Tag Archives: Kai

Sunday Summary: 6/12/11

Posted on
15
Number 12

Image by always13 via Flickr

Is it me, or was the coverage of Jennifer Connelly’s new daughter rather restrained?  Connelly and husband Paul Bettany welcomed little Agnes Lark earlier this week.  Agnes joins big brothers Stellan and Kai.  Usually headlines like “stars choose bizarre name” or “stars revive classics” are all over my feedreader a day or two after a birth announcement, but this time?  Crickets.

Since we’ve started with celebrities, let me also mention:

I’m writing a celebrity-inspired baby name post for Nameberry tomorrow.  It’s a two-part series.  My favorites from this week’s list are Miro, Ridge, and Asa.  But it’s a game and you can play, too.

Elsewhere online:

  • The day before Agnes’ birth announcement, Nameberry posted a Say Yes to S list, about choices from Lotus to Leatrice that could join Alice and Frances among the stylish;
  • ForReal spotted a Greta.  She’s climbed modestly since returning to the US Top 1000 in 1999.  (She’d left after 1982.)  I always Greta is one of those short, sweet, complete and completely underrated names.  At #666 in 2010, she’s still far from common;
  • Okay, I kind of like Hennessy.  But please don’t name your daughter Chardonnay;
  • Millicent: too fusty, or ripe for revival?  British Baby Names makes me think the latter;
  • I never liked Sailor or Saylor, but Nancy’s post changed my mind.  All of a sudden, it is less Taylor-goes-to-sea and more quirky gem;
  • Are you reading Namestory?  Proof that even the most common names can have fascinating tales to tell;
  • Did you see this post at Swistle where the older child has the nickname River from Richard IV?  Tough to explain maybe, but pure genius;
  • Elisabeth had some great ideas for Dante Xipil’s little sister.  Ylva is fantastic, and I like Kristen’s suggestion of Kahlo, too.  Kim Kardashian, are you taking notes?  Far more stylish than, say, Kash or Kynlee.

Have too much free time?  I have a Facebook page.

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

Trends for Girls from the 2010 SSA Results

Posted on
17

The Social Security Administration released their Top 1000 names today.  Here are a few quick observations from the data:

  • -lynn is catching on quickly, with both Gracelynn and Braelynn debuting in the Top 1000.  (Their -lyn versions already ranked.)   Raelynn, Adalynn, Adelynn and Evelynn all climbed.
  • Speaking of Addie, she’s the big winner for 2010.  Addilyn, Adele, and Adelina were all new to the rankings.
  • No, Isabella is not about Twilight.  But the rise of Rosalie and the debut of Esme owe something to Stephenie Meyer’s paranormal romances.
  • Ashley continues to fall, but Tenley was the highest debut for girls.  Mckinley and Kinley also rose more than 200 places.  Hadley and Kenley weren’t far behind.
  • It’s good to be a Disney princess (Tiana), a Teen Mom (Maci), a reality show star (Giuliana), or a singing cheerleader (Quinn).  All four names were among the fastest rising in 2010.  A wronged wife (Elin) and a departed actress (Farrah) also inspired parents.
  • A surprise French revival: Aimee, possibly thanks to the continuing interest in French names sparked by the birth of Vivienne Jolie-Pitt.
  • Mini names like Kai, Mae, Ali and Gia fared well.
  • Eloise is a hit!  She soared to #530.
  • Keep an eye on Sloane, too.  She rose to #593.

Baby Name of the Day: Cedric

Posted on
11
Flag of Wessex re-done in SVG format 2D repres...

Flag of Wessex; Image via Wikipedia

Innogen became Imogen, and Amabel was whispered down the alley into Annabel.  Today’s choice is yet another name transformed over time.

Liz’s week wraps up with the literary, heroic Cedric as our Baby Name of the Day.

Continue reading →

Baby Name of the Day: Conrad

Posted on
19
Bye Bye Birdie (film)

Image via Wikipedia

He’s been worn by a German saint, a famous hotelier, and a fictional pop star – and he’s showing the faintest signs of revival for newborn boys, too.

Thanks to Annabel for suggesting Conrad as Baby Name of the Day.

Continue reading →

Sunday Summary: 10/17/10

Posted on
23

I’m on a reality television kick.  (Right, well, it’s worse than usual.)  How can I not, with names like Truely on Sister Wives and Bret Michaels’ daughters Raine and Jorja on his new series.  Will the trio of real life monikers become the new Destiny, Skye, and Alivia?  Or will the trends take us elsewhere?

Speaking of celebs, this week we welcomed Egypt, a son for Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, plus twins GideonHarper, a son and daughter for Neil Patrick Harris.

