Sunday Summary: Year of the Rabbit

I don’t follow astrology. But I do notice it, particularly around the Lunar New Year.

So yes, I have rabbits on the brain this week.

As fictional creatures go, there are quite a lot of them – which seems right.

And while some of them – sorry, Flopsy and Mopsy – probably shouldn’t inspire your child’s name, plenty of rabbits just might.

Classic Peter is a long-time favorite. Walt Disney gave the world Oswald, long before he conjured up Mickey Mouse. And Lola joined the Looney Tunes as a girlfriend for Bugs in the 1990s.

For more leporine names, check out the full list here.

ELSEWHERE ONLINE

One name was constantly in the headlines during 2022, not always in a good way. And yet, it hasn’t tarnished it one bit. Laura takes a fascinating look at bulletproof Elizabeth.

Then again, names that are truly all yours can be great, too. This story about a New Year’s (sort of) baby named Solander is every bit as interesting.

Speaking of names that are tarnished, Clare’s look at which names are truly problematic, versus those that are (at least partially) redeemed, is a good guide. So yes to Delilah and Harvey and Draco, but I’m standing by my view that Lucifer is just way too burdensome.

Ooh … can you mashup two names and come up with something entirely new? The Well-Informed Namer has a fun girls’ list here, and the boys’ list here.

Meryl Streep hasn’t always been Meryl. I love hearing her talk about her family name. “I had to be named Mary, because my mother’s name was Mary, and her mother’s name was Mary, and … Mary. I named my first daughter Mary …” Since the first link was about Elizabeth, it seems fitting to end with another story about a classic.