First up, we’re expecting … three baby bluebirds.  The mama has built a nest in the tiny herb garden Arthur latched onto our postage-stamp sized balcony.  Since they’re growing amongst our herbs, I’m calling the three eggs Basil, Coriander and Rosemary.  I’ve been trying to talk to Mama Bird about names, but she’s not interested.

On to news about naming human babies:

• This week’s Toronto Star profile couple named their daughter Zaphyn Athena.  On the one hand, I find Zaphyn eye-poppingly bizarre.  On the other hand, plenty of parents say they want something original and unlikely to be shared by another child, only to end up calling their kids Makenzi or Ava Rose or Jaidyn.  At least this duo actually landed on something truly unusual;
• Also from the Department of the Eye-Poppingly Strange:  Yes, My Chemical Romance’s lead singer named his little one Bandit Lee.  Yes, he could’ve gone with Helena.  Yes, we’ll all be waiting for a quiet little announcement 23 years from now that Bandit Way has petitioned the courts to be known as Barbara.  Or not;
• Hip-hop and R&B artist T-Pain welcomed a son named Kaydnz Kodah.  I’ll admit that I love Kodah.  But Kaydnz?  Yikes!  Older sibs are Lyriq and Muziq;
• On the other hand, Family Matters and Celebrity Rehab alum Jaimee Foxworth welcomed a son.  Her little guy was given the stunning normal name Michael Douglas Shaw, Jr., after dad;
• Trendier, but still nicely restrained, former ER star Parminder Nagra welcomed Kai David;
• No word yet on a name, but Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou welcomed a son.  I can only imagine that the mother of Ming Lee and Aoki Lee will not disappoint with her next baby name pick;
• And while he’s not a baby, anyone else wondering if recent third time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves will inspire parents?

Out here in the non-celebrity-studded ‘burbs of Washington D.C.:

• Friends of ours welcomed Maeve, a little sister for Ailis;
• I discovered that my son’s classmate India has a big brother named Miles;
• And I had a chance to quiz the mom of two year-old Carsten about her pick.  As I suspected, they liked it because her first name is Carrie.  But it also fit with a family tradition – her husband’s middle name is Christopher.  (Carsten is related to Christian, so it links up in a nicely subtle way.)

A few posts you might’ve missed:

• My shameless addiction, Celebrity Baby Blog, did a brief article on nicknames versus formal names, citing Victoria Recaño’s Maximilienne, nn Emme; Amy Poehler & Will Arnett’s Archibald, nn Archie and Amanda Peet’s Frances, nn Frankie;
• Over at Nameberry, Linda wrote about some Hidden Gems – names that rank in the US Top 1000, but not too high.  I loved  Seamus, Cassius, Libby and Marin.
• Also at Nameberry, Pam posted a list of possible Names for Twins using the most subtle of links – two names that are distinct, but share the same meaning.  She had some great suggestions, like Esme and Imogen, both meaning beloved, or Asher and Felix, both meaning happy.

While I’m on a Nameberry kick, remember that we’re a mere 23 days away from the release of Beyond Ava and Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby.  I realize there won’t be Harry Potter-esque lines and midnight release parties, but I’ve already advised my local bookseller to put mine on pre-order.

Lastly, a look backward – last year, the Name of the Day was Piper – and a sneak preview – this week, I’ll be writing about Aurora, Maurice, Zara, Francis and Dove.

Thanks for reading!