Calendar by tanakawho via Flickr

After re-running January earlier this week, I was struck by how very wearable she is.  It’s the great advantage of many noun names – they’re instantly recognizable and easy to spell, but not common as given names.

So here are other names, borrowed from the calendar and, in some cases, the clock, that just might suit a child.

Janvier - Julie suggested the French version of January in the comments, and I’ve been captivated ever since. If Genevieve and Juniper are stylish, and French names for girls are all the rage, why not?  Her pronunciation is jhan VEE ay – not obvious at first glance, maybe, but not impossible to say.

March - The family at the heart of Louisa May Alcott’s treasured series makes March feel feminine, and I recently spotted a birth announcement at Name Soiree for March Isabella.  I think March is equally charming on a boy, and certainly a great middle name possibility, a friend for Cash and Dash.

Avril - Sweet April has faded as a given name, but Avril still has an edge.  She’s close to the wildly popular Ava, and has an artistic vibe thanks to singer Avril Lavigne and the Moulin Rouge dancer immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec, Jane Avril.  Averil lengthens Avril by a syllable, and is either a variant of the old saint’s name Everild, or the Manx name for the month.

May, June - They’re lovely feminine appellations, more under-used than unexpected.  Both have found favor in the middle spot.  May’s alternate spelling, Mae, ranked #988 in the US in 2010, while the calendar girl failed to chart.  June fared better, ranking #597, plus she’s boosted by options like Juno and Juniper.

July - Choose this name for your child, and be prepared for the following exchange: “Julie?”  “No, it’s July.  Like the month.”  And yet, I still find July appealing for either gender.  For a daughter, it is less expected than Summer or Ruby.  For a son, the month is named after Julius Caesar – a powerful association, but less aggressive than Cannon or Mace.

September, October, November, December - The last four months of the year are generally dismissed as less wearable.  But maybe that’s not right.  Possible short forms abound: Sem, Toby, Nova, Dex and Demi all come to mind.

Season - We’ve seen parents embrace Summer and Autumn, and Winter is white hot, thanks to Nicole Richie.  But how about embracing them all by naming your child Season?  Girls Gone Child made a great case for the sound and significance of this name, and I find myself liking it better than any of the individual seasons.

Spring – Scarcely used, though Oscar-nominated actress turned early sitcom star Spring Byington could put this name in the company of other Hollywood picks, like Audrey and Natalie.

Tuesday - Why isn’t Tuesday used more?  Actress Tuesday Weld put the name on the map, and the Moody Blues’ “Tuesday Afternoon” gives the day a soundtrack.  But she’s never cracked the US Top 1000.

Sunday - Nicole Kidman is tremendously stylish, and that’s true for the names she picks.  Look no farther than eldest daughter’s appellation, Isabella, originally chosen back when no one was considering the name.  Her first daughter with Keith Urban is named after an Aussie arts maven.  Sunday has been on the fringes in the US before, especially in the 1960s.  Today she feels sharply unexpected, but with a decided warmth.  She’s also a spiritual choice more subtle than Nevaeh.

Domenica - Is this cheating?  The Italian word for Sunday is as attractive as Isabella or Francesca, but her tie to the calendar is so subtle as to be overlooked entirely.

Day - Along the same lines as Season, but also shimmering with Hollywood glam thanks to Doris Day.  Despite that feminine association, Day reminds me more of the masculine Jay than the feminine Kay.  Call it a gender neutral pick, brilliant in the middle spot and daring in the first.

Evening - I think Ev- names are going to be big for girls, with lots of parents seeking an unusual way to get to Evie.  Other tine-of-day names have had their moments – think of Dawn and Aurora, and I still love Twyla.  The -ing ending is wildly uncommon for a given name, but why not?

Tomorrow - Admit it – when actor Rob Morrow named daughter Tu, we all raised an eyebrow.  But what about the word in full?  Tomorrow makes for a strangely optimistic name, especially if you think of Little Orphan Annie belting it out on stage.  Despite that reference, Tomorrow would almost certainly be in for jokes, more than many a moniker.

Would you (or did you) use a name related to a day or season?  Are there others than should be on this list?

Sunshine in Greece; Image by Guillaume Cattiaux via Flickr

Thanks to Lynne for suggesting Sunday as our Baby Name of the Day.

