Baby Name of the Day: Avery

Murphy Brown

Image via Wikipedia

He’s a famous fictional newscaster’s mother – and son.

Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Avery as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Aveline

Corylus avellana flowers

Corylus avellana flowers; Image via Wikipedia

Depending on your perspective, she’s either a nouveau spin on current favorites, or a medieval rarity prime for a comeback.

Thanks to Kayleigh for suggesting Aveline as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Sunday Summary: 6/19/11

No 19 - blue paint

No 19 - blue paint by Kirsty Hall via Flickr

Happy Father’s Day!

Thanks to a gap between the end of the school year and the start of summer camp, we headed for Rehoboth Beach (Delaware, on the Atlantic) this past week.  We finally met our friends’ darling daughter Helen Claire, and there were a few interesting name spottings – Allaire, Harlow, Amalia, and a bitsy girl called Birdie.  But mostly I was amazed at how consistently I heard the exact same names, over and over: Emma, Ava, Abby, Noah, Taylor, Alex, Jake, anything that ends in -aden.  Nothing wrong with choosing a popular name, but I found myself thinking about how very refreshing it is to hear something even a little different - Beckett or Abel or Tate, Ivy or Luna or Ruth.

So in the spirit of surfacing options that are just a little bit different:

  • Any name from Waltzing More Than Matilda’s 1930s list would be quite stylish in 2011: Iris, Alma, Josephine;
  • Nymbler’s May 2011 most popular names list included the following five new debuts: Lake, Makai, Maple, Shia, and Reef.  Water names seem especially seasonal, but the inclusion of Maple makes me think that parents are really branching out into ever-more adventurous nature and noun choices;
  • The comments on this NameLady post are fascinating.  Parents expecting twin sons want to give them subtle, baseball-themed names.  Is Ty too obvious?  Are parents really naming twins Clark and Addison after the address of Wrigley Field?  My favorite suggestion: Homer and Fielding – literary and sportif, all at once;
  • Take the names of the reigning Swedish monarch, Carl Gustaf, and his family, translate them into Portugeuse, and you get this list from Nomes e mais nomes: Madalena, Doroteia, Ingride, Bertil;
  • My favorite nymph name has always been Io, but this list from British Baby Names includes more than you can imagine;
  • Could Dax be the next big thing?  For Real just spotted him in Alaska.  He’s part-Dexter, part-Max, but very modern, too;
  • The list of birth announcements at Nameberry was just so much fun.  I spotted Caspian three times!

In celebrity news, both Natalie Portman and Josh Duggar welcomed sons this past week, and both declined to reveal their newborns’ names.  In Natalie’s case, it may be because she and husband Benjamin Millepied are adhering to the Jewish custom of first sharing their child’s name at his bris, eight days after birth.  As for the Duggars?  They’re hoping to lure us in for the big name reveal during tonight’s episode of their reality show.

Speculation about both families’ choices has been nonstop:

  • For young master Millepied, will it be AnakinOr maybe Alef?  Elisabeth guesses that it will likely be an A-name, which tracks with Jewish custom – Natalie’s dad is Avner, and while names are rarely repeated, initials often are;
  • On the small screen, Josh and Anna have announced that all of the grandduggars will wear M-names.  Big sis is Mackynize, so options suggested range from Michael to Maddox.  Or Maddyx.

Other notable birth announcements from the week include:

Last week’s Nameberry post was how to name a boy, Pinkett-Smith style; this week, it is the girls’ turn.  One of my favorite categories of names has to be unconventional ways to honor your loved ones, so this was really a thrill to write.

That’s all for this week.  As always, thank you for reading – and commenting!  The conversations here and on Facebook never fail to surprise and delight.

Sunday Summary: 5/29/11

Europastraße 29 number

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: Linda

Linda McCartney

Linda McCartney; Image by Antoon's Foobar via Flickr

She skyrocketed from obscurity to the #1 spot in the US.

Thanks to Kelly for this suggestion.  With a happy birthday to Nameberry co-founder Linda Rosenkrantz, our baby name of the day is Linda.

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Baby Name of the Day: Femke

West Frisians (Friesland and Province of Groni...

West Frisian flag; Image via Wikipedia

She’s a Top 20 pick in the Netherlands, and popular in Belgium, too.  But how would this one wear in the US?

