Sunday Summary: 4/4/10

Happy Easter!  I’m organizing our neighborhood egg hunt today.  Somehow I’d lost count of how many kids have moved in/been born in recent weeks, and so I ended up filling 120 eggs last night.

Which is why this post is later than usual.  It’s also why I didn’t catch the fact that I’d set Hannelore to post on the wrong day.  Sorry ’bout that – she’ll be back as Baby Name of the Day tomorrow, 4/5.

In other, better organized corners of the blogosphere:

  • Elisabeth at You Can’t Call It “It” and Pam and Linda at Namberry offer up lists of names for children born on Easter.  Some true rarities appear on the two lists: Ostara, Lissa, Nicodemus.  But me?  If I actually gave birth to a daughter on the holiday itself, I think I might just name my little Cadbury bunny Easter;
  • Speaking of Nameberry’s Pam, did you catch her fabulous list of Top 50 Hot Names of the Future on The Daily Beast?  There he is, on the boys’ list – my beloved Huxley.  Plus Dante, Nico, Beau and Asa.  It’s official – I’m not nearly as original as I thought I was;
  • More proof!  Over at 7×7.com, an article on The Frisco Kid pegs Huxley as a liberal Mission District name, along with Calder and Coyote, while Cow Hollow – my youngest sister’s former stomping grounds – is home to kids called Boden, Webb and Grace;
  • CafeMom’s The Stir has Archie profiled as a Baby Name of the Day;
  • Over at Legit Baby Names, there’s the pretty Dainora, plus Nissan isn’t just an import.  He’s a Hebrew given name, too;
  • Laney Russell‘s mom wouldn’t be here if not for the two paramedics who saved her life – and inspired her name;
  • Names4Real spotted a newborn Coco Imogen in Australia. Is Imogene Coca unknown down under, or is little Coco in for a lifetime of wishing her parents had gone with Isobel or Evangeline;
  • Of course, Coco Imogen is nuthin’ compared to Tequila Marie, also via For Real. Pretty sound, yes.  And girls are called Brandy.  I once met an Amtrak bartender called Champagne.  (True story.)  While I don’t think unusual names are necessarily burdensome, I do think Tequila is … well, not the best choice;
  • ParentCentral Canada profiles a baby called Cedric Xavier – a name that seems weird to parents, to the post-Harry Potter generation will probably seem effortlessly cool;
  • Laura Wattenberg’s post on The New Belle Epoque was interesting – and she’s quite right.  I can imagine Elizabella catching on in a big way.  But Sarabella?  Maybe if she grows up to be a brain surgeon.

In all things related to the glamorous set:

In other news, a few days ago a blogger called Crystal wrote “It looks like the ‘hot’ baby names right now aren’t as Twilight-centric as they were last year (thank GOD, there is nothing creepier than naming your baby Esme, people).”  She’s not yet a mom herself, and that’s what interests me.

I don’t think there’s much connection between the rise of Esme and the Twilight novels.  And the rise of Esme is so far a quiet event – I know two, but both were inspired more by JD Salinger than Stephenie Meyer.  And both predate most of the Twilight hysteria.  So does Michael J. Fox and Tracey Pollan’s youngest daughter, Esme Annabelle, born in 2001.

As of 2008, Esme remains outside of the US Top 1000.  The average person might connect the vamp matriarch and your little girl, even if you were blissfully unaware of the story until after you’d signed the birth certificate.  Edward, on the other hand, could make a big jump thanks to the vampire of the moment.  But he’s such a classic that it probably won’t register for anyone outside of a few baby naming sites.

And that, dear readers, is why I’m so glad you’re here.  Have a fabulous week!

Baby Name of the Day: Beau

He’s an old school fashionista, a gambler and a Southern gentleman, too.

Today’s Baby Name of the Day is Beau.

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Sunday Summary: 3/28/10

Yesterday morning was The Great Magruder Park Egg Hunt in our town.  The kids were there for candy; I was there to listen for names: Jonah, Nora, Dorothy, Caroline, Clara, Seamus, Ellis, a pair of Abigails, Zora, Micah, Carsten, Jackson.  There was also a mom toting an Orla Kiely bag, but I seem to recall that her kids’ names aren’t quite as surprising.

Speaking of Orla and surprises, here’s a new one: I wrote about Orla a few days ago.  The post felt familiar, but that happens sometimes.  This has never happened: I’d actually written an entire Orla post in September 2008. It’s pretty much the same … except not.

In other news:

In starbaby news, all via Celebrity Baby Blog:

Think it is weird to name your kid Kimora?  Nancy tells us that back in the 1930s and 40s, at least a few dozen parents named their kids in honor of Kay Kyser, bandleader and radio host. Kyser responded by sending out a commemorative gift.  Hmmm … if I named my daughter Orla, would I be able to snag one of those bags?

