My not-quite five year old has been on a naming spree lately. She’s obsessed with writing nametags for various creatures. So far this morning, she’s named the wooden rocking horse Soft Jr. and then renamed him Rocky Jr. (I’m not clear if she understands the concept of juniors – for her, the use of junior appears to be based on the small size of the horse.) She’s also named a Zooble Maddie, no – Fluffy.
Our ideas about names must be formed at a very early age. For every pop culture name that takes off immediately, there are others that take twenty or thirty years to mature. I have a hunch that some names catch on only when the children who heard them as “normal” names are now old enough to name children of their own. It’s like the Dukes of Hazzard. Were today’s parents unknowingly soaking up a preference for short, Southern-fried names while we watched the Duke boys outwit Boss Hogg?
If that’s the case, I fully expect to have a grandson named Bruno or Kai, after the singer or the Ninjago character. The names that my children hear as ordinary would have been shockingly different when I was born in 1973. Someday, they’ll have faded into the back of their memories as just names. After a long hibernation, who knows what will be on the top of this generation’s shortlists? Patrick, for Sponge Bob Square Pants’ bumbling starfish friend?
My children’s lives are so much more varied and global in scope than my own childhood – and I wasn’t sheltered by any stretch. The influences they hear come in multiple languages, across many channels.
It could help explain why variety in names has accelerated. I actively dislike the idea that “parents are trying to be unique.” It’s so dismissive. Sure, maybe a handful of parents are immature or misguided enough to name for shock value. But the vast majority of us want good things for our children, and sincerely believe that a name is part of that. We just have many more influences and inspirations than might have true a few generations back.
On to the names:
- I’ve been wild ’bout Carnelian ever since I learned it was an alternate birthstone for July. Isadora has it on her list of names associated with the sign Virgo. The sound is unexpected, and oh, how I love the stones.
- If your name was Hope, would you name your daughter Grace? Which reminds me, there’s an old chat room tale about a family with four kids: Hope, Grace, Andrew, Faith – Hope, Grace, And, Faith. Or whatever the birth order of the girls, but the boy was definitely #3 so he could be “and.” Anyone know if that’s true?
- The Beauty of Names profiled Severine. Yes, she’s severe. But with her great ev sound, and that French -ine ending, I think she’s wearable.
- Funny, I was just thinking about Italian baby names for a friend who is expecting a girl early next year. If I had it to do over again, my son’s middle name would be Matteo, and I tried to get Dante on our short list for baby #2. (Who was a girl, who is now almost 5 and naming things herself. See above.) The choices for girls are really lovely.
- I really like this list of boys’ names at PopSugar Moms, but Sebastian and Hudson currently rank in the US Top 100, and Sawyer, Maddox, and Lincoln aren’t far outside. Jayce is #200, but Jace is #86. And Finn comes in so many forms, his popularity is hard to pin down. It is a solid list of names, but it shouldn’t be titled “15 Unexpected and Original Names for Boys.”
- Dancer names. In French! Well, you’ll recognize Isadora, Allegra, and Violette, but Loïe is new to me.
- Coming to a television near you: Thatcher, Alaric, Duncan, Roscoe, Dash and lots more handsome names.
- Boys named Dwight and Lenny, girls called Vogue and Eve Buttercup? This list of birth announcements from Anna at Waltzing More than Matilda is fascinating!
- I like Laura’s list of “Why Not?” names, but I think Winter has gone mainstream. You’d still need to be pretty daring to consider Dodge, Thor, Halo, or Topaz.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
P.S. The image above is a close-up of one of many Zoobles currently living in our house. Though not the one named Maddie, no, Fluffy.
I’ve known of several stillborn, miscarried or micro-preemie babies whose parents named them Hope or Faith… So in complete contradiction of their meanings, I just feel sad when I see those two names.
Julie, now that you mention it, I think that might be more common than we realize … I’ve known parents who chose Hope in a similar situation.
I see quite a few babies named Hope or Faith – and you’re right, they were all born in difficult circumstances, often later in life (including Nicole Kidman’s daughter, Faith Margaret). Faith is going up the charts here, and I can’t help wondering if it’s due to the rise in infertility issues, later-in-life babies, and medicine being able to save many more babies in emergency births.
One of my neighbors had a Jacob, Benjamin and Claire. Then like 12 years later they had late in life twins named Hope and Faith. Personally, it screams mid life crisis.
I can understand the temptation to give twins matching names, but it seems like they’d be tough to wear. Hope and Faith almost scream for a comment, while Hope and Jane are just names …
Loïe makes me think of the American dancer, Loïe Fuller. I like it a lot.
I knew the prettiest girl named Topaz when I was a wee tot in the early ’90s. Like, she was ethereally pretty. I never forgot her. I’m still fond of the odder gemstone names: When I was a little kid I wanted a daughter Amethyst, now I’m rather fond of Opal and Emerald.
I knew a Silver as well.
Briar is one I really love. Winter is nice too. None of the boys’ names do much for me on that list.
Meanwhile I love Zane and like Finn off the 15 Unexpected Baby Names list – but I thought of them as fairly dang mainstream. Should I feel awkward now?
Josie, that was my reaction to the list, too – great names, but pretty mainstream! Funny how everyone’s definition varies …
I do like Briar and Opal. A few years ago, I would’ve said Emerald was too much, but it has really grown on me.
Funny you bring up Italian names. My brother and his wife had a baby this week, and at the last minute they threw out all their name choices and went with Giovanni. They’re calling him Gio for short. 🙂
Great name! Congrats on the new nephew. 🙂
Also, another sister changed her name to Hope, but it wasn’t her birth name. The sister I was closest to isn’t named a virtue name, and none of their other siblings are, either. I used to call them “____ and the Virtue Sisters,” but only in my head.
I don’t know if the chat room tale is true, but I have friends from a large family, and three of the sisters are named Faith. Grace, and Mercy.
There is a child from 1875 recorded on British Baby Names called Faith Hope Charity, which is quite a lot of virtues in one.
But there’s also what I assume is an urban myth in the UK of triplets called Faith, Hope and Kevin…
My girls have a lot of named toys but those names are mostly influenced by me and their dad. They have Cailin, Shay, Blossom, Daisy, Emma, and Ally.
My 6 yr old daughter Phoebe wanted to name her baby sister Phoebe Jr. Like, for months that is all the input she would give on names!
That is adorable.
Love it!