If Story is a name, why not this poetic choice?

Thanks to Kaela for suggesting Sonnet as our Baby Name of the Day.

A sonnet is a type of poem, a form with specific rules.  There are three major types, and then a bunch that break the rules but still count.  The average person might not be able to recite much after Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?, but would likely recognize Sonnet as a literary reference akin to Poem, Poet, or Fable.

The word itself comes from the Italian sonetto – little song, ultimately from the Latin sonus - sound.  The term first appears in English in the sixteenth century, but sonnets had been written in Italian since the 1200s.

With girls answering to Cadence and Harmony, perhaps literary terms were the logical next frontier.  Actor Forest Whitaker has a daughter called Sonnet, fitting right in with his other word-named children: Ocean, True, and Autumn.  Flickr co-founders Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield have a daughter called Sonnet Beatrice.

Despite these high profile uses, the name has never cracked the US Top 1000 – in fact, Sonnet is in sparing use, given to just eight girls in 2010.

But there have been Sonnets in the past, and many of them have been men.  I suspect that they’re wearing a family surname.  The late sixteenth/early seventeenth century French poet Thomas Sonnet de Courval came from a minor noble family.  There are Sonnets and Sonnetts in the US, too.

It could come from a lost Saxon name, Sinod, the origin of the surname Sinnott.  Sonnet is close enough to be related.  The elements sige – victory and nod – brave – were popular in many given names, and still survive in Siegfried and Leonard, though Sinod is long gone.  Or the -et ending could signal a diminutive form – though that’s really just a guess.  Sonnerie is the French word for ring, as in the ringing of the bells, but I’m still not sure if that’s a coincidence, another musical association.

Alternate origins or not, Sonnet has been almost exclusively female since its reintroduction sometime in the 1960s or 1970s.  Since the numbers have always been so small, it is nearly impossible to gauge – but there are a handful of women by the name who are all grown up now, suggesting that Sonnet was discovered by a few parents back in the day.

After all, word names aren’t really new.  Heather and Crystal seem ordinary, even dated, today.  But they were the height of style in the 1970s.  2010′s Top 100 includes Lily, Grace, Jasmine, Destiny, Brooke, Trinity, Faith, Autumn, Serenity, and Genesis.  From the traditional to the nouveau, word names have always had a place in the dictionary and on our daughters and sons.

Thanks to her similarity to Violet and Scarlett, Sonnet feels like a very wearable choice – poetic, frills-free, and different, but not difficult to spell or pronounce.  If you’re looking for an ahead-of-the-curve rarity, Sonnet is one to consider.

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.

Originally, Nico is a Dutch version of Nicholas.  Or maybe he’s related to Nicodemus, a separate name with the same meaning, or Dominic, a saintly appellation.  Regardless, Nico is a logical short form of any name containing the nic sound – as is Nick or Nicky – and he’s also heard in German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and other European languages.

Nicholas was a wildly popular fourth century saint whose name has seen steady use over the years.  Royals and popes have answered to the name.

There are bunches of early 20th century Nicos, guys like Nico Buwalda, the Dutch footballer pictured above, or Italian crooner Nico Fidenco.  Over the course of the twentieth century, we find more and more Nicos.

Some of it may simply be better recording of personal biographies.  That’s how we know, for example, that youngest Llewelyn-Davies brother Nicholas answered to Nico.  (Along with George, John, Peter, and Michael, the brothers and their family were friends of J.M. Barrie, and the inspiration for Peter Pan.)

Llewelyn-Davis is the first English Nico I find.  But then, despite Nicholas’ steady use, he wasn’t wildly popular in English until recent decades.  In 1900, Nicholas ranked #200.  Feminine form Nicole is even more of a new arrival.  She first appears in the US Top 1000 in 1942, and stayed at the fringes until the 1960s.

All of the Nick names were on top of the world in the 1980s.  In the midst of this, in 1988, Nico debuted as a boys’ name.  He reached #591 in 2010.

