The Baby Name Wizard

I'm still in shock. I debated long and hard between Shiloh and Rihanna... I thought that mistake would take me out of the running for sure. Yay for Ty. :)

Aiea and Melissa C., a heartfelt congratulations! I enjoyed reading about your lists and reasoning for your choices. And congratulations to you, Laura, on the heavy-duty number crunching! You must be exhausted.

Oooh, but who scored worst? I think I had a chance on that end of things... ;)

I don't remember what I chose, other than Addison as a riser (along with everybody else, it seems). Congrats to Aiea and Melissa C! Great job, ladies!

I don't remember what I chose, either, except that I think I had Addison as a riser and Katrina as a faller. Congratulations to the winners!

Laura, maybe next time you can make your javascript automatically email us with what we chose, so we can remember it months later? ;-)

I tried to choose an "unusual but traditional" name and of course tapped into the zeitgeist. Every name on my top ten list rose and the name I actually chose appears in the top 1000 for the first time since 1890. Hopefully it won't get too popular!

We were going to choose Violet but then with the Afflecks, I decided against it. Glad I did!

Hey MamaLuxe--dodged a bullet with Violet, I guess! There are a surprising number of perfectly familiar, nice, old-fashioned names that aren't in the US top 1000 (and haven't been for years): for girls, they include Louisa, Mabel, Prudence, Thea, Freya, Isadora, Minna, Flora, Germaine, Agnes, Emmeline, Rosalind, Harriet...

Any of these may have particular problems for particular parents, but they're available, and almost certain to be "the only one in their school," if that's a factor.

Congratulations, you two!
I'm a huge Lost junkie, but I was surprised to see Sawyer rising. It's a name I liked at one time, but I've cooled on it since, and I thought the surname/first name trend was fading. Also, the Lost character doesn't seem like an obvious one to choose as a namesake.
Do you think it's that bad-boy appeal of the character? That might explain Cash as well! I know that's sort of off-topic.
Jodi-if you're still "here," I also thought I'd suggest Rhett to pair with Jack and Luke. I think it has the qualities you said you were looking for, though my favorite of your current choices was Will.
Best!

Regarding Sawyer... I was looking up it's history on the SSA site. What happened in 1991-1992 with this name?

It premiered on the top 1000 at 951 in 1991. In 1992 it leaped to 595! Was there something in pop culture that caused this jump?

Not Prudence - pleaseeeeeee!!!!! The poor kid would suffer unduly with every small child calling her 'poo' amongst other names! Thea is lovely though and there are lots of the flora names that appeal to a select few( excluding Poppy, Rose and Violet which seem to be fashionable right now).

Interesting about Sawyer 1991-92; those years coincide with the years Forrest Sawyer was anchoring the ABC News an Nightline as a substitute. I doubt anyone specifically chose the name in reference to him, but his name was around a lot, and might have floated into more minds in those years.

About Prudence and taunts--I've always gone under the assumption that EVERY name has taunting possibilities, so there's no point in trying to avoid them. Better to raise a kid who's got enough sense to see what nonsense such taunts are.

Anyone have any ideas of girls' names that can lead to Mae as a nickname? I've thought of Mabel, Maeve, and Maybelline (I know - it's a makeup line and a Chuck Berry song - not the best option for a name.) I adore Mae, but I'm not sure if I'm comforable naming a November baby Mae as a full name...

Lucy-- The form "May" was often used as a nickname for Mary in the nineteenth century. "Mae" could also plausibly be a pet name for Mavis, Mairwen, Marissa...

I love "Maisie" or "Mamie"-- of course, they were already nicknames themselves, for Mary, Margery, Margaret, etc.

For the daring or surname-inclined, Mae could be a pet form of "Mason" or "Maitland", or "Meynell". Wow, the possibilities are endless...

Mae is so lovely! My first thought was Maida--Maida Vale is a well-known neighborhood in West London, where the BBC studios are, but Maida is also found as a first name (I know a fifth-grader named Maida). In the 19th century, a lot of Marys used May as a nickname--so any names in the Mary constellation might be fair game. I could easily see Mairwen, or Maia, or Mariella, being behind the nickname Mae.

Hey Ellyn, Great Minds Think Alike, eh? We must have been typing at the same time.

