Frank Sinatra; Image via Wikipedia

Zappa.  Sinatra.  Gehry. Baum.  Does this pick guarantee your son will be destined for creative genius?

Thanks to Jane, aka the Foxymoron, for suggesting Frank as our Baby Name of the Day.

Frank was a Top Ten name when the US rankings were established in 1880.  He stayed in the Top Ten until 1922, and remained in the Top 100 until 1988.

That’s not counting boys who were named the more formal Francis, but only answered to the short form.

It makes for a long list, including:

• Legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, born Francis Albert;
• L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz series;
• Architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry;
• Modern music trailblazers Frank Zappa and Frank Black;
• Director Frank Capra;
• Plenty of athletes, political leaders, and more.

Today, Frank sounds a little bit like a virtue name.  But his roots are actually tied to the map.  A Germanic tribe known as the Franks appears in the historical record as early as the first century; by 509, Clovis I reigned as King of the Franks.  The tribe probably took their name from a javelin they favored, known as the frankon or franka.  The Normans brought Frank to England as a personal name.

In the late 1100s, the Latin Franciscus – Frenchman – was a nickname given to the future Saint Francis of Assisi.  He’d been baptized Giovanni, but his dad – a successful merchant – had been on business in France when his son was born.  Dad nicknamed him Francesco, and father and son both shared an enthusiasm for all things related to French culture.  But Francesco turned his back on privilege to form a religious order dedicated to living a simple life.  He’s also the patron saint of animals.

In the sixteenth century, Saint Francis Xavier founded the religious order known as the Jesuits.  Countless boys were named in honor of one or both of the religious figures.

As for the adjective frank, it also ties back to the tribe.  Back in the day, only the conquering Franks were free – and so, free to speak.

Add it all up, and he’s clearly a saintly classic with quite a bit of backstory.  And yet, Frank’s been falling out of favor for decades.  A resurgence of interest in all things related to the Rat Pack failed to bolster ol’ Blue Eyes’ name.  In 2009, Frank stood at just #289 – and had fallen steadily for decades.

Frank does have starbaby cred: Elvis Costello and Diana Krall used it for a son, Frank Harlan James, twin brother to Dexter Henry Lorcan.  Amanda Peet’s older daughter is Frances Pen, called Frankie.

File Frank with other once ordinary choices that now sound offbeat on a child.  There’s a capable vibe about Frank – you expect him to own more than one wrench, to be the guy you can call when your engine light clicks on.  He’s not quite a grandpa name, but not quite primed for revival, either.

Let’s call him part of the next wave, a likely successor to Jack and Gus, Max and Sam.  There’s also the presidential Franklin, which could put a stylish surname spin on Frank.

Regardless of his rather frosty ranking right now, Frank deserves recognition as a classic, an every guy name that will almost certainly make a comeback – eventually.

A scarlet letter by Monceau via Flickr

Take one part Juliet, add a dash of popular picks from Amy to Amanda to Amelia and you’ll arrive at this poetic rarity.

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

File Amoret with Belphoebe and Clarinda – names invented by Edmund Spenser for The Faerie Queene.  She’s a relatively minor character in the epic poem.  Amoret is twin to Belphoebe.  The sisters are opposites; while Belphoebe is a virgin, Amoret is married.  Belphoebe and other female characters set off on quests and adventures, fight off their attackers, and generally do all sorts of exciting things, while Amoret is relatively passive.  She’s kidnapped on her wedding night, and rescued by Britomart, a female knight who handily defeats the evil sorcerer responsible for separating the newlyweds.

Then again, the sisters didn’t grow up together.  Spenser tells us that Belphoebe was raised by the goddess Diana, and trained to hunt.  Amoret was fostered by Venus in the Garden of Adonis.

