The 2006 Name of the Year
I was dazzled by the outpouring of nominations for the official Baby Name Wizard Name of the Year. Thank you all for some outstanding suggestions, including angles I wouldn't have considered on my own. It was a tough year to make a choice as no single name truly dominated the landscape. (That's not necessarily a bad thing; consider Katrina last year.) I weighed a variety of factors including your votes, public awareness of the name phenomenon, a dramatic change in the name's social meaning or identity, and how the name reflected a broader zeitgest.
First, some runners up -- 3 names shaped by television in 2006:
Emmett. Back in August I identified Emmett as a name on the verge, one that parents were talking about a lot but hadn't quite pulled the trigger on. That was before retired football star Emmett Smith took home the top trophy on tv's "Dancing with the Stars." Zeitgeist bonus points: so who cares that you set the all-time NFL rushing record? You're nobody til you're a reality tv star. Points off for: the name is still a stealthy favorite, not really on everyone's lips (as the paucity of Emmetts in the nomination pool demonstrated).
Miley. A strong candidate for the out-of-nowhere role thanks to "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus (given name Destiny). Miley is a natural extension of Riley, Kiley et al. Points off for: Zeitgeist? What Zeitgeist? Besides, most Hannah Montana fans are still in the pre-procreation demographic.
Addison. I was surprised at first to see a flood of nominations for Addison. But the posters built a strong case: 2006 was a breakthrough year for Addisons as a character on "Grey's Anatomy" propelled the name out of Madison's shadow and into the the spotlight. It's clearly one of the hottest names of the year and an example of some of the strongest trends in naming. Androgynous surnames that contract to girlish nicknames are a soaring sub-genre. Even the baby step from Madison to Addison illustrates the constant but cautious hunt for novelty. Points off for: being more evolutionary than revolutionary in 2006. I had cited Addison as a hot example of the the "retractable surname" trend in the opening sections of The Baby Name Wizard.
Which brings us to the official Name of the Year:
Shiloh.
I don't know if you heard, but some couple named Brad and Angie had a baby girl this year and named her Shiloh. Ring any bells?
Yes, it's a celebrity baby name. But before you start yawning let me say that it's not just any name, and not just any celebrity. If there were a baby naming hall of fame Angelina Jolie would be a charter member. She chooses extremely unusual names: Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh. But while other celebrities earn snickers for their unconventional choices, nobody's laughing at the Jolie kids. Angelina is like that friend who shows up for a party wearing colors you never would have imagined putting together and maybe don't even like, but dang she looks good...and makes the rest of us in our basic black feel kind of timid.
When you think of the typical high-profile baby name, it's an island unto itself. Suri, Apple and Audio Science don't really belong to or influence any broader trends. Shiloh, in contrast, makes cultural connections. It's part of the revival of biblical rarities -- Shiloh is a place name from the Bible, adopted for towns in a number of U.S. states. It's also a nostalgic place name of the Savannah/Cheyenne family. By far the best known Shiloh is in Tennessee, where a horrific 1862 battle gave an early glimpse of the bloody years that were to lie ahead in the Civil War. The Battle of Shiloh claimed over 23,000 casualties and dominated the cultural meaning of Shiloh for generations to come.
Shiloh did have a history as a baby name long before Miss Jolie-Pitt hit the scene. You'll find occasional 19th-century Shilohs both before and after the Civil War, most of them male. The name tailed off after the 1880s and started to come back quietly starting in the late 1960s, this time chosen for girls and boys alike. Yet if you asked most Americans in 2005 their first association with Shiloh was surely still the battle, with second place going to the male beagle who headlined the 1992 Newbery-winning children's novel Shiloh.
You want a "change in the name's social meaning"? When I was writing my book I considered including Shiloh but decided that the battlefield associations were too strong. Now can you imagine leaving it out of the next edition -- or calling the name anything but feminine? And as little Shiloh was endlessly discussed in every known medium, the name sent out ripples into the great name landscape. Just as Maddox took the popular surname style and blew the doors off its preppy Payton-Tyler constraints, so Shiloh will make parents take a fresh look at the seemingly familiar realm of Biblical and Old-South place names. (Think Jericho for boys, Shenandoah for girls.) Massive public awareness, sudden change, portents of names to come...there is your Name of the Year.
And with that, I bid you a happy naming year. See you in 2007...and start thinking about your entries for this year's edition of the baby name pool!
Comments
Hmmm, Shiloh. I'm expecting #3 in Feb. but Shiloh Rowe just doesn't seem to go! (Rhyme intended!)
We have an Amelia & Charlie and are desperately seeking advice for a good 2007 name from like-minded naming enthusiasts. Henry & Anne are leading candidates but doubts are creeping in about the "ree-row" sound of Henry Rowe and we wondered if Anne Rowe was on the bland side. Please weigh in!
When you say "next edition," you get my heart racing! I am wearing your book OUT (we're on baby #5, though only #s 3, 4, and 5 were post-publication), and would buy anything you wrote. I think it would be fun (though might generate more comments than anyone would want to read, and controversy of a violent nature) to ask for revision suggestions. For example, under Ivy, I think it should mention the "poison ivy" association that sprang to the minds of a group of incredulous third graders when I mentioned we were considering the name Ivy for our next child. Within seconds the class had come up with a game in which no one could touch Ivy without being poisoned. I'd say that's a death knell for the name.
Also, I'd like to see the name Liesl/Leisl in the next edition.
Oh, were we talking about Shiloh? I think you're totally right to call it the name of 2006.
I nominated Shiloh (along with Addison and Suri) so kudos for a good pick. I think Shiloh also reflects the beginning trend toward names that end with "O" - although these are mostly male names...Milo, Arlo, Otto are all names I've heard this year.
Looking forward to the new edition. I love the original--only complaint is that the spine of my book broke shortly after purchase so I have floating chunks of pages.
Mary Ellen - I think Henry Rowe sounds great. I might vote for tweaking Anne Rowe, particularly since they are both one-syllable, four-letter names. I would avoid Anna as well due to its popularity. If you're looking for something more unusual maybe Anastasia, Annika, Annelise, all could have nn Ann/e. If you wanted to move away from Anne completely I would suggest something with at least one "harder" sound.
Great post, especially the stuff about Maddox changing the preppy feeling of surnames. wow...
Mary Ellen: I think I would go with a 2+ syllable name, but maybe this is just cuz I have a 3-syllable last name and wish I could use the longer first names!
Mary Ellen - I like Jan's idea of livening up Anne - I particularly love Anneliese. Annette might also be another option. Still simple, but a little more flowery than Anne.
Jan - My sping did something funny, too. The cover came off, so I now have a shell and a coverless book. How odd.