Nico in La Dolce Vita; Image via Wikipedia

Nico has never charted as a girls’ name, and was given to just 39 girls last year.  But she has had some use for girls, thanks to a German singer.  Born Christa Päffgen, the lingering rumor is that her stage name was borrowed from Greek director Nikos Papatakis, also nicknamed Nico.

In recent years, Nico has been catching on :

• Actress Thandie Newton has daughters called Ripley and Nico, and Nico is said to be named after singer.
• Coldplay’s Guy Berryman has a daughter called Nico, as does the lead singer of Blind Melon, the late Shannon Hoon.
• Short-lived television series Lipstick Jungle included a character named Nico, a high-powered magazine editor.
• Then there’s singer-songwriter Neko Case.  It appears to be her given name.

In Germany and Austria, Nico is big for boys, and it is also the name of a male character in the Percy Jackson series.

Colors of Blue by Zbigphotography via Flickr

We all knew that any baby name chosen by Beyonce and Jay-Z would make waves.  But Blue Ivy is even wilder than many of us expected.

Plenty of colors are fair game in the land of baby naming, from pretty botanicals like Rose and Violet to more masculine hues like Gray and Jet.  Blue has been in the shadows for years, worn by a handful of celebrity kids, usually in the middle spot:

• Cher’s son Elijah Blue
• The Edge’s daughter Blue Angel
• Ella Bleu Travolta
• Rocker Bret Michaels’ Jorja Bleu
• Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has Bluebell
• Rascal Flatt’s Joe Don Rooney has Raquel Blue
• Most recently, Alicia Silvertone’s much-maligned Bear Blu

Add in Azure, one of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s Ed Sanders’ triplets, and Indigo, daughter of actor Lou Diamond Phillips, and this is a shade with some serious style in Tinsel Town.

What gives?  The word blue has been in use to describe a primary color for centuries, stretching back to at least the thirteenth century.  A host of associations, favorable and less so, attach to the name:

• Blue is the color of constancy – true blue.
• Blue is the color of sorrow – you can have the blues or sing the blues.
• Little Boy Blue wears the color we associate with our sons, at least in the last century.
• Blue ruin is an old slang term for gin, though today Bombay Sapphire feels removed from the hue.
• Blue ribbons are usually given for first place, and blue chip means high in value.
• Blue blood implies royal birth.
• Once in a blue moon means something that happens rarely.
• A blue dahlia has never been produced – so it implies something unattainable.  The Blue Dahlia is a 1946 film noir, and before that, a nineteenth century Russian ballet.
• Blue skies and the bluebird of happiness lend the name an optimistic note.
• The big blue is the ocean, and almost makes blue something of a nature name.
• So does sky blue, and the wild blue yonder.
• Or maybe the colors of the American flag make this a patriotic choice – red, white, and blue.

From navy blue to carolina blue, there are tons of shades.  Because they’re more typically associated with boys, there’s something gender-bending about choosing Blue for a girl.  Except that many other colors names lean feminine, like Scarlett or Lilac.

2006′s much-lauded novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics introduced a girl called Blue Van Meer.  The book is part-coming of age novel, part-murder mystery.  The film rights have been optioned, but little has happened with the movie’s production.  Should that change, well – that would lend a literary edge to this starbaby name.

Suddenly, Blue feels more like a viable option for a given name.  In the 1930s census, there are more than a handful – though they appear to be mostly men.  While the name has never cracked the US Top 1000, it has been in use.

Dare I add that the dog on Blue Clue’s was, well, a blue dog?  And a girl, for what it is worth.

Blue also shares a vowel sound with Ruby, Lucy, and Julian - all names quite in favor right now.  Short B names for girls – think Brooke and Blair and even Bess - have always had a certain charm.

It may be that the happy couple had other reasons for choosing Blue, but it strikes me that the question isn’t why they settled on the appellation.  The question is why more of us didn’t think of it first!

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!