Sunday is a day of rest, and you go to church in your Sunday best – positive associations, both.  But they’re also at least vaguely religious, or maybe outrageously so, depending on your perspective.

Then again, the roots of Sunday are with the Old English sunnandeag – sun’s day.  It’s used in other Germanic languages, too, ultimately borrowed from the Latin dies solis – day of the sun.  That’s a peaceful reference, an almost pagan concept, certainly not a Christian one.

But then came the early Christians, and in the second century St. Justin tells us they typically gathered for worship on Sunday.  Those in the club would’ve referred to it as “the Lord’s Day,” but Justin wrote for a broader audience.  They convened on Sunday because they believed Jesus’ resurrection took place on a Sunday.  The Russian word for Sunday translates literally into resurrection day.

If you’re up on your Russian history – or into U2 – you might think “Bloody Sunday.”  In 1905, a peaceful protest at the Tsar’s palace in St. Petersburg turned tragic when soldiers opened fire on the unarmed crowds.  Several other incidents have shared the name throughout history, including a 1972 protest in Northern Ireland that would inspire U2′s 1983 single “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”

It’s not the kind of reference that would inspire parents, and yet there are kids named Sunday in the US Census record.  More than a few are boys – in fact, it looks like the name was more common for men.  Some of that is likely due to turn-of-the-century athlete-turned-preacher Billy Sunday, a leading advocate of Prohibition, among other reforms.  There are even boys named Billy Sunday, first and middle.

In recent years, Sunday emerged as a name to consider thanks to Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban.  Their older daughter, Sunday Rose, is named after Australian artist and art collector Sunday Reed.  Born Lelda Sunday Baillieu in 1905, part of a wealthy and well-connected Melbourne family, I can’t confirm the source of her unusual appellation.  Along with husband John, she established a large farm-turned-artists’ retreat-turned-modern art museum called Heide.

Despite her reverent name, Sunday wasn’t exactly a girl scout.  She had affairs with some of the artists and biographers have surfaced other details about her life that are less than flattering.  But her contributions to modern art and the advancement of the arts in Australia are considerable, and it makes her a worthy namesake.

Perhaps because so many day names are considered feminine, it seems odd to think of Sunday for a boy.  But the practice of bestowing a day name on a child has deep roots in some African cultures.  Nia Long recently welcomed a son called Kez Sunday.  Kez’ dad is the NBA’s Ime Udoka – he also shares the middle name Sunday.

If you’re looking for an arresting name for a child, Sunday fits the bill.

Image via Wikipedia

She’s a hippie chic name at home in Windsor Castle.

Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Autumn as our Baby Name of the Day.

Autumn debuted in the US rankings in 1969, made it to #180 by 1979, #91 in 1997, and peaked at #72 in 2001, before slipping to #81 in 2010.

In other words, Autumn is a modern marvel.  Virtually unknown as a name until the late 1960s, she’s caught on rapidly.  In 1969, it took just over 100 (118 to be precise) instances for a name to make it into girls’ top 1000.  A handful of other nature names, like Laurel and  Misty were also catching on, but the entire category is definitely more mainstream in 2011.  Autumn was among the vanguard.

In fact, Autumn is so expected these days that it doesn’t read especially outdoorsy.  It is a tailored choice for a daughter, not one that implies you’re spending all your free time hiking and camping in the wilderness.

The au vowel combo appears in lots of other names, both the established and the up-and-coming:

• Hollywood glam Audrey;
• Borrowed from the boys Aubrey and Aubree;
• Disney princess and dawn goddess Aurora;
• Ancient Aurelia;
• Gender neutral newcomers like August and Auden.

Au also appears in the middle of mainstream monikers like Laura and Paula.

But where does the word come from?  The simple answer is the Latin autumnus, possibly from an earlier Etruscan word, via the French automne.  In English, the season was called Harvest into sixteenth century, and it is still commonly referred to as Fall, too.

There’s a John Keats poem “To Autumn,” and countless other literary references.  There’s also Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and the short-lived, but influential Autumn Records, the San Fransisco label responsible for the release of the original version of 60s staple “Somebody to Love” as well as the Beau Brummels’ hit “Just a Little.”

While Autumn wasn’t in common use until the later part of the twentieth century, there are Autumns to be found farther back in history.  US Census records reveal a handful of bearers of the name, split between men and women.