Great job, as usual, Laura. I'm grateful that someone else pointed out that Shiloh has a history before that of the Jolie-Pitt baby. And I'm quite sure that Shiloh will be in the news repeatedly over the course of her life. I guess we should all be grateful that her father isn't Bill Bob Thornton.
Woo Hoo! As the first nominator of Suri and Shiloh, I am glad you picked one of "my" names. ;)
And I have to agree with Shiloh over Suri. (I originally said that I thought Shiloh was a harder sell). My reasoning at the time was Shiloh was originally a boys name, and even though I know that boys names become girls names all the time, I just don't like it.
My second reason was that according to the articles I saw, Suri had the hebrew meaning of "princess" which I thought would make it a good pick for evangelicals (who are always trying to find a new "Biblical" name -- Trinity, Eden, Neveah come to mind...) and Jews.
However, I now see that there is a debate on whether Suri has the Hebrew meaning princess (in Persian it means Red Rose) and without that connection, I think it would drop in popularity.
So good choice, and I agree on Emmett and Addison as runners up. Don't know about Miley... however I do know a preschooler named Maile (pronounced Miley) and it certainly fits the Riley Kley syndrome.
I think Shiloh beats Suri because of the parents, too. As weird as it would be to "be like Angelina" in child naming, it beats the pants off of "being like Tom Cruise"!!
I like Maile better than Miley too. There is an author by that name and I think it goes well with Irish/Gaelic sounding names. It seems to be along the lines of Maeve & Mairin.
Kristen: Was laughing about the Ivy associations. It is so cute. Are Violet & Iris overplayed?
Thanks for the personal name advice too - sorry to take the blog off-topic but I had to get it out there! (Keep it coming!)
Shiloh is actually one of the names we're considering for our little one that's arriving in the spring. I was disappointed that it wasn't in your book, so I'm really happy you mentioned it here!
Mary Ellen- some suggestions for you! I think these names harmonize well with Charlie and Amelia (which sound Victorian) and your last name.
Thomas
Edward
George
Albert
Florence
Charlotte
Caroline
Georgina
Harriet
I honestly knew nothing about this baby. Obviously I've heard of the parents and vaguely knew that they'd had a child but reading about Shiloh on here I didn't at first know what gender it was. You can all say I have my head stuck in the sand or whatever, but I read/watch the real news, honest! I still think there should be a British Name of the Year separately. The (official?) 2006 top ten were published today (although the year isn't over...). It's Jack (for the 12th year running) and Olivia in the top spots.
I love Amelia, Charlie, Henry, and Anne. (In fact, I have my own Amelia Ann!)
I suggest Julia, Lydia, Caroline, Elizabeth, Laura, William, Arthur, Merlin, Evan, Edward, and Stephan.
The best part of the famous Shiloh? Try spoonerizing Shiloh Pittâthat is, swapping the initial sounds in the words so that you get what sounds like "pile o' ...".
Amelia & Charlie...
would sound great with Emiline, Lucy, Diana, Luisa, & Elyse
Thomas, Marcus, Christopher, Robert, William,Oliver & David
Amelia & Charlie...
would sound great with Emiline, Lucy, Diana, Luisa, & Elyse
Thomas, Marcus, Christopher, Robert, William,Oliver & David
what about Samuel for a boy? Sounds nice with Amelia & Charlie
Mary Ellen- Anne is lovely just as it is.
And that is one awesome spoonerism, Orange! Though I think they call the kids Jolie-Pitt. Still...
Great post Laura~ just a note to add, like a few others, my book fell apart at the spine within days. I bought another one and it did the same thing. doesn't change how much I love the content though! Caint WAIT for another edition-- your posts here help a lot though. Thank's for all you do!
I love the name Shiloh, love it so much, have no idea why, don't love the movie stars at all, just really like it. Like Shenandoah too. There's that beautiful lullaby, "Oh Shenandoah, I long to see you..." Almost afraid it would be seen as copying Shiloh though. Which is dumb, because my son's name is Charlie, and it's not like that's super original. Now you've got me thinking harder about place names. Anyway, thanks for the fun poll!
For an interesting report on British name trends of 2006, go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6196035.stm
Mary Ellen, as an Anne I can tell you I feel the name can be quite bland. When coupled with a one syllable last name, it feels especially plain to me. (One reason I prefer "my" name to what my married name would be...my husband has a one-syllable last name.) My mother thought Anne was classic, beautifully simple. I wished for more nickname options or something more distinctive.
There are several names with Anne/Ann as a nickname. Annika is one I like a lot. Anne is derived from Hannah, which would sound good with Rowe, but is more popular these days.
Just a few suggestions/comments for you to consider! I do love that you are wanting to spell "Anne" with an E. It looks so much more balanced and complete than Ann (at least in my admittedly biased opinion!)
Thank you for my honorable mention with Miley! I admit the 9-year-old fan base of "Hannah Montana" IS a problem.
Angelina does have a baby-naming knack. Shiloh does make me think of a beagle. Love Zahara though!
Anne and Henry are both classic choices. If you love these names, go with them! Any fault found with them is only nit-picking. But . . Anne Rowe IS a little brief. And Henry Rowe DOES have a Ree Row thing going. To throw a few new contenders into the mix, I suggest:
Girl: Alice (if you are trying to keep the "A" from Amelia), Diandre, Louisa (I see someone suggested Luisa already), Marian
Boy: Edward, Samuel (I see that was suggested too)
I know a Shenandoah who's a teenager/almost in her twenties.
When I first heard the name Miley while watching Doc, her dad's show in which she appeared now and then, I remember thinking, "I wish I'd thought of that first!" I liked the sound and the origin, which was apparently that she was so "Smiley" she became "Miley." Billy Ray Cyrus also has a daughter named Noah Lindsey.
Mary Ellen - I LOVE the name Caroline and had wanted to suggest it earlier, but didn't know if you were set on Anne and the like or not. I see several others have mentioned it as well. i feel that it goes beautifully with Charlie and Amelia.
Merry Christmas everyone! (And Happy Holidays to anyone who celebrates other holidays at this time of year!) Thanks for the lively discussions!
Awesome input! I am not tied to either name (Anne or Henry) so I appreciate the ideas...they are totally in line with what we like. I have to laugh about Lucy...love it but worried about the teasability factor with brother Charlie (Peanuts). Louisa is darling! Had not thought of that. Louis is a family name. Alice is adorable too. Thank you, thank you!
And thanks Anne P. for your personal insight. What if we call her Annie? Would that last into adulthood? Would she want it to last?
About the glue...
A few of you just mentioned that the spines came loose on your copies of The Baby Name Wizard. After hearing this from some readers last year, the publisher tested various copies and determined that part of one early print run did indeed have weak glue. Please accept my apologies if you happened to get a self-destructing copy!
(Of all the things you worry about when you write a book, you never imagine that *glue* will be the trouble spot! You can just imagine how it feels to see a reader leave a 1-star review on Amazon, saying "this book seems great but it fell apart, who needs it!")
