Sunday Summary: 7/3/11

Three

For those of you in the US, I hope you’re having a lovely, fireworks-filled Independence Day weekend.

First up: a quick users’ guide note: when I write a post, I try to bold any given name the first time I use it.  If the name is a (blue) hyperlink, then I’ve written about the name before – and one quick click will take you to that post.  I also try to link movies and television shows to the Internet Movie Database.

On to the news:

  • Speaking of movies, Nancy mentioned the big Pixar reveal: a female heroine called Merida, star of their 2012 feature Brave.  It’s already getting some attention with expectant parents;
  • Nameberry covered Irish Baby Names following the announcement of their official statistics for 2010.  I love Orla for a girl and Lorcan for a boy – oh, and Cathal, though I find it feminine;
  • Elea explored popular Welsh Boys’ Names, including choices like Cai and Rhys that would work perfectly in the US, too;
  • Bewitching Baby Names profiled Oregon.  It’s an unconventional choice, but fresher than Dakota;
  • Waltzing More Than Matilda posted about Australia’s answer to the Duggars: Jeni and Ray Bonnell and their fifteen kids, including newborn son Damian.  No, the older fourteen kids don’t have D names;
  • From the wayback machine: the feature name in 2008 was clunky Clarence; in 2009, the antique Ada; and just a year ago, it was the lovely, but perhaps burdensome Jocasta;
  • Is it me, or does it get easier to play Elisabeth’s Sibset Game as the posts at You Can’t Call It “It” go farther and farther up the rankings?  Some of my favorites from the 700s are Kim W’s Luka Ellis, Ingrid Frances, Elin Rosemary, Soren Lewis, and Sonia Julianne and Kailee’s Rory Conrad, Lewis Eugene, Julianne Frances, Susan “Susie” Campbell, and Corinne Rosemary.  From the 600s, I’m intrigued by Ashley’s Tomas “Tam” Sullivan Cale, Callen “Cal” Memphis Clark, Dahlia “Dolly” Phoenix Anne, Noemi “Emme” Paloma Adrienne, Isis “Izzy” Raven Amelie, and Lawson “Lars” Nash Channing.

I wrote about the first generation of eclectic Hollywood baby names for Nameberry last week.  In more recent celebrity news:

Tomorrow’s post for Nameberry is the first in another two-parter, and it features one of my favorite names for a boy: Clark.

That’s all for this week.  As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!

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: Indie

INDIE

INDIE by marksdk via Flickr

It’s a versatile nickname, likely to bring to mind a fictional daredevil archeologist.

Thanks to Carrie for suggesting her daughter Ingrid’s nickname.  Our Baby Name of the Day is Indie.

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Sunday Summary: 1/23/10

23-01

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:

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:

That’s all for this week!  As always, thank you for reading, commenting, and sending all of your fabulous suggestions my way.

Baby Name of the Day: Sequoia

Sequoiadendron giganteum, leaves

Image via Wikipedia

Let’s say you want a nature name for a daughter.  The list is long, ranging from the ladylike Lily to the modern Skye.  The boys’ list is, well, shorter.  Here’s one that ought to work.

Thanks to Emilie for suggesting Sequoia as our Baby Name of the Day.

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Starbaby News: Welcome Draco

Yup, DracoDanica McKellar and husband Mike Verta have chosen the name Draco for their new baby boy.

From the Latin word for dragon, it’s a name perfectly on trend: he was in use in Ancient Greece, there’s a constellation by the name, he has the -o ending of Leo, and while a dragon is a mythical beast, he fits with other not-quite-zoological choices like Griffin and Phoenix.

Nancy tells us that there were 20 little boys called Draco in 2009.

But am I the only one who hears Draco and thinks Malfoy?  Or is this one going to follow Luna up the charts as another Harry Potter hit?

Sunday Summary: 7/11/10

Just when you think every name has been imagined, every option exhausted, pop culture surprises us.

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: AbcdeNancy 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:

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!

Sunday Summary: 4/25/10

The price of a blog with growing readership?  I spend a ridiculous amount of time cleaning out spam.  Nancy occasionally posts lists of her spam names.  I thought of it when I got a not-comment from a Hildred earlier this week.

In other random name-spotting news, during a bout of insomnia Tuesday night I caught 2001′s Sugar & Spice.  If memory serves, there was more than one cheerleaders-rob-a-bank flick out that year.  This one was actually pretty funny – at least at 2 a.m. – but what really drew me in were the cheerleaders’ names: Diane, Hannah, Lucy, Cleo, KansasFern, and the bitter, also-ran Lisa.

A comment on my Hadassah post prompted me to check out the full family tree for the recently rebooted Parenthood.  This time the television family consists of Zeek and Camille; their kids, Adam, Sarah, Crosby and Julia; and the grandkids:

  • Haddie and Max
  • Amber and Drew
  • Sydney (played by Savannah Paige)
  • Jabbar

Elsewhere online, international edition:

On a different note, there’s Laura Wattenberg’s The Generational Sweet Spot, or Why Your Mother-in-Law Has Such Bad Taste.  It reminds me of a recent Real Simple article: What To Do When Your Parents Won’t Call Your Kids By Their Given Names? The author knows what she’s talking about.  Her daughter Thelma’s name apparently led to much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And if you need a good laugh?  Check out Kelly Hagen’s ruminations on what to name a baby.

Just a few Tinseltown births to report, all via Celebrity Baby Blog:

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

Sunday Summary: 3/1/09

Just when it looked like spring was here, what with the crocuses and actually walking the kids to school without a jacket one morning, what’s in the forecast?  EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW.  

If you, too, are enduring winter’s last gasp, park your toddler in front of the television and entertain yourself with these links:

  • How’s your French?  Mine is middling, but good enough to play this game: Connaissez-vous les prénoms des enfants de stars?  Here’s a hint – the French for “was conceived” is apparently l’auraient conçu.  Don’t say I never taught you anything.  :)  And thanks to Pam at Nameberry for the link!
  • Speaking of Nameberry, their post on Q names has me a little bit in love with Quilla
  • Over at Baby Name Wizard, Laura Wattenberg suggests that the ends-in-gan names could be the Next Big Thing.  I’ve been a big fan of Madigan – as in the tragic tightrope walker Elvira Madigan – for years, but in the Madison/Madeleine/Maddasynne era, I cannot imagine using the name.
  • British golfer Justin Rose and his wife Kate welcomed their son Leo last week.  I don’t follow any golf that doesn’t involve miniature windmills, but I thought it was a nice excuse to link to Xanthe Linnea’s post on Leo and Company.
  • Grey’s Anatomy actress Chyler Leigh announced that she will name her daughter-to-be Aniston Kay.  Her first two are son Noah and daughter Taelyn.  Aniston does not currently rank in the US Top 1000 (nor do Chyler and Taelyn).  Wonder if she’ll chart in 2009?
  • I spent Fat Tuesday thinking that I need to get a goldfish tank, stat.  Because ever since Elisabeth’s post on Mardi Gras names, I need to name something Ghislaine.
  • Lastly, the final Spice Girl to embrace her maternal side chose a rather tame name for her daughter:  Scarlet.  Melanie Chisolm - a.k.a Sporty – brings the baby count to 8.  There’s also Victoria Beckham’s boys Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz; Melanie Brown’s daughters Phoenix Chi and Angel Iris; Emma’s Bunton’s son Beau; and Geri Haliwell’s daughter Bluebell Madonna.

Stay warm!