Sunday SummaryDid another week just fly by? The summer always races past. Washington DC empties out in August, and it’s the time of year I start dreaming of the beach. I have names like Thalassa on the brain. And this list of mermaid names, too.

Speaking of mermaids, let’s start this week’s baby name news with one of my favorites:

  • Nancy covered the rise of the baby name Undine.
  • Goku is now an acceptable baby name in Spain. Was the registrar not paying attention, or are they loosening up? In theory, civil authorities can reject offbeat names. Goku is the name of the hero from Japanese anime series Dragon Ball. I’m not sure if Goku was used as a name pre-Dragon Ball, but my sense is that it was invented for the show. Does anyone follow the series, and know for sure?
  • A baby Michelangelo! What do you think of this name – too much to live up to? Too elaborate? It’s growing on me.
  • A mom went into labor at the World Trade Center, and whaddaya know? Baby Asenat became the first baby born at the site post-9/11.
  • I *love* it when Swistle starts cheering for a name, and I agree completely – oh, how I hope this family uses Harvey if their next child is a boy.
  • Elea has made me fall madly in love with the name Lionel.
  • So many great M names, for boys and girls. My favorites are Matteo and Marguerite – both unlisted! From the choices listed, I’d say Mary and Maximilian. M really is a great letter!
  • Love the name Dominic. I’d use the nickname Nico with Dominic.
  • Boone is a great name, isn’t it?
  • If you’re a fan of baby names and Disney, this site is for you!
  • MaritSigne! So many great Scandi names for girls.
  • I’m binge-watching Odd Mom Out, a (scripted) series on Bravo about parenting on the Upper East Side. (I’ve read a bunch of novels by the series’ creator, Jill Kargman, and was intrigued when I realized it was really Jill Kargman starring in the show.) One of the major arcs involves the pregnancy of Jill’s sister-in-law, Brooke. Brooke is expecting baby #4, a girl. Brooke names her Langley Emmaline Lockhart von Weber, a little sister for Shipley (g), McAllister (b), and Rutherford (b). They’re just the tiniest bit over the top – and yes, I watched the series with a pencil at the ready to jot down names.
  • Speaking of sibsets, love Leo, Kit, and Peggy together – and wishing I could watch Australian TV!

That’s all for now. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!

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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5 Comments

  1. Goku? Someone’s been watching too much Dragonball. lol I used to watch it myself as a teenager, but I never knew the true meaning of the name or if it was even a real name. I thought that Akira Toriyama created it specifically for the series. I just read that it’s actually a translation of the main character’s name from the 16th century Chinese legend Journey to the West.

    I like Matteo, Mary, and Dominic. I’d rather hear them on the playground than the -aiden names, Ava, Mason, etc… Leo is great too, but that’s my dog’s name. It would feel weird for me to use it for a kid.

  2. I love Dragonball series! I believe the name Goku was invented for the show, however don’t quote me on that. The character of Goku is reportedly based on the character Sun Wukong, the hero of the Chinese legend Journey to the West. Personally, I’m not a fan of the name Goku, but I do like Goten (Goku’s son) and Trunks (Vegeta’s son). Hope this helps.

  3. Matteo and Marguerite are great! It was hard to narrow down all the great M names out there!