I have a couple more name suggestions... I love this blog.. it always makes me lie awake in bed thinking of name suggestions...
Miranda, Sarah, Isabel, Josephine, Nora, Laurena, or Delilah
Owen, James, Torrance, Sullivan, or Ivan
Laura, Thanks for such an articulate, thought-provoking and funny entry! I think your blog is consistently the most well-written of any I read, and is of course the cream of the crop when it comes to baby name blogs! And so far the spine on my copy of the Wizard is in great shape, despite some frayed pages. Happy holidays.
Laura - I'd buy your book even with the glue issues! :-) Can't wait for the next edition!
My husband's mother's name was Anne, and he really likes it as a name, or middle name for our daughter. It thought it sounded a little plain with our last name too. My solution, thus far, is Anaabel. Very cute, not too plain, and a nice fit with Charlie and Amelia. (BTW Charlie was on our list if we were having a boy).
Others have given great suggestions, too. I particularly like Louisa.
Oh, and Alice is a beautiful, classic name, too. What do you think of Adele?
Oh, and if you've considered Lucy, what about Lucia (I like it pronounced Loo-sha). I think Lucia Rowe is just gorgeous.
Was there mention of when the 2nd Edition is coming out? Any chance it will be out by Summer 2007?
Only thing I wish the book had was the name meanings to go with the names... I sometimes feel the name meaning does have a small bearing on things. But the glue on my book is doing just fine.. although I just bought the book a couple months ago.. had a hard time getting my hands on one.
Mary Ellen, I think Anne is a name that sounds as newly fresh and clean as a tall glass of milk! How about making it double-barrelled (do we say that about first names?!) a la francaise such as Anne-Laure - I do like that name. Or, sticking with the classically English Anne-Laura, or Anne-Louise. I think that by keeping the Anne part intact you retain the fresh starkness of the name (detracted from rather in names such as Annabel, Annaliese etc ) and it is livened up by the addition of the second name.
I think Henry Rowe could be a little of a mouthful, although not too much.
How about Hector, Barnaby or Sebastian?
Hi Mary Ellen,
A couple more suggestions- names that seem along the same vein as "Henry" - Clifford, Harold, Aurthur, Theodore.
Along the same vein as "Anne"- Annemarie, Annabelle, Anne-Francis, Adeline, Amalia, Annalie.
Best wishes!
Mary Ellen, I had the misfortune of being a red-haired child when the movie and play "Annie" were very popular and heard way too many references for me to like the nickname for myself.
It's a fine nickname for others ;)
While I don't love my name and wish I had something with more flair, or at least more of a nickname variant, there are far worse things my parents could have chosen and I appreciate them giving me a classic name with a standard spelling (even if everyone around here likes to write it "Ann").
or George, William , Edward or Rufus - thinking of all the British kings!! - or Rupert - very classy. Piers?
Great work, Laura!
I think "placenames" are once again be on the rise. For those looking for a Biblical connection the names Jericho and Gilead come to mind.
As for those looking in Savannah/Cheyenne family, but wanting to avoid both of those names and the overused "Dakota," I have been hearing various alternatives from mothers-to-be including: Laramie, Vail and Laredo. Is anyone else noticing a placename trend in their neighborhood?
I believe that Maile, Mylie - I don't know how it was spelled - was the female character in Elvis' Blue Hawaii movie. My cousin considered that for her daughter: Maile, Laken or Chandler. She chose Chandler - pre-Friends, and for a girl!
I think Laken is nice with Amelia and Charlie, along with Thomas, Christian, Hope (which I've thought of using some day) and Chelsea.
And as for placenames, Biblical names - my mother LOVES the name Bethany, which is in fact a Biblical place. Ahead of her time, as always - if she'd had a fourth girl (I'm the oldest of three) it would have been Bethany Ellen.
Oh, Ellen, that's nice with Amelia and Charlie, too. Very classic.
Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you all- it's been fun hanging out with you this year... OK, so HOW many times a day so you check this blog? I know I'm not the only one. :)
Excellent choice! Shiloh hits all the marks mentioned. I love the Jolie-Pitt kids' names, even though I'm bitter that I could look like a copycat b/c she chose a name I liked, including the nickname.
Valerie - Merry Christmas and good wishes to you for 2007 from under downunder(and of course for all the other lovely posters - women, men and those so carefully named children :-) I too, log in way too often and love hearing the wheres, whys and whats of naming. So far my favorite names seem to come from the Telegraph newspaper announcements - I must be a classicist!
My new favorite name though, is Zelie which, with no further children in sight *whew* I will use for my long-planned for rescued greyhound girl who we hope will join our family before too long.
Anyone else got some interesting pet names?
What about the name Symphony to go with Amelia and Charlie.. definately pretty.. very graceful sounding... I think sweet... and strikingly different... and well I don't think Symphony Rowe sounds bad at all....
I love all of the advice! Thanks! Adele/Adeline is appealing...my grandma was Adele, I just had not heard of any little ones being named that lately & didn't want to be too obscure. Does anyone know any baby Adeles? I want a unique name but not
Re: place names--I mentioned in another thread having recently met a little baby named Lubbock (which even I consider taking Texas pride a step too far). Also a recent baby named Oslo.
Pet Names:
We've had dogs called Jess, Oscar, Phoebe, Daisy. And Guide Dog puppies (they come with the name) called: Kerry, Monty, Joel, Leon, Ellis and Shadow.
Cats called Pudding, Bonzo, Mac and Tosh.
Gerbils called Beano, Dandy, Skipper, Indy and George.
A horse called Duke.
Any of those interesting?
I'm sorry, but Symphony, Amalia, Laken, Christian, and Chelsea do not go with Amelia and Charlie AT ALL. Caroline or Adele would be a much better choice (especially since they are both traditional names for European royalty).
re: spine glue
Viz comic books used to be the same way, causing much consternation among librarians who bought their books and then had to reglue every one of them after only a few weeks. They ended up changing their glue, too. It's great to hear about publishers addressing problems like that; yay to yours for fixing the glue!
P.S. Symphony Rowe? Is that the street the opera houses and theatres are on?
Dogs: Goober, Annachie Gordon
Cats: Buckwheat, Killer, Soren Kierkegaard, Terminator, Linus Pauling, and J'Kailee (a name I made up in the 80's)
As for girls names with Charles and Amelia, I agree with Anneleise. Keep away from Symphony sounds like a phony name to me. ;)
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Our hometown newspaper has a photospread of "Baby's 1st Holiday" (photos were sent in by parents or grandparents so these are by no means all the babys born the last year. The cuties are named:
Alexa Lynn
Grace Aubrey
Emma Marie
Sophia Grace
Thomas Benjamin
Parker Joseph
Alexander James
Olivia Carol
Eva Elizabeth
Joseph Thomas
Sara Jane
Anthony Curtis
James Robert
Fisher (m)
Sean Kristopher
Margaret Christine
Kevin William
Michael James
Sydney E. (f)
Zoe Katharine
Lawson James
Anna Jillian
Myah Jade
Emma
Nash Oliver
Zachary Michael
Murphy Fallon (f)
Allison Jeanne
Dustin
Gia
Owen Daniel
Alayna Marie
Brooke
Adele? That's so grandma-ish to me! Very TV mother-in-law, too, I think.