Elsewhere online:

Lastly, to all of those parents thinking that Flynn was the perfect, simple, unusual, swashbuckling, Irish surname for a son’s first name, the name never to be shared by another, I regretfully inform you that the hero in Tangled, Disney’s upcoming Rapunzel reboot, is called Flynn.  Yes, he was originally named Bastion.  And yes, Flynn was awfully close to the white hot Finn anyhow.  Regardless of the movie’s success, this is Disney, and suspect Flynn will rise.   Of course, he’s never been in the US Top 1000.  But Disney plus the single syllable trend that seems to be accelerating?  Make that he has been in the US Top 1000 yet.

That’s all for this Sunday.  Check out the Facebook page for more Summary-esque chatter during the week.

As always, thanks for reading and have a fabulous week!

Elsewhere Online: Translate Your Choice for Just $1,678

Posted on
5

According to Reuters, a new translation service is available for expecting parents. For just 1,000 pounds – that’s about US $1,678 – the firm will translate a name into 100 languages.

The firm suggests this service will prevent parents from naming their kids things like Suri.  (Speculation has run wild about the name’s meaning ever since Tomkat chose the appellation.)  They also warn about the perils of Kai (apparently it means “stop it” in Yoruba) and Zuma (which means “Lord frowns in anger” in Nahuatl.)

Humphrey Bogart once quipped “You’re not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi.”  If you’re Gwen Stefani, I can imagine that you could fret about how your little one’s name will appear in the press in Shanghai and Dubai and hey, maybe even amongst the Ancient Aztecs.  (Actually, Nahuatl is spoken by more than a million people, mostly in Mexico.  But still.)

And yet somehow, I can’t help think that if you’re into Extreme Baby Naming you can live with the possibility that your kid’s name might not work well in West Frisian or Igbo.

Sunday Summary: 11/8/09

Posted on
9

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:

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: 9/20/09

Posted on
12

There’s a theme to this Sunday Summary, methinks:

  • First up, Hope Edelman guested over at Nameberry about seeing a name scrawled on a mailbox late in her pregnancy, and knowing that someone (other than the graffiti artist) was sending her a sign.  Check out the whole story – Maya’s name was truly meant to be;
  • On the small screen, Mad Men’s Betty Draper had a strange hallucinatory dream while in labor and decided to name her baby boy after her dearly departed dad, Eugene.  Don doesn’t seem to be on board – tune in tonight to see what happens.  And thank your lucky stars that you didn’t give birth in the 1950s;
  • In the Names of the Future column, Laura Wattenberg considers Ily - pronounce it like Riley, without the first R.  Don’t get it?  Text ILY to your better half – I Love You.  Get it?  Kind of sweet, if terribly lightweight.  And just one-L short of an espresso maker;
  • Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley put Nancy Leigh on the birth certificate! Schwoo!  And the baby is adorable, so if they want to call her Naleigh?  Oh well.  I understand the urge to honor loved ones while still giving your a child a name of her own.  Plus, Nancy Kelley is deliciously retro – it sounds like she should be solving mysteries in a kilt;
  • In this week’s Toronto Star column, the parents named their daughter London Elizabeth, for a few reasons – including the fun fact that the parents met in London, Ontario.

The theme?  It’s all about how we make our choices.  Often a name that seems atrocious, or just plain blah, seems different when you know the whole story.

In celeb news:

Elsewhere online, Nymbler announced their Top Ten for August. Never any surprises there: Charlotte, Ava, Benjamin, Amelia, Finn, Grace, Jack, Henry, Oliver and Claire occupy the top spots.

New debuts, on the other hand, are endlessly fascinating:

  • Khloe: How, oh how, did Khloe Kardashian konvince parents to spell Chloe with a K?  Sure, it’s defensible.  But it doesn’t seem very sophisticated.
  • Gypsy: A little bit stripper, a little bit Fleetwood Mac, a whole lotta huh? as a given name.
  • Gracen: Is this a girls’ twist on Grace – a sister for Madalyn and Addisyn?  Or an alt spelling for Grayson?
  • Bodhi:  He’s a starbaby choice, and a Sanskrit term for enlightment – could he also be the new Kai?
  • Fable: The fabulous Rebecca Woolf of Girl’s Gone Child named her second child Fable Luella.  It’s the new Story, but more obviously feminine, boosted by her similarity to Hazel and Mabel.

Lastly, please note that Sebastiane – she of the truly unusual, usually international baby names, has moved!  Legit Baby Names can now be found here.  (That’s http://legitbabenames.wordpress.com/ if you prefer to type it into your browser, old school.)  Stop by and bring your box cutter!  I’m sure  it will take some time to transfer all of her fabulous content.

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