Her name is fitting.  Amoret comes from the Latin amor – to love – plus the ending -et.  You might find the meaning listed as “little loved one.”  It’s the tiniest bit of a stretch – Amor was never a given name, so Amoret isn’t exactly a diminutive form, like Annette or Juliet.  She’s more like Scarlett or Bridget, a name in her own right that just happens to end in -et.

Edmund Spenser wasn’t the only one to use Amoret in his era.  In the early 1600s, Sir John Fletcher was an incredibly popular playwright – Shakespeare’s successor.  He penned The Faithful Shepherdess around 1608.  Clorin is the main character, and Amoret is her fellow sheperdhess.  When a meddlesome rival intereferes in Amoret’s romance with her beau Perigot, Clorin intervenes and ensures that the couple live happily ever after.

Later in the 1600s, Welsh poet Henry Vaughan published a volume with most of his work addressed “to Amoret.”  Doubtless others did the same.

She’s been sparingly used as a personal name through the years, just like many of Spenser’s inventions.  But parents today might discover her through another source: Jenny Nimmo’s series, The Children of the Red King. Nimmo’s hero is a boy named Charlie Bone.  He’s descended from Amoret, the youngest daughter of the Red King.  As he goes on a series of Harry Potter-esque adventures, the backstory of the Red King dynasty is revealed.

There’s a town in Missouri called Amoret, and plenty of women named Amoret appearing in the historical record, including US Census records.  But she remains a rarity, never entering the US Top 1000.  Variants like Amoretta – Spenser even used it – can be found, too.

If you’re looking for a rarity that is feminine but frills-free, that would sound perfectly current and yet truly distinctive, Amoret is one to consider.  Her meaning is appealing, and there are possible nicknames aplenty.

Image by Jenn and Tony Bot via Flickr

She’s been quietly rising since 2002.  What’s behind this intriguing appellation?

Thanks to Samantha for suggesting her mother’s name, Danna, as our Baby Name of the Day.

The Biblical Daniel has a long history of use.  He’s been in the US Top Ten most years since 1981, coming in at #7 in 2009.

Feminine forms of Daniel have come and gone, including:

• The French Danielle rose through the 1970s to peak at #14 in 1987 before sliding to #170 in 2009;
• The pan-European Daniela was also discovered in the 1970s, reaching a high of #108 in 2007;
• Surname/masculine moniker Dana migrated to the girls’ side in the 1960s.  Child star Dana Plato raised her visibility in the 80s, but Dana has since dropped to #530 in 2009.

If Dana had not been popular a generation earlier, surely she’d fit right in with Jada and Layla today.  Instead, the gentler, rhymes-with-Hannah Danna is catching on.

Some of it might be just parents honor dads and grandpas called Dan.  But Danna has other possible sources, and she charted in the US Top 1000 from the 1940s into the 1970s.

In 2002, she re-entered the rankings at #838, and has since climbed to #390.  Possible sources include:

• There was a tiny village in the Ottoman Empire called Danna, but it was abandoned in the 1940s;
• There’s a tiny, scarcely populated Scottish island called Danna, too;
• I’ve found a few references suggesting that Danna means something like “pearl” or otherwise references something of great value, but I can’t confirm the translation in any dictionary;
• Here’s a bizarre reference: Arthur Golden’s 1997 bestseller Memoirs of a Geisha explained that a danna is a geisha’s patron.  The term was heard at the same time the name returned to favor, but I’ll chalk that up to coincidence.

Still, none of the possible origins explain Danna’s rise.  Surely there’s a famous Danna?

• Bogotá-born actress Danna García is a major Latina star.  She’s appeared in Telemundo productions, served as a Maybelline spokesperson and been named to People en Español‘s Los 50 más Bellos list;
• From 2005 through 2009, the reboot of Battlestar Galactica included a sinister Cylon reporter, played by Lucy Lawless.  The character’s name is D’Anna Biers, but they pronounce it more like Diana;
• 90s Israeli pop singer Dana International started out her career as Danna International;
  
• Dannah Phirman is an Israeli-born comedienne, who has had a successful career in the US.

