Category Archives: Bookshelf

Bookshelf: Cool Irish Names for Babies

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If there’s a common complaint about baby name books, it is this:  they read more like telephone directories than meaningful guides to choosing a single name.

For parents who have already narrowed down their search to a) an Irish appellation, and b) preferably something a little bit off the mainstream, Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz’ Cool Irish Names for Babies is just the thing.

The team behind Nameberry are also the authors of Cool Names for Babies and Beyond Shannon and Sean: An Enlightened Guide to Irish Baby Naming. 

The new publication is up-to-the-minute.  (Shannon and Sean was written in the 90s.)  Here’s what I love about their latest:

  • The authors do a great job of listing names that are already popular.  Plenty of first time parents are disappointed when they realize they weren’t the first to think of calling their daughter Riley.  The “Pop Cool” section can inspire parents hoping for a tamer choice, or re-direct those looking for something truly adventurous.
  • The duo remains unmatched at compiling surprising and unusual lists.  While characters from Irish literature might be expected, their list of Irish word names is eye-opening.  Fia, anyone?
  • If you’re a newcomer to Celtic myth and legend (as I am), their listing of relevant figures is concise and thorough.
  • Known for their Coolator – a chart showing how to make an ordinary name just a bit more daring – they’ve now created a Celticizer.  After all, Irish names have been Anglicized for generations.  If you’re honoring Grandma Molly, maybe Maille is an appealing choice.
  • And – my very favorite bit – they’ve compiled a list of given names that are traditionally l bestowed in Irish families.  So even if you’re a little fuzzy about your ancestry, you can reclaim some heritage.  Last name O’Kane?  Call your daughter Aislinn.  MacArdle?  How ’bout Malachy for a son?

If there’s a shortcoming to the book, it is simply that it is, well, short.  You’ll probably want to read more about some of these names before you settle on them for good.

But it is a comprehensive introduction to the many flavors of Irish names – and a positively addictive read!

Bookshelf: Bad Baby Names

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Let’s start with an important disclaimer:  Bad Baby Names is not a how-to guide.  While there are a few gems in this volume, for the most part these eye-poppingly odd monikers are best left to history.

History is precisely where co-authors Michael Sherrod and Matthew Rayback discovered the raw material for their book.  The staff at Ancestry.com couldn’t help but notice that, in the not-so-distant past, Fairy was a common choice.  (Don’t believe me?  Check out the Social Security stats, and you’ll see that it peaked in 1905, when 32 baby girls were named Fairy – as many as Bridget, and more than Diana, Melissa or Annabel.)

Read on for some of my favorites – and some lessons gleaned from this diverting little book.

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Bookshelf: Best Exotic Baby Names

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I was prepared to love Allison Jones’ Best Exotic Baby Names. It’s tough to find an authoritative resource for names from other cultures, and it’s even more difficult to find truly interesting names that work well in American English. As I pre-ordered the book on Amazon, I had high hopes that I’d find some gems.

The rest of you, save your $11.95 – or stick with the Satran/Rosenkrantz book reviewed earlier. Best Exotic Baby Names may be thoroughly researched, but it is highly flawed.

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Bookshelf: Cool Names for Babies, Revised & Updated

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If you’re a namenik, you may well recall what baby name books looked like before Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz hit the scene: plodding lists in alphabetical order, with descriptions, origins, nicknames and possibly a note about a famous bearer or two. But for the most part, Abelia and Amanda were treated equally.

Then came the baby naming world’s dynamic duo, and their book Beyond Jennifer & Jason changed everything. They re-defined cool and listed names by categories; gave advice on naming styles and suggested interesting alternatives to the overexposed names we all grew up with. Plus they called a number of important trends: place names, throwback names, noun names.

So if you’re seeking a baby name and a book to thumb through, check out their newest offering: Cool Names for Babies, Revised & Updated.

Rather not spend the $9.95? Just hang out a playground for the next decade or so, and I guarantee you, you’ll hear some of their picks.