Tag Archives: Bob

Baby Name of the Day: Robert

Posted on
38
Director Chris Weitz (left), actress Kristen S...

Robert Pattinson; Image via Wikipedia

He was a Top Ten pick in the US for over a century, and the #1 name for fifteen years.  Today he’s fading, but a young Hollywood star might just bring him back.

Thanks to Heather for suggesting Robert as our Baby Name of the Day.

Continue reading →

Baby Name of the Day: Greil

Posted on
8
guitars

Guitars by Tuppus via Flickr

You might find this name on the pages of Rolling Stone or The Village Voice.  How would it look on your child’s birth certificate?

Thanks to Janelle for suggesting Greil as our Baby Name of the Day.

Continue reading →

Sunday Summary: 1/9/11

Posted on
12
number 9

Number 9 by Jon Tin Tin Jordan via Flickr

I had lunch with a mom-to-be friend of mine last week.  Dad has already veto’d her #1 pick for a son – Nehemiah – and she’s not on board with any of his ideas.  She’s not due for a few more weeks, but her doc is already murmuring things like “measuring big” and the pressure is mounting.  I’m going to share this great advice from Swistle with her: it isn’t about finding the perfect name, it is finding the name that most satisfies both parents – almost like averaging the parent’s scores.  (You give Nehemiah a 10; he gives it a 4.  That makes Nehemiah a 7.  The question is whether you can agree on a name that ranks an 8 or higher.)

Elsewhere online:

Plenty of famous folk announced their good news this week, including the arrivals of:

  • Kristoffer Polaha’s sonJude, a little brother for Kristoffer Jr. and Micah.  Mom is Julianne Morris;
  • Jason Schwartzman and wife Brady Cunningham went for the offbeat, choosing Marlowe Rivers.  Note to Natalie Portman and other pregnant celebs – Carlo/Carlow/Carlowe is still available;
  • What do a pair of news anchors name their son?  Carter Evans and Courtney Friel went with Cash Hudson.  To the best of my knowledge, neither covers Wall Street or Metro New York;
  • Top Chef alum Nikki Cascone will be pureeing lots of veggies in about six months.  She’s a new mom to Jackson Robert.  Cascone said that the tot’s name came from Sons of Anarchy.  Great show, but I’m partial to the name worn by Jax Teller’s son – Abel;
  • And, of course, there’s a new member of the royal family.  No official announcement has been made, but prayers were offered for Peter and Autumn Philips and their new daughter Savannah.

Speaking of congratulations, let’s end on a high note: you can now buy the first eBook from Nancy Man, Strong Boy Names.  Based on the preview, it isn’t so much a list of Gunnar/Cannon/Slade as much as it analyzes more conventional masculine choices that are rarely borrowed by Team Pink.  Actually, this might be the baby shower gift I give to my friend who won’t be naming her son Nehemiah …

That’s all for today.  As always, thank you for reading, and have a fabulous week!

Baby Name of the Day: Zipporah

Posted on
29

There’s Zoe and Zachary, Zadie and Zane.  But this Z-name has been overlooked.

Thanks to Charlotte for suggesting the name of her niece as Baby Name of the Day: Zipporah.  (Great minds think alike: Kelly suggested it just a few days later!)

Continue reading →

Sunday Summary: Happy Fourth of July!

Posted on
13

For those of you in the US, Happy Independence Day!  There will be no Baby Name of the Day on Monday, but national-holiday/great-excuse-for-a-cookout or no, I couldn’t let a Sunday go past without the news.

I’m going to flip the starbaby info to the top.  If you recognize Diego Luna, he of Milk and Y tu mamá también, you might know that his firstborn with actress Camila Sodi is a son called Jerónimo.  I don’t know how that reads in Luna’s native Mexico, but if he were better known in the US, I can’t help imagine the name appearing on lists of wacky celeb baby names, sandwiched between Dweezil and Apple.

Anyhow, their new daughter is Fiona, named after his late mother, costume designer Fiona Alexander.  And nope, Fiona isn’t a traditional Mexican choice; mom was English.  But I’m intrigued – will we see lots of little Latina Fionas? Shrek’s ogre princess helped propel Fiona to #312 in 2009.  It wouldn’t take much to push her into the Top 100.

