Baby Name of the Day: Polly

Polly (song)

Image via Wikipedia

Nameberry called her freckle-faced, but she’s picked up an edge in recent years.

Thanks to Claire for suggesting Polly as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Adair

Glenveagh Castle

Glenveagh Castle; Image via Wikipedia

Looking for a lighter form of the clunky Edgar?  Searching for a truly distinctive name that leads to the heard-everywhere Addie?

Thanks to Kristin for suggesting Adair as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Phoenix

Famous Az. Artwork "The Phx. Bird"He strikes many as nouveau, but his roots go back to Ancient Greece.

Thanks to Sara for suggesting Phoenix as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Femke

West Frisians (Friesland and Province of Groni...

West Frisian flag; Image via Wikipedia

She’s a Top 20 pick in the Netherlands, and popular in Belgium, too.  But how would this one wear in the US?

Thanks to Emily of All in the Name for suggesting Femke as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Miette

Fancy Cupcake Collage

Image by Deborah Leigh (Migraine Chick) via Flickr

You might call your daughter Cupcake, but odds are there is something far more formal on her birth certificate.  But what if your first language isn’t English, and you just plain like the way Cupcake sounds for your daughter born in Borneo or Bahrain or Brussels?

Thanks to Emiley for suggesting an option that might prompt the same response from a French-speaking parent.  Our Baby Name of the Day is Miette.

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Baby Name of the Day: Indigo

Lump of Indian indigo dye

Lump of Indian indigo dye; Image via Wikipedia

David Bowie met a girl called Blue Jean back in 1984, but you’re more likely to meet a child wearing this colorful appellation.

Thanks to Photoquilty for suggesting Indigo as Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Ilo

letter i

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

There’s been much buzz about the newly coined Ily, but how ’bout this one?

Thanks to Emma for suggesting Ilo as Baby Name of the Day.

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Baby Name of the Day: Mozelle

At first glance, she’s Southern-fried, nearly Hee Haw.  But if Minnie and Pearl can be stylish choices for daughters, why not this one?

Thanks to Jennifer and Jeannine for suggesting Mozelle as Baby Name of the Day.

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Sunday Summary: 7/18/10

Unless I’m missing it, there isn’t a big time celeb birth anticipated this summer.  Without choices like Knox and Apple to discuss, a few sites have been focusing on the lame (their word, not mine) baby names some celebs give their kiddos.  Though by lame, they mostly mean kids named after their parents, like little Cristiano Ronaldo, named after his soccer-playing-papa Cristiano Ronaldo.

Here’s an intriguing celeb(ish) sibset: Tucker, Haven, and Clancy – the younger two are girls, the firstborn is a boy.  They’re Lisa Whelchel’s three kids.  Yup, Lisa WhelchelBlair from The Facts of Life, a sitcom I loved so much that I can still sing the theme song.  Whelchel’s long since quit the stage to raise a family and manage a Christian ministry focused on moms.  She mentioned daughter Clancy in an interview for her new book and I was intrigued.   I always find it refreshing to find a former child star who seems truly happy and well-adjusted.

Elsewhere online:

  • I came across a mommy blogger with three boys called Zack, Zander and Zaden.  I’m not linking to her because, well, I suspect you all might find it a bit zany.  Me?  I’ve been wondering what she could call a fourth son;
  • For Real Baby Names spotted a Lestat and a Nikayla in Iowa.  Nikayla feels like an inevitable mash-up of Nicole and Makayla.  And I assume little Lestat is dressing as a vampire for his first Halloween;
  • For Real also found a Bastion Nikolai in Alaska.  Bastion should win some sort of an award.  He bridges the softer sound of Sebastian and the uber-masculine vibe of Cannon and Gunner.  A bastion is a fortification, but with his implications of protection, he’s almost a virtue name, too;
  • And from the Huey, Dewey and Louie school, there’s a Jakely and a Blakely in Oklahoma.  Okay, they’re not related;
  • Here’s another interesting one, this time at Swistle: Aidrick, an alternative to Aidan;
  • Nancy spotted a wild acronym name: Ktyal.  No clue on how they’re pronouncing it.  I keep wanting to say kay tal, but isn’t that awfully close to the Spanish for what’s up? – ¿Qué tal?;
  • Babble’s been running some not-so-nice baby name riffs.  The most recent is on Bryn, as in the name chosen by Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel for her daughter;
  • And lastly, is John gone? A Nameberry post examines the question.

In starbaby news:

On another note, Lurker Week was a smash hit.  Thanks to everyone who submitted a new name for consideration.  I’ve broken my usual rule about how far in advance I’ll calendar requests, so we’ll be hearing suggestions from new voices well into October!

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

Sunday Summary: 6/13/10

So the Glee baby was named Beth. And Nikki Blonsky has a new series on ABC Family called Huge, apparently set at a summer weight-loss camp.  Her character’s name caught my eye: Willamina, though I believe she’ll be answering to Will.

In other, completely random news:

And then there’s the biggest discovery of the week: Nancy posted the Social Security Administration’s lists of Names outside the US Top 1000 that were given to 100 or more newborns in 2009.  You can check out the girls’ list here and the boys’ list here.  You’ll finds lots of variant spellings – Alexandrea, Jurnee, Olyvia and Kooper, Mykel, Trever - as well as some lovely surprises – Constance, Juniper, Honor and Thatcher, Perry, Gibson.  And were more than 100 little girls really called Halo?  And were the 177 baby boys called Major inspired by the Novogratz family?

Since the birth rate in Hollywood was a disappointing zero this week, I’ll leave you with Nameberry’s Will Maisie be the next Daisy? It’s a fascinating list, and it suggests why it is so very hard to find a name that is just a little bit different.

Have a great week, and, as always, thanks for reading!