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

Sunday Summary: 3/1/09

Just when it looked like spring was here, what with the crocuses and actually walking the kids to school without a jacket one morning, what’s in the forecast?  EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW.  

If you, too, are enduring winter’s last gasp, park your toddler in front of the television and entertain yourself with these links:

  • How’s your French?  Mine is middling, but good enough to play this game: Connaissez-vous les prénoms des enfants de stars?  Here’s a hint – the French for “was conceived” is apparently l’auraient conçu.  Don’t say I never taught you anything.  :)  And thanks to Pam at Nameberry for the link!
  • Speaking of Nameberry, their post on Q names has me a little bit in love with Quilla
  • Over at Baby Name Wizard, Laura Wattenberg suggests that the ends-in-gan names could be the Next Big Thing.  I’ve been a big fan of Madigan – as in the tragic tightrope walker Elvira Madigan – for years, but in the Madison/Madeleine/Maddasynne era, I cannot imagine using the name.
  • British golfer Justin Rose and his wife Kate welcomed their son Leo last week.  I don’t follow any golf that doesn’t involve miniature windmills, but I thought it was a nice excuse to link to Xanthe Linnea’s post on Leo and Company.
  • Grey’s Anatomy actress Chyler Leigh announced that she will name her daughter-to-be Aniston Kay.  Her first two are son Noah and daughter Taelyn.  Aniston does not currently rank in the US Top 1000 (nor do Chyler and Taelyn).  Wonder if she’ll chart in 2009?
  • I spent Fat Tuesday thinking that I need to get a goldfish tank, stat.  Because ever since Elisabeth’s post on Mardi Gras names, I need to name something Ghislaine.
  • Lastly, the final Spice Girl to embrace her maternal side chose a rather tame name for her daughter:  Scarlet.  Melanie Chisolm - a.k.a Sporty – brings the baby count to 8.  There’s also Victoria Beckham’s boys Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz; Melanie Brown’s daughters Phoenix Chi and Angel Iris; Emma’s Bunton’s son Beau; and Geri Haliwell’s daughter Bluebell Madonna.

Stay warm!

Predictions for 2009

With just hours left in 2008, here are the official ApMtn baby name predictions for 2009.

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Starbaby Round-up: Marlo, Beau and Isabella

Despite our addiction to Celebrity Baby Blog, we don’t attempt to cover every starbaby to arrive.  That’s their gig, and they’re brilliant about it.  But we couldn’t help notice a flurry of interesting name announcements on the heels of Sunny Madeline yesterday.  Just in case you missed them, here they are:

  • Actor Rob Corddry, best known as a correspondent on the Daily Show, and his wife welcomed Marlo Stevenson Corddry.  She’s the second daughter for the couple; big sister Sloane Sullivan Corddry is two.  We only know of one other Marlo – actress Marlo Thomas, born Margaret – but we think it’s an interesting, appealing name with a modern, but still feminine, vibe.
  • British model Louise Redknapp and her husband announced the name of their second son – Beau Henry.  We’re not sure how Beau reads in the UK, but we find him an interesting choice, and like the pairing with the classic Henry in the middle spot.  Big brother is Charley William.
  • American Idol alum and country singer Josh Gracin and his wife welcomed a fourth child – daughter Isabella Sophia.  She’ll join Briana, Landon and Gabriella at home.  It’s hard to argue with the classic Isabella, but what really dazzles us is that we continue to hear so many parents choosing this name.

It’s a real baby boom these days!

 

Simple, Sweet and Stuck in the Middle

We’ve written about middle names before.  But today, we’ve decided to offer a fairly simple list for your consideration.

While many of these are gender neutral, this list was compiled with girls in mind.  For decades, parents have stuffed an unimaginative Anne or Lynne between the first and last names.  More recently, Grace and Rose have become the most common answers to the riddle of the middle.

Many fabulous pairings do not require a single-syllable middle name.  We love unexpected combinations like Mary Veronica or Alice Zenobia.  But if you find that keeping it simple is more your style, read on.

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Alphabet: B is for Boys

Yes, B is quite literally for boy.

But we’re not just spelling it out here on ApMtn. Or maybe we are.

We’re talking about a few underused, less considered names for baby boys that all happen to begin with the letter B.

Here goes … Continue reading

Substitute: Isabella

Let’s say you’ve always loved the name Isabella. You’re not alone. Back in 1992, when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman chose it for their daughter, the name was a comfortably obscure choice – #487 in the US. In fact, from 1949 to 1989, it was not even in the Top 1000. But it gained steadily throughout the 90s, and by 2006, it was the fourth most popular name given to baby girls born in the US.

And let’s not forget Isabelle (#85), Isabel (#87), Izabella (#290), Isabela (#470) and Isabell (#724). And with Bella (#181) and Ella (#21) hot choices themselves, using a nickname won’t help your daughter stand out from the hordes of same-named girls.

The only alternative is to find one.

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