Circled Subway 5
Circled Subway 5 by Rob Nguyen via Flickr

First, drumroll please … the winner of Nook’s Book is Elizabeth W. (I’ve already sent an email to your gmail address, Elizabeth!)

Have I ever mentioned that I have this strange and obsessive habit of naming all-girl octuplets? I’ve been doing it for so long that I don’t recall what initially inspired me. But I stumbled across a list from 2008 – written after Alex was born, but well before Clio arrived.

I also have a list I wrote more recently – funny how different the two are.

My list in 2008 was:

  1. Clementine Alexandra or Clementine Octavia
  2. Eloise Katharine Wren
  3. Tallulah Madeleine Kate
  4. Persephone Anneliese
  5. Hester Genevieve Rose
  6. Verity Elisabeth Linden
  7. India Christian Beau
  8. Leocadia Maren Wynne

I suspect that I was trying to reach the nicknames Cleo and Elke with the first two names, but I can’t guess on the rest. And I have dashes after some, making me think that I meant to go back add a second middle name for all of them. And while I know why I chose most of the names, I’m surprised to see Madeleine and Wynne on the list.

Elsewhere online:

  • Is Aggie the next Abby/Addie? After reading Nook’s post on Agatha, I want it to be so!
  • Love this post from Names4Real: Dimity & Diesel – a delicate. lady-like little girl and a turbo-charged rough and tumble boy. There’s also a Lalita Rose on the list – I’m not sure Lalita is enough removed from Lolita to be comfortable.
  • Grove, Dune, Caldera, Wave … lots of great choices on Elea’s Non-Floral Nature Names list.
  • Eponymia published the third and final installment in her Rare Dutch Girls series. Isaloe, Suze-Roos, Lio, Marisanne. Loved these lists!
  • Speaking of Dutch, are double names the newest trend in the Netherlands? Marie-Lou, Ella-Noor, Emma-Sophie and Lola-Lily have all been heard in recent months.
  • The Toronto Star baby name profiles are addictive. This one, about finding a name for daughter #5, really drew me in.
  • I enjoyed the Baby Name Wizard’s musings on completing the sibling lists.
  • Oh, Philine – the perfect middle name to honor a Philip or a Phyllis! Thank you, Sebastiane.
  • Anna spotted brothers named Reef and Bede – let’s hear it for adventurous single syllables.
  • Which reminds me, is Rooke too close to crook? Or too taken-from-the-chessboard? NameSoiree spotted a Rooke Hudson. Of course, that’s also awfully close to Rock

That’s all for this week. The next installment in the Annai to Zen series is up tomorrow, plus thoughts on baby names borrowed from the gridiron at Nameberry!

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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22 Comments

  1. I’ve always loved the names Agnes, which would also give the nn Aggie. Agnes doesn’t get near-enough love in my opinion.

    1. and Agnes is also the name of one of the main characters in Good Omens by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman (Agnes Nutter) if that inspires some fan parents to look more closely at the name. Unfortunately I already know the fiance would veto it.

  2. I love your octuplet names! I think Maren is an underused gem and would love to see it profiled.

    Over the weekend DDA named her frog Kalibra (kah-LEE-brah). I have no idea where it came from, but thought it was fun. She also has dolls named Pente’ and Gotsy. Her name nerdiness is starting early.