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: Christian
Baby Name of the Day: Willow
Willow tree in Magdalene College Garden, Cambridge; Image via Wikipedia
She’s a nature name gone Hollywood.
Thanks to Nicole for suggesting Willow as our Baby Name of the Day.
Sunday Summary: 9/18/10
Image by hansco via Flickr
Let’s begin with a random, rag-tag assortment of thoughts sparked by the arrival of a boy called Buddy Bear Maurice:
- Bewildertrix listed a bunch of possible names for the littlest Oliver, including Tex. I was just musing that Tex (and Texas and Texan) don’t seem to pop up much as baby names, despite their -x factor, don’t-mess-with-me rugged appeal, and iconic place name status. Dixie Chick Emily Robison did give the middle name to her daughter, Julianna Tex, back in 2005. Nancy tells us that 10 boys were called Tex in 2009, plus another 11 named Texas. Dallas, on the other hand, has appeared in the Top 1000 every year since 1800;
- But back to Buddy, the given name of the new arrival. Yes, we know that the English have been busy naming their kids Alfie and Charlie, and plenty of American parents have embraced the nickname trend, too. But most famous Buddys were born something else. Comedian Buddy Hackett was born Leonard. Rocker Buddy Holly was Charles. And Buddy Ebsen, who went from The Beverly Hillbilles to Barnaby Jones, was born Christian;
- Will Farrell’s character in Elf, however, was Buddy. So was Bill Clinton’s dog while he was in office;
- And let’s close with the Buddy Bears – peace, love, and understanding through ginormous bear sculptures painted to represent all the countries recognized by the U.N. They’re on exhibit in Helsinki now, if you’re eager to see them in person.
It’s not as if I expected Jamie and Jools to call their new kiddo Edward, but this one sparked more hmmm … than the usual unusual starbaby name. At least for me.
Let’s continue with the celebrity news:
- Big Kenny, of country music duo Big & Rich, and wife Christiev have adopted a son, Dakota, a little brother for Lincoln;
- Actor Patrick Fabian welcomed a daughter, Abbey Ray. The purist in me feels compelled to say that an abbey is a convent or monastery; Abby is a given name. But I’m seeing Abbey more and more, so I suppose it’s no more objectionable than Kelley, Carlee, or Tracie.
Elsewhere online:
- If you go into labor at a fish and chips joint called Harry Ramsden’s, then naming your son Harrison seems logical, right?
- I’ve written about the rise of Maylee before, but ForReal spotted a Daylee Katherine. And a Haddilee Rose, which must be a Hadley/Natalie mash-up;
- I don’t always agree with Swistle, but her analysis of Evelyn and commentary on name popularity is spot on;
- Sebastiane mentioned Thelma a few days ago. Despite the road-trip-gone-awry-girl-power of blockbuster buddy flick Thelma and Louise, Thelma seems more moldering than antique, but I do think she’s underrated;
- Kate of My Kids Eat Off the Floor made a very smart comment on nicknames. She was specifically thinking of the perils of Persephone, but I do think her 1% guideline is a good one for any parent attempting to bestow a longer moniker without using a nickname;
- New ABC drama No Ordinary Family includes a teenaged daughter called Daphne. If the show is a fraction as successful as Michael Chiklis’ last venture, this could cement Daphne as the new Zoe;
- Speaking of television, will the latest version of assassin Nikita’s tale convince parents to adopt it for their daughters? Despite Nikita’s masculine origins, in English, the name is inevitably viewed as feminine. Make that in French, too – Luc Besson’s 1990 film kick-started the juvenile delinquent-turned-secret-agent franchise. Elton John had a hit single about another female Nikita in 1985. Nicole has been on the decline for years. Incidentally, Paris Hilton’s little sis Nicky is actually named the even-more masculine Nicholai.
Lastly, I haven’t checked to see if it is on the shelves at my local Target, but I’m wondering if Temple St. Clair’s jewelry collection for the mega-retailer will boost the unusual name’s usage.
That’s all for this week, but as always thank you for reading, commenting, and name-spotting along with me!
In Reserve: Possible Names for a Second Son
Even before the pregnancy test came back positive, I had a strong sense that our second child was a girl.
Intuition didn’t stop me from discussing boys’ names with Arthur. So much that he finally insisted that we wait until the ultrasound, at which point it was moot. Claire Caroline Wren – Clio – was on her way.
