Welcome to the end of (gulp) September. Can it really be?
The good news is that the new Drew Barrymore/Ellen Page flick Whip It hits theaters on Friday. I can’t wait to see it, first, because Roller Derby? Is cool. (And in the blood. My cousin S. skated for the Brew City Bruisers as Madam Bomb.) And second, because Page is once again wearing an unusual appellation – we loved her as Juno, and now she’s playing a girl called Bliss.
Speaking of Bliss, please visit You Can’t Call It “It” and help Jennifer of Blissfully Caffeinated name Caroline and Avery’s little sister.
Back to the sum-up. First, it’s been a big week in starbaby news. We’ve welcomed:
- Charlotte Grace Prinze, a daughter for Scooby Doo alumni Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze, Jr.;
- Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery’s bat-tastically named daughter, Stella Luna. Okay, I’m stopping with the fruit bat. Because, as Corinne points out, there’s a lot of wacky in Hollywood – the kid could be Bandit or Peanut or Moxie Crimefighter. Or Stella Artois;
- Megyn Kelly of FOX News is a new mom to Edward Yates. Both names are in the family, and word is that they’ll be calling him Yates. Which seems very son-of-a-FOX-news-anchor to me;
- Then there’s Alijah Harden, a son for Alonzo Mourning and wife Tracy. Yup, it’s pretty much Elijah with an A. Why? So he would share initials with big brother Alonzo III (and dad, of course.) The family also includes big sister Myka Sydney;
- Julie Chen and Les Moonves welcomed Charlie, a son. No word on whether there’s something more formal on his birth certificate.
Some real life babies:
- I spotted a sibset over at Swistle that I just had to share: Mathilda Rosemary, Hazel Beatrice, Amalia Claire and new baby brother Jasper Franklin Louis;
- Bewildertrix reports the birth announcement for Bodee. Bodhi I get, but Bodee? And a Cejae. Which, I’m guessing, is an elaboration of CJ.
- In this week’s Toronto Star the unusually named is called Petal Branka, a little sister for Nikita, Indiana and Liam. No word on Nikita’s gender, but Indiana is a boy – I think. Petal was almost called Sawyer, Eva or Coco. The middle name honors grandpa Branko.
Elsewhere online, Nameberry snagged an interview with the civil servant who created the Social Security Administration’s Top 1000 list. And fueled my name obsession just a little more …
Lastly, if you find yourself with an idle hour or seven? Go to the GapKids homepage and check out the Casting Call. Yes, the kids are darling. But what’s even more intriguing? Their names! The Fan Favorite of the moment (you can vote) is Madisin-Simone. In fact, Madison is big throughout the contest. A few paces behind you’ll find everything from Edwin to Jaelin. Fascinating.
As always, thanks for reading – and have a great week!
I really like India on a girl. It has a very pretty sound, but I wouldn’t use it unless I had some sort of connection to India, which I don’t have. Indira is another very pretty, but similar name, For a boy, I always thought Indio was cool. I’d probably never use it.
Nice to hear of someone else who’s read Prep! One of the best things about reading that book was all of the prep school names. I remember Cross Sugarman of course, and I remember a guy named Tullis. Incidentally, I don’t like Curtis for a girl at all. Her sister (Sittenfield’s) also has a traditionally male name, though I’m blanking on it now…
I think that, once upon a time, it was sort of novel for a girl to have a boys’ name. These days, not so much.
I agree that Cheyne definitely looks girly.
Some great names in this post, although Madisin makes me go “blech!”. I love your kids’ names, Zo
Shane spelled Cheyne is baffling. I want to pronounce it “Chain” – not a great name.
Ione Skye and Ben Lee just had a baby which they named Goldie Priya Lee. Hipsters for life. 😉
I saw a sneak preview of Whip It this weekend. Great movie – I highly recommend it (with some interesting names too!)
Kim, I’m JEALOUS! And I’m already plotting how I’m going to see it on Saturday.
My 1st grade teacher’s first name was Bliss. She was so sweet and nice too, that the name suited her just fine.