The -h spelling suggested one more possibility.  There’s a town in the West Bank called Idhna, an ancient settlement thought to correspond to the Biblical Dannah.  Just like Jordan and other Biblical place names have caught on as given names, that might help explain Danna.

Or is she just a twist – this generations D – n – a name?  Donna reigned from the 1940s through the 1960s.  Deanna peaked in the 1970s.  Diana has been in the US Top 100 more years than not, beginning in the 1940s and continuing as recently as 2004/2005.

She’s neither retro nor nouveau, but with her appealing sound and respectable history of use in the 20th century, it is easy to imagine more parents choosing Danna.

So I’ve been doing more lurking, this time at Babyzone:

• Aven suggested for a boy, like Gavin without the G;
• McKelyn for a girl, but is that Makayla with an “n” or more like McHelen?
• Arayu for a girl, pronounced ah ray you to honor a grandpa Ray – only she’s not sure she’ll use it because “people tell me it sounds foreign.”  You don’t say;
• Niveah, blurring the boundary between Heaven-spelled-backwards and the skin care aisle at Rite Aid.

And Babynamelover spotted a girl called Tuezdey.  Shiver!  I often wonder if the names I like are truly in the minority, or if there’s some dynamic at work on discussion boards.  Do you only visit if your tastes run to the extreme, be it Cloelia or Haedyn?  Or do you mostly lurk if you fall somewhere in between?

Names that caught my eye that I quite like this week:

• I loved Names4Real’s ABC Girls list: B is for Bellamy, I is for Imogen, W is for Wren;
• Swistle raised the idea of Middleton as a baby name. Middle can imply mediocrity, so I would’ve called it a non-starter.  Except. Kate Middleton puts a whole other spin on the name.  Of course, Diana never did experience the renaissance I would’ve expected;
• Since we’re on semi-celebrity news and Diana is on this list, too, check out The Frisky’s Ten Baby Names for expectant stylist/reality star Rachel Zoe.  Since he’s Rodge, I wonder if they’ll stick with an R name – Romy, Rufus, Rowan, maybe?
• While I have R-names on the brain, they’re one of the 14 thought-provoking trends Namberry called earlier this week;
• Oh, and back to the royal wedding – sure, we’re skipping way ahead, but what will the next heir to the throne answer to? Paula Bernstein at Babble’s Strollerderby is thinking maybe Frederick or Matilda.

In celeb news:

• Chris Daughtry and his wife welcomed twins Adalyn Rose and Noah James,  a little sister and brother for Hannah and Griffin;
• Former Bachelorette Jen Schefft welcomed daughter Mae Elizabeth.  She did not meet her husband on the show.

With the end of the year just weeks away – really! – Baby Name Wizard is taking nominations for the Name of the Year. Snooki is getting some early attention, so go vote for her – or shout her down!

And having just made a Jersey Shore reference, I think I’d really better go do something productive.  Maybe I’ll read some improving literature and try to pay attention to something other than the characters’ names.

Thanks, as always, for reading, and have a great week – and, if you’re in the U.S., a Happy Thanksgiving!  There’s no post planned for Thursday, but I’ll be back on Friday.

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.

Girls have been named after flowers for generations.  In the twentieth century, we’ve broadened our definition of botanicals to include trees and other flora as possible appellations.

In Old English, willow was welig.  It evolved to wilghe, then wilwe before reaching its modern form sometime around the 1300s.  There’s a theory that the wel- element refers to a curve.

Today, willowy means slender and graceful.  It’s a positive association for a daughter’s name.  There’s even more symbolism to consider:

• The Jewish feast of Sukkot includes willow branches in several ceremonies, based on a verse in Leviticus;
• Buddhists associate willow branches with compassion;
• Beloved children’s novel The Wind in the Willows lends an innocence to the name;
• 1907 Algernon Blackwood short story The Willows puts an eerie spin on the trees, calling them menacing;
• Japanese and Native American traditional stories also attribute supernatural powers to the willow;
• “Willow Weep for Me” is a 1932 song since recorded by Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall;
• Willows are sometimes considered a source of wisdom.  Hans Christian Anderson wrote an 1853 story where children asked questions of a willow tree.  In Disney’s Pocahontas, the heroine did the same, calling the tree Grandmother Willow;
• In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia falls to her death from a willow tree.

