Ella Fitzgerald; Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr
Hello, Ella. Where did you come from?
Thanks to Ivy for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day – the short, sweet Ella.
Baby Name of the Day: Ella
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Tag Archives: Emma
In Defense of Riley Anne and Evan Marie: Ten Reasons Boys’ Names on Girls Are Not a Sign of End Times
Image via Wikipedia
Feeling feisty? Head to a message board and announce that you’re naming your daughter Addison. Or Quinn. Or Mason.
Then run for cover.
Sure, some people will respond positively. But depending on the forum, you could also find yourself accused of thievery, trendiness, and general bad taste.
I’m sympathetic to parents who feel they can’t use a name they’d long loved, for fear that their son Delaney will be scarred by sharing his name with girls. But I’m not sure a girl named Ryan is a sign of the coming apocalypse.
Sunday Summary: 6/19/11
No 19 - blue paint by Kirsty Hall via Flickr
Happy Father’s Day!
Thanks to a gap between the end of the school year and the start of summer camp, we headed for Rehoboth Beach (Delaware, on the Atlantic) this past week. We finally met our friends’ darling daughter Helen Claire, and there were a few interesting name spottings – Allaire, Harlow, Amalia, and a bitsy girl called Birdie. But mostly I was amazed at how consistently I heard the exact same names, over and over: Emma, Ava, Abby, Noah, Taylor, Alex, Jake, anything that ends in -aden. Nothing wrong with choosing a popular name, but I found myself thinking about how very refreshing it is to hear something even a little different - Beckett or Abel or Tate, Ivy or Luna or Ruth.
So in the spirit of surfacing options that are just a little bit different:
- Any name from Waltzing More Than Matilda’s 1930s list would be quite stylish in 2011: Iris, Alma, Josephine;
- Nymbler’s May 2011 most popular names list included the following five new debuts: Lake, Makai, Maple, Shia, and Reef. Water names seem especially seasonal, but the inclusion of Maple makes me think that parents are really branching out into ever-more adventurous nature and noun choices;
- The comments on this NameLady post are fascinating. Parents expecting twin sons want to give them subtle, baseball-themed names. Is Ty too obvious? Are parents really naming twins Clark and Addison after the address of Wrigley Field? My favorite suggestion: Homer and Fielding – literary and sportif, all at once;
- Take the names of the reigning Swedish monarch, Carl Gustaf, and his family, translate them into Portugeuse, and you get this list from Nomes e mais nomes: Madalena, Doroteia, Ingride, Bertil;
- My favorite nymph name has always been Io, but this list from British Baby Names includes more than you can imagine;
- Could Dax be the next big thing? For Real just spotted him in Alaska. He’s part-Dexter, part-Max, but very modern, too;
- The list of birth announcements at Nameberry was just so much fun. I spotted Caspian three times!
In celebrity news, both Natalie Portman and Josh Duggar welcomed sons this past week, and both declined to reveal their newborns’ names. In Natalie’s case, it may be because she and husband Benjamin Millepied are adhering to the Jewish custom of first sharing their child’s name at his bris, eight days after birth. As for the Duggars? They’re hoping to lure us in for the big name reveal during tonight’s episode of their reality show.
Speculation about both families’ choices has been nonstop:
- For young master Millepied, will it be Anakin? Or maybe Alef? Elisabeth guesses that it will likely be an A-name, which tracks with Jewish custom – Natalie’s dad is Avner, and while names are rarely repeated, initials often are;
- On the small screen, Josh and Anna have announced that all of the grandduggars will wear M-names. Big sis is Mackynize, so options suggested range from Michael to Maddox. Or Maddyx.
Other notable birth announcements from the week include:
- Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition trainer Chris Powell has welcomed a son, William Cash;
- 311′s Nick Hexum welcomed daughter Maxine, a little sister for Echo.
Last week’s Nameberry post was how to name a boy, Pinkett-Smith style; this week, it is the girls’ turn. One of my favorite categories of names has to be unconventional ways to honor your loved ones, so this was really a thrill to write.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and commenting! The conversations here and on Facebook never fail to surprise and delight.