Our firstborn is Alexander Arthur, after my father-in-law Alexander, my grandfather Arthur and, of course, Arthur. There just wasn’t a clear choice for a second boys’ name. Plus, I always feel like we flubbed his nickname – though he wears Aly fine. Our list for a second daughter is well thought out, but a boy?
We would have figured something out. I think.
Name of the Day: Tristan
He’s a noble knight and a lovestruck swain, brought to our attention by the silver screen. Is it any wonder he’s so popular?
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Tristan as Name of the Day.
Sunday Summary: 3/7/10
First, thanks to Pam and Linda at Nameberry for running my guest post on Movie Award Names: Looking beyond Oscar. Lilia, Magali, Denholm, Tahar … I could’ve gone on for pages.
Speaking of winners, whilst channel surfing earlier this week, I caught an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras featuring BFFs turned rivals, Jacee and Mayce. I like Macy, but find Jaycee a touch too civic to wear. But here’s the thing – neither of those spellings immediately suggests the correct sound. I think I’d say JAH see and mace, like the weapon, except that I can guess what they’re meant to be. Maycee, sure. Jaycie, okay. But Jacee and Mayce, IMHO, fail some essential test about phonetic transparency.
Not that that’s anything new.
And of course, I watched the two-part special episode of The Office just to hear the baby’s name. Pam and Jim Halpert are now parents to Cecilia Marie. Cecilia ranked #270 in 2008, and seemed to have plateau’d. I suspect she’ll rise in 2010, because even though Nancy’s advice to Turn Off Your TV When Choosing Bad Names is sound, pop culture is powerful.
Elsewhere online:
- Momlogic posted their list of 8 illegal baby names. Most of them are international violations of various codes – I suppose you could name your baby Metallica in the US. Heck, someone probably already has;
- Speaking of illegal names and heavy metal, a bitsy Québécois baby gets to keep her umlaut. New mom Kriystal – not a typo – decided that she wanted to make #19 name Zoé more unique with a gratuitous diacritical mark. So she called her newborn babe Zöé and ran afoul of those crazy Canadian authorities who think that diacritical marks should indicate how to pronounce a name, not simply be strung on like so many Mardi Gras beads. Kriystal won, and can look forward to years of explaining to the insurance company and school registrar precisely how to spell Zöé;
- Also in Canada, parents settled on the name Porsha, but insist it isn’t for the Shakespeare or the car. The spelling Portia was dismissed because “it looked like a witch name.” Here’s hoping Porsha grows up to be a lit major and discovers that Portia is actually the quick-witted woman who saves Antonio’s life when everyone else falls short – and a worthy namesake if ever one was;
- Nancy asks how similar should twin names be? I voted, then visited the Social Security Administration’s Top 100 list of twin names. Most strike me as on the edge of being too close: Jacob and Joshua, the #1 combo, are fine. But #5 pair Taylor and Tyler, #25 pair Christian and Christopher and #75 duo Heaven and Nevaeh all seem much too much. I prefer sets like #33 Benjamin and Samuel or #35 Abigail and Emma - the names have similar styles, but it is clear that each child is an individual, not one half of novelty salt’n'pepper shakers;
- For Real Baby Names spots a lot of interesting names, but here’s one that baffles me: Gossip Anthony. There must be a story there. The girl name Loyalty Justice – also spotted this week – seems tame by comparison;
- If you prefer meaningful names with a more subtle style, Sebastiane brings us the lovely Honorine. Also the Russian Lara;
- Road trippers might appreciate this one – For Real spotted a boy saddled with the name Soul-Ryder Prescott, to be called Ryder, which isn’t so unusual. But his brother’s name? Truck;
- All of a sudden, I love Aidan. At least for this couple. Dad Daniel and mom Ailene settled on Aidan because it combines the first syllables of their names. Clever;
- Nymbler stats are out for February 2010! No surprises in the Top Ten favorite names: Charlotte, Ava, Amelia, Grace, Ella, Audrey, Oliver, Jack, Benjamin and Henry. But the four brand new names quite eye-popping:
- Siri – An intriguing twist on Sigrid and Signe, but where did she come from? I’m missing something!
- Baylor – Are there really that many Bears alumni out there? Or is this a riff on Taylor?