Moving on:

  • Celebrities aren’t the only ones to bestow outlandish appellations on their young.  Russell Ash has compiled a book listing names like Hysteria, Wanton, Frisby and Fizzy;
  • You may have come across this story elsewhere:  The population of Northumberland is plus one with the recent arrival of Meggie Maisie Lady Gaga.  Is the weirdest thing: a) the baby’s name, full stop: b) the fact that Meggie’s four year old sis Maddy chose the name; or, d) that a four year old is fan of Lady Gaga.  My vote is d.  Daffy names abound, but since when do kids barely out of pull-ups listen to electropop?;
  • Apparently Meggie’s middle doesn’t make her unique.  This article claims that an Irish family put Lady Gaga in the first spot, while other families chose Usher, Brad Pitt and Beyonce.  Most Irish newborns, happily, are still being called Jack and Sophie;
  • Would Lady Gaga make the cut in Sweden?  Check out Mental Floss’ listing of countries with name restriction laws. Names that have been rejected across the globe include Monkey and Veranda.  Names that have passed muster include Legolas, Nemo and Benson and Hedges, for a set of twins.  Smokin’;
  • Here’s one from For Real Baby Names that would wear nicely: Mariposa.  She spotted a Portia Laverne, a Zoeeve Catherine and Rece Nathaniel in Florida.  Zoeeve is one of the more intriguing smooshes I’ve seen recently.  It’s hard on the eyes, but the sound is pretty.  I don’t get Rece.  Rhys, yes.  Reese and Reece, fine.  But Rece looks like something is missing;
  • I loved Laura Wattenberg’s Stealth Names post.  Check out the boys’ list here and girls’ list here.  She also makes a nice point about certain choices, like Blaze/Blaise. While Peyton and Payton probably appeal to the same parents and the debate is about the spelling.  In other cases, they’re really separate names;
  • Speaking of creative spellings, it would be forgivable if someone thought you’d twisted a word to arrive at the appellation Erlea for your new daughter.  But if you read Sebastiane’s blog, you’ll know it’s a Basque name pronounced er LEH ah, and means bee.  Far more interesting than Deborah.  Just don’t name her brother Layte;
  • Could Maylee be the next Kaylie/Hayley?  For Real spotted one in Washington.

Here are two questions to mull over while you watch the fireworks:

Lastly, this has GOT to the be the Most Fun Mash-up.  You’ve been following Elisabeth’s Ohdeedoh baby name lists, right?  Because where else can you find kids called Beckett, Enzo and Ruthie Sue?  Ohdeedoh noticed!

That’s all for now.  Have a great week, and as always, thank you for being here!

Baby Name of the Day: Dylan

Posted on
17

An American icon and a 90s heartthrob helped propel this poetic choice into the US Top 50.

Thanks to Urban Angel for suggesting Dylan as Baby Name of the Day.

Continue reading →

Name of the Day: Sasha

Posted on
11

She’s at home in the White House.  He’s a widely-recognized celebritot.

Thanks to Kelly for suggesting the surprisingly gender-neutral Sasha as Name of the Day.

Continue reading →

Sunday Summary: 5/17/09

Posted on
5
She’s yet to crack the Top 1000, but could she be the next Isabella?  Friends of friends recently welcomed their second child – a daughter called Esme, 2008′s most popular search name at AppMtn.  What’s more, their firstborn is called Finn, 2008′s second most popular search name for boys here.
In Namespotting News:
  • My mother recently dropped me an email about a colleague’s new son.  His middle name is Hades.  And no, it isn’t a family name that just happens to sound like the dark lord of the underworld.  The colleague informed my mother that they chose the middle name because it means dark lord of the underworld.  Wonder if they’ll want to reconsider their choice during the terrible twos?
  • Photoquilty reports coming across a girl called Asher, another girl called Morrissey and a third named Brennan, plus a boy named Bey.
  • The cover story for this issue of Washington Parent is all about baby names, and included an interview with a mom who named her four girls Tse Iris, Sloane Ivy, Blake Ocean and Chase Blossom.  I love Sloane Ivy.  Chase Blossom sounds like a command.  Tse Iris seems unnecessarily complicated – Tse is pronounced “Say” – and yet strangely appealing.  The mom goes on to note that “On paper – with the middle initial – my girls can be any American.  Their names give them the choice to say if they are female.”
Each snippet is really about the same thing – the urge to give our children distinctive names.  It’s obviously something I think about, too, and yet I can’t help but notice that we so fall short – Tse, Blake and Chase, with that “ay” vowel sound – don’t really stand out too far from Grace, Kate and Jayden.  Now that Chloe is in the Top Ten, Clio sounds downright ordinary, too.
A few other thoughtful posts:
A few celeb notes:
  • Actor James Gaffigan and wife Jeannie welcomed daughter Katie Louise.  He’s already the proud papa to son Jack and daughter Marre.  Anyone know anything about Marre?  It’s an interesting pick – I don’t think I’ve heard it before;
  • Comedian Wanda Sykes and her wife Alex welcomed twins Olivia Lou and Lucas Claude; 
  • I’m fairly certain that I heard an interview with Charlie Sheen about his twin boys, in which he noted that his sons are named Max and Bob – not Maxwell and Robert or Robinson and Maximillian or … you get the idea.
It’s not exactly name news, but I recently spotted an obituary for Venetia Phair – the only woman to ever name a planet.  Hearkening back to my earlier mention of Hades, she’s the person who christened Pluto. 
Thanks for reading!

