Fetching Names: The Honest i

Letter iI do not like names respelled to end with an i.

Maci, Juli, Kari – no, no, no.  Macy, Julie, Carrie – yes, yes, yes.

Nicknames – Ceci for Cecilia - get a pass.  And I don’t so much mind Ashlie and Averie, though I think it might be frustrating to introduce yourself as “Ashlie with an ie” for ever and evermore.

Except that I do find myself completely in love with names that conventionally end in i, perhaps because it is rather rare – at least in English.  And so this week’s list is all about girls’ names that end with the letter i, stylishly.

Continue reading

Baby Name of the Day: Alanna

Alanna: The First Adventure

Tamora Pierce's Alanna; Image via Wikipedia

Alan is a classic, with a history of use stretching back centuries.  But this feminine form feels surprisingly modern.

Thanks to Kerry for suggesting her daughter’s name, Alanna, as our Baby Name of the Day.

Continue reading

Rerun: Predictions for 2009

ppf

ppf by ChazWags via Flickr

Tuesdays have become rerun day here at AppMtn.  While searching for inspiration for this week’s post, I stumbled on this long-forgotten article from December 2008.  So instead of updating a single name, I thought it would be fun to see whether any of these came true.

So here are my December 31, 2008 predictions for 2009.  The original text is unaltered (though I did add links for names I’ve covered since then) and the analysis is in blue text below the original prediction.

Continue reading

Fetching Names: Getting to Lulu

Little Lulu

Little Lulu; Image via Wikipedia

A few weeks ago, Fetching Names looked at Coco, a spirited short form of … what, exactly?  You can visit that post to consider your options.

Today, we turn our attention to another of the names so nice you say them twice: Lulu.

Continue reading

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.

Continue reading

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.

Continue reading

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.

Continue reading

Fetching Names: The Hermiones, Part I

Hermione Granger

Image via Wikipedia

Have you heard this quote from Stephen King?

Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.

A friend – the father of daughters – texted the quote to me a few weeks ago, and I replied:

May our daughters be Hermiones, instead of Bellas.

Of course, I know some lovely girls called Isabella.  A name like Elisabetta or Valentina or Lacey or Tess doesn’t imply that you can’t grow up to be a physicist.  But I think there are parents out there looking for a name like Hermione -  offbeat, unexpected, brainy, strong – in hopes that their daughter will grow up to be just like that.

The same logic can prompt parents to use conventionally masculine names, a conventionally feminine name with a boyish short form, or a modern choice like Rowan.

But if you’re looking for a Hermione, here are a few options – vintage, but not delicate, and clunky, but still cool.

Continue reading

Baby Name of the Day: Aaliyah

A

Image by mag3737 via Flickr

She’s a regal Arabic appellation boosted by an ill-fated recording artist.

Thanks to Alia for suggesting Aaliyah as our Baby Name of the Day.

Continue reading

Baby Name of the Day: Sunday

Sunshine in Greece

Sunshine in Greece; Image by Guillaume Cattiaux via Flickr

Tuesday is an actress, Wednesday is an Addams Thursday is the heroine of Jasper Fforde’s novels.  What about the other days of the week?

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

Continue reading