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.

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.

Princess Charlotte of Belgium; Image via Wikipedia

She’s a regal appellation dressed in pearls and a twin set.

Thanks to Lem for suggesting Charlotte as our Baby Name of the Day.

From 1880 into the 1950s, Charlotte was in steady use, usually in the US Top 100 and never far outside.  If you were set on classic names for girls and had already used Elizabeth and Margaret, Charlotte was a logical choice for daughter #3.

She’s also a feminine form of the evergreen Charles.  There’s Caroline, too, traditionally the more popular of the options.

All of the names trace their roots to the Germanic Karl – man.  In Latin, Karl became Carolus.  Carolus gives us Carol, Carolina, and Caroline.  In French, Carolus became Charles.  Charles led to the French diminutive Charlot - the t is silent, as in Margot – which led to feminine form Charlotte.

The Normans brought Charles to England, but it would be centuries before the feminine forms surfaced.  An early Charlotte was born in Cyprus, making her one of those quirky medieval crusader state names.  Charlotte’s little sister was Cleopha.  The names are an eclectic mix of romance languages – French and Italian – with Eastern influence.

Charlotte slowly became a staple amongst the ruling families of Europe:

• Charlotte of Savoy became Queen of France in the 1400s, probably named after her grandmother, a Queen of Cyprus;
• Another French princess was Charlotte Aglaé d’Orléans;
• A German-born princess Charlotte married the heir to the Russian throne, Alexei, but she and tsarevich both died young.  Their son, Peter, would eventually become tsar.
• German princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz married King George III and brought the name to England;
• Charlotte Augusta Matilda was the eldest daughter of English King George III and Queen Charlotte.  The princess later married a German king;
• Charlotte’s brother, the future King George IV, also had a Charlotte.  She could’ve become queen, but she predeceased her father;
• Belgian-born princess Marie Charlotte Amélie Augustine Victoire Clémentine Léopoldine – pictured above – would become Empress Carlota of Mexico in the nineteenth century;
• From 1919 through 1964, Luxembourg was ruled by a Grand Duchess named Charlotte.

I’m overlooking tons of royal Charlottes.  And then there’s Charlotte Corday.  In 1793, she assassinated Jean-Paul Marat.  Both Corday and Marat were revolutionaries – Marat was more extreme; Corday sided with the moderates.  Her efforts backfired, and she and other members of her faction went to the guillotine.

Modern parents may be looking for a literary reference, as in Charlotte Brontë.  Throw in a few Jane Austen characters, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Charlotte’s Web, and she’s perfectly at home in the library.

Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte sounds like a lullaby, but it is actually a 1964 Southern gothic horror flick starring Bette Davis.

By the 1990s, Charlotte hovered in the high 200s and low 300s – until HBO original series, Sex and the City introduced us to Carrie Bradshaw’s BFF.  Charlotte is the most conservative of the characters, a Park Avenue denizen with a usually positive outlook.  All of a sudden, Charlotte was modern once more.  She’s been gaining ever since the show became a sensation, and at #45 last year, is at her most popular ever.

Today Charlotte appeals to parents seeking a classic that feels fresher than Margaret, and offers nicknames from boyish Charlie to retro Lottie.  The only drawback is that you may have to share this lovely classic!

I would never have guessed this one for the reality television couple, but it fits – Jack, Liam, Stella, and Hattie.  She’s also on trend with names like Sadie, as well as the British tendency to elevate short forms to formal name status.

I’m a big fan of Harriet, and I think she’s catching on, along with other ends-in-et options like Juliet.  Hattie is also the name of one of the newborns profiled in 2010 documentary Babies.

Spelling and McDermott had been choosing names that followed trends.  This time I think the couple may be setting them.

Image via Wikipedia

She’s a lovely Spanish appellation that works well in English.

Thanks to Joanna for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day: Paloma.