And I agree about Symphony and Amalia, which is too close to Amelia, anyway, but Christian and Chelsea? I don't see those as odd names whatsoever. I especially think Henry and Christian sound cute together. As for the royal thing - it's not hard to find a prince, etc. named Christian.
Names are all about stereotypes. Everybody hears them differently. I know two women in their 70s at my church named Viola. It kills me to see that name bounced around!
And Amelia has withstood the test of time in my opinion so I don't link it with a specific time period. At least in the U.S. That's why a name such as Laken could go - Amelia can be modern, too.
If Henry is used I think it's nice to play it up with something fresh. Otherwise you get "meet Henry and Adele, no they're not my grandparents, my children." Ha.
I love Caroline, Alice, and Adele! I prefer Anna to Anne, though. That little a makes such a difference in how the name sounds to me. Addie as a nickname for Adele really makes it sound younger and more fresh, imo.
Other suggestions:
Lydia
Clara
Violet
Genevieve (lots of nickname options on this one!)
Gwendolyn
Felicity
Amelia and Henry are both wonderful names. I'm sure whatever you choose will be great too. :)
Shiloh? The child's name is Shiloh Pitt. Piloh Shitt. C'mon, that's horrible.
About Charlie and Amelia:
I looooooove Henry, but Anne is a bit plain for my taste and it kind of gets lost in Amelia's shadow. Caroline, even though it's nice, has very similar roots to Charlie, so I'd stay away from it. Two suggestions others have made, Louisa and Alice, are great. Louisa is adorable and in the same vein as Amelia. Alice is a wonderful A-name alternative to Anne-traditional like Charlie and Amelia,and strong enough to stand up to Amelia. Other ideas: Elise and Eliza.
"Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt" in its entirety could be the name of the year. Laura's reasons are convincing and ture. But also: The name symbolized the cult of celebrity gossip. Many joked that this was the most anticipated birth since the Christ child. Then Brangelina* gave her a suitably Messianic name, with a biblical place name first and "new" (in French) in the middle.
*Another symbol of a trend -- star-couple blending .
I'm so glad that there are still people out in reality land who couldn't care less what 'celebrities' name their poor kids and certainly have more sense than to follow their example (as if naming your child after a celeb means you or your offspring could possibly inherit their 'star' quality?).
Imagine being named the same as a celebrity kid in the same year, or even being given an unusual celebrity name? All your life some dimwit will ask you if you're related or whether 'your' latest film is any good or some other inanity, you'll rarely be seen as the individual you really are, and your age will be fixed in eternal concrete.
My utmost sympathy goes out to the unfortunate Shilohs, Suris and other victims of their parent's celeb-mania.
Whew - I feel better now :-)
Mary Ellen - I second the Emmeline suggestion. I think it goes along with the style of Charlie and Amelia, without being too similar. Good luck!
Ooh, Mary Ellen, thank you for the opportunity to offer suggestions! I love Charlie and Amelia, but would stay away from Anne (I don't care for names with the same first letter, unless it's a theme you're going for) and Caroline (because of its similarity to Charles/Charlie). What do you think of Susanna(h)? It's our pick for a girl, and it has "Ann" in it (we'd use Anna as the nn). I like Henry, too, and Oliver is our top choice for another boy (our two boys are Thomas and Gabriel).
Laura's book has the following as sisters for Amelia:
Cecilia
Sophie
Annabel
Miriam
Lydia
Brothers:
Simon
Max
Edgar
Owen
Pierce
Sisters for Charles:
Mary
Margaret
Dorothy
Sylvia
Frances
Brothers:
William
Richard
George
Edward
James
Sisters for Charlie:
Lucy
Alice
Nora
Susie
Nell
Brothers:
Ray
Archie
Joe
Hal
Harry
I think Annabel, Lydia, Simon, Owen, Pierce, James, Lucy, Nora(h), and Harry would all be smashing. Note also that Alice and Susie (nn for Susanna?) made the lists.
(cont'd)
Oops, sorry, I'd remove "Annabel" from my "smashing" list in my previous post -- like with Anne, I don't like it because you already have an Amelia.
Laura -- I just have to tell you how much I love your book. I'd seen people referring to it over and over again on babycenter.com's name polls, so I requested it from my husband for Christmas ... and I've already broken it in (dogeared pages, spine separation)! I LOVE it! The brother/sister part is my favorite! As a mom of two (Thomas and Gabriel) who is hoping for more, and the wife of a man who considers "Bob" the ultimate male name (no offense to any Bobs!) and hates "weird" (to me "interesting" or "creative" or "unusual") names, your book will get A LOT of use! Thanks!
Okay, this is ot, but a question for Laura and those of the group. Why isn't Millie popular in the US?
Consider:
1.It is number 20 in England.
2. It has similar qualities to Emily, Lily, Molly and the aforementioned Miley.
So why isn't it in the top 1000 names?
The second question is if we started posting it on all the name boards, would it become a popular name?
Millie, to me, is George H.W. Bush's dog. Other Americans may have other reasons.
Millie sounds very old-fashioned to me. I know a girl about 20 yo with the name but she's the ONLY one i've ever heard of.
Maybe it was more common in the past in the U.S. so it's more grandma sounding? Or maybe it has some positive associations in the UK that it doesn't have in the US? It's short for Millicent in both places right?
I'm kind of glad to hear that there was a glue problem with the book and it wasn't just from me being "name obsessed" as my husband says! I do hope that it is corrected for the second edition though!
Millie is my parents' dog's name, too!
I like Anne, actually, and I like Jane, too. I think Janie is a nice twist on Jane. What about Rachel or Maggie?
And Claire is a GREAT suggestion.
I seem to bring it up a lot, just because we almost used it, but how about Adelaide? It goes with Amelia and Charlie. Could be a fresh twist on Adele if you don't want to completely name your daughter after your grandmother (possibly leaving out other relatives!)
Wendy, I think the reason Millie hasn't caught on in the US is that it still sounds like one of those "grandmother names" like Gladys, Gertrude, and Doris that hasn't been "rediscovered" yet. But unlike the other names I mentioned, I think you're right in that Millie's light sound could mean that in a few years it could be poised for a revival.