I took French lit class and read the Georges Sand novel called Indiana, it was about a Creole woman of the same name, and I don’t care if Indiana Jones was a man, the name screams female to me. On top of that, I read somewhere that Indiana is Spanish for “Indian woman” so I think its kinda funny to see it on a boy regardless. Petal is cute, but not a name that I’d ever have the guts to use. Branka is cute too. Branca is the Portuguese form of Bianca and if I can remember correctly, Branka is a Serbo-Croatian name meaning “armour.”
I know its only his middle name, and that its a family name, but Yates feels offly pretentious to me. Edward is a nice solid classic. Its not as bad as some of the other names out there. I have always found the spelling of Megyn to be particularly shuttersome. The last part reminds me of gyno or gynocology. Every time I see her name flash across the screen I feel like saying (meh-GYNE) vs (MEG-en). For someone with a very tryndee looking name, she really chose something offly classic, which is not surprising.
Alijah just doesn’t look right to me. I think it would’ve gone fine with Alonzo if they had stuck with Elijah. Myka is a bit confusing. Is it suppose to be (MEE-kah) or (MY-kah)?
Mathilda Rosemary, Hazel Beatrice, Amalia Claire and Jasper Franklin Louis are all lovely names.
Shay, my husband and I have toyed with the idea of naming this baby (if it’s a boy) Henry and calling him Indiana, in the spirit of the movies…and yet…no.
I hear you with Yates. Wasn’t Gates a (female) character in Curtis Sittenfield’s Prep? I’m blanking on my fictional characters this morning. I think the G in Gates makes it less stuffy than Yates. And I hear you on Megyn. Were I born Megyn, I’m sure I’d be Meg.
I think Indiana is fair game for either gender – I think. Actually, I suppose I’m not sure it wears so well on either, though I love India on a girl and Ignatius on a boy. On sound alone, Indiana certainly leans female. But Indiana Jones is such a pop culture staple that I think many would consider him male.
Not sure …
Anyhow, thanks for the Branka info. The article mention a Croatian connection, so I’m sure that’s it. It’s an interesting combo – Petal is so soft, Branka so strong.
Abby, thanks for posting the Gap Casting Call. I’m glad you found that so amusing/bewildering/interesting/what have you. It really was scary, in a way, wasn’t it? But it’s so hard to judge the name when the kid is right there.
Yates, so stuffy. I can’t get behind that one. But I find Edward stuff, too. Eddie – not so much. Ed is probably the best choice for that one…or possibly Ward? Who was Ward? Was he a Cleaver? I wonder if that’s really a nickname for Edward. Anyone know?
Bliss is interesting. When I was a kid, I read a book that had a girl named Amanda in it. Her friend nicknamed her Bliss because Amanda is close to Ananda, which means bliss in Sanskrit. So to me, Bliss is a cool nickname for Amanda – certainly better than Mandy. 😉
Ward was Beaver’s dad, and I’m fairly certain he was just Ward. Edward would’ve been a Top Ten pick around what (I assume) would’ve been his (fictional) date of birth. But Howard was also popular, and Ward wasn’t uncommon as a stand-alone. (In the 1910s, Hayward, Dunward and Wardell also charted in the Top 1000.)
Agh – I forgot to post Ethan’s link – is there still time?
What link? Refresh my memory.
Hi! I’m a bit of a lurker, I love your website but I’ve never commented. But I just had to.. those names from Swistle you shared are my kids! I’m quite excited right now, I just showed my husband.. he’s laughing. I read your blog every day for name suggestions while I was pregnant, he’s used to me saying “Guess what name I found on Appellation Mountain today?” Oh my goodness, this is so exciting! Don’t mind me 🙂 I’m so happy you like our names!
Hi! I’m a bit of a lurker, I love your website but I’ve never commented. But I just had to.. those names from Swistle you shared are my kids! I’m quite excited right now, I just showed my husband.. he’s laughing. I read your blog every day for name suggestions while I was pregnant, he’s used to me saying “Guess what name I found on Appellation Mountain today?” Oh my goodness, this is so exciting! Don’t mind me 🙂 I’m so happy you like our names!
I’m laughing, too, Zo
Your kid’s names are fabulous! Love them all.