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:

• Thalia and Tommy Mottola welcomed a second child, son Matthew Alejandro.  He joins big sister Sabrina at home;
• Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict welcomed a son, son Cree Taylor.  Tia and her twin sister Tamera are starring in their own reality show on Style later this summer, so we could hear much more about baby Cree;
• Denise Richards adopted a daughter, Eloise Joni.  Joni honors Denise’s mom, while Eloise was picked by big sisters Sam J, called Sami, and Lola Rose;
• Yes, it’s fake.  But it is funny to see not-Victoria and not-David Beckham ponder baby names like Gucci, Milan, and Benditlike.  (Love Elea’s quote from the Facebook page: “They could go Ancient Greek and pronounce it ben-deet-LEE-kay.”

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!

I happen to be writing from New York City, just a week after the Health Department released their 2009 stats proclaiming Isabella and Jayden top of the charts. Yawn.

But then the  Wall Street Journal’s Metropolis blog interviewed Baby Name Wizard’s Laura Wattenberg on the results. Two things stood out:  first, Wattenberg is a master of linguistic analysis.  She declares that today’s parents prefer names lacking “two consecutive voiced consonants.”  Buh-bye Robert and Alfred, Nancy and Betsy.

But this quote grabbed me: “Individuality has become a prized virtue and there’s a kind of competitive landscape — a baby name arms race — where parents are determined to make their child stand out.”

It is true that even the most common given names are given to fewer children with every passing year, whether that name is Mary or Isabella or Ava, John or Jacob or Jayden.  But I’m not sure that we’re intentionally competing for a stand-out name for our kids … more in a future post.

Elsewhere online:

• Speaking of standing out, here are a few rarities mentioned in the NYC Health Department press release: Nava and Zeidy for girls; Pinchus, Orion, and Drake for boys.  Not sure about all of them, but those last two?  I imagine we’ll hear a few more Orions and many more Drakes in future years;
• And back to the arms race: apparently, friendships really do end when two expectant mothers land on the same name.  I’m with ParentDish UK’s Tamsin Oxford on this one: “So what if you’re going to call him Sam, it’s not like he’s going to be the first child with that name, and there’s no way he’s going to be the last. Surely what counts is the fact that he is your Sam?”
• Here’s an often-heard pheonomenon:  I don’t like made-up names, but I like this one I made up. Swistle weighs in on Junuh, which I think she rightly concludes feels both feminine and invented.  The respelling Junah might hold up better, but it would never have the masculine appeal of Cannon or Gunnar.  Or even Greg;
• Nancy asks whether more of us will name our children Kindle. It’s a hop, skip, and a jump from Kendall to the e-Reader.  She also tells us that 24 girls received the name in 2009.  And don’t forget surname picks like Kinsey and Kinley, both of which are heard more and more;
• On the AppMtn Facebook page, I mused about the sibsets of the future:  Buster and Minka, anyone?
• Can’t get enough of wacky celebrity names? Here’s another slideshow. Call me jaded, but I’m finding it harder and harder to be surprised by any baby name, chosen by anyone.  Okay, well maybe Audio Science still seems extreme.  Well … and Jagger for a girl.  And … okay, I lied.  It’s an inexhaustible subject;
• Which reminds me, what do you name your child when your name is Beyonce?  That’s one Nameberry contest I can’t wait to enter;
• Here’s a cheerful name: ForReal spotted a Pollyanna Nell.  Plus girls called Laurette, Odette, and Isla Antoinette in Washington.  Are the -ettes ready for a comeback yet?
• DaddyTypes gives us a list of Footloose-inspired baby names – with Ren and Lulu on the list, it isn’t as outrageous a suggestion as it appears;
• One of Swistle’s posts resulted in a daughter named Felicity, nicknamed Fliss.  Love that nickname!
• If there a baby names arms race, here’s the finish line.  (Though I don’t think this post is legit.)  What should she name her triplets, gender TBA? Current options are, boys first: Mystique Mariah, Blueberry Love, Disney Cinderella, Raven Superman, Dave Superman, Clandestine Superman.

In celeb news, I was so busy speculating about Egypt catching on, and what Beyonce might name her maybe-baby, and how crowd-sourcing works because second-born Bowen Brees has a much better name than elder son Baylen … well, I missed the arrival of Lance Armstrong’s daughter, Olivia Marie, a little sister for Luke, Isabelle, Grace, and Max.

