Sunday SummaryWoosh!  Where did the month of May go?  There were oodles of birth announcements this past week – check out my Nameberry post tomorrow to read all about the nine newest celeb(ish) arrivals.  And with a Kardashian, a Braxton, Jessica Simpson, and Duchess Kate all due this summer, it’s promising to be a name-packed few months!

Now, for baby name news and chatter from the blogosphere:

  • Dulcie, a sister for Sadie and Hattie?  Elea points out that the name has quite a bit of history.  Looking for a formal version?  Dulcibella did well in the nineteenth century, and there’s also the literary Dulcinea.
  • Kelli’s Mix and Match post is pure fun!  Before there was Nameberry, one of Pam and Linda’s books had a similar chart.  But Kelli’s is updated with new bits and pieces, like Ever and Oak.
  • A baby named Kansas in Kansas!  Usually I expect to see things like babies named Brooklyn in Utah, so that was a change.
  • Loved reading everybody’s Cabbage Patch Kid name stories.  Could all of those doll birth certificates have been a gateway to name nerdery?  And Annabella Cleopatra has to be the best CPK name I’ve heard, hands down.
  • Happy to hear this couple is sticking with Lijsbeth.
  • Kind of digging Mather.  And Alta and Case, too.
  • Have you met a baby AtreyuNancy is right – this is one of those names that has become established beyond his roots in fantasy literature and film.
  • On a similar note, Khaleesi has an interesting story.  As Laura writes, I would have guessed it was Arabic.  I would have been wrong.  It’s Dothraki.  Seriously, I need to watch Game of Thrones.
  • Are you playing the name game at You Can’t Call It “It”?
  • From the wayback machine: in 2008, I ran a list of Summer Names.  The featured name was Jude.  A year later, the spotlight turned to Viola.  In 2010, Kateri was Baby Name of the Day, followed by Linda in 2011.  Last year, May 26 was a Saturday, but the Friday before I ran The New Classics: Boys’ Edition.
  • So Alex O’Loughlin has sons named Saxon, Spike, and Lion?  That’s quite a trio!
  • I share Eponymia’s affection for Fleurie, even though it is too close to flurry to work in English.
  • Ivelisse is gorgeous!

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

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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2 Comments

  1. I saw a baby named Khaleesi in a BA this year – the Arabic thing may not be too far off; can’t help thinking Martin did base the word on Arabic or a related language.

    The TV show is very adult-oriented, so it seems like that “Where did you get my name from, Mummy and Daddy?” chat might be quite hard to negotiate …. I’m never sure how people manage that situation.

    1. I didn’t even think of the Arabic word/name when I was responding to Nancy’s question, since Game of Thrones/Dothraki was foremost in my mind! But someone else’s comment there reminded me…

      bete noir: From what I understand, Khalis (m) and Khalisah (f) are names in Arabic with the root letters Kha (خ) + Lam (ل) and Saad (ص). Words with those root letters are generally related to purity and clarity. Also, to say “my __” to a word in arabic, you would just add an “ee” to the end. So “my Khalis” would be “Khalisee.”

      This is correct — “Khalisee/Khalisi” would be the way to talk about/to your child/pet/etc. named Khalis/ah.