Mae is a pretty name - even for a November baby. The only other ideas I can come up with are:

Esme (this one might be a stratch)
Mason (pretty boyish)
Maisie
Macy
Maegan
Charmaine

or maybe some kind of double name like:

Maelyn, Maybeth, Mayellen, etc.
Ella Mae, Anna Mae, etc (sort of sound country to me though)

typo - should be stretch not stratch

I wouldn't have been horribly surprised if Shiloh had made the top 1000 list, but in spite of speculations it seems to me that celebrity babies really haven't been as much of an influence on the introduction of names as celebrities themselves and the names of the characters they play have been. Though interestingly, the main exception to that is Angelina Jolie's first child, Maddox, whose adoption and seems to have clearly spawned the upsurge in boys given that name. But Shiloh, with its -oh ending, probably doesn't fit in with today's popular sounds for girls' names as well as Maddox did for boys. Max and Matthew had sort of paved the way for Maddox, which also could have been seen as a "masculine" form of Madison.

I was suprised because Olive didn't make the list because of its similarity to Olivia combined with "Little Miss Sunshine." But perhaps we're still at a stage where too many young parents remember Olive Oyl. :)

Yes, Penn, we must have been "channeling" or whatever the chic term is now--how eerie! "Maida" is neat, although it does strike me as rather crisply Teutonic, Maida Vale notwithstanding...

Eve Arden's character in "Anatomy of a Murder", the sardonic secretary to lawyer Jimmy Stewart, was named "Maida". It fit. She was discreet, witty, utterly competent.

Following up on Cleveland Kent Evans' comment, anybody else inspired by film character's names, old or new?

Penn--I already had (and named...didn't make her wait) my baby girl and I have a feeling my next ones will be boys, but I'll keep those in mind.

Prudence, Thea, Flora, Agnes, and Rosalind were all on my list, though I think only Flora made it to my short list. I would watch out with those ;)

At least I'm not as much of an accidental oracle as my Aunt...she named her kids (in order): Chloe, Olivia, Zachary, Ava, Elijah...all pretty much before the names became popular.

Mae as the nn for:
Meagan/Maegan, Mayra, Mariah, Madelia, Mada, Macy, Maelie, Maeron, Marin, Maia/Maya, Maine, Maura, Mayte,

How about Maeby as a name leading to Mae? I love the name Maeby-there was once a character on a tv show with that name but the wife wouldnt go for it. Its pronounced like maybe.

There is also the name Magalie.. (Meg-AH-lee).which could have the nick name Mae. Its really cute and very different.

Maeby was a nickname for the first name Mae (not the other way around) on "Arrested Development." She had an alter-ego named Shirley (shades of "Airplane!").

Anyway, I don't think Mae should be a nickname for Maeve or Maia/Maya because of the phonetic differences, but that really could be just me.

My middle name is Maitland -- it's a family name somewhere on my mother's side -- and in my adolescent years I flirted briefly (i.e., for no more than a day) with the idea of being called Mae. So I suppose I second Ellyn's recommendation.

Maitland is traditionally a man's name -- not that that has ever stopped anybody, of course. There's a female film critic named Maitland McDonagh and, in later seasons of "Boy Meets World," an actress named Maitland Ward. Why I know the latter bit of trivia I have no idea; "Boy Meets World" is hardly "Arrested Development."

Lastly, Mae West's real name was Mary Jane West.

I just found this blog and am enjoying reading everyone's comments (from this post and earlier as well).

I love Mae in and of itself, but I can see where you'd want a more formal given name. I'm partial to Madeline, Maude, Magda, and Mabel, but Maeve is also great (or Mabb? .. but I guess you'd get lots of mispronunciations then). I hadn't even thought of Maida / Maeda in years, but that kind of grows on me.

Maybelline kind of scares me. I have the "Maybe it's Maybelline" jingle in my head now.

Penn - try living with it first - after 50 odd years first hand experience, I'm over it, completely! And I have to add most Prudences I know don't love it much.
Lucy - I'm not a mad fan of Mae(prefer May) but what about one of the Mary names such as Marigold, Marilyn, Maribelle etc? One other that could be nice is Marilla(from Anne of Green Gables) although her wee namesake was known as Rilla.

I have the opposite question (to the Mae question). I like the name Olympia, but what's a good nn?

