Violet pansies; Image via Wikipedia
She’s a vintage botanical in full bloom circa 2011.
Thanks to Heather for suggesting Violet as our Baby of the Name.
Baby Name of the Day: Violet
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Tag Archives: Seraphina
Starbaby News: Welcome Cleo!
So this is what it feels like!
David Schwimmer and wife Zoe Buckman have welcomed a daughter named Cleo Buckman Schwimmer. Long-time readers know that I have a daughter called Clio, though she has a longer formal name.
Yes, she’s been called Chloe more times than I can count, but I’ve always been really pleased with her names. When someone suggests Cleo/Clio on message boards, I’m secretly thrilled.
No, it isn’t like Tori Spelling used the name for her third, or the Jolie-Pitts just announced that they’re adopting a surprise seventh kiddo and this is her name. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen David Schwimmer in the media lately, and it has all been about his impending fatherhood.
On the one hand, I don’t think Clio will be asked if she was named after “the daughter of that guy who used to be on Friends.” And yet, I’d rather no starbabies shared my daughter’s name.
I now understand how every parent of a Seraphina, Shiloh, Endellion, Pilot, Bristol, Flynn, Honor or Hayes feels: slightly ahead of the curve, but secretly wishing the rich and famous had looked elsewhere!
Baby Name of the Day: Zipporah
There’s Zoe and Zachary, Zadie and Zane. But this Z-name has been overlooked.
Thanks to Charlotte for suggesting the name of her niece as Baby Name of the Day: Zipporah. (Great minds think alike: Kelly suggested it just a few days later!)
Sunday Summary: 8/22/10
Please tell me that I’m not the only person who watched My Fake Fiance, the first pairing of Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence? It was raining, the baby was fussy … wait, never mind. Someone else must’ve tuned in – enough of us for ABC Family to greenlight a new original series called Melissa & Joey. The series premiered this week, and this time I didn’t watch. But I did Google enough to learn that Joey is a manny to Mel’s orphaned niece and nephew. The boy is called Ryder and the girl? Her name is Lennox! The actress playing Lennox is named Taylor, so maybe Lennox isn’t so outrageous. Plus, there’s the china. And a very minor Agatha Christie character was a girl called Lenox Tamplin. But if this one starts appearing embroidered in pink, it’ll be a surprise.
Speaking of character names:
- Jason Bateman plays Wally in The Switch. The cute kid answers to Sebastian, but that’s a solid Top 100 pick these days. Will Bateman breathe new life into Walter and Wallace?
- The Nanny McPhee sequel gives us kids called Norman, Megsie, Vincent, and their London cousins Cyril and Celia. The young actors’ names are interesting, too – Asa Butterfield played Norman, and Eros Vlahos played Cyril. Aggie – the baby from the first Nanny McPhee flick – also features in the plot, though she’s all grown up. In the 2005 movie, Aggie was played by twins named Hebe and Zinnia. That’s quite a pair!
While we’re on the subject on sibsets:
- This month’s issue of Real Simple featured an office makeover for a mom of five girls: Tabatha, Mabel, Annabelle, Evalyn, and Rachael, plus baby boy Leo;
- Babynamelover brings us a great set of TWELVE from the Telegraph: The birth announcement for Florentina Emilie revealed that she’s a sister for Georgina, Christopher, Charlie, Clementina, Gabriella, Montgomery, Cordelia, Angelina, Seraphina, Decima, and Delphine. I love that they used Decima for baby #10;
- Nameberry explored celeb sibsets that tend towards the quirky and creative. Tamerlane, Kansas, and Judah for a girl make the lists.
Elsewhere online:
- Names for Real spotted a Prairie Taylor. Muppet aside, I stand by my comments from the post about Meadow – this is one nature name I thoroughly enjoy;
- Here’s an intriguing smoosh: Sebastiane spotted a Hannabeth in Alabama;
- There’s a fascinating analysis by Nancy on Strong Names/Weak Names for boys, backed up with mucho data from 2009. It’s a much more productive approach than insisting that Kelly is a boy’s name. (Except that I still think it is. In fact my new hair stylist is a guy called Kelly from Texas. But I did hair stylist, not auto mechanic or lion tamer.)
- Leelee Sobieski calls daughter Louisanna by the nickame Louie – that’s no surprise. Except that she spells it Lewi, which I don’t get.
And lastly, the name was released for Paz Vega’s third child, son Lenon, a little brother for Orson and Ava.
But here’s the important news: next week is re-run week here at Appellation Mountain. I periodically try to update posts from 2008 because, you know, time marches on. But I’ve never done so in a systematic way. So instead of a new post, look for a week’s worth of revamped, revised, and re-invigorated names.
