A good reminder from Swistle: “The name George has ceased to be a name, and is now Your Beloved Child, and no other name can come close to that.”
One of the reasons it’s tough to name a second child – or a third or fourth – is that we’re comparing all potential, future names to the beloved, present reality of our actual child(ren).
It’s tough to overcome that feeling, but knowing about the YBC bias? Might help.
If you’re struggling with naming a second child, these tips might help, too.
NAMESPOTTING: BOISE
Thanks to Jennie for passing on an interesting find: Boise … for a girl! Maybe it’s because “boy” is the first syllable, but I expected Boise to be a … well, a son. I’ve never been to Idaho, but word is that the place name comes from the French le bois – the woods. More information than you ever want about the issue here.
MESA, OCTOBER, CREIGHTON, CALE, ATIGUN
Nancy has the most popular names in every one of the fifty states plus some unique finds – and explanations for why Atigun is trending in Alaska; Cale in Colorado.
ALFRED
Can we talk about Alfred? It turns out it’s the given name of season three character Lord Debling on, yes, Bridgerton. I’m intrigued by Alfred for so many reasons, though. It’s old school, traditional, but decidedly out of favor in recent generations. But with nicknames Alfie, Alf, and Freddie, I think it could be sort of fabulous in our Archie/Charlie moment. It’s added to the list of Bridgerton baby names, and while I don’t think the show will sway parents – his first name has yet to be mentioned, despite his significance to the third season – but I think it has potential. (Also added to the list: Araminta, as in Lady Cowper’s given name. Did we know it before this season? I think no …)
MORE TRIPLET BOY NAMES
Since I wrote about triplet boy names, the internet is determined to send more my way. (Bring it on!) This week’s trio: Locklan James, Wilder Scott, and Brisbane Leigh. One frustration: they shared lots of info about how they chose Locklan James and Wilder Scott – great stories! – but somehow the most intriguing name of all isn’t explained. Locklan and Wilder are so mainstream … I want to know more about why they chose Brisbane! (Also: their older sister is Emerson Rose.)
ORVILLE
Have you heard of Orville Peck? He’s a country musician, born in South Africa – real name Daniel Pitout. Could Orville possibly catch on? It’s quirky and distinct, the name of Seth McFarlane’s sci fi comedy drama series The Orville, as well as aviation pioneer Orville Wright, brother to Wilbur. It seems outlandish, but it sounds quite a bit like current Top Ten favorite Oliver. (FWIW, Orville was the name of the ship on the television series, not a person.)
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
I add to the Boise name pronunciation debate: Bwahhzz. Like the French way.
Being from the PNE, I can attest that folks in Boise are quite particular about the city’s name being pronounced as ‘Boy-see’, not ‘Boy-zee’. It’s fascinating that someone used it! The place is gorgeous and cool. Curious to see how the child likes it as she grows.
I knew an elderly couple named Orville and Mildred. That’s not too far off today’s Oliver (as you mentioned) and Millie. Orville fits in with Aurelia, Flavia, and Marigold. Is it the next wave of hipster?
*PNW
You might be on to something, Abby!
My 5yo has a friend named Alfred and my daughter named her water bottle (!?!) Orville … it’s yellow, and she found it on a list of colour names. (Incidentally, she dropped Orville and cracked the lid, so naturally she named the replacement Wilbur).