In regard to the Mae discussion, you might want to tread carefully with "Magalie." -megaly is a medical suffix which denotes that something is too large (ie thryomegaly is enlargement of the thyroid gland). That's what I think of when I see Magalie, but I guess if the pronunciation is different, like MegAHlie, you could maybe get away with it? Probaby not on first pass at any pediatrician's office, though.

Which reminds me of the worst name I ever heard of, Meconia. After the undesirable stuff in the amniotic fluid at birth. The mother just loved the way it sounded and thought no one would know.

And, has anyone noticed that Braxton is a top 1000 name nowadays?

:)

Kimberly -

How about Mia?

RE Prudence: Well, the Beatles are a bit before my time, but I can't hear the name without getting that song stuck in my head... "The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful, and so are you, dear Prudence..." I think that song really redeems the name - if it even needs to be redeemed.

Meconia!!!!!!!! That is even worse than Miasma

Firstly, the name Magali- I know two French Magalis (I think the name is primarily French) pronounced Mah-gah-lee, with a pretty equal stress on all three syllables... well, maybe a bit more on the last syllable. Beautiful name, but I've never come across it outside France.

Secondly, I love all the discussion of M names. I've always loved M names! What I'd like to know is, does anyone know where the name Marni came from? I know there's a singer called Marni Nixon and a Hitchcock movie of the name. Is it short for something? Oh,"Behind the name"says it's Hebrew for "Rejoice". I wonder if it could be used as a nn for something else...any ideas? I prefer it as a nn.

Valerie--I know a ten-year-old Marnie whose real name is Martine...maybe it's from there? Anyway, it works as a nn for Martine or Martina. Maybe Marina?

Marnie could also be a good nickname for Maren? The only Marnie I know is just Marnie, though.

I think Marnie is a nickname for Maren, originally, but the Marnie I know is just Marnie.

The Hebrew name meaning rejoice is Marnina. I think Marnie is great on its own.

I know a Marnie short for Margaret.

The Oxford Dictionary of First Names gives Marnie as 'pet form of the Swedish name Marna, now also used as an independent given name in the English-speaking world'.

Marna turns out to be a contracted form of Marina, which in turn is a derivative of Marius, which is of uncertain Latin origin, possibly to do with Mars, the god of war. Apparently, Marina is only coincidentally the same as the Latin adjective 'of the sea', but has been associated with it since the early centuries AD.

(...)

(...)

That got me thinking - what with Marina being the same as the vocabulary word, and perhaps having been chosen for it, does that change its meaning or add a new one?

And I always thought Katherine came from 'katharos', Greek for pure, and loved it for the meaning as well as the form. But the Oxford book now says this was a confusion and Katherine is actually of uncertain origin, though has always been associated with the Greek word and had the 'h' added and sometimes the spelling changed to Katharine to reflect that. So would I be right to name a daughter Katherine for the meaning of purity?

I could swear one of my old, out-of-print name books posited "Marnie" as a nickname for Marian/Marion, so add that to the pile! Makes sense, since a lot of nicknames originally were a way to soften the perceived starchiness of rather formal-sounding names.
Although "Marian" is more and more pretty to me with the "Maid Marian" connection.

Have also heard "Marnie" for Margaret, Stacey.

Hear, hear to you "Marigold and "Maud/Maude" fans. Gorgeous antique names. The mention of "Maris" made me think of "Damaris" ( I like "of the sea" names) which has the accent on the first syllable (I think) and is obscure enough to be very attractive to me...

I have somewhat of a name dilemma, and welcome all opinions. We're due with our second baby in a couple of months- a boy, and a close childhood friend who now lives in another state and I see her/talk to her maybe 2 a year used a name I have always loved for her son now 1 1/2. I want to use the same name for our son, but I worry what she will think. If she will be hurt or take it as a compliment. Should I just go with it b/c my husband and I love the name or would that be a bad idea?

Wait, I'm starting to freak out. Growing up I knew a girl named Maeve. Her name was pronounced "Meeve" (rhymes with "peeve"). Is it actually pronounced as to rhyme with "rave"?

Lisa - I would suggest that you ask your friend about the name rather than just using it and finding out what her reaction is. If you really love it, you might end up using it regardless, but knowing how she feels may take some of the stress off. Chances are she won't mind because she too knows what a great name it is.
Also - do you mind if I ask what your first child's name is? That might give us some direction to make suggestions for then new one.

