The site is all fresh and new – at last! This is the biggest reorganization of the site to date. While the technical work is done, I still have lots of back-end clean-up on my to-do list. Think of it as moving into a new house. You’ve signed the papers and got the keys, but where, exactly, is the best place for your favorite chair? And should you paint that spare room or not?
In addition, I’ve re-launched the Tuesday newsletter, so if you’re not subscribed, please use the form below to get signed up now!
You can also connect with the Appellation Mountain Patreon, AM Baby Names. I’m working on a few new series and features there.
And now, on to the name news …
The Median American Name
Would I have ever guessed that this is the true median American name? Not in a thousand years. Can I argue with Laura Wattenberg’s reasoning? Again, nope. Not at all.
A Fresh New Irish Name
Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish import that’s very wearable in the US. I came across it when updating this list, and I’m pretty hooked.
Would You Tattoo?
Lots of people turn their children’s names into a tattoo. Some of these celebrity choices are surprisingly subtle. I’ve never considered tattooing my children’s names, but I have two small symbols in mind, one for each of them. I’ve had my daughter’s in mind since she was born, but it took me ages to settle on the right idea for my son. Would you tattoo your kids’ names?
You Might Be Right, But …
… you’re still wrong. A well-meaning young employee at a child care center speaks Hindi as her first language. She insists on pronouncing the names of two of the center’s students, Bodhi and Rakhi, as they’d be said in her native language. Which is, of course, right. Except that’s NOT the way the mom – or anyone else – says the boys’ names. That makes it wrong, particularly since the mom has voiced her displeasure.
One caveat: it’s not clear if the mom is objecting to the employee’s accent, which isn’t okay. But it sounds like the employee is correcting the mom – and the boys – about the pronunciation of their names. Which is very much NOT okay. (And, if you’re paywalled out of the article, is the advice columnist’s take, too.)
Oswald, Reuben, and …
This question to Swistle has me swooning. Their boys are Oswald Jude and Reuben Hugh, and they know their daughter’s middle name will be Lavender. But settling on a first has them stumped. I’m now slightly obsessed with Eliza Lavender, but I’m not sure it’s different enough with brothers Oswald and Reuben. I found myself looking at this list and thinking … Maude Lavender? Ione Lavender? Lula Lavender? So many possibilities …
That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
