Image via Wikipedia
She’s a botanical choice from a few decades back, once so popular that Winona Ryder went to high school with three of them.
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Heather as our Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Heather
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Tag Archives: Alice
Baby Name of the Day: Polly
Image via Wikipedia
Nameberry called her freckle-faced, but she’s picked up an edge in recent years.
Thanks to Claire for suggesting Polly as our Baby Name of the Day.
Sunday Summary: 6/12/11
Image by always13 via Flickr
Is it me, or was the coverage of Jennifer Connelly’s new daughter rather restrained? Connelly and husband Paul Bettany welcomed little Agnes Lark earlier this week. Agnes joins big brothers Stellan and Kai. Usually headlines like “stars choose bizarre name” or “stars revive classics” are all over my feedreader a day or two after a birth announcement, but this time? Crickets.
Since we’ve started with celebrities, let me also mention:
- Laila Ali confirmed that her daughter Sydney J got her middle initial from great-grandma Jurldine. I’m not a huge fan of passing down just an initial, but I can understand why they decided against using the full name;
- Kim Kardashian has yet to say “I do” to boyfriend Kris Humphries, but she’s already reserving baby names that start with K. Klassy.
I’m writing a celebrity-inspired baby name post for Nameberry tomorrow. It’s a two-part series. My favorites from this week’s list are Miro, Ridge, and Asa. But it’s a game and you can play, too.
Elsewhere online:
- The day before Agnes’ birth announcement, Nameberry posted a Say Yes to S list, about choices from Lotus to Leatrice that could join Alice and Frances among the stylish;
- ForReal spotted a Greta. She’s climbed modestly since returning to the US Top 1000 in 1999. (She’d left after 1982.) I always Greta is one of those short, sweet, complete and completely underrated names. At #666 in 2010, she’s still far from common;
- Okay, I kind of like Hennessy. But please don’t name your daughter Chardonnay;
- Millicent: too fusty, or ripe for revival? British Baby Names makes me think the latter;
- I never liked Sailor or Saylor, but Nancy’s post changed my mind. All of a sudden, it is less Taylor-goes-to-sea and more quirky gem;
- Are you reading Namestory? Proof that even the most common names can have fascinating tales to tell;
- Did you see this post at Swistle where the older child has the nickname River from Richard IV? Tough to explain maybe, but pure genius;
- Elisabeth had some great ideas for Dante Xipil’s little sister. Ylva is fantastic, and I like Kristen’s suggestion of Kahlo, too. Kim Kardashian, are you taking notes? Far more stylish than, say, Kash or Kynlee.
Have too much free time? I have a Facebook page.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading!
Baby Name of the Day: Mila
Mila Kunis sketch, via Flickr
She’s a globe-spanning short form that stands nicely on her own.
Thanks to Meryl for suggesting her daughter’s name as our Baby Name of the Day: Mila.
Baby Name of the Day: Kipling
Image via Wikipedia
He’s a surname choice with playful literary associations, as well as a tie to engineering.
Thanks to Jen for suggesting Kipling as our Baby Name of the Day.
Sunday Summary: 5/29/11
Image via Wikipedia
I was recently trailing a just-pregnant-enough-to-need-maternity-wear friend through the mall when I spotted a baby names book. Moth to a flame, I flipped through the pages.
And I was horrified. The definitions weren’t just wrong – there’s room to quibble about the origins of many names – they were absolutely uninformed. Cleo meant “Egyptian queen” as did Cleopatra. (Wrong.) Julie was listed as an American name, Juliet as Italian, and Juliette as French. One out of three is … pretty pathetic.
I stopped short of telling the clerk they really needed to stock Beyond Ava and Aiden. And I must say, I have a renewed sense of how hard it is for the non-name-obsessed to get good information.
Speaking of which, there was quite a lot of great conversation this week:
- All the buzz was about Girl’s Gone Child’s list of names she’s not using for their twin daughters. My favorites from her list: Season, Blythe, and Nova;
- Check out Chanara’s list of possible names for Rosy’s little sister or brother. Alice Cordelia is my favorite, but she’s not made the final cut;
- For Real spotted a Madalina – pretty, but loses something thanks to all of those little Madelines and Adalyns;
- British Baby Names has a list of families from the Edwardian era that rival the Duggars for matchiness;
- Did you see this list at Nameberry of double names? I’ve long loved Coco, Gigi, Mimi, and Lulu – and never noticed that they shared a pattern;
- What do you think of Eisley for a girl? A Swistle reader has it on her short list;
- As if Glee wasn’t enough, Cars 2 features a British secret agent car called Finn McMissile;
- While we’re looking at animated characters, Nickelodeon is about to import an Italian series about fairies at a Hogwarts-esque academy. The main character of Winx Club is called Bloom. I get a very Producers/grocery store vibe from Bloom, but I like it anyhow.