I've always thought that Maeve rhymed with rave. Although, I have to admit, I've never heard it said out loud.

Lisa, How common is the name? If it is one that is used all the time, I wouldn't worry about it too much. On the other hand if it is a rare name that your friend picked because she wants her son to be unique, then I would avoid it.

Talking to your friend would be a good idea.

As to Katherine: I think the best way to describe the origin of the name (at least the forms in Western European languages, where the name was adopted through Latin) is that it is a BLEND of the ancient Egyptian Aikaterine, meaning unknown, with the Greek word "katharos", meaning "pure". Without the Romans mistaken belief that Aikaterine was related to "katharos", the name would still have its first syllable and would not have the "h" in western Europe. If you want to associate the name with "purity", that's up to you.

Of course my main reaction to discussions like this is how very odd it is that we call the etymological origin of a name its "meaning". We really should not be using present tense when we talk about this; the etymology is not what the name MEANS but what it MEANT in some ancient language. The word "nice" goes back to an ancient Latin word that meant "ignorant", and the word "orchid" to a Greek word that meant "testicle", but "nice orchid" does not MEAN "ignorant testicle" in modern English.

Cleveland Kent Evans-
Thank you for the laugh!

Cleveland- that's hilarious! Cheered up my morning...

Thanks everyone for the input on Marnie. You are such a resource! I love the idea of using the name Marina, with nn Marnie, but our last name has a similar meaning to hill, so juxtaposing the two might be a bit comical.

BTW, I've always loved the idea of calling a child Stella Maris. It means 'star of the sea' and is also one of the symbolic ways of referring to the Virgin Mary. Not that I'm Catholic. It just seems beautiful.
However, having now watched many episodes of Frasier, I don't think I could bring myself to call my child Maris!

Nicknames for Olympia are rather tricky! Ollie comes to mind, but perhaps you're not interested in reducing such a beautiful and dignified name to one that brings to mind a cheerful rolly-polly? I think it's cute . . .

Pia?

Hannah: I have only ever heard Maeve (not that uncommon a name in my experience) pronounced in such a way that it rhymed with rave.

Lisa: I would probably go with another name, especially if it is a rather unusual name and/or if your friend is a fairly close one. Personally I would try to avoid naming a child for someone in my closer circle of acquaintances, especially another child close in age. And I would be rather irritated if someone close to me named their child the same name I had chosen a year or so before . . . there are so many good names out there that I would imagine it would make you happier (I know it would me) to choose another strong contender for your little one, so that he's got the field to himself. Just my thoughts . . . you'll know best what to do!

Amy A - Anything "traditional" will say that Katherine means pure/purity, etc. If you speciaficaly want a name that means purity, you might want to keep looking, but I'd say just about anywhere you look Katherine means purity, so you're good.

Lisa - talk to your friend. If it's a really obscure name, she might have objections, but you live far away, so it's not like your boys will be running in the same circles all the time.

I also always assumed Maeve rhymed with rave. Anybody know the answer?

Always knew Marinas as "Marnie"

Hi, I really respect the opinions here far more than those of people in my real life, so I thought I'd pose a name issue to you. I'm about to deliver my second son, and we cannot settle on a first name. Middle name will be Johann (YO-hahn) for a family member, and the other boy is Xavier (ZAY-vyer). We are currently considering Felix, Dominic, Quincy, Sebastian, Leopold, and Julian. Really, if Julian were 25 spots lower in the rankings, it'd be a shoe-in. But I don't like names that are too popular, and Julian is particularly so with people in our mix of upper-middle class university-town folk. I like Leopold a lot, but no one else does. (I like that, like Xavier, it is Continental name with a regal past.) Dominic is solidly Catholic like Xavier. Sebastian has the Continental flair, but is a touch too popular and has "Little Mermaid" affiliation. Felix reminds too many of the cat. I'm the only one who likes Quincy for its keeping with the unusual initials, but I will scream the first time I see some girl named it

nn for Olympia - I could only come up with Ollie (good for a sporty girl!) and Pia as well. Do you specifically want a Greek name?

Maeve - I have only ever heard it pronouced to rhyme with rave. This is the way the author Maeve Binchy pronouces it.