I'm curious about some of the comments regarding names that "go with" a sibling's names. I understand not wanting to give a series of names that make a "set" (like John, Jason, and Jennifer) or that are so similar as to cause confusion (like Emma and Ella), but who cares if they sound well together in a list, or are a little similar? Most people will never hear the names as a set; most of us probably don't even know the names of our friends' siblings.
Naming children isn't like coordinating fabrics. Anne is a beautiful classic name, and who cares if it "goes with" Charlie and Amelia. No child called Anne will ever regret her name.
i never thought of names going together until coming on this site a few months ago, but i think part of it is that parents who like one name will also like another. you know they have some kind of vibe or sound or whatever.
i sort of agree with you in that concern with names going together is sort of... veering toward the children as accessories thing. when i think of whether certain names go i find myself imagining them going out on christmas cards!
personally though i think i mostly try to avoid rhyming names...
If there were no desire for names which 'go together' where would Laura's book be?
Off topic, I need your opinion.
I am due to have a little girl in April. We have decided on her first name, but the middle name is tricky. I have found one that I really like because of it's meaning. My problem are her initials.
E.Z.A.
I don't want her to be made fun of. What do you think?
Sharon - I see what you mean but the reverse is also true. If someone has a little girl named Susie she would presumably want a similar styled but not identical name for another girl - (unless she's copying George Forman with his multiple sons named George).
I guess it comes down to walking the fine line between belonging to a family through members having a generally similar base of names, and yet retaining each child's individuality. Possibly thats why parents pick names from their common cultural backgrounds and societal group.
I think the siblings name suggestion help a parent discover there naming style.. I agree I usually end up liking one of the suggestions in the siblings category when I find a name that I really like.
Also when I hear the name Millie.. I think Millie Vinelli.. or however you spell that. The band that lip synced all there songs and got caught...
Rebekah: That's a hard one. On one hand, I think kids will find ways to make fun of any name. Oh and also maybe kids won't know her middle name. You know, it seems like most people don't use their middle names. I think that if I were you, I would see if I could come up with something better and if not just go with this one.
The reason why Millie isn't popular here is because most people think of it as short for Millicent which is awful for a little kid.
Oh, and Rebekah, what's wrong with the initials EZA? EZY (easy) might be bad but I can't see what's wrong as it is. My initials before I got married were RAW and my best friend growing up was BEG. Now those are bad!
Millie is also a nickname for Mildred, which is pretty dreadful for a small girl.
I kind of like "Millicent". Makes me think of the girl Bobby Brady had a crush on. "Millie" still seems flimsy to me though.
Sharon - While I don't think that we should treat our children - or even their names - as accesories, I think Laura's book and philosophy does a couple of things. 1. "If you like names in this category, you'll like..." 2. Ideally suggests that you don't name your children Elizabeth, Michael, and Window because you were high on the epidural at the moment you chose a random name for your third kid. However, I don't think that any of us use Laura's suggestions as the final rule for naming our children. For example, we are naming our first son Charles, after his father. I'm not terribly interested in any of the sibling suggestions Laura lists in her book, though I do like classic names. You get the idea.
Rebekah - I don't imagine it would come up very often, and other than Z being an unusual initial, I don't see anything overly amusing about EZA.
About the initials, I guess I am more concerned about the
E. Z. (easy) part.
ya.. I don't think it will matter to much... most people don't know a child's middle name.. I grew up the intials MR.. (I am a woman)... and well I was never made fun of for my intials.. so I doubt it will be a problem.
I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not yet, but with the popularity of turning surnames into girls names, has anyone considered the possibility of a girl marrying and becoming Ashley Ashley, Taylor Taylor, or Madison Madison etc? One of my sister's high school classmates became Ashley Ashley after she married.
By the way, I know my comment had nothing to do with the string of posts. I just wanted to know if Laura had discussed it yet in a blog, and didn't know another way to bring the subject up to her.
Shiloh was a bloody civil war battle...could you be any more disrespectful to our veterans?
Looks like I'm the third reader who's known a dog named Millie. That's what would stear me away from the name. I always picture a collie when I think of it. Millie the Collie, too cute!
Regarding sibling names starting with the same letter...A lot of the readers here seem to dislike the idea. As a whole, it seems very popular though. Just look at the twin names from the SSA. Most start with the same letter. Are we missing something? Or, are we just following the current fashion trend away from "matchy matchy"?
Surely siblings want to be individual from each other, even if they do share the same parents, house, or even birthday.
I agree it does sound a bit grating if siblings are called Thomas, Sarah and Madison, for example.
I used to think that same letter sibling names - especially twins were practically required. I had whole lists of twin names that were like that. Alexa and Alyssa, McKenna and Michaela, Kirsten and Keira. My husband was the first one to tell me that we didn't have to do that if we had twins. I think they should sound good together, since they will always be said together for the first 18 years at least. But I know some twins named Carin and Elizabeth and while they don't rhyme or start with the same letter, etc. they still sound good together.
I don't think naming a baby Shiloh is disrespectful of the Veterans of that war - I think it's a way to say we will never forget.
Erin - I've thought of that. But they could always keep their maiden name or hypenate or whatever if it bugged them. For that matter, I once knew a Samantha (nn Sam) Sams and my mother went to school with a girl who becmae Jady Pady.
When you name a child you have no idea who they will marry.. or what there last name will become... so I think avoiding a surname as a first name.. so that they won't marry some one with that name is kinda silly... I mean every first name may be some one's last name.. and vice versa.. If they really don't want to become "Ashley Ashley" .. they don't have to marry that person.
I know a woman who became Carol Carroll when she got married. I agree with Melissa -- avoiding a surname as a fn because of who they might marry is kind of silly. Especially since not every woman gets married, and not every woman who gets married changes her name. And some men change their name when they get married! I know a man who did so, and his wife's surname -- the one he took as his own -- is Derrick ... Fortunately, Derek is not his fn, so he didn't have the same issues as Ashley Ashley and Carol Carroll!
I may have just gone to school with a weird group, but in my high school we had an Alexandria Alexander, a Thomas Thomas, a Matthew Matthews, all on purpose. And I swear this, I saw her drivers license, we had a girl named Kim Ber Lee. Her last name was Lee, and her parents were trying to be cute.
So if Ashley goes on to become Ashley Ashley, she's in good company, seems some parents try to give names that end up that way.
I love this site and all the comments...
I need boy name suggestions. My (married) last name is Spanish but the pronunciation has been Anglicized. We're trying to find a name with "pan-European"/non-trendy flair that would go well with our last name no matter the pronunciation but nothing too "out there" Any suggestions?
We love Nina for a girl but are at a loss for boy names and that's what everyone thinks I'm having...the big u/s is in 3 weeks!
I love Nico for a boy but my dh thinks it might be too out there. (He's Italian, Cajun and Mexican, so I think it would work!)
Thanks!!
