The Baby Name Wizard

Does anyone else find it amusing that that list is mostly girls names? 80% in both cases. I admit, I did it, too with most of my answers coming from the girls list. The trends seem more variant in the girls lists than the boys.

ya.. the same boys names seem popular for many years with few changes. I also noticed.. and some of my baby name loving friends have said ... that girls names they like seem to change quickly, where as boys names they like seem to last and they feel exactly the same about them years later. Not sure why that is.

On the vowel trend 80% of rising start with vowels and only 20% of falling. Interesting that two names appear on both lists.

Also, I'm from the twin cities and last night I was at a pub quiz and the question was, "which American metropolitan area has the greatest concentration of the name Stacy?" The answer was the Twin Cities, but I'm wondering where that person might have found that statistic. Any ideas?

Jessica,

Great question!

The Social Security Administration does post baby name data by state, but I don't think that data would tell you which babies left the state after birth or how many adult women named Stacy moved there later. Plus the data is given by state, not by metropolitan area, so you'd have to make some heavy assumptions about which counties from the two states contained the highest concentration of Stacys.

Does the Census Bureau release data like that? I doubt it. I bet it's a made up statistic.

Jessica:

The company Stacy's Pita Chip Co. has reported that factoid in its press releases. See, for example, this news article: http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2007/01/a_super_stacy_s.html

I have no idea whether it's true!

I was not quick enough to get my entry into the baby pool, but if I had voted I would say fastest risers around here are Addison, Asher, and Axel. Fallers - Riley and Britney (can't think of a third!)

I can't believe Grace is not in that top ten...it will be for 07.

Funny that Madison and Emma are on both lists!

Shoot! I was too late to vote...I would have voted for Lila shooting up the charts...I'm hearing it a LOT on message boards. Hearing Evangeline a lot too.

Evangeline is a good one. I heard that a lot when I frequented name boards last year.

I don't think Emma is going to fall.

I will be curious to see what Madison does. In some circles, the name has sparked a lot of negativity and less-than-positive associations. However, the emergence of Addison could just reinforce it. I've also heard a lot of interest in Madelyn, leading me to think there will be a lot of Maddies and Addies on the playground in a few years.

I worked for a photographer who shoots little league baseball over the weekend. The most common names were Cole, Jacob, and Michael. Jacob and Michael don't surprise me in the slightest, but Cole did. Other runners up were Gavin, Brandon and Jayden/Aidan of various spellings. Ayden was the oddest spelling IMO. There were mostly boys in this league, but the most popular name for the "playing little league" girls was Emma/Ema. Technically, the league is for 2-14 year-olds, but mostly I had 2-6 year-olds. Thought these were interesting findings.

I had a conversation this w/e with a friend who has a 1-1/2 year old daughter named Ashley. She picked the name specifically because it is a common, well-known name (although not "trendy"). She wanted her daughter to feel like she fits in easily, and to be able to find pencils and other trinkets with her name printed on.

It was a striking concept, what with so many people specifically picking unusual, uncommon, or invented names these days to make their kids feel special and stand out (me included).

The only thing is, I wonder if kids with the more common names will actually feel like they "fit in," since lots of other kids will have the more unusual names.

Or, will they end up "fitting in" because their names are considered common, fewer parents pick them, and they end up being just as unusual with this new generation?

Anyway, it was the total opposite of how I am approaching the baby naming game, so I was intriged.

Lee: Very interesting. I think I am drawn to some of the names that were popular maybe 10-15 years ago, maybe cuz I loved them as a teenager, and I do think these might be unique now becuase everyone thinks they are so outdated! I also think I like the name Ashley better now than when it was everywhere!

Arlo's Mama: I had the sense that Madeleine had already run its course. I guess I think this because I know a Madeleine that is about 2, one that is elementary school age, and another one somewhere in between. And I don't know a LOT of kids since I don't have them myself yet. Or are you differentiating Madelyn from Madeleine? Maybe this name was never as popular as some others though.

I definitely think the -yn ending for girls' names is becoming more popular. My prediction is that Madelyn will rise and Madeline will fall (posters on name boards also didn't like the ambiguous pronunciation of the latter). This is a continuation of the current trend. I don't see Madeleine very often.

Lee - Interesting thoughts. I was thinking about the popular vs. common yesterday while looking at all those little baseball players (have you ever seen a 2-yr old in a 1-size-fits-all baseball cap? How adorable). The weird spellings and out-there names (Neftali, anyone?) made me cringe and lean towards traditional spellings and names, or at the very least phonetic ones. We've also been leaning towards names of 15-20 years ago lately, though still in the top 100 today (Allison, Megan, etc.). Makes me cringe at my old favorites, Angili and Chandelay (from when i was about 13).

"Neftali" isn't really "out there"--it's just the Spanish spelling for the biblical name Naphtali (one of Jacob's sons).