Boymama - I didn't realise that Julian was such a popular name. My pick out of the list would be Sebastian - is he a good character in the Little Mermaid? If yes, then no problem with it. I think that the probability of a girl Qunincy would be pretty high - but whether you would ever meet her, who would know.

With Leopold, would you be happy it being shortened to Leo - I think that even if you resisted this one, it may happen of its own accord.

I thought of a couple of other names that might fit with your thinking for Leopold, I looked at the lists of European rulers also called Leopold for this one (rulers of the Austrian Empire mostly):

Francis
Rainer
Louis
Frederick

BoyMama - love all of your list, really, and i think Sebastian is my favourite, but i agree it's on the popular side. And Julian is nice, but I don't love the similar sounds of "Julian Johann" even if the "J" sounds are different.
I think Felix is a great choice and wouldn't care about the cat associations. (Casper is at the top of my own list and could care less that it's the name of a cartoon ghost).
I'd be worried that Leopold would too often be shortened to Leo, which is a great nickname, but you seem to want something more grand/formal... Same could be said for Dominic/Dom and Quincy/Quin.
So... any of them would be great, but I guess my vote is for Felix.

BoyMama:
I also vote for Felix. I think its really cute and different. Also children will not remember Felix the cat so he probably wouldn't get teased or reminded about it at all.

Also like Sebastian & Julian but they are very popular. Although Bach's name is Johann Sebastian Bach... just something to consider.

Have you considered Julius instead of Julian?

Thanks, everyone! Julian 65, Sebastian 76, Dom 85. Leopold not ranked, but all those other Leos are (top 250 for Leo and Leonardo). Felix and Quincy in top 500.
Actually, we thought the Sebastian Johann flip could be a cute in-joke, as most people would not know the middle name. ;-) (It's OK to not think we're funny.)
What I expect with Q is not a girl Quincy, but worse, a Quynncie kind of kre8ivity. ;-P
Sebastian is a good character...but also a crab in "LM." The inspiration is Laura's book, not a Disney movie!
Leo is a fine nn, although I tend to keep things formal myself. (DH and I both go by our full names, not the common nicks.)
The reactions are very helpful.

BoyMama - of the names you have listed, I like Julian the best, but I can understand not wanting a name that's too popular in your immediate circle. Sebastian would be my next choice. I love Leo but I'm not so crazy about Leopold. Felix will only remind adults of the cat - I bet kids today have not heard of Felix the Cat (or of Felix from the Odd Couple).

When I read your list, a name that jumped to my mind is Simon.

BoyMama - of the names you have listed, I like Julian the best, but I can understand not wanting a name that's too popular in your immediate circle. Sebastian would be my next choice. I love Leo but I'm not so crazy about Leopold. Felix will only remind adults of the cat - I bet kids today have not heard of Felix the Cat (or of Felix from the Odd Couple).

When I read your list, a name that jumped to my mind is Simon.

BoyMama- Quincy is by far my favorite and I totally see it as a male name, not a girlie one. I like the name Sebastian Johann for the joke and it's a very regal name, so that's my second fave from your list. Of course, I named my best friend's kid Dylan Thomas, so I find it amusing to do that. I've never been crazy about Leopold. Just sounds awkward to me.

NN for Olympia: Pia was my first thought, but that opens up TONS of playard nns that are unfavorable. I liked someones suggestion of Mia, though if you want to stretch it, You could go with Lo or Lola (Ol backwards).

Boymama -- I am glad to read that you knew Bach's full name, as that was who I first thought of... Not really fond of Sebastian (a name I always connect to Cabot for the actor on Family Affair) but with Johan it works for the nod to Bach.

The name Leopold is cool -- my top choice of your names.

Felix reminds me of Felix Unger from The Odd Couple (yeah, I am over 40) and all I think is uptight prissy old man. But probably most people will think of the cat if they connect it with anything. (My 5 year old daughter doesn't know who the cat is).

I see Quincy as a name that will soon cross over to girls names, if it hasn't already. (Probably spelled Qunicee, Quynci or Quynnseigh) so if you want an all boy name, would avoid it.

Julian is popular -- we know many in the preschool crowd...

BoyMama,

I too like most of your name choices. My favorites are Leopold (Leo is a great nn) and Felix. Sebastian is also lovely (and the nn Baz is adorable) as is Dominic. Julian (and Julius) also a good, strong classic.

