Baby Name of the Day: Ella

[Portrait of Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie,...

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.

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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!

Name of the Day: Mae

She’s small but mighty, packing a surprise amount of style into a mere three letters.

Thanks to RockingFetal for suggesting Mae as Name of the Day.

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Names Worn By Christina Ricci

Like Anne Hathaway, the subject of my first As Worn By post, Christina Ricci started out as a child star before taking on roles in everything from edgy indies to big screen blockbusters.

In honor of her February 12 birthday, here’s a look at the names she’s worn.

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Starbaby News: Welcome Grace Margaret Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham have welcomed their fourth classically named child, a daughter called Grace Margaret.  (Hat tip to Celebrity Baby Blog.)

If you’re keeping track, this brings the family to a 50/50 split.  Firstborn Ella Rae was followed by two sons, Michael and Brendan Joseph.

Who would’ve thunk it?  Marky Mark turned out to be a dashing leading man and a surprisingly buttoned-down baby namer.

Congrats to the family!

Sunday Summary: 8/9/09

My neighborhood is filled with expectant parents.  A few know about my baby name obsession; others, not so much.  I know that politeness dictates that I greet all joyful news of babies-on-the-way with the following: Congratulations!  How are you feeling?

Instead, I really want to say: Do you have names picked out?

So I wonder, readers, do you also struggle with the urge to ask?

In other news:

  • There’s a new baby in my ‘hood who answers to Santiago.  (Or will.  He’s just a few weeks old.)  Ignatius names seems to be big everywhere except the English-speaking world.  Here was the big a-ha – Santiago’s mom said this: It’s a very popular name in Peru (her home country).  If we lived there, I probably wouldn’t want to use it. Here, of course, it sounds just-exotic-enough, at #171 last year;
  • Ever notice how some families give girls wildly creative appellations,while sticking to the absolute classics for their sons? Bewildertrix spotted a birth announcement for the saintly, nicely paired Joseph Rocco – with big sisters Dior Rose and Caprice.  She also spotted a Reece Warlock;
  • The Toronto Star column this week features a rather pretty name – Melita Jolie.  I’ll admit that Melita sounds a little bit like an appliance to my ear.  But Melitta is a legitimate variant of Melissa, and with just the one t, Melita is the Latin name for the island of Malta.  Better still, Melita is a family name on dad’s side – I always enjoy the use of obscure family names;
  • I’m sure you’ve already read all about it, but yes, a mom-to-be really is (was?) selling naming rights for her son on eBay, in hopes of raising enough cash to put food on the table.  Or is she?  When I checked eBay, the auction link didn’t work, despite the fact that eBay officials earlier said her item was valid – and bids were received;
  • Sebastiane brings us another interesting Latvian/Lithuanian choice – Daina, pronounced just like Dinah.  Of course, in the US you’d probably hear her rhymed with Dana.  But then, that’s the risk with any unusual name;
  • Weirdest name spotted on a message board this week?  Azhya.  Pronounced like Asia.  Let’s hope the baby is a boy – David is the top contender;
  • Finley is the new Riley.  Daniel Baldwin’s new daughter is Finley Rae.  Sibs are Alexandra, Atticus, Kahlea and Avis.  Wonder if we’ll see Finleigh or Fynlee in the US Top 1000 this year?
  • Speaking of names that just might pop – Marley Shelton plays a character called Cleo in A Perfect Getaway, a thriller that just opened this weekend.  Other characters include Cliff, Cydney and Kale;
  • Celeb chef Tom Colicchio welcomed son Luka Bodhi, a brother for Dante;
  • Tommy Hilfiger welcomed a son named Sebastian Thomas.  Sebastian is already one of those names that new parents are surprised – and disappointed – to learn ranks in the US Top 100.  Odds are he’ll keep on climbing;
  • Reality TV alumni Rob and Amber Mariano welcomed a daughter, Lucia Rose;
  • Nancy published an excerpt from Emily Post’s 1967 etiquette guide, counseling against names that are “too long or difficult to pronounce …”  One imagines the 60s were  a trying time for etiquette experts;
  • For pure fun, check out Elisabeth’s post on Anagram names.  I agree – Claudine and Dulcinea are quite the pair!

A year ago today, I wrote about Zuleika.  Cool name!  I remain impressed by the suggestions that find their way to me.

Lastly, if you haven’t read Confessions of a Secret Name Nerd by Nameberry’s Pam, then you simply must.

Have a fabulous week!