Pop culture references have put Willow center stage:

• In the 1988 fantasy film Willow was a dwarf and unlikely hero – and a man.  JRR Tolkein had used the name for a minor male character, too;
• The grounds of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts include a tree called the Whomping Willow, which features in many a plot line.

The real fuel behind this nature name’s rise comes to us from the small screen: Buffy the Vampire Slayer debuted in 1997.  Buffy’s BFF answered to Willow.  In 1998, Willow entered the US Top 1000 at #851.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith welcomed a daughter in 2000.  Just like big brother Jaden was named after mom, the new baby girl was named after dad: Willow Camille Reign.  As if being Hollywood royalty isn’t enough, the pint-sized fashionista has launched a career of her own, making her film debut in 2007.

There’s also:

• Sarah Palin’s daughter Willow, born in 1994, pre-Buffy;
• Model-turned-CNN correspondent Willow Bay also predates the TV show – but she was born Kristine;
• Catherine Willows is a crime scene investigator on the original CSI.  Marg Helgenberger has been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes for her work.

All of this has propelled Willow to #315 in 2009, and she shows no signs of slowing.  With William back at #5 for boys, feminine choices like Willa and Wilhelmina are getting more attention.  And since William has never left the US Top 20, well, there are a lot of grandpa Bills out there to honor.

Willow might not be as classic as Lily or Rose, but she strikes me as one that’s here to stay – more akin to Brooke than Skye.

Screenshot from Broken Lance; Image via Wikipedia

Today’s choice is the given name of a Hollywood titan, and the surname of real life royalty.

He’s also quite the popular pick for a boy.  Thanks to Emma for suggesting today’s Baby Name of the Day: Spencer.

We’re still surrounded by spencers.  The admin who doles out post-it notes and sharpies in your office is only a few centuries removed from the original.  The Latin dispensare means to disburse or distribute.  In Middle English, the spence was the pantry, where provisions were kept.  And so the spenser was the steward charged with doling out its contents.

As surnames came into use, we find families using Spencer, along with Baker and Parker and Carter.

Robert le Dispenser appears in the Domesday Book in 1086.  Sometimes he was referred to as Lord Steward, or even Robertus Dispensator.  The name evolved over the centuries, losing his “le” and “de” permanently and swapping the center “s” for a “c” in the late fourteenth century.  The first aristocratic Spencer is Lady Diana Spencer’s ancestor, the fifteenth century Henry Spencer.

Spencer surfaced in the US as a surname and a given name – he’s never been out of the US Top 1000.

For generations, Spencer Tracy – born in 1900 – would be the best known bearer of the name, a Hollywood leading man for nearly four decades and two-time recipient of the Best Actor Oscar.  From 1937′s Captains Courageous to 1967′s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, he shared the screen with other Hollywood legends.  He and Katharine Hepburn co-starred nine times, and had a real life love affair, too.

Tracy’s fame boosted the name modestly, but his rise doesn’t really begin until the 1970s and accelerated in the 80s.  I looked for clues on television and found two:

• General Hospital’s supercouple Luke Spencer and Laura Webber were must-see-TV starting in 1978.
• Private eye Spenser – “with an s, like the poet” – was the main character in Robert B. Parker’s series beginning in the 1970s, and adpated for television from 1985 through 1988.  Robert Ulrich played the lead.  Spenser is clearly his last name, but no given name is revealed.  Spenser only appears in the US Top 1000 from 1986 through 1996, confirming Spenser: For Hire’s influence.