AG: I love both Nina and Nico! Maybe you could convince your husband that Nico could be Anglicized to Nic if your son chooses it. Or you could go with Nicolas and call him Nico.
Sorry, but I don't have any other suggestions. I don't really get what "pan-European" means. I will blame it on my being American. :P
My name is Chloe. Now it's ubiquitous for little girls, but when I was growing up in the 80s, it was very exotic indeed. Of the many creative mispronunciations, I sometimes heard "Shiloh," inexplicably.
I knew a Shiloh growing up, and like kids are, I assumed it was a perfectly common name even though I never met another one. Poor girl -- she had a cool name in a rural county in the South. We all called her Silo.
AG- I have a friend who is Belgian, married to a guy who is half Swiss-German and half Indian. They called their new son Victor Sebastian, which I think definitely counts as pan-European. Their daughter is Annabelle. I see pan-European as meaning a name which works well in a variety of European languages. OK, that's a fun project! I'll get back to you...
Re: similar first/last names- I was at school with Felixianne Felicien. That was a tough one!
OK, AG, here's what I have for starters:
Raphael/Rafael
Daniel
Gabriel
Simon
David
Leo
Max
Adrian
Alex(ander).
Those are all very classic.
Little bit more 'out there':
Hector
Pascal
Mario/Marius
I realize that I know four culturally mixed European couples who all called their babies... Anna! So I know the pool of names doesn't seem that big.
Thanks for all the suggestions!! I appreciate your support RobynT!!!
Valerie, that is what I mean by pan-euro because my dh is both Italian and Spanish (and has a French Cajun granpa) I want it to kinda flow in any of these languages. (and not be too "white-bread" haha)
Actually We're considering Dominic and then calling the baby Nico. I love Dominic too but my dh thinks that it might be a problem at school if he went by a n/n. Did anybody go by a nickname and have problems with it? You know always correcting people? Because I wouldn't mind if was called Dominic sometimes or if he chose to go by that as an adult. I just don't really like the n/n Dom. And I really want a reason to name him NICO!! :)Which i found in the book...Thanks, Laura!
BTW: I also love Felix but that is waaaay out because of dh's crazy uncle situation..same goes for Pedro and David!
AG - I've known several people that go my the less obvious nn in school - on the first day of class, when the teacher calls roll, the child says "I go by _______" when they call out the full version. Teacher writes it down, and everyone goes along with life. Same goes if you are called by your middle name (which, for the record, I don't suggest). I love the name Dominic, and nn Nico is cute.
That Kim Ber Lee thing is awful. Why do parents do things like that? I knew a Sandra Cheryl Shore - Sandy C. Shore. Terrible,
>Actually We're considering Dominic and then calling the baby Nico. I love Dominic too but my dh thinks that it might be a problem at school if he went by a n/n. Did anybody go by a nickname and have problems with it? You know always correcting people? Because I wouldn't mind if was called Dominic sometimes or if he chose to go by that as an adult. I just don't really like the n/n Dom.<<
As an Elizabeth, nn Lisa, I agree with Christiana. Teacher called out "Elizabeth ____" and I answered "Here - I go by Lisa" and there's the end of it. (Well, except for my 6th grade math teacher, but he was a jerk in many other ways, too.)
Dominic is a very nice name, and Nico is fun and different (but not weird). Fair warning, though - when little Nico hits adolescence (and especially college), he and his friends may take to using "Dom" or some other nn that may not thrill you. And at that point, you have no say in the matter! ;-)
I love the nn Andy for a girl but don't care for the name Andrea. Is Alexandria with the nn Andy too far of a stretch?
Are there other options?
Tell your husband that Nico is a fine name! I know a little boy named Nico who's dad is Italian, mom is Mexican. It works for him. And Dominic with Nico as a nickname works.
Whatever you call your son, people will follow. I was worried naming my daughter Suzanna that people would call her Suzie which I don't like (I call her Zan or Zanna). Few have tried to call her Suzie, but we tell them she prefers Suzanna and that is that.
You guys are awesome. I really was looking for suggestions, but I appreciate all the support for my true fav, Dominic/Nico!
Good point Wendy about people following your lead.
TC: I love the name Andy for a girl as well, but spelled Andie like McDowell. I had a friend as a young girl named Andie and I think her full name may have been Adrienne. (That's a stretch too, but I think it's a nice alt. to Andrea.)
PS I had posted a reply to TC a minute ago but it didn't show up. I apologize if it suddenly appears and I sound repetitious.
For AG: I know a young Nico and I just love the name. (He does too!) His parents wanted something that would fit with his mother's Chilean heritage, but not be too unusual here in the U.S. The name Dominic is very versatile (later in life he can always go by Nic or Dom if he chooses)and Nico is not as "out there" as you might think.
TC: Andra, Andralynn, Andeana are the suggestions I get from my prefered baby name dictionary site. Ariadne, maybe? I also prefer the -"ie" ending, but it's obviously your choice and that of your daughters when she grows up. Alexandria isn't too much of a stretch to me because it's got the "and" in the middle, though of course the automatic nn will be Alex or Lexie, so if you're the type to get frustrated hearing that, you might want to rethink it. You could also use one of the Ann names - like Annette or Annika and make her middle name a D name so the nn is a combo of An and De or An and D. Just a thought.
TC:
I'm not sure what this website (http://www.tngenweb.org/franklin/frannick.htm) is, but it lists Sandy as a nn for Alexander. Given that, I don't see why Andy couldn't be a nickname for Alexandra. Maybe it could also be a nn for Amanda?
AG -- look at this website for the top names in different countries -- including Spain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_popular_given_names
Consider Marc, Alejandro, Javier
Oh Wendy, what a fantastic website! Thanks for that! I love investigating names which are already classic but not overused, so this is fun.
Looking at the Icelandic names on that website, I noticed how they were all very trad. Maybe that's because of their naming system.
Did you know that in Iceland they still use the ancient system of taking the father's first name and adding -son or -dottir (daughter) in each generation. It's wild. So the family does not all have the same last name and it changes every generation. You can't look up a family by its last name as the mother will have *her* father's name and the father will have *his* father's name and the kids will all have his name.
For example, I would be Valerie Johnsdottir and my husband would be Robert Patricson, and our kids would be Something Robertson or Robertsdottir.
You have to look people up by first name! I wonder if this will affect adopting names from other countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterparts_of_given_names is also fantastic.
Well, this is my shortlist of babynames for our DD
Olivia Rose (after her grandmother and great-grandmother - i'm serious this is their names). But i'm hesitating b/c of the popularity of Olivia and Rose seems so cliche.
Lily Michelle - Lily b/c its such a soft, pretty name and Michelle after ME...but hesitating b/c Lily is so popular too
Pearl Something (don't know what)...love the name Pearl but hesitating b/c 1/2 the people i know love it but the other 1/2 think its an ugly old lady name like Ethel or Vera. Plus our last name is P so that would make her Pearl P (PP)... too bad b/c i love Pearl and its NOT popular....maybe for good reason???