I think Kate is a rising (nick)name (or at least a currently very popular one). In my immediate circle of friends, I know 3 Kates,1 Katie (most are some version of Kathryn), and 1 Lily Kathryn - all under the age of 3. I also know a few more that have some version of Kate/Kathryn/Catherine as a middle name.

I love the name Madeline. Pronounced Mad-i-line, as in straight line. I haven't heard that one much, or is that what you're talking about? I know a Madeline at work, but she pronounces it Madelyn. How do you differentiate between the two?

I know two little Madelines, both pronounced Madelyn. I also know a Madeleine, pronounced like Proust's cookie.

And Christiana, Cole is a huge hit here in NC!

I think the name 'Cordelia' is going to make a come back after the fish in the new movie.

Shan, that list is NOT predicting what names will be in the Top 10. The game is to predict which names will have the biggest percentage change, either rising or falling. So a name that is #975 could be a Hot Riser by soaring up to #432. Not common, but by being what Billboard calls a "Hot Riser," worthy of note.
Julie and Arlo's Mama, I totally predicted Evangeline is going to jump in there, too. Wouldn't hurt if Ms. Lilly had her name splashed across the tabloids by finally marrying her hobbit fiance this year.
Jo.f, I've been looking for Cordelia to make a jump as soon as "Buffy"/"Angel" fans really get cracking with the baby making. ;-)

Ooh, I'm a Buffy fan and I love Cordelia. DH is a fan, too, but can't get past the negative attitiude she had on the show, so no go for now.

Naftali, while I'm sure was originally supposed to be in reference to Naphtali, one of the tribes of Israel, was pronounced Naff-TAL-ee at the ballpark this weekend. Sounds weird to me if you're going to screw with both the spelling and the pronunciation.

I have always loved the name Cordelia, but I got it from the play, "King Lear." Interesting.

It's interesting to look at the names that are making jumps. I find it very interesting how pop culture plays such a major roll in what people name their children.
Example: Remember Dr.Quinn? How popular Michaela became after that show?
~~

Michaela was THE name where I lived at the height of Dr. Quinn's popularity. Michaela and Mikayla (which i thought was a dumb misspelling).

I like Claire or Valerie for a girl and Thomas for a boy. My name is Jennifer and I always HATED having three or four other Jennifer's in the class. I will never pick a top ten name for my child. Some of these names are just silly. For example Arden or Dakota are really stupid names. Be original for Gods Sake.

I like Valerie. It's pretty and not supercommon.

Yay for Valerie! When I grew up, I was one of the later Valeries and always felt it was a dated name. I'm delighted to see it making a come back. I shall be very trendy this time...:)

PS In 2005, Valerie was the 167th most popular name for babies, according to the SSA. Valeria was 137 (possibly more used by Spanish-speakers). Much more popular than I would have guessed. Haven't met any under 35, except in France, where it's much more common.

I'm not a big fan of overused names. I like old fashioned names like Hazel, Mabel, and Anna. People who try to hard to come up with new names spelled in weird ways need to get a clue.

Valerie is a beautiful name. My friend named her daughter Valerie Suzanne. I just love it!!!!!!!!!

Where is the accent in Valeria? I went to high school with a Valerija but everyone just called her Val.

Just to put it out there: my favorites are Ella Grace (1st/middle), Alexis Morgan, Aiden James, & Austin Caleb.

I didn't enter the name pool this year, but I would vote for Cora, Adelaide and Georgia as up and coming.

My name is Claire and my best friend is Valerie! (we're are in our 30's).

I was just thinking about the name Cora! Specifically, how it ends in "a," is a little old-fashioned, is not commonly used, rhymes with Dora (which has too strong a connotation--not a bad one, just that it already belongs to someone "famous") and just plain sounds good!

Robyn T- I think Valeria is pronounced Val-EH-ri-a (more or less) at least in Spanish. Actually the V is more like a B in some cases! I prefer the English/French Valerie.

Christina -- I can imagine a 2 year old in a one size fit all baseball cap, but what I can't imagine is signing a 2 year old up for a baseball league!!!

As to finding trinkets with a child's name on it, my daughter can never find hers. I am glad. I tell her if she can find her name I will buy her the trinket for her and then when it isn't there, oh well.

And least you feel bad for the child, realize that this usually happens at Disneyland where we spend way too much time and money (we have passes). And she has plenty of things with her name on it thanks to internet ordering.

Robyn T.- Now I'm thinking about the name Cora too, and it's a very nice name. Thanks for mentioning it.

Hmmmm...

RISING
...
6. Madison
...

FALLING
1. Madison
...

I love the name Raquel. I had a HARD time finding a name and then my mother said it and it was the one. Never thought of it before.

I'd say the thing on the decline is originality.

I sort of like Valeria/Valerija but it seems like it either rhymes with diarrhea or malaria! :(

Weird weird weird. A few days ago before these comments showed up I was twiddling with Cordelia and Cornelia on the Name Voyager, and I thought to myself, "Cordelia is a great, totally underused name." I've always liked it since I read Margaret Atwood's *Cat's Eye.* Alas, I think of myself as non-trendy but into classic names, and then my every idea shows up on this board (Audrey, Hester).

