"29"
29 by Lincolnian via Flickr

July is drawing to a close, and August is right around the corner.  Since the arrival of Penelope Scotland, it has been relatively quiet in celebrity baby land.  That should change in the next few weeks, though – Neve Campbell, Drew Brees, Reese Witherspoon, and Tori Spelling are among the notables currently expecting.

Happily there are always new babies, and fresh sources of inspiration for their names:

  • Did you see Eponymia’s mention of the Biblical Avidan in her post about unconventional names from the Bible?  It immediately brought to mind surname Avedon, as in legendary photographer Richard Avedon.  I had it on my shortlist at one point, with the nickname Von, but that was years before kids were a possibility.  I’m not sure if they’re related, and I’m not sure if I’d be daring enough to use either – but I love the sound.
  • Speaking of things that make me truly happy, at Waltzing More than Matilda, there was a celebrity birth announcement for Olivia CleoRose.  I adore unexpected middles.
  • Did you see this 17 Famous Literary Characters Almost Named Something Else at Mental Floss?  Hat tip to Molly L.  Would Nancy Drew have been as addictive if she were called Diana Dare?
  • In British Baby Names’ Linus combinations, I found this duo: Florence Calypso Rose and Linus Merlin Alexander.  Only in England!
  • The amazing thing about Lou’s post on Scrabble names is that many of them are truly usable: Alice and Celia, Leah and Hale, Dolly and Lloyd.
  • An Olympic athlete should surely be called Endurance.
  • Love these Frank Zappa quotes about his kids’ names from Nancy.
  • Will we be meeting babies named Mitt Romney?  Somehow I think Romney is the more wearable of the two, but I can’t imagine naming a child after a living politician.
  • All of these LG combinations on the Facebook page are gorgeous.  Lisette Gray, Lucienne Glory, Lilo Greer … so many lovely pairings.

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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5 Comments

  1. That was so interesting, the post about fictional names. In a parallel universe, everyone is calling their daughter Pansy …

  2. I know a woman in her mid thirties named Romney. She was the photographer at my wedding. I had considered using her name as a future middle name until Mitt Romney became so prominent.

  3. That list of unconventional Bible names had my granddad’s Hebrew name, Hanan. It’s the male form of Hannah. His English name was Harvey but I’m always torn on whether I could use Hanan in English, on a boy. I wonder if it could sound at home amongst Haydens and Hudsons?

    I love Amos, which was also mentioned.

    Lucienne is really pretty, and refreshing compared to Lucy/Lucia.