Quincy, however, seems to be from a different list. It's a nice name too, but it seems more trendy/likely to show up spelled Qwincie.

I don't think you can lose with most of the names on your list, but Leopold feels to me the most distinctive and immediately appealing. It's refreshing in the same way that I find Roland and Caspar to be. Do let us know what you decide!

(And congratulations . . !)

Boy Mama- How about Oliver or Roman? Sebastian is neat but seems a lot to say every day and not a clear line to to a nickname. Julian I have a bad association, Felix-meow, it is quirky cute but I can't stop thinking cats. Leo nice but prefer Leonardo vs. Leopold. Agree Francis might be nice (I happen to like the nn Frankie, but may be informal for your tastes). Dominic/Quincy, Im netural on.

What do folks think of the name Priscilla? It's hard to find names for girls' with a Biblical pedigree, and Priscilla is not overused, but I'm afraid of the "prissy" connotation. Any ideas for good nicknames?

Argh! I was starting to like Marian too! I always had a soft spot for Maid Marian.

BoyMama: Iʻm another who thinks Leopold is strange. I think I would get used to it though. The king doesnʻt have any negative connotations does he? I seem to remember him being involved in the beginning of WWI...

Jane: I am really not a fan of Priscilla. i definitely think prissy, Presley, etc. Imagine a tomboy Priscilla. Would not work.

JANE, "prissy" is my problem with Priscilla, too, which is too bad. I would use the full name, but others would inevitably shorten it. There is Cilla?
ADH, we have too many Italians in the area for me, a non-Italian, to go with Roman, and Oliver is too popular here. I prefer Olivier, but think it is dumb to go with "oh-LIV-ee-ay" and not call Xavier "zahv-YAY" as the French would. ;-) The nick is a prob with Sebastian. Seb and Bas (afraid people will pronounce it like bass fish--but Baz helps) don't excite.
ELENI, thank you. You're right: Quincy IS from another list to which Xavier belongs: names identified with African Americans, which we are. :-) It's why Alonzo was up, too.
Hmm, I might just make the in-laws suffer through Leopold. They hated Xavier, too. ;-P

Jane - I like the name but agree that it may be hard to escape "prissy"... how about Cici? Cilla? Rissy? Would want to avoid Cilly, though!

BoyMama: I think Felix is a strong contender - it's time to disassociate a great name from the cat. I'm barely familiar with him at age 29, so his generation will have no concept. Don't forget Felix Mendelssohn, too.

I also really like Leopold and the recent suggestion of Simon. I like Julian and am sorry it's become so popular, but don't think it goes so well with Johann anyway.

Sebastian conjures up an utterly romantic and dashing image to me for some reason - but I'm afraid that will be over as soon as a new crop of little ones appears around here! And I agree that's its a mouthful to say everday without an obvious nn.

Eleni,
Has baby Cordelia arrived yet? How are things?

boymama: Love all your names! Sebastian is my favorite, as long as it's not shortened. Felix initially sounds catty to me, but its really starting to grow on me.

Regarding the earlier discussion that mentioned Mabel, I've always loved that name ever since Helen Hunt's character named her baby that, because it stood for "mothers always bring extra love". cheesy, but it stuck with me.

If Priscilla sounds too prissy, you can go with something derived from it: Prisca (pris-ka) or Cilla could both be lovely names in their own right.

If you're just wanting a Biblical girls' name that's not overused, maybe go back to the well (so to speak) for Joanna, Keturah, Damaris (somebody mentioned this one above), Athaliah, Jael, Miriam, Zipporah, Rizpah, Talitha, Tirzah, Persis...

Re Olympia, I like the suggestion of Mia. And I agree, Pia is not so great.. LOL Ollie isn't bad, it just doesn't strike me as a girl's nn. I know, boy names for girls are in. :)

Re Priscilla, I'm not sure you'd be able to avoid the Prissy nn, since that's not only what the name starts with, but it's the "traditional" nn as well.. I agree with Penn's suggestion. There are so many beautiful and rarely used biblical women's names. Ruth, Naomi, Orpah. I personally love Tirzah, don't know why.

Re Maeve: Maeve rhymes with rave usually. She was a Celtic goddess and corresponds to the Welsh goddess Mabb (mentioned in Shakespeare, though not as a goddess) of the same pronunciation.