Cornelia, alas, may not make a comeback as the child might be driven crazy by being called "Corny"

But Gina -- the trendy names are always the ones people think are original (think of all the babies named "Unique"). Anne=not original, not trendy. Madycynn=pseudo-original, trendy. Gina, however, is a cool name from my 70s childhood. Time for a bring-back.

If Cora, Cordelia, and Cornelia are working for you, maybe also put Corinna in the mix... or even Clara... or Cecilia...

Valeria (a minor weekly character on CSI: Miami) is pronounced like Malaria. Never thought of that but I'm sure the kids on the playground will :)

Cordelia is a great name which is originally from King Lear - she's the good daughter (unlike Regan and Goneril which are horrible names) who won't kiss her father's butt for an inheritance. It's where the quote "Nothing will come of nothing" comes from. Great play.

Oh dear - I'm definitely out of the loop, coming from the generation where every girl was Valerie, Jill, Christine, Gaylene, Cheryl etc, I loathe these names and shudder to see them back, just as I can't imagine Joan, Nancy, Doris and the like reappearing any time soon.
Monica - my niece now 10 is Raquel - a very hard name I feel as its pronounced 'rack-elle'.
The name Anne is having a major resurgence here while Madeline is on the way out, generally because people are put off by all the different spellings. Madison also did its dash when the TV programme Moonlighting was in its heyday some two decades ago. It could be that the simple names - the Janes and Sallys and Sarahs are on their way back along with the growing popularity of flora and fauna names.

Btw, as an avid Buffy fan, I have to point out that Joss Whedon (creator) did originally get Cordelia's name from King Lear... He's well known as a Shakespeare enthusiast. And if her personality on Buffy puts you off the name, try watching Angel. She actually did get much more friendly and kind of grew a heart... at least after the first couple of episodes.
On a different note, the name Valeria always reminds me of the Pixies song "Velouria" which is actually a really beautiful song.

Julia and Valeria are two of my favorite names. They were common names in the great families of Old Russia. Whenever I hear those names in public, I always turn to see how beautiful the bearers are.

On Cordelia: My friend who's due this month was into this name, but not the nn Cordie. Or maybe she was into Cordie, but not Cordelia?

On Raquel: I heard this is a version of Rachel.

On Tansey's list of outdated names: I kind of like Nancy. I'm finding myself "into" some of my aunts' (b. in late '40s) names. Also Karen.

Hey all -
I need a list of derivatives of Mary (more modern version, preferably) for a friend's baby. She wants to name the baby after her grandmother, Mary, but the family thinks it's too outdated, etc. She also likes for her children to have a connection to her name, Nicole/Niki Lee. Suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

Tansey-- sorry you hate the name Valerie... won't take it personally!
But Gaylene- now there's a revolting name! I have never heard it before. Was that an NZ thing?
(Oh-oh, do you think I'm going to offend some Gaylenes now?)

Cornelia was Julius Caesar's name, I think.

Oops! I meant that Cornelia was Caesar's wife's name.

I want to name my daughter Gloria. I'm having a hard time coming up with a middle name. Any suggestions?

On Cordelia: I like both the nn Cordy (from Buffy/Angel) and Delia (think the little sister from Everwood).

On Cornelia: my dad's gf was born to this name. Her father called her "Nelia" (pronounced Neel-yuh) but she preferred Connie. So much so that she legally changed her name to Connie when she got older.

Neve - I'm coming up wiht one syllable mn's for Gloria. Glorie Mae, Gloria Kay, Gloria Schae (I also just noticed they all rhyme). Also names w/ 2 syllables but the emphasis is on second - Gloria Marie, Gloria Renee, Gloria Kristine. Stay away from too many Ls (Gloria Lynn sounded awkward to me). I like the nn Glory.

Re: "made-up" names

It's interesting that so many are against new names, since obviously every name was made up at some time. Wendy was made up by J.M. Barrie, Miranda by Shakespeare, and most other names were made up by parents or elders. Even our venerable Biblical names were originally made up, usually based on their meaning. I agree that I would prefer to see just one or two spellings of a name, but I think over time, that's what will endure. Just because a name like Agnes has been around for a while, that doesn't make it a better or more meaningful name. Apple is, to me, no stranger than Lily. It's just that one has been used a lot, and the other hasn't.

Does anyone have any thoughts about the name Lily? Is that skyrocketing as well? I love it but don't want my daughter to be "Lily M" always.

To Monica: I love the name Raquel too!

I only know one girl named Lily. I wouldn't worry about it being too popular. Lily Rose is her name.

I'm sorry but to name your child Apple is crazy. Might as well go with watermelon or banana. Growing up is hard enough without being named after a fruit. Parents should realize this and pick a more suitable name.

I also like Raquel. Melanie, Monica and Melissa are pretty too. I'm not sure why I like the M names so much.

