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After many an inquiry and a few nudges, it’s official: Appellation Mountain is now on Facebook.  There’s zero content, but should you stumble across the page, yup, it is the real deal.

Now, on to the name news!

Did anyone catch the baby name reference in Wednesday night’s Cougar Town?  I can’t find a link to back it up, but I’m certain Jules told her therapist she’d already picked out a name for the baby she and relatively new boyfriend Grayson are (hypothetically, theoretically) going to adopt: Arthur.

I also had an awful name nerd moment. A newly pregnant colleague of mine asked me about the most popular baby names of the moment.  As I rattled off Ava as a solid member of the Top Ten, her jaw dropped.  Yup, she thought she’d discovered the uncommon Ava.  I hate doing that to people, but then, I’d also hate to find out that my rare gem was shared by three other babies in the maternity ward, so I’m hoping she forgives me.

Elsewhere online:

• ForReal spotted some fascinating picks in Missouri. Avarie must be a respelling of Avery to combine elements of Ava, but my it looks awfully close to aviary.  But then, we’ve got boys called Cage;
• There’s also a Soyer in ForReal’s post, probably a respelling to attempt to prevent others from mispronouncing Sawyer.  I’m not sure that ever works;
• Speaking of names being butchered, Kristin Chase at Motherhood Uncensored blogged about the challenges of getting her family to spell her daughter’s name correctly: Margot.  Apparently, they’re inclined to drop the silent t;
• Madeline Holler responded at Babble, noting that her kids – Beatrice and Earl – face similar issues.  She also brings up the almighty mid-Atlantic accent, an affliction from which I will forever suffer;
• I don’t spend a lot of time at Dooce, but this forum thread is great: What baby name did you LOVE that your partner vetoed? Darwin – a name I’m working on for a post in the next few weeks – surfaced TWICE.  Cordelia seems to be quite popular, though;
• Nymbler has released their August stats. Finn debuted in the Top Ten favorite names, as if there were any doubt that he’s really, really popular.  They listed seven new names this time: Vesper, Xavi, Zaiden, Tenley, Jaxton, Sunniva, Eames. Xavi is a short form of Xavier – as in the soccer player from Barcelona, but I can imagine it being borrowed as a feminine form, too;
• The first day of fall means lists of autumnal appellations: Nameberry’s post included Jorah, Opal, and Ceres; Sebastiane inventively suggests apple names like Pomeline; and Elisabeth reprises her annual list at You Can’t Call It “It,” including exotics like Hazan;
• My favorite Nameberry post of the week: Nephele’s guest spot covering the rise of Greidys and Chastelyn;
• Some baby name books are amazing, others?  Not so much.  Check out the list of possible monikers culled from one collection by babynamelover. Academia?  Isabello?  Wow;
• This is pure fun: I love Nancy’s attempts to tabulate how many babies were named after recording artists.  Her latest?  Jodeci!

Just one starbaby note this week:

• Watch out, Peter Rabbit!  Soap star Bree Williamson named her newborn son McGreggor.

If you have a Baby Name of the Day request pending, my apologies for taking longer than usual (and I’m usually not quick to begin with) to respond.  Because I rely on a good ol’ fashioned dayplanner to schedule posts, I usually try not to go more than two months in advance.  But I’ve almost filled up December 2010, and I’m debating how to manage the growth in name suggestions.

Well, that, and I have yet to buy a 2011 dayplanner, so I can’t go into January even if I want to.

As always, I’m grateful for each and every idea submitted.  I would’ve stopped writing after three weeks if I had to keep thinking up names on my own.

Have a great week!