• While we’re on a pop culture note, did you see that Diablo Cody is set to work on a big screen adaptation of the Sweet Valley High series?  (Hat tip to Photoquilty for the link.)  Cody is a great namer of characters.  Will she re-christen the twins?  How ’bout Bruce or Enid?  Could this be the nudge that pushes Lila into the Top 100?
• Is Hugo due for his moment in the sun?  I’m dying to see the movie.  The name of the young actor who plays Hugo is great, too – Asa.
• I’m intrigued by Hickory, posted by Isadora – partially because I grew up on Hickory Drive, partially because the sound appeals.
• On that note, I love Zeffy’s idea of Vere, in the first or middle spot.
• Kay details the names of Queen Victoria‘s children at Nook of Names.  Can you imagine the frenzy if Victoria were welcoming her kids today?  The speculation, the gossip, the rumors, the clamor on the Nameberry message boards?
• Let’s end where we started: For Real Baby Names has a great list from Arkansas.  There’s a Topanga!  Plus girls called Zaylie and Zaelyn.   Is Z the new K?

That’s all the name news for this week, but there is one piece of site news to share.  Early in 2012, I’ll be moving to a self-hosted site.  Which means, yes, a new design.  (Happily, I won’t be doing it myself.)  I’ve been debating the move for ages, but the final push was this: the ads on my site?  They’re not mine.  When it was just the odd Groupon banner at the bottom of a post, I was willing to overlook it, but they’re all over the mobile version of the site – and I can’t control who advertises or when or where or … you get the idea.

As always, thank you for reading!