Sunday Summary: 3/29/09

Posted on
8

We baptized our daughter this morning.  I mention this for two reasons:  first, even though our priest has baptized plenty of Jaydens and Ashleys without complaint, I’ll admit it was nice to have a saints’ name for our daughter’s baptismal certificate.

Second, my daughter’s godmother is named Sheryll.  As soon as the priest handed over the baptismal certificate to check for typos, her eyes immediately went to her name – she knew it would almost certainly be spelled wrong.  (And it was.  Even though I’d carefully spelled it for the church secretary.)  The year she was born, Cheryl ranked #49 and Sheryl #246.  But Sheryll is pretty unusual.

I can only imagine how all those little McKaylas and Mikaylahs are going to feel in twenty years.

On to the round-up:

  • First, file this under fun games to play: Elisabeth at You Can’t Call It “It”  has a post called Complete the Celebrity Sibset inviting us to imagine what expectant star couples will name their next.  It’s a diverting list.  I mean, how will Kimora Lee Simmons follow up her two daughters’ names?  Will Nicole Richie and Joel Madden name Harlow’s little sister or brother something surnamey, too?  Alicia’s guesses in the comments are worth reading, too;
  • Laura Wattenberg’s Namipedia allows users to add new baby names.  Now she’s also going to occasionally allow users to vote yea or nay – not to indicate whether we like the submissions, but whether we consider them legitimate.  It’s an interesting puzzle.  I could name a child Lorvornyxia, but does it really belong in a baby name book if I just made it up?  The only catch is that you’ll have to sign up for Twitter to vote;
  • In an interview, Martin Sheen referred to his new grandsons as Max and Robert – yes, Robert, not just Bob!  I’ll admit that I’m relieved for baby Bob;
  • Real World: New Orleans alum Melissa Howard Beck and her husband Justin welcomed a daughter named Shalom Mazie.  I like the sound of Shalom – and the meaning peace – but I can’t shake the idea that it is a smidge like naming your baby Hello;
  • E! News correspondent Kristin Dos Santos is running a poll about her baby-to-be’s gender and date of arrival.  Apparently she and her husband are still undecided about the baby’s name, too, so you can make suggestions in the comments;
  • Daddy Types ran a list of names heard at the zoo, including a girl called Beckett – and another named Rainbow Bright.  Really;
  • I’ve never watched soap opera Guiding Light, but actor Daniel Cosgrove has an appealing baby naming style.  He and his wife have just welcomed Finnian Jack, and the couple also has Lily, Esme Rose and Ruby Willow.

That’s all for this week!  Thanks for reading.

    Starbaby News: Max and Bob

    Posted on
    6

    Apparently, Charlie Sheen’s twin sons have arrived.  Wife Brooke Mueller and both boys are doing well.

    Naming a baby Max is no shocker – J. Lo and Christina Aguilera already chose it for their sons, to say nothing of the countless real boys who wear the appellation.  (Max ranked #141 in 2007.  Add in Maxwell, Maximilian, Maximus, Maxim, Maximo and that’s about 5600 new kids called Max in ’07 alone.)

    But Access Hollywood is reporting that Max’s brother is named Bob.  Just Bob.  

    The venerable Robert ranked #47 in 2007, with Roberto coming in at #218.  Even Bobby was bestowed upon around 500 newborn boys.  But Bob?  Nope.  He didn’t chart at all.

    While nickname names like Jack, Luke, Gus and Max are often used alone, Bob seems incomplete.  Factor in that Charlie’s daughter is Sam and it seems downright confusing.

    It is possible that little Bob is actually Robert.  Or, hey, something else entirely.  But for the moment, I’m scratching my head.