Boymama: You have my vote for Sebastian. I think a lot of people will get the Bach reference, but I don't think it's a problem. Also I agree with others that kids won't get the Felix cat reference (though in-laws may not like it .. lol)

I like Priscilla too and think the nickname (or full name) Prisca works.

For a list of Biblical girl names (and boy names ) with reference verses, try:

http://christianity.about.com/od/christianbabygirlnames/a/babygirlnames.htm

Cilla, yes. Felix, yes. Although this is very odd: the other day I posted and the post got eaten rather than posted, so in frustration I went to the Name Voyager for kicks thinking, "I knew this woman 8 or 9 years back who was always on the edge of the cutting edge and named her son Felix, I wonder how the name's doing?" Seriously.

And oh, I just cannot deal with the thought of yet another Julian, but I do know only one Simon and one Leo-not-Leopold so that bodes well. Sebastian is lovely, but again quite the trend among my university colleagues. Roman is cool too. I know an adult Dominic nn Dom and it's grown on me.

Olympia -- have another young child say the name aloud and use what comes out as the nickname. My guess is it will begin with Loly or Lolly, which is kind of cute! Then you can say that your daughter was nicknamed by a contemporary.

Boymama - have you looked at the Telegraph website for names? I ask because some of the ones you've though of turn up there along with other less common but still classical names, and Xavier certainly has been there so you might find his wee brother's name as well.

BoyMam

How about Quentin? Very male. Or Xander? Also like the idea of Julius - much better than Julian. Augustus? Oscar?

Jane--How about Lydia as a biblical name?

TANSEY, I am not familiar with the Telegraph site. Could you provide a URL?
I am not surprised to hear that some of you know a lot of Sebastians and Julians. {sigh}

BoyMama,
Xander and Xavier sound super cute together!

BoyMama-- Do love "Dominic"/"Dominick", and it's not yet over-used here in the U.S. Sophisticated. Nice nicknames-- "Dom", and Dominick Dunne is called "Nick" by his chums, apparently.
Don't suppose I could interest you in "Barnaby"/"Barnabas" or "Balthasar"? The latter, esp. cutting edge. The only current Balthasar I'm aware of is B. Getty, the actor. "Quentin" very good too, Keren. Dashing, to use someone else's description.

Jane-- Would "Drusilla" meet any of your requirements? I'm thinking it might be Biblical as well, but not sure...

how about Polly for Olympia?

Polly is cute for Olympia. Or Mia. Or Zoe without a Z is what - Oe? Oey? (Oy!) Maybe spell it like conductor Eiji Oue.

How about Donovan as an alternative to Dominic?

Jane, I know a Priscilla who is 8. I hated the name when my friend said they were going to use it, but I've grown fond of it. Her nn is Cilla, and NO one calls her Pris, though she can be prissy. Prisca is another possibility for nn (though Priscilla was orginally a nn for Prisca).

I like Quentin for BoyMama. Gives you the unusual initial while sounding a little more manly than Quincy (though there may be some girl Quentins out there too.) And it has a nice literary referent, Quentin Compson in Faulkner's Sound and the Fury.

Maybe Penny could be used as a NN for Priscilla? Oh, or what about Cici?

I like how BoyMama is going to stick it to the inlaws with Leopold or similar. Ha! My parents & inlaws weren't crazy about my daughter's old-fashioned name, either, but I think it's grown on them. Just wait, we'll get our turn when our kids grow up and decide to name our beautiful grandchildren Shirley and Todd.

Hey Hannah, Maitland is a family name with my husband also. We live in Ashland Wisconsin and it was ( I think) his great grandmothers maiden name and now it is used as middle names for alot of his family. Small World! I wonder if there is any relation :)

Thanks for the correction of my pronunciation of Maeve, everybody.

Jen, maybe! That side of my family goes way back, Daughter-of-The-American-Revolution-style, so it's possible. However, my brother shares a middle name with a certain current president...here's hoping the family tree doesn't extend that far.

