English: Clock at Belfast Telegraph, 124-144 R...

Yesterday I unveiled my predictions for the coming year, and that was going to be all I had to say about the year’s close. Except that I found myself hypnotized by a video of old-school clocks from Etsy’s Vimeo channel. Time really does slip by so quickly. (Next month, I’ll enter my fifth year of blogging here at Appellation Mountain. What?) And so here’s a quick look back at 2011.

January 2011

  • I started writing a regular Monday post for Nameberry. I still pinch myself every time I see my name on the site. Thanks to Pam and Linda for their encouragement!
  • Amoret was featured as Baby Name of the Day. In September blogger Rubyellen of Cakies welcomed daughter Glow Amorette. I truly do love this name.

February 2011

  • I loved writing about Elsinore, which isn’t exactly a given name, but certainly could be.
  • Then there’s a draft of an article I never finished, which I’ve dredged up to dust off and post in 2012, one about my personal experience naming human beings.

March 2011

  • March Madness was a great run, with Louisa and Nathaniel claiming the top spots.
  • I also wrote about the poetic, starbaby pick Tennyson, a choice that has really grown on me this year.

April 2011

  • I adore the cowboy-cool and carefree Irish style of Callahan, and my obsession with The Hunger Games fuels by continued interest in the lovely Primrose.

May 2011

  • We welcomed Nick and Mariah’s tots, Moroccan and Monroe, and it was official: sometimes celeb baby names are just too cool for their own good.
  • And, of course, the 2009 Social Security statistics came out. I had a few things to say about that.

June 2011

July 2011

  • I always choose some of the names profiled during my birthday week, and 2011 was no exception. I considered Clark, Katniss, and Coco.
  • Then came the birth of Kate Hudson’s baby Bingham – the kind of name I end up loving because it is so rich with significance about the family.
  • My favorite post of the year probably goes to this one.

August 2011

September 2011

October 2011

November 2011

  • Reruns started, and while some comments lamented that I wouldn’t be moving forward, I’ve really enjoyed reworking those early posts. Four years is a long time, and some of them have changed.
  • I also started relying on polls to narrow down the names to feature here. It has been a big help for me, and they’ll be returning early in the new year.

December 2011

And that brings us to today, the very last day of the year. It seems impossible that this could be the case, but I can hear the kids getting the noisemakers ready downstairs.

Thanks for being part of the ride! Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012.

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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7 Comments

  1. Thanks for giving us food for thought week after week, year after year. Happy New Year to you and yours.

  2. Happy New Year! I love Glow Amorette, Reverie and Boheme. I have enjoyed your site so much! This is a true gem.

  3. I’ve enjoyed this site so much these past couple of years after I found you. I’m so glad that you’ve been able to contribute to nameberry and further your reader base on your blog. Here’s to another great year and bigger and better happenings!

  4. As Nameberry inspires you, sites like yours inspire me! Looking forward to all that comes in 2012!