Thanks so much for all the really thoughtful answers to this reader conundrum: Should I say something to my ex about his baby name?
It strikes me that the answer hinges on one thing about which it’s easy to disagree: how much should it really matter that their daughter’s name will rhyme with her new half-sibling’s name?
Because we all recognize that’s it’s a risk to cross that boundary and comment on anyone else’s name choice, particularly an ex and their new partner. So we’d have to feel it’s a really big issue for our child before we’d consider it.
Anyway, lots to chew over and fingers crossed for a good resolution (and an update) soon.
XANTHE, COLIN, ZUZU, FERRIS
Miss the old Name of the Day posts? Now they’re here, on Patreon. Best of all? This part of the AM Baby Names collection is open to all, free of charge. Xanthe, Colin, Zuzu, and Ferris are some of the recently featured names.
SOSINA, ZAKI
We know lots of Ethiopian families in our part of the world, but many of these names were still new to me. There’s lots of Amharic spoken in our neighborhood, and it’s such a gorgeous language – no surprise the names are captivating. (It’s not on the list, but Emebet is one of my favorites. My brain wants to file it away as a spin on Emma-Beth, but it’s actually an Amharic word meaning “royal lady.”
XADEN, VIOLET, ADELINE REILLY
I stumbled on Briarwick Candles in a bookstore and I’m hooked. Created in 2017 by Kate Glass, the candles extend the worlds of fantasy and romance fiction by offering scents inspired by the stories. Many of the fragrances are officially licensed by some pretty famous authors; others are more general. It’s an amazing tour through vivid character names: Lucien, Jory, Arwen, Atlas + so many more – totally enjoyable even if you don’t know the series.
EZRA BRIDGER, SABINE WREN
Because it’s almost May the Fourth, I expanded (lots) my list of Star Wars-inspired baby names. Well, when I say me, I mean my Star Wars-obsessed kid. Even though I don’t know all that much about the extended series, some of the characters’ names are just beyond good – heroes and villains alike.
ISLA and LUCA
Nancy reports on the top names from Scotland for 2023. Some intriguing finds here: Arran, which strikes me as far more interesting than Aaron/Erin; Bonnie and Jude in the Top 25; Freddie and Daisy in the Top 50. Name trends don’t always cross the Atlantic, but it’s always worth watching to see what might. Also fun: the rare names, like Oakes and Kinvara!
That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