Jenna, I'm surprised to hear that you know of only one small Lily. I know 5 under the age of 5 and two Lilas. I guess region and social group are huge factors. There are tons of Ruby girls and Madelyn, madeleine, etc. around here too.

I don't know any Lilys, but apparently it was the 39th most popular name in the States in 2005 (with Robert being 39th for boys, which seems weird somehow to me-- such a classic, and my husband's name). I love the name, but such popularity is putting me off a bit. One of my closest friends is naming one of her twins Lily and is due shortly.

P.S. How are people pronouncing Lila? I like LEE-la, but I realized it might be LY-la as in Delilah, which I don't like as much.
I also like Leila, Lelia and Linnea...

Christiana - What about Marianne, Maeve, Moira, Mara, Maren, Margaret, Margot, Maria, Mariah, Miriam, Maribel, Marian, Marina, or Marni? I'm not 100% sure that all of these are pure derivitaves of Mary, but they might be close enough for namesakes. :)

I love the name Lila (pronounced Lie-lah). Is it really becoming that popular? I have seen it popping up on baby naming boards, but don't know of any Lila's personally.

Christiana - what about Molly? It's really come back into style, unlike Mary. If she wants a connection to Nicole/ Niki Lee... Maybe Mary-Lee? Although it sounds like the cheese Dairylea... Marilyn (if that's not too outdated)?

Also, I've never seen Schae before! Is it a variant of Shea?

Christiana -- Let your friends' family know that Mary is still in the top 100 of most popular girl names. (Only derivative of Mary that ranks higher is Maria).

Mariah, Mara, Mari (Mar as in Jar - ee),
Mariana, Molly.

How about Merrily as a combination of both? (Don't laugh, I googled it and there are people named this).

Diane: I know a Lily who is about 2 or 3 years old. I'm in the midwest.

Christiana: There's also Merry.

Molly is a great name! ;o) I've always been very happy with my name. My middle name is Constance after my grandmother. Diane- I think Lily is a fairly common name... Maybe you won't find three in every classroom... But still, well used. And lovely.
Neve- I really love the name Gloria, I had sort of a surrogate aunt growing up with that name and have seriously considered using it... I'm just not crazy about re-using names, since there's already one in the family, why not bring something new and different in. (Not new as in made-up, just unique to the family.) Although as I said, I'm named after my grandmother and my neice has been named after me and I couldn't be happier. :o)

Or maybe Mairi? That's the Scottish form, or Mhairi if you want to get really Gaelic about it (with an accent thrown in there somewhere too...), but I think Mairi is more used. I think it has a really cute spelling; the problem is that she will always have to explain how her name is spelt!

Actually I just looked up Mairi and it turns out it's pronounced Mah-ri. Which would also cause problems! But still, it's an adorable name, so maybe a good one if your friend or her husband have Scottish ancestry?

Schae is a variant of Shea. For some reason I've always felt that Schae (which i originally saw on an actress, btw - the spelling was taken from Schaefer) and Shay look way more feminine than Shea. Shea to me will always been a boys name.

behindthename.com has an extensive list of Mary names.
Some that sound modern or different to me are Mara, Maribel, Marisa, Mayte and Mirele. Miriam is a old fashioned name that might work.

Valerie - only the name as I've met some lovely Valeries - no duds at all. I agree with you about Gaylene *ugh* - and didn't help my worst enemy at primary school was a Gaylene.
Robyn T - I agree with Nancy - always makes me think of Nancy Blackett in Swallows & Amazons(Arthur Ransome) who was a livewire! The book was a thirties one though and the carriers of the name are mostly in their 60s and beyond.
On made-up names - every name had an origin sometime, and I bet the first parents that named their daughter Mary got as much stick as those who name their girl Apple nowdays. I love it and it goes along with the new flora/fauna names I mentioned earlier. Lily is a biggie here as well - I know one of 14 and one of 20 months.

Diane -- there was no Emily and only one Jacob in my daughter's preschool class, but two Lily's! It's 4 years on and those girls are always refered to by thier last initial even though they are no longer in the same class. I think it's hard to know these days what will be the double in a class. For my daughter's grade this year it's two Kai's - not something I ever would have guessed.

Liz, if you are not a fan of the "overused" stay away from Anna. It's a top 20 name given to over 8,000 U.S. girls a year!

JaySue, I'm betting you don't hang out with the under 5 crowd much or if you do it's in a different region than me! Claire and definitely Thomas would be "two in a class" possibilities these days (I don't know any Valeries as of yet but if the discussion on here is any guide, it sounds like I might soon) ;)

I did not enter...but I keep hearing Charlotte and Oliver. Wonder what they'll do!

Lily Rose is reeeeeeeeeeeeally popular. I'm hearing it all the time. It's cute (a little too cute for my tastes with two flowers and everything) but original or unique, no.

As for advice regarding common or uncommon...it's really not a good idea to give it unless you have constant lists of newborn's names, work in a day care center or school (where you would know hundreds of kids and their siblings names). Just because you don't personally know any 1 year olds named Henry or Clara doesn't mean the names aren't super popular.