Any opinions?
Popularity is a double-egde sword imho.
On the one hand it sucks being one of 5 Ava's or Emma's in a class, but on the other hand it also stinks having a name so unpopular that you can't even find a keychain with your name on it.
My parents gave me an unpopular name - CLAUDIA - which means 'lame' which is probably why its so unpopular....
Growing up i hated not being able to find ANYTHING with my name on it (ok, i know its a bit petty but still a big pet peeve when all your friends pick out mugs, pencils, erasers etc. with names on it and you get the blank one :(
i forgot to add:
Forget Pearl - that's Earl with a P and don't forget about the Pearl tampons...
I like Lily or Olivia (Lily is slightly less popular).
In regards to finding "personalized" items with your name on it, nowadays you can custom order ANYTHING with ANY name on it online, so it's no longer an issue like when we were growing up. Even if your name is ZKFJDLKGJD you can get pencils and keychains with ZKFJDLKGJD on it
I KNOW you can custom order things with names on it but a) its a pain, b) it costs more c) some things are not customizable
Like the Christmas ornaments i got this year. I was able to find them off the rack for everyone in my family except ME of course, so i got the blank one and had to "custom" write in my name with white craft paint...pain in the butt and didn't match the others.
Re: Popularity
I don't think popularity should factor into your decision. I was one of 3 Sarahs in my class growing up BUT...the world is a big place. I do not work with any other Sarahs and don't have any friends named sarah. Same thing happened to my husband (David).
Name trends are noticible in classrooms where kids in the same age group are put together. Once they leave and venture into the real world with people of different ages etc. they will realize their name is not that common.
Olivia might be popular 3000/million but that still leaves 997 000 people with a DIFFERENT name, kwim?
TC,
My dear step-grandmother is called "Andy," her real name being Endelecia. Not a common name, but not extremely rare here in the southwest.
Michelle,
I like "Pearl," but it would make me take a quick glance at the mother to see if she had a red "A" pinned to her blouse.
The popularity factor of Olivia is surely offset by the fact it's a genuine family name for you, which gives it Authenticity Points.
Claudia- I commiserate with you on being unable to find those personalized pencils, etc....Although nowdays my name can be found once in a while.
In fact, I noticed that I subjected two of my kids to the same fate. I got some "TYLER" pencils for my older son, but could not find anything for my daughter, Delaney or my younger son, Murphy.
Re: Olivia and Lily. They are beautiful names, but I have the popular name aversion (Grew up as Wendy C and hated it).
IF it bothers you, don't do it because it will bother you more when your daughter is Olivia P or Lily P. (and it will happen since both names are very popular... we know 5 Olivias under the age of 5 and 3 Lilys).
PP is a problem. Won't send her to school with it.
So I have a Suggestion: Lilia. A combination of Olivia and Lily. :)
Val, glad you liked the website. Like the one you found.
Re Angelina Jolie's naming prowess: wasn't Zahara already named Zahara when they adopted her? She was around two years old, so I think they kept her previous name.
Michelle, if you like old-fashioned jewel and flower/plant names, how about Daisy, Pansy, Laurel, Iris, Opal, or Ruby? Rosa is also a nice variant on Rose. And if you like Lily for its soft double-l sound how about Leila, Lila or Lulu? I love Lulu as a nn for Louise.
Mary Ellen:
I love:
Olivia
Violet
Daisy
Beatrix
Michelle:
What about Olivia Pearl?
I personally love Olivia and though it is popular, when she gets to the 'real world' out of the classroom she's going to be working with people 15 years older than her, and not everyone's going to be named Emma, Olivia, and Madison. Pearl sounds a little too old-fashioned-grandma-ish to me to be a first name, but it takes on a more fresh-like vibe when paired with Olivia.
About first name married last name. In my freshmen year of college I had to take introduction to university life (Read plagerism is bad. Don't do it.) I'll never forget the first day in my first college class. My teacher walked in and wrote her name on the board and said my name is Marty Marty, you can call me Marty, or Marty, whichever one you're more comfortable with. It's not a life ruining thing, it can be taken in humor. Also, on a lighter, fictional note, in Meet the Parents: Pamela Martha Focker.
Humorously enough, in grade school (in the 80s!) I knew a Shiloh (boy, one year older than me, so born in 1971) and his sister? Shenandoah, one year younger than me.
My husband and I already have three boys and just found out that we are expecting our fourth boy and we are having a hard time deciding on a name for him. Our sons names are Kaleb Michael, Garrett Logan, and Aiden Matthew and we want something that fits with the first three not to traditional but not to weird.
thanks
melissa
Melissa:
any of these sound good?
Damon
Damien
Ethan
Francis
Wyatt
Dale
Blake
Reese
Brady
Colby
Holden
Oliver
Spencer
A new edition - how exciting. Could I make a plea for "Imogen" to be included? I don't know why but it's racing up the charts here in the UK. From Wikipedia: Imogen was the daughter of King Cymbeline, in Shakespeare's play, Cymbeline. She was a perfect female character, pronounced "the most tender and the most artless of all Shakespeare's women."
I think Imogen goes beautfully with Amelia and Charlie. Or how about Marianne or Maryann?
Wow Robyn T - you hit the nail on the head with your selection of names to go with Melissa's existing three sons. I find doing that so hard - I can see what works when its put in front of me but ask me to contribute in the same way and my mind goes blank. Well done! Melissa should have no problem :-)
Kate M.: I knew a Carol Carroll (sp?) too! I was a little girl living near Charleston, WV about 24 years ago. I wonder if it could be the same Carol?
robyn
Thanks for the great list of names i really like brady and wyatt i'll see what my husband says
thanks again much appreciated
Names should be simple and sweet. i named my grand daughter Ganga.It has got a rhyme and raises a poetic sense for Indians.
I do like Shiloh I think Mrs Jolie-Pitt really knows how to express herself and get her point across. I have started something of a tradition in my family with baby names. Taking a page from my sister, Dee-Dee(all her children's names begin with 'D') I've named my children according to my feelings about them. my oldest, Stephen-Nicholas Antonio is named after his father and my brother. I couldn't decide which name I loved most, I put my indecision to good use, and so began this tradition. we have been blessed with: Sutycha-Andrew Patricio, Suvan- Dante Celestino Wahkan, Beatrice- Jenè Marie, and Leilani Lee Marie; the girl's belong to my brother,Nicholas. My other sister has Faustine Chizuko Okalani and Daryn Chizuko, they're Japanese and Hawaiian. I hope this interests you!