Baby Name of the Day: Annora
Image via Wikipedia
She’s a medieval rarity that would be right at home in today’s Top 100.
Thanks to Christina for suggesting Annora as our Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Imelda
Image by hartlandmartin via Flickr
She brings to mind a shoe-shopping politician’s wife, but her roots are far deeper.
Thanks to Christina for suggesting Imelda as our Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Akira
Image via Wikipedia
Expecting a little samurai? Looking for a name that suggests artistic genius?
Thanks to Sarah for suggesting one choice that combines both qualities. Our Baby Name of the Day is Akira.
Baby Name of the Day: Colette
C by fotologic via Flickr
She’s saintly, literary, and on trend. Best of all, she’s been out of the US rankings for three decades.
Colette is a special Saturday Name of the Day for expectant mom Laura.
Baby Name of the Day: Emrys
Sunday Summary: 2/13/11
Clio + Aly, February 2011
I took the kids to get their hair cut at our local Cartoon Cuts, which isn’t local at all – it requires a drive on the Beltway to Rockville Pike. While the kids were being coiffed, I flipped through a rack of personalized hair barrettes. The selection included the predictable Emma and Elizabeth, but also some out-there picks like Ayriel, Divany, and Darlene. Ariel has been in the Top 100 as recently as 1992, so okay. But Ayriel? Are there faithful salon customers with those names who buy a set every six weeks?
It was a good week for unusual name spotting. Over on the Facebook page, I mentioned seeing a boy called Sovereignty in the local media, and Sarah spotted a bride-to-be on Say Yes to the Dress called Duvae. Get this: the parents chose it so she “would be a comfort in their lives.” Hokay.
Beyond Sovereignty and Duvae, there’s been another round of chatter about unusual names – are they over in Hollywood, are they anything new, and so on. I’ll round up a few of the articles at Nameberry tomorrow.
In the meantime:
- Aussie notables Simon Marshall and Sally Burke have named their daughter Shugar. The parents say that Shugar’s name “could be a world first for all that we know.” Shugar certainly isn’t likely to catch on any time soon, but I found more than a dozen people called Shugar in the 1880 US Census. At least one of them was a he!
- Here’s an unusual name that could stand out in all the right ways – Orchid, as profiled at Bewitching Baby Names. There’s a hint of the “Lily was taken, so we looked elsewhere in the garden” about Orchid, but she’s an intriguing choice anyhow. Just don’t focus too much on her Greek origins;
- For Real spotted a birth announcement for Paul Wager. Is Wager a family name, or is it the new Chance?
- In Arizona, For Real spotted a girl named Calexia Lavae Marie and a Johntavia Dashey;
- I love these lists so much I’m imagining mash-ups between Windy City Baby Names and Geek Baby Names: Linus Comiskey and Waldo Caray, anyone?
- Nancy asks what you would name an 11-11-11 baby? Dearest’s suggestion of Ellevine – a traditional Norweigan name for the eleventh child – is my favorite, but there was no shortage of clever: C in DC’s Prime, Julie’s Undine, Nikki’s names with the initials XI, as in Xandria Isabel;
- There’s a birth announcement for a little Juniper over at Swistle, but I’m fascinated by some of the other choices they considered for a daughter: Albany, Winslet, Ottilie, Hermione;
- Back in 2009, I wrote about Angus. And in 2010, it was Sasha;
- Coming up this week: Lovett, Antoinette, Elsinore, Albert, and Flint.
Amongst the fashionable and famous:
- Two Top Chef families expanded this week: Richard Blais and wife Jazmin welcomed daughter Embry Lotus, who joins big sister Riley Maddox, and Tania Peterson’s new daughter Zuzu Audrey, the first child for Tania and husband Phil;
- Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni welcomed a son, Max Ellington;
- And we think we know the name of Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz’ son: Leo.