I love the name Rhea and recently I saw there is a sixth grader in the small town I work in with the name Rhea. I was so sad! (Probably not sad enough to never use it though.) No matter how uncommon you think you're being, sometimes it just happens that there's another one. Luckily, by the time my future kids start school, this one should have graduated! My name is Trista and I've only met two others in real life -- one was two grades below me in the small town I grew up in. Go figure. It comes down to, if you like it, use it. My #1 pick is Julia and I have decided to not care how popular it becomes, I'm using it anyway! (It's a family name passed down from g-grandma and grandma.)

I like the name Trista and also like Jacqueline(not sure of the spelling) I guess it's difficult to find a name that no one else has. It's best to just go with what you like. What do you think of the name Gordon?

Re: Mary/Miriam: I think Maryam is an alternate spelling--maybe used in the middle east or something?

Mandy: My friend's cousin is named Gordon. He's about 13 years old and named after his grandpa. I thought it was a very "old" name when I first heard it but now it seems normal. also, everyone loves Gordon from Sesame Street so good connotations too. Not a name I would use though. I guess for that reason, I don't see it becoming really popular.

Re: Trista: There was a Triste at my high school (rhymes with Kristy) which I thought was a very unusual name too.

Not sure about the name Gordon. I haven't heard it often enough to know whether I like it or not. My friend wants to name her daughter Suzane but she is unsure of a middle name. Can someone make a suggestion?

what about the name Bridget? Ariel I like alot too. Don't know if I can get past the little mermaid thing.

My only hesitation about Rhea is that it's a name of a kind of ostrich! http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/rheas.html

Knew a girl named Rhea - she was so incredibly beautiful and also very nice, so it has pleasant connotations with me.

Used to love the name Gordon. It's still not widely used, but it has a bit of a upper-crust feeling to it. Watch out for the nn Gordo though - it's very negative in Spanish.

The rhea is a nice looking bird! :) I've also thought about using Maria and calling her "Ria" for short. If you feel so inclined, I'd like to hear other names ending in "ria" if you can think of some more. Do you think having girls named Julia and Rhea both ending with the same sound would be too matchy?

TM- I think if you use Ria instead, it won't remind people of ostriches! Even if they are nice looking :)
So how about Valeria, as it's already in discussion, or Victoria, Alexandria, Honoria...Aria... Illyria (ancient place name)...
Oh dear I keep thinking of words instead- you're probably not going to go for Bacteria, Urea or Ulteria (Brit. pron. of ulterior)....

That's hilarious! Thanks for the suggestions. :)

I also find it interesting to hear what is popular in different places. When someone said Thomas was popular... I thought it was common but definitely not popular here.. but that is in Canada. My daughter is one.. and we go to a playgroup as well as other new parent activities. Names that I seem to hear frequently are: Samantha, Shelby, Olivia, Emily, Elizabeth, Isabella, Hailey, Sydney, Ella. I also know three Jaidyn, Jaiden, Jaidynn (all girls with different spelling), 2 Caylee & Kaleah, 2 Madison's one with two d's.. 2 Kaitlyn's one with a C, Abigail & Abigayle & 2 Kaylin's (Kaylan) one a boy and one a girl.
For boys the names seem to be more common place: Liam, Connor, Michael, Kyle, Jacob, Justin, Travis, Matthew, Evan, Nathan, Kaiden & Caden,Cole, Ethan, Ronan, and Jace & Jase

OK, so I mentioned the name Rhea to my husband and he referred me to this legend http://www.uncg.edu/cla/kronos.htm ...! Rhea was Kronos' sister whom he married.

what does anyone think of the name annalise? what middle names sound good with this name and the last name of house?? any help? thx

I know a Lilly, Lily, and a Lilah, ages 1-4. Also a dog named Lily. Wasn't there a baby on Desperate Housewives named Lily or Lila?

I think it's becoming huge.

I personally like both Lily and Rose, but not together. Too floral?

P.S. Love Annelise!! Gorgeous. How about a one syllable mn like Ruth?

Triste = sad in Spanish, unfortunate name if you are anywhere near a Spanish-speaking area

I just remembered I name that I loved. I read it in one of my favorite books, and just loved it. Most of the other names that I liked at that time have fallen out of my favor, but I still love this one. Just wanted everyone's opinion. Tate, for a boy.

OK, so Angelina Jolie has adopted a three-year old boy today from Vietnam. Any guesses as to a name that will go with Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh?
Clue: I don't think it will be John...

Angelina Jolie's new son is named Pax Thien Jolie.
For Annalise, it's a soft sounding name so a simple or strong sounding middle name might be good. Jane, Marie, Claire, or Diane?
Tate is both cute and strong sounding so it would age well. I like it.

On Angelina's babies: I wondered that as well. But I was thinking he might already have a name. Isn't he three years old? I read somewhere that her mn is Jolie, and mother named her thusly so she could have a stage name? (Her birth name is Angelina Jolie Voight). She also named her brother John Haven Voight for the same reason. Prescient mother, that.

