Image via Wikipedia
How can a Top 100 boys’ name borrowed from a faithful Biblical figure be so very controversial?
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting the surprisingly complex Caleb as our Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Caleb
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Tag Archives: Nathaniel
Baby Name of the Day: Scarlett
Image via Wikipedia
She’s a vibrant name with a legendary literary namesake.
Thanks to Ivy for suggesting Scarlett as our Baby Name of the Day.
March Madness 2011: The Victors!
Trophy by ilovememphis at Flickr
It’s official. The trophies go to Louisa and Nathaniel!
In the final round of play, Louisa bested Elodie, 229 to 140 votes, or 62%.
The boys’ round was more interesting. Nathaniel, you’ll recall, was wrongly ousted in the Semi-Finals. He was returned for the Finals, leaving us with a three-way contest.
And wouldn’t you know it? Nathaniel came out on top, with 157 votes, or 43% of the total. Archer was in second with 115, or 32%. Finn finished up in third with 92 votes, or 25%.
Very few of the names profiled here rank in the US Top 100, but the winner of March Madness for the boys came in at #76 in 2009. In fact, he’s been in the Top 100 since 1978, making him something of a staple.
Louisa is less surprising as a favorite. She left the US rankings after 1969 and has yet to return. But with her fashionable first letter and her oo sound, she’s definitely on trend.
Thanks for playing! And what do you think of the outcome?
March Madness: Boys’ Final
Basketballs by Hakan Dahlstrom via Flickr
There’s been controversy. There’s been heartache. I’m not sure if we’ve had a Cinderella story. But it has been great fun to watch the names advance.
In last week’s action, Nathaniel beat Tobias, 54% to 46%, or 198 votes to 170.
Finn was the clear winner over Cian, 70% to 30%, or 257 votes to 108.
We’re down to the final round, but unlike your typical basketball match-up, there are three contenders for the title: the Colonial Nathaniel, the sharp Archer, the friendly Finn. Please see the controversy link above if you’re wondering why Nathaniel is making a re-appearance!
Voting stays open until next Friday, and the winners will be announced a week from today.
March Madness: Boys’ Quarter Finals
1905 Basketball Team from paukrus via Flickr
Thanks to everyone who voted in the first round of March Madness. The results were fascinating! We’ve gone from sixteen to eight.
The closest match-ups? Liam lost to Archer by just three votes. The biggest trouncing was Eamon, with 83% of the vote compared to St. John’s measly 17%. My biggest disappointment was that Gray failed to make it out of the opening round.
But all that is in the past. Vote now and help us whittle it down to just four!
The dashing Dashiell (1) versus the pointed Archer (8)
It’s the Celtic showdown: cheerful Eamon (2) versus friendly Finn (10)
Two rarities-on-the-rise face off: Huxley (3) versus Cian (6)
Possibly the most conservative names on the list: Tobias (13) versus Nathaniel (12)
March Madness: Boys’ Opening Round
Place your bets, name aficionados! It’s time for the first-ever March Madness event at Appellation Mountain.
Round One matches up the Top Sixteen names from 2010. Vote for your favorite in each of the eight polls below, and check back next week to see who makes the cut for the quarter-finals. We’ll crown the victors after the close of voting in the fourth and final round on Saturday, March 26.
The literary Dashiell (1) versus the wild Wolf (16)
The Irish Eamon (2) versus the ever-so English St. John (15)
A surname match-up: Huxley (3) versus Cohen (14)
Subdued color name Gray (4) v. Old Testament Tobias (13)
Otto the palindrome (5) v. colonial cool Nathaniel (12)
Kelly green Cian (6) v. très français Etienne (11)
The Scottish Lachlan (7) v. the Glee-ful Finn (10)
Sharp Archer (8) v. leading man Liam (9)
Sunday Summary: 11/28/10
Things for which I am grateful: name blogger Xanthe Linnea is back with the story of her son’s name, Leo Nathaniel. And Emmy Jo shared Julius Arthur‘s name story, complete with absolutely adorable photos! They make for great reading. Plus, be on the lookout for another Reader Baby Name Story here next Saturday!
Another thing that fills me with joy: your boundless creativity, as seen in the Holiday Baby Name Game: Thanksgiving Edition. The suggestions were fabulous – I’ve winnowed it down to a few choices for the polls. Vote for your favorites below!
I’ve been putting more and more Real Life name spottings over at Facebook, but here are a few I couldn’t resist:
The first two sets run afoul of my How Close is too Close? tests. And while I’ve defended alternate spellings, Emett makes me want to backspace. I wonder if there’s a reason?
Elsewhere online:
- Nameberry raised the question of cool names we’ve spotted. The comments were amazing – North, Cosmo, Padget for boys, and Posie, Lulabelle, and Persia for girls – and that’s just a sample;
- Speaking of cool names, For Real spotted boys called Fox and Zen, plus a Wallace Gannon, which I kind of love;
- This was pure fun: Nancy’s round up of Happy Days-inspired baby names like Fonzie and Chachi. Really!
- Speaking of odd names, I’ve often said that being named Dweezil could not have been the strangest thing about growing up with Frank Zappa for a dad. Evidence that parents with unusual outlooks and vocations choose names accordingly: at DaddyTypes, Kenny Scharf designed this wild crib for his daughter in the 1980s. Her name? Zena;
- It goes the opposite way, too. Also via DaddyTypes, CPC Designs features super-cute, super-preppy little jumpers and such, made by a trio of friends. They have five kids between them: Charlie, Teddy, Paige, Cooper, and Madeleine.
The big Hollywood news was the birth of Benjamin Travolta. But with Pink among the currently expecting celebs, we can only expect a bumper crop of fabulous baby names in 2011.
Hope you had a great week, and for those in the US, a fun Thanksgiving.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
Baby Name of the Day: Hawthorne
Image via Wikipedia
He’s outdoorsy and literary – a tough combination to find for a boy’s name.
Thanks to Evangeline for suggesting Hawthorne as our Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Ellington
Image via Wikipedia
He’s a surname worn by a jazz great. How would he work in the first spot for a child born today?
Thanks to Chantelle for suggesting Ellington as Baby Name of the Day.
Baby Name of the Day: Blythe
She’s as cheerful as Felicity, as brief as Blair.
Thanks to Rocking Fetal for suggesting Blythe as Baby Name of the Day.