Things get back to the normal – meaning new posts – on Monday, August 30.
Thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Baby Name of the Day: Valentina
Christina had her moment in the 80s. Valentine shows up every February 14. But how ’bout this elegant choice?
Thanks to Mary for suggesting Valentina as Baby Name of the Day.
Reader Baby Name Story: Beatrix and Juniper
When I posted Jodi’s stories about naming big sisters Pippa and Romilly, I intentionally didn’t divulge the names of her two other darling daughters. Readers, the suspense is over! The most charming quartet of girls answers to Pippa, Romilly, Beatrix and Juniper! Read on for more, including their lovely middles.
Baby Name of the Day: Hannelore
I’ve heard she’s considered old-fashioned overseas, but she has an interesting indie edge in the US.
Thanks to Bek for suggesting Hannelore as Baby Name of the Day.
Sunday Summary: 3/14/10
First, please join me in wishing a fond au revoir to Bewildertrix! With baby #3 on the way, she has decided to put Onomastitrix on hiatus. (See? That’s me feeling hopeful that she’ll be back someday. Because no one does a round-up of BAs like Bewildertrix.) She promises she’ll be around and will definitely come back and share her good news when baby makes five.
In local news, remember back when I mentioned my friend was in labor? And hadn’t told me the gender or the name? I spoke blogged too soon. A few hours later, she was back at home, still pregnant. More than a week (!) later, her darling daughter Caroline arrived. The baby is beautiful, mom, dad and big brother Zachary are all doing well and Clio has someone to boss around right on her block – someday. And the name! What a great name. (The middle is a distinctive family choice shared with her brother, so I won’t share.)
Elsewhere online:
- Names4Real spotted a boy Addison. Also Beckett, Asa, Atticus, Juno, Thomasina and Merary. I’m guessing Merary is inspired by the Biblical – and masculine - Merari. It all gives me faith that there are some truly fabulous baby-namers out there;
- She also found a Boss William. Makes me wonder about those difficult teenage years. And lastly, a Bleugene Lei;
- Want your niece or nephew to grow up HATING you? Here’s the simple, two-step process:
- Start a Facebook Fan page “MY SISTER SAID IF I GET ONE MILLION FANS SHE WILL NAME HER BABY MEGATRON.”
- Actually get more than a million fans.
- For more sensible inspiration, see Nancy’s post on eighteenth century name phenomenon Hally, from the popular song “Listen to the Mockingbird.” More proof that parents have always been willing to take names from pop culture;
- Speaking of Hally, Sebastiane brings us the Estonian Halliki and possibly related Helliki;
- Nameberry asked What Treasures Are Hiding in Your Family Tree? And I am now very jealous of Lyndsay’s Leocadia and fascinated by Jessica’s Alberta/Alberto/Elberto sibset;
- You know what always surprises me? When one kid is Jayden and the other is Mercy. Or, as in this Swistle post, the parents called their first daughter Cailey Elizabeth and are considering a name like Hazel for their second. It isn’t that one style is better or worse, it’s just that they sound like completely different families;
- Lastly, did you read Katie Allison Granju’s When is a baby name too trendy to use? at Babble – and do you share her fears that your top pick (hers is Georgia) is headed for every playground in your ‘hood?
In starbaby news, via E! Online and Celebrity Baby Blog:
- Her name is Billie Beatrice – yup, the daughter of Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart has a name and it combines the boyish-nickname trend with the antique revival trend for an unexpected, but sweet choice;
- Joseph Fiennes and wife have welcomed a daughter. Everyone is doing well, but as for a name? They’re not telling;
- This popped up at Perez Hilton, but I understand the original poll was on BabyCenter – apparently BC readers voted Sarah Michelle Gellar’s choice for her daughter’s name – Charlotte Grace – the very best of the best, followed by Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s Seraphina.
That’s all for this week. As always, thanks for reading!
Name of the Day: Seraphina
Up until a few weeks ago, the most famous bearers of this little-known name were a handful of Italian saints. But ever since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose this name for Violet’s little sister, she’s been all Hollywood.
Today’s Name of the Day is Seraphina.
Starbaby News: Meet Seraphina Affleck
According to Celebrity Baby Blog, Violet’s little sister is called Seraphina Rose Elizabeth!
I’m heading over to Nameberry to see if anyone guessed it in their contest.
Seraphina will be Name of the Day on 3/3, but here’s a taste – the seraphim are one of the orders of angels; there have been two Saints Seraphina and the name has never appeared in the US Top 1000.
What does everyone think?