Today, two notable women might come to mind:

• Canadian-born Mrs. Peter Phillips is mom to Savannah and granddaughter-in-law  to the queen of England;
• Best known for her turn on The O.C., actress Autumn Reeser is mom to son Finn.

There are plenty of reasons to consider naming a child after the season.  You might be really into pumpkin patches and sweater weather.  Your daughter might arrive in October.  Or maybe you and your other half said your I-Dos in the fall.  It turns out that despite our Tons of references to the season that are lesser known.  September is among the most popular months for weddings.

Despite all of these compelling reasons to consider Autumn for a daughter, there’s one strike against her: if you’re trying to land on a truly unusual name, she’s no longer the surprise that she might’ve been twenty years ago.  But she remains a good option for parents seeking a frills-free, nickname-proof option that speaks to such a gorgeous season.

Nature's Number 6 by CarbonNYC via Flickr

First, a question for a friend: let’s say you were expecting a daughter.  Not only is she going to be your last child, you’re the youngest sibling, so this baby is probably the last in her generation.  You’d love to pass on your maiden name.  Trouble is, your maiden name sounds exactly like a popular name, but with a totally different spelling.

For argument’s sake, let’s say the name is Reily.  It looks like a creative respelling of a popular name, but it isn’t – it’s the most meaningful name you can imagine.  You could respell it to Riley.  But you’d rather not.

What would you do?  Use Reily, knowing there’s no name more meaningful?  Accept the less meaningful Riley in an attempt to save your daughter spelling hassles?  Or are there so many girls called Rylee that you have to spell everything anyhow?

Opinions appreciated!

Elsewhere online:

• I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Harry’s Law, the new Kathy Bates show on NBC.  The character’s name is Harriet, one of my favorites.  Harriet left the US Top 1000 after 1970, and since then the only high-profile bearer of the name was the shrewish Mrs. Oleson on Little House on the Prairie.  I keep expecting to see her make a comeback.  Nickname option Hattie seems like a logical successor to Maddie and Abby;
• This post at Swistle discusses the name Hazen, for a boy.  For the parents, it’s the name of a favorite place, a state park in Vermont.  But it also sounds like the kind of invented boy name we continue to hear.  A friend of mine mentioned she knows a newborn boy named Vallen;
• You Can’t Call It “It” skims the London Telegraph birth announcements. It’s always a great read, but my favorite was Hero Genevieve Tallulah, a sister for Gus, Daisy, Archie, and Conrad.  I’d love to know the older kids’ full names;
• Look at this middle name, spotted by For Real: Roman Starling.  It’s a great combination of the very masculine and the completely unexpected;
• I try to read Voornamelijk, despite the fact that it is in Dutch.  Her recent report on reality TV from Europe turned up an intriguing list of contestants: Dilara, Lois, Meron, and Zira;
• Word is out that the most popular names in Germany for last year were Sophie and Maximilian.  Despite being known for their restrictive laws regarding given names, quite a few unusual choices made it through, including Kix and Belana;
• I love this story about a baby named after chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit at Nancy’s site.

I am absolutely bursting with excitement over my post at Nameberry for Monday.  The names range from Amoret to Sedley, Lucien to Arthemise.

Hollywood gave us just two announcements this week, but oh, what names!

• We learned that Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher named Olive’s little sister Elula.  There’s a good analysis of the name’s style up at NameCandy and Elisabeth at You Can’t Call It “It” is reporting that Elula’s full name is Elula Lottie Miriam;
• Gretchen Mol chose Winter Morgan for Ptolemy’s little sister.  I like Winter just fine, but I was expecting something far more daring – Yseult or Persephone, maybe.

Which reminds me – do you know the most popular season name?  This article at Babble reads “We all know at least one Summer, right? And Autumn isn’t unheard of. But Winter? That’s a first.”  Actually, Autumn is in the US Top 100, while Summer has never ranked that high.  And can Winter really be called a first when Nicole Richie’s Harlow Winter Kate is so visible?  Nancy tells us that 259 girls received the name in 2009, meaning that Winter ranked just a few spots beyond the Top 1000.

As for Spring, there’s always Oscar-nominated actress Spring Byington.

Speaking of spring, remember that voting for March Madness preliminaries for both Boys and Girls is open until Friday morning.

