Confession: we are in Disney World again. I keep thinking we’ll get creative with our vacations at some point, but our conversations about get-aways tend to go two directions. The beach, if it is warm enough to swim in the ocean. Disney if it is not.
And Disney is name-spotting paradise. In the space of a few minutes yesterday, I heard an English-accented mom talking to a Freya, a heavy Southern American accent calling out for Natalie, or maybe Addalee, and a smattering of French names for the young men in the Morocco pavilion. A girl named Daurie sold us Mickey-shaped pretzels in Adventure Land.
It’s a feast.
Speaking of feasts, an abundance of great names caught my eye this week. My favorites from the baby name news blogosphere include:
- Happy Chinese New Year! In 2012, we explored plenty of great dragon names, but Isadora also managed to round up a few for the Year of the Snake. I’m in love with Tanith.
- Stumbled across this one while searching the archive on Bewitching Baby Names: Kitri. Great name, as I like Isadora’s suggestion of using it as a nickname for Katherine, or maybe Kristina.
- I love Rafe. And Rufus and Roscoe. Maybe I just have a thing for quirky, retro R names for boys.
- Pluto’s moons need names! I’m pulling for Alecto and Persephone, but they’re both trailing. Which reminds me: how cool is it that the little girl who named Pluto in the first place was called Venetia? Spacey!
- Speaking of out there, did you spot Harleyquinn? Yes, I suppose it counts as a smoosh name. And maybe a noun name. But it feels rather excessive, doesn’t it?
- Clover = perfect for any baby who arrives between February 14 and March 17, right? See Baby Name Pondering for the clever Valentine connection.
- Jaime-Lynn Sigler is expecting baby #1 with her fiance, baseball player Cutter Dykstra. Yes, he’s Lenny Dykstra’s son, so I guess baseball is in the genes. And Cutter appears to be his given name. What will a couple called Jaime-Lynn and Cutter name their firstborn? I cannot wait to hear …
- Oh, these ABC posts are grand! Wren Elvie is my favorite from the girls’ list, and Dex Levi from the boys’ version.
- This post about names that will never make a comeback feels like proof that every name can make a comeback.
- In honor of my current location, let’s end with the DisneySisters’ list of Disney baby names at Babble. It’s short on princess appellations, and long on word names: Star, Snow, or Ever, anyone? They missed a bunch of really fabulous ones. Blair, for one. Heck, Clio is a Pinocchio character. (She’s the goldfish.) And there are tons more embedded in various Disney tales and legends. I need to give this some thought …
As always, thank you for reading!
And let us know: did you spot any great names this week?
That Comeback post is weird. I see many of those names (from the post and its comments) making a comeback pretty soon. I predict Agnes will be big in a few years.
Hettie, I live in Belgium and Louise has been top 10 here for a while.
Since North America is about ten years behind Europe on certain naming trends I feel like I’m going to catch it on the upswing here. I suppose it’s not the worst thing in the world to have a pleasantly popular name as opposed to a trendy name. All my favourites are big in Europe currently so I suppose I should just embrace it 😉
Nothing wrong with some European chique 😉
Jamie-Lynn Sigler is pregnant? That might explain why there’s a running joke about her character not being pregnant on Guys With Kids.
I didn’t come across any gems but I kid you not, a friend of a friend named their baby Braxton. Doesn’t sound too unusual on its own, but their last name is Hicks!!
Hi! It feels like forever since I’ve commented on here.
I know a Tanith, she’s about mid twenties with an Irish surname. I also came across a 3 year old Louisa while shopping which really made me smile
I’m so scared Louisa’s going to go Sophia on us one of these days. It’s my SO’s favourite name. I know it’s been historically under the radar but so many popular names started out that way! As much as I love hearing tastefully named children being called at the grocery store, that one has me nervous!