Number one by charlesnikon via Flickr

Happy New Year!

First, a quick note about the 2012 schedule ’round here.

• I’m moving re-runs to Mondays.
• Tuesday and Wednesday names are usually those chosen by polls, at least starting later this month.
• Thursday names are typically chosen by me, direct from your suggestions.
• Fetching Names moves to Fridays, to allow for more conversation.  (Though they’re easily the most talked-about posts here on AppMtn already!)

Sunday Summaries are, of course, sacred.  Monday posts will also continue at Nameberry.

Speaking of Nameberry, tomorrow’s post is all about the names vying for the top spot at various hospitals and birth centers around the English-speaking world.  I continue to obsessively collect the lists – they’re really astonishing in their tiny differences, even if the most of the names themselves are familiar.

But back to the rest of the news out there this week:

• Oh, I loved Swistle’s comments on Preferences vs. Requirements – and can that family really go wrong with naming baby #4?
• March Isabella, Bay Elizabeth Mae, Abbot Anthony – another great installemnt in the Friday Favorite series at Name Soiree!
• Georgia Geraldine and Billie Beatrice … it seems like Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart are stylish baby namers with an affection for alliteration.
• Population Registry clerks in Israeli could get much more powerful if the Israeli government creates a panel to screen baby names.
• Midwinter Names wrote about Tiamat - much edgier than Winter.
• Nook rounded up her favorite names from the Blogosphere in 2011.  If you haven’t read it, you should go there – now!
• Speaking of great names, did you see this post at Waltzing More than Matilda about Aussie celebs who named their daughter Kinga?  That’s a new favorite of mine.
• Agh!  Spotted my first message board thread where the parents dismissed Edward because of the sparkly vampire.
• Not one, but two girls named Tymber at a Kansas hospital?  I’d expect Timber to be a boy’s name, a spin on Timothy.  But the word mostly conjures up one thing for me: the party scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s where Holly calls out “Timber!” as the very tall Mag Wildwood falls.
• Lou had a fun idea – she celebrated her birthday by coming up with a list of others who share her birthday.  What a great way to honor a relative in a subtle fashion.  Felicitations, Lou!
• Marginamia mentioned Gala in her post about Sparkly New Years Names.  I wish I could think of a formal name for Gala – maybe Gabriella?
• I wish my next field trip could be to Alaska, so I could sit on a playground and listen for names like Foxwell, Nikomi, and Velvet Vee.
• You know how we dismiss some names as being from another era?  Sebastiane reminds us that Chad is one of them – but from the seventh century, not the 1970s.
• Tasker – there’s a World War I baby name from Nancy’s list that I can imagine parents reviving in 2012.
• Eponymia’s Christmas game families were such fun – I’m re-reading them for third, or maybe fourth time!  Adela, Hoyt, and Beryl must be my favorite.

That’s all for today, though I’m keeping a close eye on the celebrity news – rumors are afoot that Beyonce’s baby girl is here … though so far, I think they’re just idle chatter.

Wishing you all the best in the coming year!