Thanks all for this week.  As always, thanks for reading!

Augusta, Princess of Wales; Image via Wikipedia

Is this regal appellation due for a revival?

Thanks to Annabel for suggesting Augusta as Baby Name of the Day.

Augusta started out as an honorific, the feminine equivalent of the Roman Augustus.  Octavian, grand-nephew to Julius Caesar, was the first to receive the title; but it wasn’t quite like king or emperor.  Augustus merely cemented his position as the top dog of his day.

The titles trickled into use as a given name among the nobility.  In the 400s, a well-born Italian woman converted to Christianity.  Legend has it that her father flew into a rage and killed her.  She’s remembered as St. Augusta of Treviso.

More modern times:

• Eighteenth century Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg became Princess of Wales.  Her husband, Frederick, died before taking the throne and their son became George III;
• The same couple also passed the name on to their daughter, Princess Augusta Frederica.  Her daughter, Caroline, would marry the future George IV;
• George III passed the name on to daughter Princess Augusta Sophia;
• George III also had a son called Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.  He married Augusta of Hesse-Kassel.  They named their second daughter Augusta.  Their third daughter, Mary Adelaide, was the grandmother to Mary of Teck, wife of George V.

If that’s not enough Augustas – and Georges – the first and last German Empresses wore the name, too.

Most American parents probably think not of castles and tiaras, but of golf courses.  Augusta, Georgia is home to prestigious golf tournament The Masters.  The city is named for the first princess on the list.  (She’s also in the portrait above.)

You can find Augusta in many other places, too.  The most intriguing might be Zaragoza – evolved from a settlement called Caesaraugusta, established by the emperor who first bore the title.

Parents have yet to rediscover Augusta.  Despite hovering just outside of the US Top 100 in the 1880s, Augusta has not ranked in the Top 1000 since 1944.  But August – a solid Top 100 pick for nineteenth century boys – is experiencing a revival, climbing from #608 in 2007 to #433 in 2009.  Could his sister be so far behind?

Or could his sister be, well, August?  Garth Brooks named his second daughter August Anna.  And 2002 novel turned 2008 movie The Secret Life of Bees featured sisters called May, June, and August.

Then again, not long ago, Eleanor and Beatrice were considered hopelessly stodgy, so let’s not count Augusta out.  Nickname Aggie would fit right in, and it is just a short trip from Savannah to this equally charming Southern city.  If you’re looking for an overlooked name with history aplenty, Augusta is one to consider.

Thanks to Sebastiane for suggesting a truly unusual twist on a seasonal name.  Our Name of the Day is Vasarė.

Vasarė is a Lithuanian given name meaning summer.  The pronunciation might not be immediately obvious, but Sebastiane lists it as vah SAY ray – perfectly reasonable to an American English speaker.

In fact, the average American might struggle more to find Lithuania on a map.  The nation borders Belarus, Latvia and Poland, and has been independent since 1990.  Still lost?  Look for the Baltic Sea.

Linguistically, Lithuanian is quite a bit like neighboring Latvian.  Like many a European tongue, it is littered with imports – you work on a kompiuteris and hail a taksi.  But it is far from familiar to many outside of the culture.  And while you’ve probably heard of Vilnius – the capital and largest city – other major hubs, like Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevežys are probably new to you.

(In fact, I’m still  trying to gauge precisely how successful the bike shop known as www.vasare.lt might be.)

It is little surprise that this one has never popped up in the US Top 1000.  There are Vasarės found in the US census records, but a surprising number of them are male.  And while a few of their surnames could be Lithuanian, many are anything but.  I’ve hit a brick wall on the alternate origin.  Hungarian-born Victor Vasarely was a 20th century Op Art innovator, but the surname isn’t close enough to suggest any leads.

Many of the most popular baby names in Lithuania last year look remarkably like the US Top Ten.  Emilija comes in at #1, with Gabija, Kamilė, Gabrielė and Austėja right behind.

Vasarė may simply be part of a growing interest in Lithuanian noun names.  While gender neutral names appear to be all-but-unknown in Lithuania, plenty of other familiar trends have caught on.  Gabija, for example, was a fire goddess in Lithuanian mythology.  Other names, like Rasa – dew, come from nature.  Odds are she’d wear just fine in Vilnius.