But I was missing something, and Laura Wattenberg found it: Spencer W. Kimball became president of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1973, and tha name rose first in Utah.  Check out her fascinating article about Spencer – and Utah baby names – here.

There are classic references, too.  Winston Churchill’s middle name was Spencer.  (He was part of the powerful Spencer family.)  Sixteenth century poet Edmund Spenser – the one who inspired the fictional detective’s quip above – he wrote The Faerie Queen, giving the name literary roots.

You’d expect to find a teenaged Spencer sharing the soccer field with Andrew, Charlie, and Josh.  He’s just a little bit preppy, but not in a bad way.

But then the name went downmarket, thanks to controversial reality star Spencer Pratt.  He and wife Heidi Montag rose to stardom on MTV’s The Hills.

I suspect that explains some of Spencer’s decline from the Top 100 in the 1990s.  As of 2009, he’d dived to #218.

But don’t count Spencer out.  Reality TV might’ve tarnished Spencer, but this is the kind of not-quite-classic name that never goes out of use.

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

Joss Whedon is an intrepid namer of characters.  He called his vampire slayer Buffy, which didn’t catch on with parents.  But her sidekicks, witch Willow and an ordinary Joe called Xander, are much in fashion a decade after the last vampire bit the dust.  His cowboy western/space odyssey, Firefly, didn’t have as long a run on the small screen, but was adapted as a movie in 2005′s Serenity.  The character names – Mal, Shepherd, River, Simon, Kaylee – haven’t been quite as influential, but they’ve attracted their share of attention.

Morena Baccarin played Inara Serra, a courtesan in an era when being a courtesan was among the highest, most respected professions available.  In the first episode, she’s referred to as “The Ambassador.”

Whedon borrowed the name from an ancient empire.  The Hittites had their day in the sun back in the 1300s BC.  They owed much of their culture and custom to an even older civilization, the Hurrians, who flourished a thousand years before.

In their mythology, Inara was something like the Greek Artemis and Roman Diana.  She was the goddess of wild animals and a clever strategist, too.

Somewhere between ancient history and the twenty-first century, a handful of others adopted the name.  Little Feat founder Lowell George named his daughter Inara Maryland all the way back in 1974, well ahead of the fashion for both goddess names and place names.  She’s a singer, too.

All the way back in the nineteenth century, we can find a handful of women named Inara in the US census records, but never enough to register in the Top 1000.  That’s not necessarily about the goddess, though – there are other names from the era that suggest Inara might be an elaborated form of Ina, or even a riff on Lenora, Nora, and Norma.

So how would an ancient goddess name worn by a fictional starship geisha play on the playgrounds of today?

It’s hard to say.  She’s exotic, but so are plenty of popular picks, from Ayana to Imari.  If parents can take inspiration from Ancient Rome to name little Julius and Aurelia, then why not go even farther back BC?  And while she’s without a convenient nickname – Ari might work – plenty of girls answer to Tabitha and Georgia and Madeline without ever needing a short form.

She’s been much neglected by parents for generations, but if you’re trying to pick out a name with some backstory, but without a lot of baggage, Inara could just be the one for you.

Thanks to Christy for suggesting one of the names from her list as our Baby Name of the Day: Sloane.

Sloane is a surname, derived from the Gaelic O’Sluagháin – warrior.  You can find notables wearing Sloane in the last spot through the years.

But the 1980s gave Sloane her big boost.  First came Lady Diana Spencer, who became a princess in a fairytale wedding, and then fodder for the tabloids when her happily-ever-after fell short.  During the first wave of Diana madness in 1981, we all learned the term Sloane Ranger.  If you’ve misplaced your copy of the handbook – yes, there really was one – here’s a thumbnail sketch: young, well-born, expensively educated  but not intellectual, maybe a smidge arrogant.

Sloanies took their name from their favored stomping grounds – Chelsea’s Sloane Square, which was named in honor of the landowner, Sir Hans Sloane, an eighteenth century physician best known for donating a considerable collection of artwork to establish the British Museum.  In more recent times, another possible princess is often referred to as a Sloane – Kate Middleton.

