Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all, whether you’re Irish – or just wearing green for the day. We’re not even a little bit Irish around here, but we’re on our way to a shamrock-bedecked brunch at the neighbors’ shortly.
Elsewhere in baby name news:
- It was a great week for Irish baby name round-ups. Here’s one from Babble: Irish Baby Names from Literature. I’m intrigued by Doran. The Stir gives us their list, too. Dempsey is great, but Bartley feels like a non-starter. And is Cara really Irish? I can’t think how …
- I agree with Anna – Esme and Sylvie are perfect together.
- While we’re in Australia, check out the fastest gaining girls’ names in New South Wales. Does this presage big jumps for Josephine, Olive, Harper and Eloise when the US numbers are released? On the boys’ side, how about Hudson, Hugo, Luca and Kai?
- I could cheerfully name a Duggars’ worth of children from Elea’s Guys and Dolls list. Meet my kids, Betsy, Clyde, Ray and Marnie …
- Speaking of big families, I loved the 100 – and counting! – lists of twin names, A to Z, at Nameberry last week. The combinations from vildeoddli are my favorite so far. (Isabelline and Indigo, Lyra and Lux!) But then, I’m not sure I’ve read them all …
- Do you follow Suri’s Burn Book? It can be snarky, but her commentary on celeb kid names is deliciously insightful.
- Another baby Cosette …
- What do you think of Italy as a middle name?
- A chance to do a name interview with Nancy!
That’s all for now. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
Cara is simply a word name — it might not have traditional usage in Ireland, but it’s as Irish as Colleen or Erin.
I love Cosette. That link provided quite a few awesome combos. Timothy Stone? So handsome. June Rain? I know some people think it’s corny to do that sort of thing, but it just makes such a pretty image in my head, I like it. Calem Josias was pretty cool, even if that spelling of Callum is bugging me (maybe it’s cay lum and not ‘call um’?). Esai Mateo Aristaeus is a phenomenal Spanish name. I am so in love with Griffin Percival and Linus Adam is pretty sweet also. Leona Sky is adorable and Ned Clark, there’s something very simple yet cool about this name, I think. I also think William Britton is very classy. Oh, and Adeladie Tulley – very creative idea and I like it. Some of the names may not be perfectly paired, but they are neat: Carver, Meadow, Athena, LuLena (I would like Lulena more), Patton, Remy, Nikos, Lilah, Joah, Isis, Franklin, Lois, and Benito. Thanks for the link! I hadn’t been to this site before.
My grandparents’ surname is Bartley! (And it’s also my mother’s maiden name, obviously). I love it. You really think it’s a no-go, Abby? I dislike the nickname potential of Bart but love the idea of it as a middle name. I had no idea it was Irish though….we don’t know much about that side of the family’s origin or family tree. Does anyone else know if it is indeed an Irish surname?
I think anything from your family tree works, especially in the middle spot. But as a given name chosen just for style? I think Bartley would get lost with Brantley, Bentley, etc. – all of those trending names.
Ooh … I don’t mind Italy as a middle name, but not really with Caroline. I sort of read it as “Carol in Italy”.
I was a little stunned to learn from Babble that Aislin is an Irish feminine form of Aslan … !!!!! Oh really, I think not. They’re not even said in a similar way.
I do think Gertie is rather jaunty though. I have seen her in a couple of birth announcements now, and while I can’t quite get my my head around Gertrude yet, Gertie just seems nicely vintage.
I’m saying Caroline with a line ending, Caroline Italy I think sounds very chic. I love Italy as a middle name here.
I also love Gertrude, and the nickname Gertie is certainly one of the great things about it. But I like the full Gertrude best. Unfortunately I think the swing to Gertrude may be at least 10 or more years away (but I’m expecting it, because the unexpected is what often occurs!)
Love love love Esme and Sylvie as a sibset!
Cara is actually Irish – it can come from the Latin for ‘dear’, but it is also a separate and distinct word in Irish Gaelic, ‘cara’ meaning friend.
I wouldn’t consider the name Cara to be Irish. Born and raided in Ireland I never knew a single Cara, however it is the Irish word for friend, hence my dog is called Cara 🙂
I was just on a plane with twin girls – Mary and Tamar. The dad is Israeli, the mom American. I thought this was a nicely balanced sibset (and it’s the second young Mary I’ve met – there’s a brand new baby in my building with that name. Love!).
Oh, that’s absolutely lovely! And yes, Mary is dismissed as “ordinary,” but she’s actually quite refreshing on a little girl nowadays.
I can’t decide if I’m happier to see Mary, Tamar, or to see them paired. I love all three possibilities and that’s so neat that it honors both sides of their heritage. Very cool sibset.
I don’t speak Gaelic and I’m not 100% sure about Cara, but Behind the Name’s listing for Oscar reads, “Possibly means ‘deer lover’, derived from Gaelic os ‘deer’ and cara ‘lover’.”