Pax is a little bit......obvious.

Anyway, he'll probably be a little devil anyway once he reaches teenagerhood.

Pax reminds me of that alien on the movie K-Pax.. although the alien's name was actually Prot.

Pax Thien Jolie -- Funny about the name Pax. We had a discussion about it a few months back on the blog. I would seriously consider it as a middle name.

In answer to the question, doesn't he have a name? Yes, he would have been given a name by either his birth parents or the orphanage (I think he was a newborn when entered the orphanage). I am guessing that Thien is part of his Vietnamese name.

It is usual for international adoption children to be given new names when adopted, no matter what their age. Especially if the birth name would be difficult to pronounce in their new country. The family will often use both names for awhile and with an older child, will give the child a choice as to what to be called.

My daughter was adopted from China when she was one year old. She has a Chinese name and an American name which incorporates part of her Chinese name. Everyone calls her by her American name but I occasionally call her by her Chinese name.

Love, love, love the name Annaliese/Anneliese. Seriously considering it myself, though DH isn't quite as crazy about it. I prefer shorter names to go as mn - I liked the abote suggestion of Claire. I have Analiese Lorraine written down as a possibility (Lorraine is my grandma's name) and I want to use the nn Ana, pronounced On-nah. I also like Shiri as a nn or something else with the emphasis on second syllable.

I like Tate, seems very 90's to me though.

On Angelina: I don't know that she was given the name precisely so that it could be a stage name, but I do know that Jolie is her middle name. I love that name. I knew a girl named Jolie (pronounced like JO-lee) who would be a great namesake. I sort of shy away from it now because I don't want to jump on the trend of Angelina Jolie (not that I think she's a bad person, but you get the idea).

Mandy - like Robyn T said earlier, to me its a fairly 'old' name but as its one most people know and fairly straightforward to spell it could have a resurgence. Don't know whether it'll become popular though. The problem with Suzane is most people will try and spell it Suzanne unless the pronounciation is 'aine' - could be difficult. My preference is for Suzannah - Zanna for short if you like to shorten names.
TM - Rhea is pretty - might be open to nasty nicknames but since most names are I don't see it as too much of a problem. Frankly I think Julia and Rhea are too similar in sound - pity though because individually they are such lovely names. Triste is definitely different - makes me think of 'tryst' or secret meeting of lovers - so romantic!
Sam - sorry but Tate doesn't do it for me - a little dated too.
Virginia - Annalise is a lovely name - my only concern is with House as the surname, it sounds a little clumsy - say it aloud and you see the problem with the two 's's especially.

Christiana - with Shiri are you thinking of a pronounciation similar to 'Cherie'? I like Shiri but Cherie is quite 50's and they could be confused by sound alone - Tony Blair's wife is Cheri which is pronounced the same way.

Mandy -- Jacqueline and Gordon are so out they're in. Go for it. I'm not being sarcastic; I really like the fact that they are solid names and not at all trendy.

I can't remember when Lily came up but every time I go to a kids' function there are several Lily's, Lila's, Leila's, and s on. It's the Lisa of the 2000s.

I have to give "Rhea" the thumbs down as "Dia-" will ruin her elementary school days and "Gono-" her junior high school days. What about Regan (REE-gan)? It's not as "matchy" with Julia and it's a cool name. Yeah, it could be mistaken for the former Prez (not a good thing in my area of the world), but it gets the "Rhee" sound in there, it's kind of androgynously interesting, and I think it's much more timeless than "Morgan" and "Megan."

OK, enough ramblings...

How about Thea instead of Rhea? Just a thought...
We do know several Lilys, and I'd guess that means Lila is next, but as others have said...go with what you love.
I can't imagine my children with any other names, and if they have to use their initial-oh, well-we like our last name, too.
My own name was unusual when I was born, but ten years later-boom! Even if you follow these boards like a hawk, it's hard to predict the way the trends will blow.
Best!

Isn't Rhea a funny looking ostrichy bird?

Shiri - pronounced similar to Sheree with the emphasis on the second syllable, the long "e". (also Marie) I first heard it on the girl from that show Roswell - Shiri Appleby, but found out it means "song of my soul" which I love.

The girl I knew named Rhea pronounced it Ray-uh, which might help with the dia- and gono- insults. I hadn't thought about those potential problems, but they could very well be valid.

I love the Lila/Lilian/Lelah names out there but are concerned for the huge popularity of them and their nn LIly counterparts. I'm picturing 8 Lily's in kindergarten all ranging in full names from every which way (Liliana, Lilith, etc to add to my above list). Jenny in the 70s/80s anyone?

Ooooh, I love Thea! Thanks for the idea!

Is there a non-Hebrew derivation for Shiri? In Hebrew, it's a common nickname for Shira, which just means 'song' (no 'my soul'), and is pronounced shee-ree.