And, of course, Matt Damon and wife Luciana welcomed daughter Stella.

Celine Dion has also welcomed her twins – two boys! – but names have not yet been released. Please leave a comment if you hear anything!

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

Just like Larkin was a medieval diminutive for Lawrence, Parkin was a pet form of Peter.  And between Spider-man’s alter ego, Peter Parker, and 90s Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can’t Loose, lots of parents probably view Parker in a positive light.

He’s a little bit preppy/Southern family surname: “Oh yes, my mother was one of the Providence Parkers” or “Great-great-grandfather Jebediah Parker first came to Atlanta after the War.”  But he’s also in step with occupational surnames like Archer that seem so current right now.

But what about Parker for a girl?

Indie darling Parker (Yes, it’s her birth name) Posey was named after supermodel Suzy Parker. As Posey’s star has risen, so has Parker for girls.  She first charted at #875 in 1999, and has made a steady ascent to #502 a decade later.

Two small screen uses of Parker keep me thinking of this:

• In a recent ABC Family movie, Revenge of the Bridesmaids, Raven-Symoné played Abby and Joanna Garcia played Parker;
• On TNT’s Leverage, Beth Riesgraf plays talented cat-burglar Parker – though her background is mysterious, and it isn’t clear if that’s her first name or last.  (And if Riesgraf sounds familiar, it is because she’s mom to the oh-so-famous Pilot Inspektor, with ex-husband Jason Lee.)

I know many readers feel strongly that boys’ names should never, ever be used for girls, but in an era when the musical Harper and Piper are popular picks for daughters, it is easy to imagine some parents digging Parker’s nature vibe and thinking she’d be pretty in pink.

Readers, thoughts?

Thanks to Bek for suggesting Hannelore as Baby Name of the Day.

Purists may insist that Hannelore is a four-syllable name.  They’re correct, of course.  Just like fellow Germanic compound name Anneliese sounds more like Annalisa, Hannelore might be simplified Hannalora.

Except that, much like Emmeline and Vivienne, Eleanor and Allison, there’s plenty of room for three-syllable feminine choices ending with a consonant in English.  And han eh LOR sounds slightly more current – at least to my ear.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons I think she could appeal to American parents circa 2010.  She feels like a smoosh of the popular Hannah and the modern classic Lauren, though she’s actually a mash-up of Hanne – a nickname for Johanna, and Eleonore, the German version of Eleanor.

While short names are stylish, like Heidi Klum’s Lou, longer names show no signs of surrender – think of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s Seraphina or 20th century staples like Samantha.

While her usage is Germany, most notable bearers of the name are in the past.  She’s definitely not in German Top Ten, though many familiar names, including Sophie, Mia and Emma, do chart.

Notable Hannelores include:

• Hannelore Kohl, the late wife of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, born Johanna Klara Eleonore;
• Another former German first lady, Hannelore Schmidt, nicknamed Loki;
• A smattering of athletes, actresses and others.

But the most memorable Hannelore’s story makes for a grisly tale.  In October 1979, Hannelore Schmatz successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest, only to die of exhaustion on the trip down.  It’s a sad tale, but here’s the worst part: her remains were stuck, lodged along the southern route. Any climber ascending the same path would see her remains, eyes open.  At least one expedition intent on retrieving poor Hannelore failed, and the climbers lost their lives, too.

Have you been reading all of those press releases by this hospital or that about the most popular names of 2009?  They haven’t been terribly exciting, but I’m reading them anyhow.  This one caught my attention, not because of the Most Popular Names.  (Jack and Isabella, yawn.)  And not even so much because of the unusual names listed.  (Though Leviticus is a bit much and Minuet is lovely.)  No, it caught my eye because they listed Stella among the unusual names.  Clearly the compiler is not up on baby name trends.  Or doesn’t watch Oxygen.

I’ve been neglecting the Toronto Star baby name profiles lately.  Let’s check in on Kristin Rushowy’s latest:

• Somewhere between the overexposed Alexander and the up-and-coming Max falls the brief-yet-familiar Lex.  As in Luthor.  Who has been kinda-sorta redeemed on Smallville, I suppose.  The baby’s full name is Lex Noah Atticus, and I’ll admit – super villain or no, I kind of love it;
• There’s also a story about a couple with four kids: sons Hunter and Connor and twin daughters Kerrilyn Lane and Bella Nicole.  Kerrilyn honors grandma Kerrin.  The mom had this to say: “Nobody – including family – can spell it properly. It’s pronounced Carolyn.”  I can see why Kerrilyn seemed like the right choice, but wow – that’s a lifetime of introducing yourself as “Kerrilyn – K-E-R-R …;”
• Let’s leave Canada on a high note with this story of the first baby of the new year, the appropriately named Eva.