- Emersyn – Okay, this one isn’t a shocker. She fits with Addisyn et. al.;
- Wednesday – As in Addams?
Here’s the starbaby news, via Celebrity Baby Blog:
- Country Music’s Little Big Town Band members Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook are new parents to a son, Elijah Daniel;
- Jenna Elfman welcomed a second son, Easton Quinn Monroe, a little brother for Story Elias;
- Joey Lawrence welcomed new daughter Liberty Grace, a sister for Charleston;
- Keyshia Cole welcomed a son named Daniel Hiram, Jr.;
- Christina Milian and The Dream welcomed their daughter, Violet Madison;
- Jamie Oliver and wife Jools are expecting baby #4. With three daughters called Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom Rainbow, well … let’s just say I am eagerly expecting their new arrival!
Drumroll please! It’s time to enter the 5th Annual Baby Name Wizard 2009 Baby Name Pool! Guess three fastest rising and three fastest falling names and win bragging rights. Serious bragging rights. Entries are due April 15.
That’s all for this week – thanks for reading!
Name of the Day: Christian
Nevaeh strikes many as too religious. Ditto old school Biblical picks like Hezekiah or extreme virtue names like Prudence. But this choice is surprisingly mainstream.
Thanks to Shannon for suggesting Christian as Name of the Day.
Name of the Day: Satine
An ill-fated silver screen courtesan wore it first, but it didn’t take long for real life children to follow.
Thanks to Hanalise for suggesting Satine as Name of the Day.
Sunday Summary: 11/8/09
So not only did SJP and Matthew Broderick have twins, they’ve generated double the press with their name choices.
First came the announcement that the girls were named Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge. Which was followed by chatter about how Marion and Tabitha were mismatched, and wasn’t it unfair that poor Tabitha had just two given names?
Now we learn that SJP and Matthew Broderick call their girls Loretta and Tabitha - and that firstborn James Wilkie was responsible for choosing the name Marion. And he was wily enough to insist that it be legal, which is why the parents put Marion first, rather than tucking her in the middle. (Weigh in on Yea or Nay: Loretta here. So far, opinion is split pretty evenly.)
When I asked Aly what he wanted to name his pterodactyl (no, not a real one. This isn’t Torchwood), he told me December. Which I find strangely appealing. Nonetheless, I’m glad we didn’t let him (seriously) weigh in on his sister’s name.
In other starbaby news:
- Jane Carrey has announced that her dad, funnyman Jim Carrey is about to be a grandpa. Apparently, Jane and boyfriend Alex Santana have already settled on the name Jackson Riley;
- Alicia Minshew of All My Children welcomed a daughter, Willow Lenora;
- Layla Kayleigh, host of America’s Best Dance Crew, and Steve Corvino, of Sirius Radio, announced the birth of a daughter, Melody Rain;
- Model Karolina Kurkova is new mom to son Tobin Jack;
- Footballer Wayne Rooney and wife Colleen are the parents of a son, Kai Wayne;
- And, of course, Mel Gibson is a father for the EIGHTH time. He and girlfriend welcomed daughter Lucia. Mel’s first seven kids are Hannah, Edward, Christian, William, Louis, Milo and Thomas.
Elsewhere online:
- I love the Nymbler stats! October’s Top Ten is as follows: Charlotte, Ava, Amelia, Benjamin, Ella, Grace, Jack, Finn, Oliver and Abigail. And the Top Five brand new names? It’s quite the celeb-driven list: Sparrow, Anniston, Huckleberry, October and Pixie;
- Remind me to take Nancy along the next time I’m facing a long drive somewhere. She’s traveling the highways and by-ways of Mississippi while reading the phone book to spot unusual real names! Her lists are fascinating – check out the sixth in the series here, and follow the links back. You just know there are stories behind names like Jaston, Tavarius and Hacksaw. Plus she’s discovered several people with the name Toxie;
- Wladimir Lyra of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg is pushing to give names to the known exoplanets. (Hat tip to Language Log.) Scientists are discovering planets outside of the solar system at a gallop – they’re at 400 and counting. The sage fonts of wisdom at the International Astronomical Union feel that it would be impractical to name them all. Instead, they assign strings of numbers and letters. Too bad – I know we could all put our heads together and name 400 planets in no time – Jaston, Tavarius and Hacksaw are all available;
- Over at For Real Baby Names, there’s mention of a British Minne Jane Snoo. Please, please, please let Snoo be a family name and not a clever twist on Boo. In happier news, her list also includes a Hero Charlotte Moranna and a Flora Isabella Minette;
- While I’m spotting trends that trouble me, Bewildertrix brings us Xzavia Paul William. But there’s also a Serena Alice Louisa, little sister to Verity. And I’ve seen Verity in a few other BAs recently;
- Lastly, check out Elisabeth’s post on Country baby names over at You Can’t Call It “It”. While not all of these conjure up haystacks and John Deere for me, maybe that’s because I’m already hearing them on kids inside the DC Beltway – Clio has classmates called Mabel and Ida, and I know fashion-forward urbaniste parents with offspring answering to Polly, Earl and Roscoe;
- A year ago, I wrote about Matilda and Luke.