I realize that this was way back, but pronouncing Naftali as Naf-TAL-y is the Hebrew way of pronouncing it. It may well have been the name of a Jewish kid (where, at least among the Orthodox, it's a traditional, not particularly uncommon name), that's probably where they got it from. If so, they weren't being creative at all. My husband Naftali is named for his grandfather, and my cousin Naftali doesn't have particularly unconventional parents. I've known several others over the years, of various ages. (Common nicknames, for what it's worth, are Nafi, Naf, or Tully, although Tully is a more Hasidic nickname.) It would never have occured to me to pronounce it otherwise - how were you expecting to hear it?

My husband knew a Rhea in elementary school. And of course, they always called her Diarrhea. Maybe there's an alternate spelling that wouldn't be so obviously teasable.
I know an Annaliese. She is 30-ish and has always gone by Liesl (I think her parents saw Sound of Music too many times). It's cute though. I wonder if Annaliese will be on the upswing due to the Barbie "Princess and the Pauper" movie. I think Annaliese was the pauper. I've seen that movie so many times, but I can't remember!

RobynT-
I'm a Nancy, with sisters named Janice, Linda, and Karen. We were born 1979-1987, and we all had fairly "unique" names amongst our peers. The reaction I have gotten my entire life is, "Oh, I have an Aunt Nancy!" Which is funny, since I was named after MY Aunt Nancy. :-)
I have a feeling those being named Jennifer and Rachel and Melissa now(common names from my generation) will end up not having many peers with their names, either.

I have a cousin Maria who has never gone by anything other than Ria. I think it's a pretty name with a great nickname. Naturally, the "dia" and "gono" prefixes were used to tease her in school, but I know she never disliked her name. Any name can somehow lend itself to teasing. As for myself, I hated hearing "Allison Wonderland" (that's what little kids think the C.S. Lewis book is called), but I always appreciated my name.

How is Aiden on the Rising list twice?

Jack & Henry's mum - I love Thea!

Hey there,
Neve are you still reading these comments?
I think Gloria is great name- are you still looking for middle name ideas?
You could pair all kinds of fun things with Gloria,

Gloria Rosemarie, Gloria Jacqueline (could say with a soft 'j' sound), Gloria Nevaeh, Gloria Evangeline, Gloria Josette....
To my ear it seems like if it is paired with a middle name that has more than one syllable, it should be something soft.

Or you could go with one syllable,
Gloria Bree, Gloria Neve, Gloria Brynn, Gloria Rose, Gloria Rae...
What are the names you are currently thinking of?

Beth- just a question, is Jacqueline out? Did it go through an ultra popular phase? I musta missed that.

Mandy- if you like Gordon, go ahead and use it, it's not popular among the young set, but there are many Gordons in the 45+ age group. Just to be aware.

Thanks Karen for all the great suggestions. I'm feeling pressure from family to choose Jean as the middle name, but I don't like it. Gloria Brynn is really pretty. Also thinking about Gloria Jacqueline. Does anyone know where Gloria ranks? Is it in the top 50? I'm just curious.

Hey Karen,
I've decided to go with Gordon James. My son is due in June so it's nice to have his name ready just in case he arrives early. How many Gordon's do you know?

Neve,
Gloria was ranked 432 in the US in 2005, and the trend has been relatively flat. Even in your own circle of friends, where Gloria may be all the rage, she shouldn't be surrounded by many children with the same name.

Thanks Elizabeth T. That's what I wanted to hear.

Hi Mandy,
Off the top of my head I know 4 Gordons.
1 in his 30's 1 in his 50's and 2 in their 60's. It's a fairly common name where I'm from in Canada.
I'm guessing it's not so common where you are?

A few months ago I found a site where you could search for a name and see what percentage of people had rated it favorably, and read everyone's comments about any particular name you searched for. Now I can't seem to find it. Does anyone know what it is? This site is GREAT, but I also want to do a search for specific names. Thanks in advance if anyone can point out the site...

:)

www.behindthename.com has comments and ratings for names. Hope this helps.

Does anyone think the name Sally will make a comeback?

Re: Jacqueline: I think of this as a timeless name also--because I know Jacquelines in their 20s, 30s, and then there's Jackie O...

Re: Gloria: I like this with a one-syllble middle name.

Just wondering: i think Sally is cute. I know one who is in her teens. i don't know... I think of the song "Lay Down Sally" and the character from Peanuts. I don't like the -y sound with my last name though....

sally is a plain jane name. i hope it never make a comeback.
i like gordon. it sounds sofisticated.
my friends daughter is jaqueline rose and she is the only one in her 3rd grade class.

Jessica,
The city name Stacy MN may be a factor in the popularity of the name in the Twin Cities. I wonder if there are many Winonas in MN named after the city.

I love Cordelia and Addison! I also have always loved Juliet, with the nn of Julie. It's so simple but so beautiful!

I also like Suzy or Susie or Suzie!

What about Carissa or Alyssa or Marissa or Arissa or Arista or Larissa? I like variations of the -issa, except for Clarissa, I'm not a fan of that name!

vstarr87- I LOVE all the issa names as well. They sound very feminine. Larissa is my favorite. Clarissa reminds me of that show on Nickelodeon.