In the US?  That’s a bit harder to say.  Vasarė won’t retain her diacritical mark any more than Chloë or Franciška.  She doesn’t need the mark necessarily – it’s an obscure symbol unlikely to signal the correct pronunciation anyhow.  And the names shortens nicely, though Vasey would probably be rhymed with Casey.

Overall, she’s a true rarity and one that no one will share.  If you don’t mind explaining your child’s name over and over again, it is quite pretty, too.

I’m divided.  Even if I were Lithuanian, I’m not sure I’d choose something so very obviously an import.  But then again, I’m not sure that Emilija makes for a satisfying heritage choice, either.

What do you think?  Would you use something so very rare, or is Vasarė best left to those dwelling within a day’s drive of Vilnius?

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting September as Name of the Day.

September isn’t exactly a popular choice.  A handful of Septembers appear in US Census records.  At least in the nineteenth century, they’re more likely to be male, including a fellow saddled with the moniker September Augustus.  But the name has never charted in the US Top 1000 for either gender.

And yet it isn’t outrageous to imagine that a pair of parents might land on September, especially for a daughter.  Consider these choices from the 2008 US top 1000:

• Autumn (#89)
• Summer (#171)
• April (#333)
• June (#963)

There’s also the gently antique May, the spirited January and starbaby Winter – all unranked, but with their own claims to fashion.  August skews masculine, as might March.  Even July could catch on, though she’d probably be mistaken for Julie. Tuesday and Sunday have also enjoyed some use.

That still leaves a few seasons and months – as well as days of the week – in limbo.  An Italian court ruled that a couple couldn’t name their son Friday.  No such oversight exists in the US, though.  With parents consulting the atlas and the phone book for inspiration, why not their calendars, too?

Even though September is the ninth month, it comes from the Latin word for seven – septem.  And in fact, September was the seventh month back in days BC.

In more recent history, we link both good and bad events to the month.  Nazi Germany invaded Poland in the September Campaign of 1939.  But September also signals new beginnings, with the start of the school year, as well as the Fall – a favorite time of year for many.  Woody Allen made a movie called September back in 1987;  countless song lyrics have mentioned the month.

Of course, if your daughter arrives during September, you might also consider the gemstone – Sapphire.  The flowers – Asters and Morning Glorys – are a bit tougher to wear, though there’s always Gloria.

If you should use September, the nickname Temmy might make the moniker just a bit more wearable for a small child.  And you might stretch further and come up with Embry or Ember as a short form, too.

And should you go past your due date, October is an equally intriguing pick.

On balance, while many people dislike word names, they do have an advantage.  September is likely to be the only one in her class – possibly the only one she ever meets – and yet no one will ever struggle to spell her name.

And so, with the first day of April just a few hours away at last, here’s the Name of the Day: Avril.

Avril Lavigne’s career exploded with the 2002 release of her smash debut album Let Go.  Even if you’re past the age for pop music, her singles “Complicated” and “Sk8r Boi” probably caught your attention.  She’s had plenty of success since.

In the US, however, her name has never cracked the Top 1000.  The same seems to be true internationally, including Lavigne’s native Canada.  Given Avril’s similarity to the white hot Ava, her nature name vibe and French flair, this seems surprising.

April has been a popular choice for girls in the US for years, ranking in the Top 100 from 1967 through 1991.  (She was #310 in 2007.)  Avril has been worn by a handful of others – including legendary British comedienne Avril Angers – but has never attained April’s popularity.

Perhaps it is her pronunciation.  I can count at least three versions in use:  ah VRIL, ah VREEL and AV ril.  Chances are there are more – and you’d hear every one of them if you chose this name for your daughter.

And yet, Avril has an appealing meaning.  She comes from the Latin aprilis.  While she might sound ripped from the calendar, the word has deeper roots.  In Ancient Rome, Aprilis was the month dedicated to the goddess Venus.  Scholars speculate that Aprilis is derived from the Etruscan name for Venus – Apru – which, in turn, is a translation of her Greek name, Aphrodite.  It may also relate to the Latin word aperire – to open, or bloom.

Avril and April have also been in use as a surname.  The name could simply be given to someone born in the month.  But there’s a second, intriguing theory – perhaps April was given to individuals with a mercurial temperament.  Just like April’s weather is changeable, your neighbor might’ve been unpredictable, too.  If people were named for their brown hair or for living near the river, why not for their temperaments?