In 1986, Matthew Broderick was Ferris Bueller, and Ferris?  He was taking a day off.  The John Hughes classic sent Ferris on adventures across Chicago in the company of his best friend Cameron and girlfriend Sloane.  The movie was a box office hit and remains a favorite for many.

More recently, Sloane has been kept in the public eye by I Was Told There’d Be Cake essayist Sloane Crosley and recurring Entourage character Sloan McQuewick, an on-again, off-again girlfriend for Eric.  As of Season Six, they’re engaged.

While it’s the Sloan-sans-e who probably tipped the name into wider use, the Sloane spelling is the one that first broke into the US Top 1000 at #999 in 2008.  As of 2009, she’d climbed to #897.

About a year ago, Nameberry put Sloane on their Names of the Future watch list.  There’s something undeniably stylish about her.  She fits with Madison and Addison, Taylor and Riley, but also shares the long -o of Sophia and Chloe.  She’s also a logical sister for all of those single-syllable boys, from Jack and Luke to Cade and Cole.

It’s easy to see why Sloane is catching on, but the question is whether she’ll join some of those other names on the roster of every kindergarten in the US, or whether she’ll remain an appealing, underused choice.

If you’re looking for something spare, gender-neutral but not too boyish, and modern without being invented, Sloane is a great option.

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

In the Old Testament, Deborah is a female prophet, the one who urged Barak to lead an Israeli uprising.  Barak eventually agreed only if Deborah would go into battle by his side.  She did, and the Israelites triumphed.  Forty years of peace followed.

There’s another Deborah in Genesis, but most Puritan parents were likely thinking of the courageous prophetess when they chose the name.

Plenty of early American Deborahs can be found:

• Appropriately enough, Deborah Sampson was a woman who went to war.  Disguised as Robert, she served in the Continental Army for seventeen months and earned an honorable discharge;
• Deborah Read was Benjamin Franklin’s common law wife;
• Deborah Wharton was a Quaker, suffragette, and one of the founders of Swarthmore College.

Some Puritan picks fell out of favor and are only now being rediscovered.  But that’s not Deborah’s story.

The aristocratic Mitford family was ahead of the curve with the names they chose for their six daughters:  Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity Valkyrie, Jessica Lucy and youngest sister Deborah Vivien.  (There was also a Mitford brother, Thomas.)  Debo was born in 1920, and given the press generated by their family and her marriage to the Duke of Devonshire, it’s a safe bet that she gave Deborah a boost.

A year later, Deborah Kerr was born in Scotland.  She’d become one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, six times nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, appearing in films like From Here to Eternity and The King and I.

Then along came Mary Frances Reynolds.  Born in 1932, she signed a contract with MGM and became a star while still in her teens.  The stage name she chose?  Debbie.  Her singing and acting career took off in the early 1950s.  Among other roles, she played Kathy in Singin’ in the Rain.

The combination of English society figure, accomplished actress and rising star pushed Deborah into the Top Ten.  She ranked #7 in 1950 and peaked at #2 in 1955.  Add in all the girls named Debra, and she’d be more popular than Mary.

Notable Deborahs born in the twentieth century include:

• Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry;
• Late 80s pop sensation Debbie Gibson;
• Emmy-winning journalist Deborah Norville;
• Actresses including Debra Winger and Debra Messing.

Athletes, judges, politicians, filmmakers and more have answered to names beginning in Deb-  There’s even a brand of snack cakes named after a real life Little Debbie.  Some of Deborah’s appeal might come from nickname Deb – also short for debutante.  Deb conjures up images of well-bred young ladies waltzing in ballrooms.

Debbie’s long since lost that air of sophistication, though she lives on as the name of many a small screen character, from Dexter to Drop Dead Diva.  You’re unlikely to meet a little Debbie outside the snack food aisle.  Debra left the US Top 1000 after 1998 and Deborah is just hanging on at #814.