From Canada to New Zealand, remember a few days ago when we were all abuzz with the birth announcement for Diammond Sparckle Zedekeyah Lilly Ann?  Turns out baby Diammond has ten big brothers and sisters.  I couldn’t find a complete list, but this article includes a few of her sibs:  Brandi Shyla Molly Robyn, Indego Raindrop Sapphire and the relatively ordinary Cruz Richard.  Mom Brinessa says Diammond’s name was inspired by an iPhone app.  “We just added a couple of letters to the name so it would be a bit different.”  Mission accomplished.

Also in New Zealand, the Bay of Plenty Times reports on a family determined to find a name more interesting than Jack.  They came up with Jaksyn.  Suddenly, Diammond seems like the more satisfying choice.

Elsewhere online:

• Sebastiane covers international variations of the classics William and Sara/Sarah; plus the Estonian version of Winter, the appealing Talvi; 
• Names4Real spotted a boy called Cipher Bash. When he keeps secrets in high school, don’t be surprised.  She also found a birth announcement for a girl named Couture Beauty. And I thought that Jolie was a lot to put on a kid;
• Bewildertix spotted a Belladonna.  Terribly pretty, and irresistible with all the Isabellas out there.  Also the predictable and not-nearly-so-attractive Anastyn, Adelayde and Wyit.  I think that’s a respelling of Wyatt, but I can’t fathom why that seemed like the thing to do.  Someone please tell me Wyit is a traditional Maori name or maybe a surname worn by a distinguished Aussie statesman;
• Nameberry discusses names popular in 1910 that have yet to return.  Abner and Kitty, anyone?;
• Vast Public Indifference tabulated the Hot Baby Names of 1710.   Fabulous!  Whatever happened to Mehitabel, Jerusha and Bethia, Ephraim and Ebenezer?  And while you’re there, take her quiz: 18th Century Connecticutian or Muppet?  I bombed, but here’s a hint: Big Bird has cousins;
• The best argument EVER for using a formal name comes to us from Namberry guest blogger Greta Goss.  When she outgrew Peggy she simply looked for a more appealing diminutive of her name, Margaret. 

Speaking of Margaret, Mark Walherg and Rhea Durham welcomed baby #4, the classically named Grace Margaret.  In other starbaby news, via Celebrity Baby Blog:

• HGTV’s Vern Yip has welcomed a son, Gavin Joshua Mannox;
• Flight of the Conchords’ Rhys Darby has welcomed a son Theo, little brother for Finn;
• ‘NSYNC’s Joey Fatone and wife Kelly announced the birth of daughter Kloey Alexandra, a little sister for Briahna.  Kloey is a mash-up of her parents’ names – not sure if there is a story behind Briahna’s spelling;
• Yes, Dash and Cash are catching on.  But if your last name was Rich would you call your kiddo Cash Rich?  Country singer John Rich, half of duo Big & Rich, did just that;
• How many celebs have chosen Rocco for a son in recent years?  Add one more to the list. Jillian Barberie Reynolds has welcomed a son, Rocco Rio, a little brother for Ruby Raven;
• Fatboy Slim has apparently been happily married for a decade.  He and wife Zoe have a son called Woody and just welcomed a daughter, Nelly May Lois.  And ’round the house, Fatboy answers to Norman.

How could I top that?  As always, thanks for reading!

But what about those other Disney names?

The Mouse has launched the careers of plenty of stars, from beachy-keen Annette Funicello to the beleaguered Britney Spears. Today Disney’s tween sensations have their own shows, instead of just blending in among their fellow Mousketeers. And their names – both their given names and those of their characters – may well inspire the next generation of babynamers.Let’s start with Miley, a name poised for at least as much superstardom as Hannah Montana/Miley Stewart and the actor that plays the part-time popstar, part-time everyday teen, Miley Cyrus. Born Destiny Hope, the daughter of Billy Ray “Achey Breaky Heart” Cyrus was nicknamed Miley as a baby because, according to her dad, she was oh-so-smiley.

