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Sunday Summary: Your List is a Mess. That’s Totally Fine.

December 8, 2019 By appellationmountain Leave a Comment

Sunday Summary: 12.7.19I spend a lot of time thinking about names that go together. Liam’s sister should be Maeve, not Arabella. If you like Sadie, you’ll probably like Edie, too. Maybe Max.

And it can be helpful, right? If you’re stuck, then starting anywhere is better than hoping your kiddo comes out wearing a name tag.

But it can also be supremely unhelpful.

It can make us doubt our instincts. We might reject exactly the right name, because it doesn’t seem “like us” or doesn’t “complete the sibset” very well.

On a forum the other day, a couple had narrowed their list to Celeste, Miriam, and Clover.

I mean … one of these things is not like the other, right? It feels like two traditional, graceful but tailored feminine choices versus one modern, almost unisex and certainly quite rare word name.

Except that who knows? If I’d listened to the family talk about the how of narrowing their list, maybe those three names would feel exactly right. Maybe Clover would stand out as the obvious choice. Or maybe it would, indeed, feel like the outlier.

Few of us like a perfectly matched set of names. And that’s perfectly fine! Over time, Liam and Arabella can sound exactly like sibling names.

Your list is a mess, when judged by some arbitrary outside standard. But your family? It’s just fine.

In all things onomastic:

How gorgeous is India Louisa Elizabeth Echo? Also, is three middles the new two middles? It seems like they’re showing up more + more often in the British Baby Names birth announcements.

Nancy has some amazing name quotes rounded up. My favorite from this batch? The Seth Godin note on middles. So true.

No sooner do I compile my best celebrity baby names list and some more great BAs come out! A baby Bartholomew! And then a baby boy called Patch. Those are both pretty fabulous … and I’ll admit I’m also a fan of the new Duggar granddaughter name, Maryella.

Spelling questions like this one fascinate me: Zoe or Zoey? It’s one of the reasons that it’s best to open to different spellings. And why sometimes the spelling that seems most obvious isn’t my favorite – or the best for you.

Are you watching Watchmen? We don’t have HBO, so I’ve yet to see it, but I’m intrigued by this analysis of the character names at Ava to Zeke. Note: LOTS of spoilers! Does it seem far-fetched? Maybe. But then again, there’s Game of Thrones …

That’s all for this now. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!

Boy Names 12.7.19 Girl Names 12.7.19

 

 

Favorite Celebrity Girl Names 2019: Opening Round

December 7, 2019 By appellationmountain 1 Comment

Favorite Celebrity Girl Names 2019

We’re talking about your favorite celebrity girl names 2019. No, not my favorites. I’ve got a list of the quirkiest and most intriguing choices for this year, the names that I can’t stop thinking about. But plenty of high profile parents choose fairly mainstream names for their daughters. This is a chance to look at […]

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Name Help: Avoiding the Next Big Thing

December 6, 2019 By appellationmountain 16 Comments

Name Help: A Sister for Everly and Wilder

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! Lara writes: I love names, especially ones that are a little bit different. […]

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Best Celebrity Baby Names 2019

December 3, 2019 By appellationmountain 4 Comments

Best Celebrity Baby Names 2019

These are my picks for the best celebrity baby names 2019. I mean … best isn’t exactly the right word. They’re the quirkiest, the most interesting, the names that made me think, all through 2019. Some of them might be influential; others point to trends that were already accelerating. And some probably won’t catch on, […]

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Sunday Summary: The Tiffany Problem

December 1, 2019 By appellationmountain 2 Comments

Sunday Summary: 12.1.19

Thanks to Angela for bringing this up: have you heard of the Tiffany problem? In brief, Tiffany is an authentic medieval name. (The Dictionary of Medieval Names lists it, which feels pretty rock solid to me.) It comes from Theophania – an ancient Greek name that became Tiffany in English. Which follows the pattern – […]

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Christmas Boy Names: Bing to Yule

November 29, 2019 By appellationmountain 2 Comments

Christmas boy names

Feeling festive? These dozen Christmas boy names bring the holiday spirit. And best of all? None of them rank in the current US Top 500. I’ve skipped Nicholas and even Claus in favor of Christmas boy names that celebrate the season more quietly. Of course, you might have to explain why these choices are perfect […]

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Ivy: Baby Name of the Day

November 27, 2019 By appellationmountain 26 Comments

Ivy: Baby Name of the Day

Ivy is a fast-rising vintage name with lots of modern appeal. Add in ties to the winter holidays, and it’s a can’t-miss name for a daughter. Thanks to Elle for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. THE HOLLY AND THE IVY It’s not “Jingle Bells” or “Silent Night,” but “The Holly and the Ivy” […]

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Christmas Girl Names: Amaryllis to Zuzu

November 25, 2019 By appellationmountain 3 Comments

Christmas girl names

Consider it an early gift: a dozen Christmas girl names, none of them currently ranked in the US Top 500. That’s right! You won’t find Mary or Joy on this list, even though they certainly feel rich with Christmas spirit. Unlike, say, Ivy or Winter, you might find yourself explaining why this name is just […]

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Sunday Summary: Yes to Casseldon

November 24, 2019 By appellationmountain 4 Comments

Sunday Summary: 11.24.19

Would you consider giving your kids an all-new surname? Maybe a smoosh of your last name and your partner’s last name? This New Zealand couple did just that. Casser + Sheldon = Casseldon. I have a few thoughts, and I’m curious to hear your reaction, too. First up: I hear the argument that genealogy suffers […]

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Name Help: Due Soon, No List!

November 22, 2019 By appellationmountain 18 Comments

Name Help: Sister for Elliot Asher

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! Sara writes: My husband and I really struggled to name our son two […]

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