It’s chilly here in Washington DC – we’ve had a cold snap with icy, slushy weather. Okay, it isn’t exactly the Arctic, but I’m kind of a weather wimp.
So I went searching for baby names from the islands. Violine and Atibai from Haiti, Irie from Jamaica and Cuban place name Havana suggested by this Canadian parenting site. And I’ve been dreaming of warm-weather names: Soleil and Harbor and Dune.
- Speaking of sunny destinations, this post on Curaçao baby names fascinates me. I’ve been to Aruba, but never Curaçao. The language spoken on both islands is called Papiamento or Papiamentu, a mix of Portuguese, Dutch, English, Spanish, along with bits of other languages mixed in, including native tongue Arawak. I find it surprisingly easy to speak, and the co-existence of so many languages and traditions makes for some seriously interesting names. Oh, and here’s the post I wrote about Aruban names the last time I was there.
- I’ve yet to see Frozen, but this post from Character Names Galore reports that the princesses are from a kingdom called Arendelle. I have a minor obsession with longer, quirky middles and literary place names – Avalon, Elsinore. File Arendelle with those lovelies.
- This answer from Jennifer is pretty solid. Yes, Sameric is an awkward smoosh in some ways. But it also feels like a name, and works as a middle.
- Brooke’s Twelve Days of Christmas series is tremendously clever. My favorite installment so far is Three French Hens – Coco, Jeanne, and Lucie.
- Boys named Crif after a hot dog shop and Jedai after a famous movie series – just remove the a! – plus more notes on unusual names from Australia.
- A family at Swistle is considering Blythe for their daughter-on-the-way … I really hope they use it.
- If they don’t, someone almost surely will. Blythe also made Waltzing More than Matilda’s People’s Choice list, along with other great obscurities like Cordelia and Ingrid.
- Armenian baby names are an intriguing bunch. Mariam, Lilit, Karine, Seda for girls, and Aram, Aren, Levon, Hovhannes, and Hamlet (!) for boys.
- What’s your favorite O name? Kelli has a post about O up at Nameberry. Otto, Orion, and Opal are my personal favorites of the moment.
- We’ve talked about this before, and I’m fascinated by how different families think about when to finalize their child’s name. Angela has some tips on choosing a name in advance. And yet, I know families who have completely rethought their name once they met their baby, so I’m not sure it always works.
- Name stylishly, to the envy of all! A great observation on seasonal names from Laura.
- Millie, Polly, Buddy, Alfie, Ollie, Evie, Maggie, Freddie, Archie – so many nickname names in the British birth announcements these days!
- From the wayback machine: Zelda was the featured name back in 2008. In 2009, it was Milo. The rare Cindal took the spotlight for 2010. Two years ago, it was getting to the nickname Lulu. And last year, Francesca was our star.
That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week.
Regarding Sam and Eric, the only thing I can think of is The Lord of the Flies; Sam and Eric were twins, and the other boys got used to referring to them as “Samneric,” and while they initially try to remain “civilized,” they eventually succumb to the will of the crowd and forsake civilization. Individually, I love the names, and I might have even overlooked the reference if I saw them individually, even if they were part of one given name–but seeing them smooshed? Definitely makes me think of the novel, which, while being one of my favorites, is a pretty brutal story.
That was my first association with Sameric too.
I didn’t think of the book (haven’t read it in years), but Sameric looks vaguely evil to me. I can imagine the Dark Lord Sameric wreaking havoc. Perhaps his followers would be Samericans? Oh dear, sounds like a terrible parody of something …
Ack! You’re right! No wonder it sounds familiar …