That’s all for this week – as always, thanks for reading.
Sunday Summary: 5/31/2009
First up, we’re expecting … three baby bluebirds. The mama has built a nest in the tiny herb garden Arthur latched onto our postage-stamp sized balcony. Since they’re growing amongst our herbs, I’m calling the three eggs Basil, Coriander and Rosemary. I’ve been trying to talk to Mama Bird about names, but she’s not interested.
On to news about naming human babies:
- This week’s Toronto Star profile couple named their daughter Zaphyn Athena. On the one hand, I find Zaphyn eye-poppingly bizarre. On the other hand, plenty of parents say they want something original and unlikely to be shared by another child, only to end up calling their kids Makenzi or Ava Rose or Jaidyn. At least this duo actually landed on something truly unusual;
- Also from the Department of the Eye-Poppingly Strange: Yes, My Chemical Romance’s lead singer named his little one Bandit Lee. Yes, he could’ve gone with Helena. Yes, we’ll all be waiting for a quiet little announcement 23 years from now that Bandit Way has petitioned the courts to be known as Barbara. Or not;
- Hip-hop and R&B artist T-Pain welcomed a son named Kaydnz Kodah. I’ll admit that I love Kodah. But Kaydnz? Yikes! Older sibs are Lyriq and Muziq;
- On the other hand, Family Matters and Celebrity Rehab alum Jaimee Foxworth welcomed a son. Her little guy was given the stunning normal name Michael Douglas Shaw, Jr., after dad;
- Trendier, but still nicely restrained, former ER star Parminder Nagra welcomed Kai David;
- No word yet on a name, but Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou welcomed a son. I can only imagine that the mother of Ming Lee and Aoki Lee will not disappoint with her next baby name pick;
- And while he’s not a baby, anyone else wondering if recent third time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves will inspire parents?
Out here in the non-celebrity-studded ‘burbs of Washington D.C.:
- Friends of ours welcomed Maeve, a little sister for Ailis;
- I discovered that my son’s classmate India has a big brother named Miles;
- And I had a chance to quiz the mom of two year-old Carsten about her pick. As I suspected, they liked it because her first name is Carrie. But it also fit with a family tradition – her husband’s middle name is Christopher. (Carsten is related to Christian, so it links up in a nicely subtle way.)
A few posts you might’ve missed:
- My shameless addiction, Celebrity Baby Blog, did a brief article on nicknames versus formal names, citing Victoria Recaño’s Maximilienne, nn Emme; Amy Poehler & Will Arnett’s Archibald, nn Archie and Amanda Peet’s Frances, nn Frankie;
- Over at Nameberry, Linda wrote about some Hidden Gems – names that rank in the US Top 1000, but not too high. I loved Seamus, Cassius, Libby and Marin.
- Also at Nameberry, Pam posted a list of possible Names for Twins using the most subtle of links – two names that are distinct, but share the same meaning. She had some great suggestions, like Esme and Imogen, both meaning beloved, or Asher and Felix, both meaning happy.
While I’m on a Nameberry kick, remember that we’re a mere 23 days away from the release of Beyond Ava and Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby. I realize there won’t be Harry Potter-esque lines and midnight release parties, but I’ve already advised my local bookseller to put mine on pre-order.
Lastly, a look backward – last year, the Name of the Day was Piper – and a sneak preview – this week, I’ll be writing about Aurora, Maurice, Zara, Francis and Dove.
Thanks for reading!
