Sunday Summary 1.22.17Happy … Monday! I’m a day late with the Sunday Summary. Because, ice hockey. My son played in tournament this weekend, fairly far from home. We made the entire ten-hour trip back home in one day, after a medal-winning hockey game (bronze, but still) and a ride on an Olympic bobsled track! (Amazing, even though I was hesitant.) By the time we made it home, my good intentions of writing a post at 10 o’clock at night just plain disappeared.

So let’s have Sunday on Monday, shall we?

  • On the first leg of our trip, I met a young guy – probably late teens or early 20s – who shared that his middle name is Bodacious. Really! Not self-chosen, either. His mom is just a big name fanatic. His first name was pretty ordinary for a late 90s kid, but that middle? Wow! Definitely brings to mind this list.
  • This British Baby Names round-up of birth announcements really spoke to me. Maybe it’s Clementine Isabel’s family, with all of those great nicknames noted for her older siblings. Or maybe it’s the twin names at the bottom of the post – quite lovely.
  • Would you ever let a sporting event determine your child’s name? This couple says they will, though their son isn’t expected until March.
  • Sholto, Loup-Divi, Hamilton … and could his name really be Lestat? The Beauty of Names rounds up some rarities worn by male models.
  • Teen Wolf fans – what do you think of Stiles’ real name? (Spoiler in this link!) Did you see it coming?
  • Kevin had a good run in France. But like many a trendy name, backlash followed. Read the full story here.
  • While we’re in France, the Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources documents a list of unisex names … from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries! Nothing is truly new …
  • Love short names, but want something on the uncommon side? This list from Portugal offers some fresh inspiration. Loving Iva, Ivo, Gil – and look, it’s Rui! (The name of a long-time reader – Rui, I don’t think I’ve seen your name on a list before!)
  • At first glance, there’s not a lot new in this Baby Center post on name hijacking. Except I’m intrigued by a point towards the very end. Many expectant parents hesitate to share their favorite names for fear of name theft – but if you don’t share your name, and someone else uses it, you may look like you’re the hijacker. Has that ever factored into your thinking about sharing or not sharing names?
  • I reluctantly agree with Duana’s reluctant conclusion here – Margo and Marcel are just too close for sibling names. Which is too bad, because they’re both great names! While sharing the same first initial works for many families, sharing the same first syllable feels like it crosses a line. But I do know families who feel very differently, and choose names like Maya and Milo for their kids, because they like the similarity. What do you think?

That’s all for this week. 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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What do you think?

4 Comments

  1. I am constantly debating if Mark and Mary are too close to use in a family. They don’t actually share the same first syllable but visually it seems like they do. In our case this theoretical Mary would be child #8 and big brother Mark is child #3 (he would be at least 12 years older than her).

    1. I have this theory that you get a pass after your third or fourth child. Parents who start out saying “no repeating initials” or such often have to give up that rule as their family grows. Mark and Mary are visually VERY close – too close if they were twins, or even just child #3 and child #4. But in a bigger family, well … Elizabeth, John, Mark, James, Sarah, Katherine, Michael, Mary … I wouldn’t notice the similarity at all.

      1. I’m leaning to agreeing with you especially as I just adore Mary. One complication is that we haven’t repeated initials thus far and while outsiders might not notice the kids certainly have. No one really wants to be the first to share. I’ve considered Rosemary as an alternative but one of my girl’s middle name is Rose so we’re back to having to share.

  2. I like the name of the author of the Teen Wolf article: Tierney Bricker.

    On the housekeeping side, the “couple who will let a sporting event decide their child’s name” link goes to the British Baby Names site.