Thanks to Emily of All in the Name for suggesting Femke as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Verona

Across the Rooftops (2) Verona, Italy

Verona by sminky_pinky100 (In and Out) via Flickr

It’s the fair city of Romeo and his Juliet.  How would it wear as a daughter’s name?

Thanks to Fran for suggesting Verona as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Sunday Summary: 3/27/11

0027_2

27 by Cappellmeister via Flickr

First, I’m incredibly excited to see who wins March Madness!  Thanks to everyone who voted so far, and if you have not, please remember to weigh in: Boys’ Final and Girls’ Final.

I thoroughly enjoyed compiling Rock’n'Roll Baby Names for Nameberry last week.  This week’s list is equally edgy.  Here’s a hint: Buffy is on the list.

Elsewhere:

  • I haven’t seen Just Go With It, but I’m fascinated by the names.  Nicole Kidman plays a not-so-nice character called Devlin.  Brooklyn Decker plays a girl named Palmer.  The 2011 film is based on a 1969 movie, which was based on an American adaptation of a French play.  Up until now, Palmer’s character called was Toni.  I’ve no idea why they opted for such an unconventional choice in the remake;
  • Swistle posted a reader question about the name Story.  Comments suggested Astoria as a formal name.  I’m torn – Astoria is an undeniably pretty sound, but have you been to Queens?  Then again, a less-than-idyllic setting hasn’t hurt Brooklyn;
  • Which leads us to Nancy’s note about baby boys named Travolta.  More than you’d think, less than you’d fear;
  • From Nomes e mais nomes: which do you prefer Carolina or Catarina?  It’s the kind of question that makes me want to say “twins!”
  • Step into the Wayback Machine.  In 2009, the featured name was Lana.  Last year, it was Orla;
  • I always enjoy her birth announcements, but this one really surprised me: For Real spotted an unusual combination, which just happens to be my cousin’s name;
  • She also spotted Jaxlen McCade, Riggen Joseph, Brawk David, and Dash Ayden.  Oh, and a Dollie Michelle.  I adore Dolly as a nickname for Dorothy, but I think it would be tough to answer to Dolly at 25.

On to Hollywood.  There’s been much chatter over Rachel Zoe’s new son’s name, Skyler Morrison.  It’s not the stylish choice I would have expected, but what really stunned me was a comment in New York Magazine.  The writer congratulated Rachel & Rodger on their healthy baby boy and “also for naming him normally. Baby names shouldn’t be trends.”

I’ll be curious to hear Rachel’s explanation for choosing the name.  Maybe she’ll have the kind of backstory that makes me regret every snarky thought I’ve had about her choice.

In other starbaby news:

  • The conversation of the week should really be this: How did Luca and Matteo become the sibset of moment?  Top Chef’s top chef Tom Colicchio and wife Lori welcomed a son, Mateo Lev.  Mateo joins big brothers Luka Bodhi and Dante at home.  Impeccable Italian heritage picks, right?  Masculine without going overboard, classic but not plain.  Last month, E’s Kristin Dos Santos welcomed a son, Matteo Tomaz, a little brother for Luca Alexander.  And Colin Firth and his wife Livia Guiggioli are parents to Luca and Mateo, too;
  • TLC’s Design Star Vern Yip welcomed a daughter, Vera Lillian Beatrix.  He and partner Craig Koch are also parents to son Gavin Joshua Mannox;
  • Quarterback Eli Manning is a first-time dad.  He and wife Abby welcomed a daughter, Ava Frances.

If you’re looking for more talk of celebrity births and general name talk, check out my Facebook page.

That’s all for this week.  As always, thank you for reading!

Baby Name of the Day: Humphrey

Screenshot of Humphrey Bogart from the trailer...

Image via Wikipedia

From a ninth century monk to a 21st century television show, with pit stops in Hollywood and the White House, this name has history aplenty.

Thanks to Paul for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day: Humphrey.

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Baby Name of the Day: Marlon

Marlon Brando Streetcar 1948 c

Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire; Image via Wikipedia

He’s a Hollywood legend, but his first name is a little fishy.

Thanks to Jennifer C. for suggesting Marlon as our Baby Name of the Day.

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