Recently on Patreon, I wrote about how time should factor into our naming process. The closer you are to your due date, the less time there is for scrolling Instagram. We have to shift our focus to meaningful conversation with our partner.
Less fun? Possibly.
More likely to result in a good decision? Well … yeah!
In fact, time available will always factor into our choices. Last week, I had to make a car repair decision in the midst of a week so busy it felt like spinning plates while roller skating on a tilting platform. There was absolutely a better, less expensive choice available … that required time I did not have. I’m still kicking myself a little for not magically being able to change the constraints I faced.
And that is something I encounter with new parents ALL THE TIME. The constraint – usually time, but sometimes also a partner’s preferences, or the reality of other kids’ names, family traditions, language barriers – means that not every choice is available. We’re kicking ourselves about the constraint … rather than accepting the Best Possible Decision We Can Make Now.
I’m working on advice for how to move beyond that moment.
Hopefully? I’ll take my own advice, too!
Table of Contents
Let’s talk about the baby names in the news for the week of July 28, 2024.
OLIN
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have finally shared details about their fourth child. It’s a boy. Olin joins older sisters James, Inez, and Betty. To date, Olin has not featured in a Taylor Swift song, but let’s assume it’s coming.
Olin feels very Scandi, and a little bit vintage. A cousin to Olaf – at least it can be – Olin regularly appeared in the US Top 1000 into the early 1960s. 81 boys were named Olin in 2023. It’s a little bit of an Oliver-Owen hybrid. Will it rise in use? Maybe. What’s certain is that the Lively-Reynolds’ eclectic naming style is unmatched.
SERAPHINA and HOLLIS
The winners of this year’s New Names Summer Showdown are here! Seraphina and Hollis join a long list of stylish names.
Because while it’s impossible to predict the future, AM readers come pretty darn close. Past champions include names like Wilder, Shepherd, Elodie, and Sylvie – all current favorites.
MERAKI
This is the Golden Age of word names, and a good moment to consider obscure names in general. So how ’bout obscure word names? Apricity, the warmth of the sun breaking through in winter, had a good run on Instagram. And it was even given to five girls born in 2022. So now I’m on the lookout for more obscure names hitting it big on social.
My latest find? Meraki. It’s Greek and was given to seven girls and five boys in 2019. It’s considered difficult to translate, a word that conveys joy and delight in doing something with creativity and love.
SIMONE
Because even if you haven’t watched a split second of the Olympic games coverage, the triumphant return of Simone Biles is a news story you’ve heard. It all makes Simone a hero name, one that’s gently French, nicely uncommon, undeniably strong.
If you love French names like Genevieve and Josephine, Simone might belong on your list, too.
LUCY
Laura Wattenberg is on fire! Loved this piece on The Lucy Myth.
We love to make rules for names. For language, in general, but for names especially. It doesn’t work – not even a little. But much as our culture “has been edging Lucy toward the nickname column for generations,” it just isn’t so.
Stories like this are one more reason to treat any prescribed naming rule with healthy skepticism.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