I’ve long thought that pigeons need better PR.  Those urban dwelling survivors, often dismissed as rats with wings, are also known as rock doves.  Rock Dove – that’s a whole other vibe, much classier, don’t you think?

Because if you’re going to be technical about things, Paloma comes from the Latin palumba – wood pigeon.  But if you’re naming a child, you’re likely to prefer the bird’s other identity – dove, same bird, but from the Old Norse.

The bird isn’t just a bird, at least not when it is a dove.  White doves symbolize peace.  The dove is also a Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit.  In the Old Testament, Noah released a dove; when it returned carrying an olive branch, he knew there was land – somewhere.  Hinds and Sikhs attach importance to pigeons, too.  It is quite a bit of weight for a small bird.

Then there’s the folk song, “La Paloma.”  Sebastian Yradier penned the song in the 1860s.  I suspect this is the bridge between the bird and the name.  The ballad is clearly about the dove, but the lyrics are all about romance.  It’s been much translated and performed in many languages.

Maybe that was part of Pablo Picasso’s inspiration when he named his youngest child Anne Paloma in 1949.  She was born in April; that same month, the World Peace Congress adopted Picasso’s image of a dove, La Colombe, as their symbol.  It was no mere coincidence, either.  A year later, Picasso addressed the conference, noting that his father – also a painter and professor of art – had taught him to draw doves.  His works are famous for their anti-war themes, like his staggering accomplishment Guernica.

I assume the name Anne was required by French authorities, or perhaps the church – to the best of my knowledge, she was always called Paloma.  Even without the backstory to her name, she was the subject of several of dad’s paintings, lending Paloma some real artistic style.  Plus the youngest Picasso is no slouch herself.  She’s designed jewelry, including a collection for Tiffany & Co., and perfume, among other ventures.

Paloma also has that oh-so-current o sound – a logical way to get to Lola.  Actress Ana Ortiz has a toddler called Paloma Louise, and she’s not alone.  Paloma first cracked the US Top 1000 in 1993.  By 2010 she’d reached #698.  That’s not exactly Isabella, but she probably appeals to many parents seeking a cultural-spanning feminine name that sounds pretty without being in any way lightweight.

With her ties to nature and the arts, her meaningful associations, and her cultural-spanning sound, it is hard to find a name as appealing as Paloma.

Image by Jon Ovington via Flickr

Nope, those aren’t surprise triplets.

Instead, three well-known families announced new additions today, and it was all about the boys:

• John Rich of Big & Rich and wife Joan welcomed a son called Colt Daniel, a little brother for Cash.  Only in Nashville.  And yes, big brother’s name is Cash Rich.
• Which leads us to Donald Trump, now dad to three!  He and wife Vanessa were already parents to Donnie – the third in a series – plus daughter Kai Madison.  New son Tristan makes them a family of five.
• Jenna Fischer plays Cece’s mom on The Office.  In real life, she and husband Lee Kirk are now the proud parents of baby Weston Lee.

Colt, Tristan, and Weston might not be brothers, but they sound like the kind of modern names that appeal to many parents today.  Colt ranked #330, while Colton came in at #73; Tristan ranked #84; and Weston was #224.  Variant spellings abound, at least for Colton and Tristan.

None of the names would sound out of place on a little cowboy, though Tristan has been spotted on a few girls, and Weston, like Elisabeth Röhm’s Easton, isn’t necessarily exclusive to Team Blue, either.

None of them are truly novel inventions, but all of them have a certain modern, unexpected feel that has become quite common.  Weston appeared in the US Top 1000 as early as 1882, but has only ranked consistently since the 1970s.  Tristan first charts in 1971, and Colt and Colton both debuted in 1982.  Up until recent years, any one of the names would’ve been eye-poppingly unusual.  Today, they’re standard on many a playground.

I’ll be curious to hear the parents comment on their choices.  Were they looking for something different?  Did they realize they were choosing something mainstream by 2011 standards?  Or will they have backstories for their choices that have little to do with considerations of style?

Congratulations to all three families!