Melissa... what about some of these suggestions:
what about Ethan Jack, William Joseph, Dylan Thomas, Corey Joseph, Cameron Scott
Tristan Blake, Joshua Tyler
The only problem with a lot of the names (like Zahara, Shiloh, or something similarly exotic) is that I can't picture myself calling my children that. It's an awful lot of name for someone under two feet, isn't it?
I nominate Suvan-Dante Celestino Wahkan as the name of 2007... and it's only January 1st.
Mrs. Jones: I'm curious about the cultures behind some of the other names you mention. Also, with the hyphenated first names, do you use both of them when calling the kids?
Re: Zahara, I think I've read interviews where Jolie calls her Z, and refers to Maddox as Mad.
Melissa: Dylan Thomas is a poet. Personally I wouldn't want to name my kid that unless I was a fan.
Back to pan-European names, I suggest Alex, Max, Luca and Oscar. Seem to be popular everywhere.
I love Nico. My husband and I knew a cat called Nico, and we loved the name and had it on every one of our baby-naming lists.
Mary Ellen,
There's a little girl in dd's kdgtn. class. Her last name is also Rowe, her first name is Anna-Sophia. I just looove that name. (She is never called Anna, by the way.) Maybe a possiblility?
I really like the names wyatt and Keegan but now i'm having a hard time finding middle names that fit with either of the two
Here are a few more suggestions Melissa
Trevor Liam Landon Everett
Colin Bradley Carter Ian
Travis Nolan Zachary Cole
Sean Camden Cody William
Devin Owen Mason Paul
Gavin James
also Brody, Connor, Max, Shane, Dalton, and Austin are nice.
Here are a few more suggestions Melissa
Hunter Ryan Riley Noah
Trevor Liam Landon Everett
Colin Bradley Carter Ian
Travis Nolan Zachary Cole
Sean Camden Cody William
Devin Owen Mason Paul
Gavin James
also Brody, Connor, Max, Shane, Dalton, and Austin are nice.
sorry that didn't work... there should be a space after every 2 names...
ex. Hunter Ryan
ex. Riley Noah
Melissa: Hrm... maybe...
Wyatt Joseph
Wyatt Noah
Wyatt James
Wyatt Travis
Wyatt Shane
Keegan Noah
Keegan Bradley
Keegan Cole
Keegan Paul
Keegan Shane
My daughter's name is Annabella Maxine.
Couldn't imagine her name as anything else!
How about Mahogany? Get it? Mahogany Rowe. Just kidding. My new granddaughter is named Eva Elisabeth with an "s"... (the German spelling). It fits her perfectly. And my grandson's name is Shane Joseph. And my other granddaughter is named Paityn Ashley. Just thought maybe you would like one of these.
My son's name is Liam Paul and I think that should be the name of the year in 2006.
What do you think about that name?
My father-in-law's internet connection was down and it killed me to be away from the site for so long! One of the few reasons I'm glad to be back at home. OK, so I just spent 30 minutes reading through this long list of comments.
Melissa, you've got some great suggestions. Good luck!
Re: Millie. I predict the name will be a hit within three years. I heard a mother calling for her daughter Millicent at the park a few months ago and know a family who uses Millie as a nickname for their daughter Amelia.
Re: Pearl. The reactions to this name were so negative that I predict it will reappear on the charts in six or seven years. A name that gets such negative feedback is bound to sound hip to the hipsters before too long!
Happy New Year, ya'll. I've missed you!
I am not pregnant but I love love love the name Larkin. I think is so cute!
I agree with Elizabeth T. about Pearl. I have the same reaction to it, and to Hazel, which seems to be pretty popular. I know a few girls with that name - and it was Julia Roberts' choice of course.
It was my paternal grandmother's first name. But I like her middle name, Salley, best. (And Salley was HER mother's maiden name, hence the 'e', I suppose.)
random thought (inspired by video game characters):
do you think the names Luca and Lucia are too similar to use in the same family? they have almost the same letters but the sounds are so different...
New to the site, just wanted to say from the names ive been reading up for Robyns 4th son, maybe:
Lucas Jackson
Rudy Alexander
Emerson James
Names to complement Amelia and Charlie - for girls Lydia, Evelina, Cicely, Victoria
for boys Alfie, George and Marcus.
Henry is nice, but Anne is a bit plain for me - I prefer Anna, Anya or Annika.
Let us know what you decide!
Happy New Year, everyone!
Kara, I love your kids names - especially Delaney and Murphy. I must confess that I have a dog named Murphy and I love the name. But he was named after a HUMAN in a book, so it's not all bad. :-) We always name our animals after book characters in our family.
On Dylan Thomas: Yes, he's a poet, but my best friend wanted to use "Thomas" as her sons middle name (family name on both sides) and I suggested Dylan - she loved it, and still has no clue that it's a famous name. Couldn't come up with a "joke name" for middle name Michael (her 2nd son) other than George (which she hates), so no luck on that one. She chose my favorite name - Cameron instead.
Love Keegan to whomever suggested that one.
Also love Anna-Sophia and would probably prefer she be called by the full thing, though I do love Anna on it's own. When you make it a hyphenated name, and use it, it seems to add some originality (without going overboard).
i agree with others who have suggested such names as alice, lydia, lucia, adeline and elise. all very beautiful names and have the sibling like feel! i am not a fan of caroline with charlie though!!
i feel that henry rowe is a fine name, but i also like oliver rowe!
best wishes to your growing family!
I used to work with a James Sok who had a brother Robert... Gym Sock and Bobby Sock!
I have DD Karoline Elizabeth, with a K not to be trendy but because of DH's Danish heritage. Elizabeth is a family name on my side. We don't use a nn, but I had planned to use Carrie before I knew the K spelling. I don't like Kari, and am trying to find an alt. spelling I'm OK with - Karrie?
We are expecting #2 and won't find out the gender. We've agreed on William Phillip for a boy (W is family name on both sides, and Phillip is DH's first name, a tradition in his family). I stessed about the double LLs in both names for a while, but I've gotten over it. Last time the list was Matthew and Thomas.
Undecided for a girl. Since we have a lot of family names I'm leaning that direction so this one doesn't feel left out, but I'm having trouble convincing DH on some of my favorites - Eleanor and Ruth. My grandmother went by Meg (for her initials actually), so I'm really leaning toward Margaret with nn Meg. I love Lillian/Lily, but worry about trendiness. Lila and Lydia are good ones. Family mn with these to fit.
I don't care to much for Anneliese. When searching the name, all that comes up for several web page hits is the woman who was possessed by demons which the Exerocism movies are based off.
I think you should also think about the era of the names you are considering.
Please don't give your child and elder name. Break and try something new. The only Eleanors and Ruths I know are 80 year old woman. My mother in law is a Margaret and she goes by Margo. Please also remember they will call William either Willy or Bill.
About the Olivia suggestions - - I like this name, too, but have another option for those considering it.
I have a friend who studied with me in seminary as an in