Drop the “s” from smiley, and you’ve got a hot name for 2010 on your hands.

It’s a sweet name, but perhaps one best left to the dynamic Miss Cyrus, who has now adopted it as not just her stage name, but her legal identity, doffing Destiny Hope in favor of Miley Ray. And yet, given the continued popularity of similar names (Kaylee #42; Kylie #66; Riley #55, to name just a few) it seems like Miley will be sharing her moniker with more little girls in the future. (As of 2006, Miley had not arrived in the Top 1000.)

Hannah Montana’s best friend has her own double identity. Lilly Truscott is also the flamboyant Lola, Hannah’s biggest fan. While it’s hard to get a handle on Lilly (this spelling ranked #151 while Lily was #33 and several elaborations are also popular, including Liliana at #150, Lillian at #38, Lilliana at #445 and Lilian at #439) safe to say that Lilly is hot.

One might think that Lola would be the last name anyone would choose for a daughter, what with the Humbert Humbert vibe courtesy of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita and the Kinks’ gender-bending L-O-L-A Lola in constant rotation on classic rock stations. But Lola is gaining ground, and here’s my short list of reasons why:

• O remains the vowel to beat – witness Olivia, Oliver, Theo and Leo
• Madonna used it as a nickname for her daughter, Lourdes
• Similar two-syllable, ends-in-a names for girls are hot – Emma, Ava, Layla

And so Lola has leapt from obscurity (unranked in 2001) to the fairly popular #280 in 2006. Perhaps Hannah’s wholesome-if-wacky best friend is fueling some small part of that trend, too.

Turning to the Wizards of Waverly Place, a tale of young siblings and wizards-in-training trying to blend into the ordinary world, we find the interestingly named non-magical friend Harper Evans. Harper is not only a surname choice, but a literary one, too, thanks to the To Kill a Mockingbird author, Harper Lee. (She was born Nelle Harper Evans.)

Wizards premiered on Disney in 2007. By then, Harper had already gone from oblivion (not in the Top 1000 in 2003) to uncommon but gaining in 2006, when it came in at #510.

Over at the Tipton Hotel in Boston, identical twin brothers are living The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Their mother is the hotel’s headlining singer, and the boys are resident at the Tipton, along with hotel heiress, London Tipton. London is a thinly-veiled, though safely PG version, of that real-life celebutante, Paris Hilton.

It’s interesting to note that while Paris has been in the Top 1000 since 1985, when the first hints of geographic names surfaced (and today stands at #260), London is a relative newcomer. In 1999, it was #923; even today, it is a mere #353.

Next, we turn to That’s So Raven. The show’s star, Raven-Symone, was once the pint-sized step-granddaughter of Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Raven peaked back when the actor was first on the small screen, back in 1993, at #139. Today, it is still in use, but falling fast at #441. While it might have appeal for parents of dark-tressed girls, it does feel a bit flimsy. The Italian city, Ravenna, offers a twist on the avian choice – and one that has yet to break into the Top 1000.

Lastly, I should mention two names given to animated characters – Riley Daring and Darby.

In The Replacements, Riley Daring and her younger brother, Todd, are orphans who stumble across an ad for Fleemco. For $1.98, they acquire the ability to replace any adult in their life. Riley for a girl is far from new – it entered the Top 100 back in 2002, and today holds steady at #55. Add in variant spellings like Rylie (#317), Rylee (#134) and Ryleigh (#328) and it’s a popular choice, indeed.

Darby is another animated Disney girl, this time the new sidekick on My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Purists will wonder what became of Christopher Robin; he makes the brief appearance, but red-headed Darby is the main companion of the talking animal set. This time, name-wise, Disney seems to have chosen a name on its way towards oblivion. After peaking in 1995 at #498, Darby disappeared from the Top 1000 in 2003.

While most viewers of the Disney Channel are years away from having children of their own, odds are that some of them are listening and taking note.

Disney names are not, for the most part, trendsetters. Instead, they cement well-established and emerging trends with names that are accessible, but interesting, to their tweens-and-younger viewing audience.

It’s not the most sophisticated source for inspiration, but doubtless one whose influence we’ll see in the future. Me? I’m keeping a weather eye on Miley. Barring a fall from grace by Miss Cyrus, I suspect it’s going to be a popular choice in coming years.