Had she not been such a hit in the 50s, Debbie might be a logical successor to all of those girls called Abby right now.  But today she’s more likely to be the grandmother than the newborn baby girl.  But give her a generation or two, and tons of girls called Emma and Madison will  discover Deborah anew.

First, Cecily von Ziegesar’s novel Cum Laude tackles the lives of privileged college students (as opposed to the privileged high school students in her Gossip Girl franchise.)  One of the main characters is a girl called Shipley, and a minor character who answers to Tragedy.

On a similar note, there’s a Disney Channel original movie set to air in August called Den Brother.   The characters are the predictable Alex and Emily, but they’re played by child actors Hutch Dano – born Hutchings Royal Dano – and G. Hannelius.  Ten year old G. was born Genevieve.  Den Brother also includes a girl character called Matisse.  It’s not, say, Harry Potter, but I can imagine Hutch catching on.

Elsewhere online:

• Swistle attempts to tell Aidan, Ava and Jasper‘s mom how to avoid choosing a trendy name for her daughter, due later this month.  It’s an intriguing question, and the advice is sound, but I’m not sure there lists of names is quite there yet.  If you have some spare time, you might want to stop by and make some suggestions;
• Nameberry  has published this quarter’s most-searched Baby Names list for Boys and Girls.  Could Mary be making a comeback?  Will we really be meeting lots of baby boys called Orion?  The lists make for fascinating reads, as always;
• Here’s a cute story from La Buena Vida about baby names suggested by siblings-to-be.  Tinkerbell, Rainbow Lemonade and Sweetie Pie made the list, but unlike last week’s Lady Gaga story, I don’t believe any of them were seriously under consideration at press time;
• Crazy suggestions from dads, however, are totally fine.  I piped up with a pro-Leia comment on this post at You Can’t Call It “It” – a friend of mine actually used Leia for his daughter’s middle name.  With Leah and Lily so popular and Lila rocketing up the charts, Leia seems only a tiny bit out there;
• Here’s a wacky name that has caught on: Abcde.  Nancy has the rankings from recent years to prove it.  On sound alone, I get the appeal.  If Abcidy or Absiddy were found in the listings of early Puritan settlers in America, it might catch on;
• Please tell me this is a joke:  Did someone really name their kid Vuvuzela?;
• Here’s an appealing, never-heard (at least in the US) choice: the Latvian Everita, featured by Sebastiane at Legitimate Baby Names;
• For Real Baby Names spots a Bette Mabel. How stylish!  She also found a Kezlei and a Kaydea.  Yawn;
• Did you catch the guest posts on Portuguese names at You Can’t Call It “It”?  Check them out there: Part I and Part II. Even the workaday John becomes the zippy João, and Madalena would fit right in in the US;
• Emma was kind enough to send this link, about a British’s family’s set of sextuplets.  Parents Vicky and Andy Lamb and firstborn daughter Grace welcomed sextuplets in May:  Layla Pauline, Eric Andrew, Pippa Willow, Matthew Dennis, Ellen Diana and Rose Annabel.  Sadly, Matthew died shortly after the babies’ birth.

In Hollywood news:

• Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier welcomed a son, Reece Cader. I wonder if Cader is the next Caden;
• Scrubs alum John C. McGinley has welcomed a daughter, Kate Aleena, a little sister for Billie Grace;
• Here’s an intriguing choice: Kick-Ass actor Aaron Johnson is a first-time dad to daughter Wylda Rae. Wylda’s mom is filmmaker Sam Taylor Wood, and she has two older daughters, Angelica and Jessie Phoenix.

Let’s end with what just might be The Best Baby Naming Advice Ever.  Nancy’s post on writing out the stories behind each baby name could help you choose between your top options, narrow down a lengthy list to a few finalists, or even get un-stuck and start thinking about your choices in the first place.

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