Appellation Mountain - Page 342 of 349 - Where every name has a story

Name of the Day: Valencia

June 20, 2008 By appellationmountain 6 Comments

Like the appealing Clementine, it’s easy to dismiss today’s Name of the Day as merely edible, and therefore as flimsy an appellation for a daughter as Peach or Cherry. But Valencia has much history and appeal, the least of which has to do with citrus fruit.

Name of the Day: Marius

June 17, 2008 By appellationmountain 5 Comments

It is definitely an emerging trend – ends-in-us names for boys. While none have cracked the Top 100 in the US, they’re definitely hot – think about Atticus, Ignatius, Phinneaus, Tiberius, Julius, Augustus. The names have a softer sound than Jason and Aiden, but their classical origins give them an undeniable strength and durability. Emmy […]

Name of the Day: Alethea

June 16, 2008 By appellationmountain 7 Comments

Plenty of parents search for girls’ names that are feminine with sacrificing substance. Doubtless that’s why Sophia – from the Greek for wisdom – has cemented her place in the Top Ten. But if parents are also hoping for something underused, Sophia no longer fits the bill. Thanks to Emmy Jo for suggesting one that […]

Special Report: Girls Top 100, Revised

June 15, 2008 By appellationmountain 10 Comments

We’re not the first to say that the Social Security Administration’s Top 1000 name list can lead a parent astray. While it is a fabulous tool, and worth every nickel of my tax dollar, like any data set, it requires some interpretation. About a week after it first came out, we posted our Top Ten […]

Name of the Day: Simeon

June 15, 2008 By appellationmountain 5 Comments

If you wend your way up the California coast, midway between Los Angeles and California, you’ll spot signs for San Simeon and it’s main attraction, Hearst Castle, a sprawling, 56-bedroom retreat built in the first half of the 20th century by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. It’s a jaw-droppingly pretty part of the world, but […]

Name of the Day: Madrigal

June 14, 2008 By appellationmountain Leave a Comment

Fifteen years ago, a Marine Corps band member of our acquaintance wanted a musical name for his daughter. She became Cadence. At the time, we thought it was a charming and utterly distinctive choice. And when we first heard Harmony in the mid-90s, it seemed like a fresh and clever moniker, far more interesting than […]

Name of the Day: Julius

June 13, 2008 By appellationmountain 19 Comments

Say today’s Name of the Day, and two things immediately come to mind: Paul Frank’s ubiquitous cartoon monkey, and the orange smoothie sold at a shopping mall near you. But there’s much more to this noble moniker, and we’re indebted to Emmy Jo for suggesting Julius as our Name of the Day.

Name of the Day: Gideon

June 11, 2008 By appellationmountain 17 Comments

Emmy Jo recently suggested one of our favorite boys’ names. Hard to believe we didn’t think of it ourselves! You’ll find him in the Bible, and you’ll find a Bible bearing his name in just about every hotel room on Earth. Today’s Name of the Day? Why it’s Gideon, of course.

Starbaby News: Tori Spelling Welcomes Daughter Stella

June 10, 2008 By appellationmountain 6 Comments

What a fabulous summer for starbaby names – and the Jolie-Pitt twins and Kingston’s little sib are all still to come! Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott welcomed daughter Stella Doreen McDermott on June 9. It’s not quite as dramatic a choice as Jessica Alba’s Honor, but we’re quite fond of the name. Doreen honors […]

Name of the Day: Signe

June 10, 2008 By appellationmountain 9 Comments

A few weeks back, Emmy Jo got us thinking about girls’ names that are both pretty and ugly. To borrow a term from the French, they’re jolie-laid – beautiful because of their flaws. It’s easy to love the lyrical Olivia, the mellifluous Melisande. But there are scores of names for girls that rather harsh and […]