Baby Name of the Day: Fraser

English: coat of arms of the fraser of lovat

Fraser Coat of Arms; Image via Wikipedia

He’s a surname that nods to Scotland, and to the great outdoors.

Thanks to Fran for suggesting Fraser as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Nico

Nederlands: Nico Buwalda

Nico Buwalda; Image via Wikipedia

Today’s pick is a fascinating gender neutral name with a certain sparky, international vibe.

Thanks to Findley for suggesting Nico as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Cecilia

She’s an alternative to the mega-popular Olivia, a classic boosted just the tiniest bit by a  sitcom staple.

Thanks to Dan for suggesting Cecilia as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Eirene

Eirene (Peace) bearing Plutus (Wealth), Roman ...

The lady-like Irene has a tailored, retro flair.  But how about this version, closer to the original goddess?

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting Eirene as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Yvonne

Cropped screenshot of Yvonne De Carlo from the...

Yvonne DeCarlo; Image via Wikipedia

Over 15,000 little girls were christened Ava, with another 6,600 plus called Avery, and nearly as many answering to Evelyn in 2010 alone.  What ever happened to this vowels-plus-v choice?

Thanks to Ashley for suggesting Yvonne as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Miglė

English: Mist early in the morning. Bolu provi...

Mist; Image via Wikipedia

She’s a Lithuanian nature name first noticed in the US thanks to a controversial reality show.

Thanks to Macie for suggesting Miglė as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Sunday Summary: 12/11/11

Snooki at Seaside Heights NJ

Snooki; Image via Wikipedia

I can understand the stories connecting Twilight and baby names, even if they’re tremendously flawed.  Ditto all that kredit given to the Kardashians for the rise of Mason.

However, my head might explode if I read another lame attempt to connect Jersey Shore and baby namesJersey and Florence might both be getting more attention as potential names – Jersey has been popping up on message boards for the last few years, and Florence is one of many antiques parents are cautiously considering.  Call me when Snooki cracks the US Top 1000 and I’ll entertain the theory.

Ahem.  Elsewhere online:

Let’s wrap up with my take on two dilemmas: first, Dorcas wondered if she can still use an old family name if her (possible future) sister-in-law has the same name?

My two cents: if the name is common, then use it.  They’re all used to being one of several Elizabeths.  It gets touchier the less ordinary the appellation.  If I met a family with three Zenobias, I would assume they were all named after one another.  Then again, that can make for a happy coincidence – my husband shares his name with my grandfather, making it an easy choice for our son’s middle.

Second, the Name Lady answers another question about name thievery between siblings.  I find it interesting that we name fans tend to be more generous – or at least more realistic – about these things.  Probably because we all know that everyone is already using Chloe and that’s why we’re going with Kerensa or Maud anyhow.

That’s all for this week.  As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!

Baby Name of the Day: Elaine

e54

e54 by TooFarNorth via Flickr

She’s an Arthurian appellation big with Baby Boomers, but she could feel surprisingly current today.

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting Elaine as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Beckett

B is for buried

B is for buried; image by WagsomeDog via Flickr

He’s a stylish surname bounding up the charts.

Thanks to September for suggesting Beckett as our Baby Name of the Day.

Baby Name of the Day: Maya

Maia, in Pleiades Star Cluster

Maia, in the Pleiades star cluster; Image via Wikipedia

She’s only been in the US Top 1000 for a little over forty years, but she feels like a classic.

Thanks to September for suggesting Maya as our Baby Name of the Day.