Appellation Mountain

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: 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.

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 […]

Starbaby News: Jessica Alba Names Daughter Honor

June 9, 2008 By appellationmountain 10 Comments

It’s been rumored for weeks, but Celebrity Baby Blog is reporting that Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have, in fact, named their baby girl Honor Marie Warren. We’ll make Honor our Name of the Day for July 6, but until then, let’s just say that we think Jessica and Cash did a fabulous job choosing […]

Alphabet: D is for Boys

June 8, 2008 By appellationmountain Leave a Comment

This post is brought to you by the letter D, and the decidedly dashing choices it offers our darling boys.

Name of the Day: Clarinda

June 8, 2008 By appellationmountain 9 Comments

It just so happens that one of ApMtn’s biggest supporters bears a very strange name, indeed. It’s not Clarinda, but it’s quite close. She’s always maintained that her name is without precedent, invented by her parents. But we weren’t content with that answer, and unearthed today’s Name of the Day: Clarinda.

Name of the Day: Omar

June 7, 2008 By appellationmountain 11 Comments

It’s been worn by religious figures, creative types and a poor boy from Missouri. Today, it’s the kind of name that works well for parents searching for a truly culture-spanning choice that is still familiar and accessible. Thanks to Hugh, for taking today’s Name of the Day in a globetrotting direction with his suggestion: Omar.