If you follow AppMtn on Facebook, you heard me shouting “Noooooo!” when David Schwimmer’s daughter’s name was announced last week. Even more strange? A New Zealand news site said this of Cleo Schwimmer: “After several weeks of bizarre celebrity baby names, it’s refreshing to find someone who has given their newborn the best chance of a normal life.”
H’okay. I’m not saying Cleo is especially weird, but it isn’t exactly Anne.
Speaking of celebrity names, Oprah inspired last week’s post at Nameberry. There’s no post here tomorrow thanks to the Memorial Day holiday, but my list at Nameberry is super-season appropriate and very much fun.
As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!
Baby Name of the Day: Glynis
Glynis Johns; Image by joanna tidball via Flickr
Looking for a modern name that still reads Granny chic? Hoping for something with an indie edge? Today’s choice combines all three qualities.
Thanks to Shan for suggesting Glynis as our Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Calyx
Image by cod_gabriel via Flickr
She’s a frills-free mythological choice with a certain flair.
Thanks to Taylor for suggesting Calyx as our botanical Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Aleydis
A by Too Far North via Flickr
She’s hidden in the history books, but if you look closely, you’ll find this intriguing medieval moniker hiding between the lines.
Thanks to Emily of In the Name for suggesting Aleydis as our Baby Name of the Day.
Sunday Summary: 1/23/10
23 by cobalt123 via Flickr
Have you ever been someplace where you were supposed to be thinking about something entirely different, but your mind wandered and you found yourself pondering names instead?
Please tell me I’m not the only one.
I was at a memorial service for a lovely man on Saturday, a man whose life was jam-packed with adventure and achievement. And yet, there was a minute where the afternoon sun caught the stained glass windows, gorgeous pieces dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s, with their benefactors’ names included in their designs.
I redirected my attention to the service, but not before I’d spotted Sidell, Ellis, Alice, and Laura, beloved wife of Alfred.
Back to places where it is okay to look:
- Have you seen the Nameberry message board thread about names that relate to fire? Suggestions included Phoenix, Blaise, Fiammetta, Ember, and Kindle. Wait, there are some problems with Kindle;
- From fire to Icie, at Bewitching Names. Isadora guesses that Icie and company could be related to Isis. It’s a good guess – Verdi’s Aida was a big deal, so parents embracing Egyptian-ish appellations tracks. Isadora was also kind enough to mention this post on Icel, from sixth century Mercian ruler. Isa stands at #12 in the Netherlands. I also came across Iselin, currently in the Top 100 in Norway, exported with the assistance of a model;
- Speaking of Scandinavia, via Nancy, Sweden has released their Most Popular Names for 2010. Oscar and Maja top the lists, but I’m intrigued by one of the fast-rising names: Novalie. Nova has some history, in the US and elsewhere. Novalee was Natalie Portman’s character in 2000′s Where the Heart Is. I can’t find an explanation for Novalie’s rise in Sweden – any ideas?
- Swistle tried to help a reader find a formal name for Winnie. The mom suggested Winifred, while the dad was all about Winsome. I see the appeal of Winsome, but it seems like a tough one to wear in those surly teenage years. Other suggestions ranged from Gwendolyn to Winslow, Wynne, and Bronwyn;
- For Real spotted a Lexx Steven. He can hang with Maxx and Jaxx.
- The Globe and Mail reported on the OpenFile app that mapped baby name popularity in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada by postal code. There were some interesting findings, like the popularity of a gender-neutral borrowing from the Dalai Lama, Tenzin, in the Tibetan community of Parkdale. After clicking around the map, I’m not sure it is all that helpful. If Emma is #1 here, but only#3 a few blocks over, and just #2 across town, well … Emma is still a very, very popular name.
Over at the Nameberry blog, I’m presenting my best evidence yet that Americans really are embracing a greater diversity of given names. (Yes, I’ll be wearing a visor that reads “Master of the Obvious,” too.)
As for new starbabies in the universe this week, here’s a round-up on what I posted on the AppMtn Facebook page this week:
- News that Owen Wilson’s new son’s name is Robert Fordbrought general approval, but we’re still wondering what they will call him – Rob? Bobby? Ford? I’m rooting for the last one;
- Entertainment Tonight’s Samantha Harris welcomed a daughter, Hillary Madison, a little sister for Josselyn Sydney. I called it refreshingly off-trend. Others thought it was too close to what you’d call a Cabbage Patch Kid;
- Dutch model Doutzen Kroes and DJ boyfriend Sunnery James welcomed a son named Phyllon. It is a trio of unexpected appellations, but when you have to tweet the pronunciation with the birth announcement – Fillen, according to James – there could be problems. Sarah counted five possible pronunciations!
- Emily Procter’s West Wing character launched Ainsley back in 2000/2001. Her CSI: Miami character wears the trendy respelled name Calleigh.But her firstborn child wears a vaguely English appellation – the quirky Pippa.
That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading, commenting, and sending all of your fabulous suggestions my way.