My sister's name is Carissa. She hated it growing up, but now loves it. I think it sounds like an expensive perfume.

Kristi: In Michigan, I know of kids named Jackson, Shelby, and Mason--all names of MI towns.

vstarr87- I know an Arissa and I always think it sounds a bit like harissa which is a hot sauce. So that puts me off a bit. I like Alyssa best from your list, I think.

I called my daughter a name which I vaguely knew was popular but not HOW popular. I have been aghast to find dozens of children with the same name wherever we go. I now hate that name and wish I had never saddled my child with it. It's one thing to think a popular name will help them fit in, another to see them in a group with four other children of the same name. I never, ever wanted that to happen to my child, and it has :-( By the way, you might think it would be good for getting pens and trinkets, but all the ones with her name are always sold out. Biggest mistake I ever made, and I regret it every day. Be warned, don't do it to your children!

I called my daughter Annalise Courtney and she nearly 8 now. I really loved the n.ame

AM, I couldn't agree with you more. I was always one of three or four Jennifer's in every class from elementary to High School. It gets really old going by Jen, Jenny Jenna or using initials.

Hi I was really interested to hear so many people saying they liked the name Lily. I had always planned that I would name her Lily after my grandmother who was always called Lily (although christened Elizabeth). Around 10 years ago there was a resurgence in popularity and in the last few years the name has been in the top 20 most popular baby girls names. I was wondering why there has been a resurgence in popularity? Maybe people can help me out; why do people like the name?

finally, the names brittany and jessica are falling out of favor, not so long ago when i was in grade school, oh about 14 years ago, those were the most popular names of my classmates, so yay finally some non ditzy sounding names are in favor, much like Brittany Tiffany and Jessica.

to Neve: say no to the name Gloria Jean, it is the name of a mall coffee shop chain. Same reason I had to give up the name August Max (mall store).

Michelle: i love both Annalise and Courtney! We are like name twins!

Re: the name Lily... what's not to like? Lovely fragrant flower, pretty sound.

Personally I love the name Olivia, I think it makes nicknames less optional, either then 'Livy' and mabe 'Olive', my sister is named Olivia, and no one has called her anything else then those two, plus just her name, which she likes. Me however, people are always saying 'Roxy' or 'Anne' or 'Marie' or 'Rie' which I hate cause' half the time I ignore them cause' I don't realize they called me that. Which is why whatever I name my kids it'll be short, and minimized on the whole 'Nickname' factor

What are people's thoughts on the names Hamish, Darcy and Cyrus? We have an 'ah' surname so all of the 'ah' names I love (Noah, Micah, Sienna, Georgia etc) sound too repetitive...

Also, I'm trying to steer away from bilical names- my husbands name is Jacob and he has brothers called Nathanael, Zachary, Caleb and Ezra. I do love Jacob though and will probably use for a middle name.

Some of the recent names coming out of my circle of friends here in Australia (a strange assortment)
Kai
River
Arbie
Montgomery (?)
Molly
Rachael
Gabriella Rose
Allegra -love this one
Emma
Amy

I have nothing but good things to say about giving your kid a wierd name. The only bad thing about my name is that older people (60's and 70's) always hear "Esther" which is a name I hate (sorry!). My siblings Ty, Teegan, and Kiva have also had no problems with thier "wierd" names.

I think Flora is abeautiful name for a baby girl

My cousin named her daughter Lily-May Rose, after her great grandmother. I think giving children names that have connections to their ancestors is a really good idea, because they'll grow up with a sense of pride in their name.

I was named Alice after my great grandfather's girlfriend, in his later years. I used to curse my parents for giving me such an 'untrendy' name but now I love it because I know where it originates from and I'm a nutcase and nutcases shouldn't have normal names. I'm 17 and I've only ever met one other Alice. Also, Alice means ‘The Truthful One.’

In reply to Sam, have you given birth as yet? The name Tate is weird for me, as it reminds me of Larry Tate, Darren's boss from Bewitched. But then again, the school kids are never going to make that connection.

The names I love are:
Josephine (Josie for short.)
Abigail (Abi for short, spelt Abi as it is similar to a friend's name who passed away last year.)
Zander (From Buffy.)
Quinn
Aiden

Any thoughts?

Sorry I wrote so much.

Thanks for your comment Alice. I think the romantic floral names are under-going resurgence for exactly the reason you point out. I am interested in calling my daughter Lily because of fond memories of my grandmother, just as your parents called you Alice after your great-grandfathers' girlfriend. By the way I think Alice is a lovely name

I love the name Sally. I don't find it plain Jane at all. We named our daughter
Sally and she is 4. I am not a bit sorry we named her Sally. It is a classic name but not overly used.

never heard my name "gaylene" described as revolting....lol

at least its meaning is "joyful" (gaiety)

my name is gaylene and i promise i won't be your enemy....lol ;)