One more thing: from time to time, I have a question about the site’s direction, and it would be really helpful to get readers’ opinions before I make a decision and put anything live here. So I’m forming a tiny little AppMtn Advisory Board. (Dare I call you the Mounties?) If you’re willing to get a VERY occasional email from me, please let me know by sending me a message at appmtn (at) gmail (dot) com. I truly value your feedback, and it would be fun to get it before I try new things every once in a while. It doesn’t matter if you’re a diehard lurker, occasional visitor, or regular commenter – just drop me a line, and you’re in the club!
That’s all for this week. As always, thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Sunday Summary: 1/23/10
23 by cobalt123 via Flickr
Have you ever been someplace where you were supposed to be thinking about something entirely different, but your mind wandered and you found yourself pondering names instead?
Please tell me I’m not the only one.
I was at a memorial service for a lovely man on Saturday, a man whose life was jam-packed with adventure and achievement. And yet, there was a minute where the afternoon sun caught the stained glass windows, gorgeous pieces dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s, with their benefactors’ names included in their designs.
I redirected my attention to the service, but not before I’d spotted Sidell, Ellis, Alice, and Laura, beloved wife of Alfred.
Back to places where it is okay to look:
- Have you seen the Nameberry message board thread about names that relate to fire? Suggestions included Phoenix, Blaise, Fiammetta, Ember, and Kindle. Wait, there are some problems with Kindle;
- From fire to Icie, at Bewitching Names. Isadora guesses that Icie and company could be related to Isis. It’s a good guess – Verdi’s Aida was a big deal, so parents embracing Egyptian-ish appellations tracks. Isadora was also kind enough to mention this post on Icel, from sixth century Mercian ruler. Isa stands at #12 in the Netherlands. I also came across Iselin, currently in the Top 100 in Norway, exported with the assistance of a model;
- Speaking of Scandinavia, via Nancy, Sweden has released their Most Popular Names for 2010. Oscar and Maja top the lists, but I’m intrigued by one of the fast-rising names: Novalie. Nova has some history, in the US and elsewhere. Novalee was Natalie Portman’s character in 2000′s Where the Heart Is. I can’t find an explanation for Novalie’s rise in Sweden – any ideas?
- Swistle tried to help a reader find a formal name for Winnie. The mom suggested Winifred, while the dad was all about Winsome. I see the appeal of Winsome, but it seems like a tough one to wear in those surly teenage years. Other suggestions ranged from Gwendolyn to Winslow, Wynne, and Bronwyn;
- For Real spotted a Lexx Steven. He can hang with Maxx and Jaxx.
- The Globe and Mail reported on the OpenFile app that mapped baby name popularity in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada by postal code. There were some interesting findings, like the popularity of a gender-neutral borrowing from the Dalai Lama, Tenzin, in the Tibetan community of Parkdale. After clicking around the map, I’m not sure it is all that helpful. If Emma is #1 here, but only#3 a few blocks over, and just #2 across town, well … Emma is still a very, very popular name.
Over at the Nameberry blog, I’m presenting my best evidence yet that Americans really are embracing a greater diversity of given names. (Yes, I’ll be wearing a visor that reads “Master of the Obvious,” too.)
As for new starbabies in the universe this week, here’s a round-up on what I posted on the AppMtn Facebook page this week:
- News that Owen Wilson’s new son’s name is Robert Fordbrought general approval, but we’re still wondering what they will call him – Rob? Bobby? Ford? I’m rooting for the last one;
- Entertainment Tonight’s Samantha Harris welcomed a daughter, Hillary Madison, a little sister for Josselyn Sydney. I called it refreshingly off-trend. Others thought it was too close to what you’d call a Cabbage Patch Kid;
- Dutch model Doutzen Kroes and DJ boyfriend Sunnery James welcomed a son named Phyllon. It is a trio of unexpected appellations, but when you have to tweet the pronunciation with the birth announcement – Fillen, according to James – there could be problems. Sarah counted five possible pronunciations!
- Emily Procter’s West Wing character launched Ainsley back in 2000/2001. Her CSI: Miami character wears the trendy respelled name Calleigh.But her firstborn child wears a vaguely English appellation – the quirky Pippa.
That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading, commenting, and sending all of your fabulous suggestions my way.