While Avril’s meaning initially seems straightforward, mix in those two bits of information and she’s also a subtle goddess name and the right choice for an imaginative, inventive child.

Xanthe Linnea pointed out Avril’s similarity to Averil, which also connects her to the old saint’s name – though it usually written Everild.

Avril could represent that perfect balance of standing out and fitting in.  She seems like she ought to be more popular – after all, Miss Lavigne has inspired plenty of young women to buy her music.  (Perhaps her fans simply aren’t having children of their own yet.)  

With her “v” sound, she’s feminine but still sharp.  And while May and June – and even April – are sweet and gentle appellations, there’s something a little bit wild about Avril.  She could wear well on a daughter.

January Jones; Image via Wikipedia

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on December 31, 2008 and was revised and republished on January 2, 2011.

She’s an Emmy-nominated actress with a name inspired by a bestselling novel.

Today’s Name of the Day is the forward looking January.

Actually, January looks forward and backward.  The month is named after Janus, the Roman god of doorways – and the beginnings and endings they symbolize.  It has been the first month of the year as early as the fifth century BC, but it wasn’t until the sixteenth century that January 1st was cemented as the first day of the new year.

Of the twelve months on our calendar, at least four have history as given names and have ranked in the US Top 1000:

• April peaked at #23 in 1979.  As of 2010, she ranked #378.
• May has been used as a nickname for Mary, Mabel and Margaret.  As an independent name, she peaked at #57 in 1883 and was last ranked in 1982;
• June peaked at #39 in 1925 and has been making a comeback, both in the middle spot and as a given name.  In 2010, June ranked #597.
• August, the sole calendar name typically reserved for boys, has perhaps the longest history of use and doubles as a masculine virtue name of sorts.  He peaked at #74 in 1882 and today ranks #607.

In their company, January seems less outlandish.  She’s also helped by her construction.  The three-syllable, ends-in-y pattern is common in girls’ names throughout the years:  Marjorie, Dorothy, Rosemary, Kimberly, Destiny, Mackenzie, Delaney.

Here’s an equally intriguing fact: January has ranked in the US Top 1000 before.

Back in 1973, Jacqueline Susann chose the name January for the lead character in her novel Once is Not Enough.  Susann’s 1966 novel Valley of the Dolls was a smash hit, as was the 1967 film adaptation.  While she’d never equal the success of Dolls, Once is Not Enough was also a bestseller and quickly adapted for the big screen in 1975.

The glamorous January Wayne inspired a handful of namesakes.  Between 1976 and 1979, the name ranked in the US Top 1000, peaking at #639 in 1978.

While they’re dated now, the Jan- names were just ending their run of popularity in the 1970s.  In the 1940s and 50s, Janet and Janice both regularly ranked in the Top 25 names given to girls.  By the 1960s, variants Janelle, Janine and Jana were all common, with multiple spellings in use.  January must have seemed a logical extension of the category, with the familiar Jan was waiting as a nickname.

Actress January Jones was born in 1978, part of the short-lived January boom.  And yes, her birthday is just a few days from now – January 5.  Her big break was playing bride Michelle’s little sister in American Wedding, the third installment in the American Pie series.  (Her character was called Cadence – but that’s another post!)  Today, she can be seen bringing back Betty on AMC’s series Mad Men, as the icy cool former Mrs. Draper.  She’s also portrayed White Queen Emma Frost, one of the X-Men.

So far, the actress hasn’t inspired enough parents to return January to the Top 1000 – fewer than two dozen daughters were given the name last year.  But Winter seems to be catching on for the same reasons – she’s modern, but not invented.  Her sound is unisex, but just on the right side of feminine.

If you’re expecting a daughter this month, January might be one to consider.

We find this an absolutely fabulous choice of a name for a daughter.  It’s modern and unexpected, but as we mentioned in our post on Name of the Day: Tuesday, there’s plenty of precedent for using months, seasons and even days as names in our culture and beyond.

Sunday calls to mind both the Christian day of worship and a pagan affection for the sun.  It seems a little bit country – just like Daddy – and as active and vibrant as the Australians – just like Mom.

Congratulations to the new family.  Nicely done!