I forgot to say earlier how much you guys made me laugh with your ever more kre8if spellings of Quincy. ;-D
Polly is a cute nn for Olympia.
KEREN: Yes, Quentin was considered, but I don't like people thinking we did it as Tarantino fans and it does not have the Af-Am connotations that Quincy does thanks to Mr. Jones and his "Little Einsteins" namesake.
TM, we have an Irish last name, so I don't want to go into what we call "leprechaun territory," esp since we live around Irish immigrants and their kids. It takes out some nice names, like Donovan.
HILLARY, you crack me up because my hair guy is Alex and he made the same suggestion! ;-)
JEN B, I like sophisticated names, formal names, and don't like giving nicks as birth-certificate names, like the current Jack trend. My parents and ILs are plain folk, so them not liking a name sort of reinforces my idea that the name is saying what I hope it is saying. ;-)

I know sibling sets named Felix and Victor and Felix and Sebastian. Have you considered Victor to go with Xavier?

Ooh, I like Victor and Xavier! The other one that came to me was Gerald, or Gabriel. Also think the 'Ed-' names would be cute - Edmund, Edgar etc. Felix is a cat food brand in the UK as well as the cartoon so twice feline. And I've only just realised that's why the name is used, doh! Think it is rising in popularity despite this though, there's one here in fact:
http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/births/30-Apr-2007/30-May-2007/all/1/results.aspx

Thanks for the link, Lena, This Telegraph announcement seems to sum up some of the current British trends:
Ridgwell- a daughter, Ophelia Antoinette, a sister for Felix and Freya. Always remembering Carl-Oscar.
They live in Brussels which might explain the name Carl-Oscar.

Boymama:

You probably don't need anymore suggestions but have you considered Jovanni. I think it sounds nice sounds different but I thought it flowed well with Xavier.

ELLYN, you and I have a weird connection. I was searching for boy B names at one point, and Barnabas and Balthazar topped my list. DH totally, completely, no-way-in-hell nixed them both, though.

Ok, I guess we know what their future children will be named.

Jane--have you considered Zillah or Zilpah? Zillah is basically Priscilla without the priss, and Zilpah is kind of like a scrambled-up Priscilla. Both are in the Bible: Zilpah, Genesis 30:9; Zillah, Genesis 4:19 (or so the name book I'm looking at says). If you do go with Priscilla, I like Cici for a baby and maybe Cilla when she's older, although she may get stuck with Cilly. What's her middle name? Initials like P.J. might work too. I also second Penn's nomination of Keturah and Damaris. PLEASE consider Zillah/Zilpah!

BoyMama--I like Leopold best, both on in full and as Leo. Maybe Victor goes better with Johann, though. Oh, and you might want to know that Felix Felicis is a rare lucky potion in Harry Potter. The connotations are good, and who knows if kids his age'll even read it, just thought you might want to know.

Kimberly--Lolly's adorable for a little girl. Ollie would be cute if she's a tomboy. Pia's horrible, but if she's mischievous, you might want to call her Impy!:^)

Thanks, all, for the thoughts on Priscilla--both nicknames and alternatives. I'll have to give it some more thought.

Boymama- I like Quincy. Definitely not Leopold or Felix.

Ok..I am posting a question for a friend of mine. She is pregnant with her fourth child. Her other children are all girls. There names are Elisabeth, Alexis and Hannah. If she is having another girls she wants it to start with the letter E. Any suggestions that you think would go with the rest of their names. Thanks!

Rebekah-
Emily and Emma (of course), maybe Eleanor, Eve, Ellie, Emilia.
She can try the nymbler, now (see new blog entry)! I came up with the first four myself and Laura's software added the other two.

Rebekah:
Here is a few suggestions for your friend. Ellery, Evelyn, Everly, Erin, Elena.

I forgot to add that she is trying to avoid the top ten names or so this time. =)

I agree with the previous suggestions, but they maybe seem too trendy. Erica and Eimer (EE-mer) and maybe Edith come to mind.

Ooo! I love Lolly as a nn too! You guys are great :)

We're not stuck on Olympia, by any means, since we've got a while yet to decide. I just like the name but couldn't think of what a nn would be.

Valerie: Stella Maris sounds beautiful! (though it is the name of a catholic school near me!)

Amy A: I've always been led to believe Katherine/Katharine derived from the greek Katheros meaning 'pure' but it's a classic whatever it means! ;-)

Jane: Personally, I'm not so keen on Priscilla, have you considered any other biblical alternatives? I particularly like Hepsibar (which I think is an old testament name)- Hepsi would be an adorable nn too...

Kimberley: Olympia is beautiful, but personally I'm not that into Lolly - Mia or Polly seem more in keeping, or maybe Lia? or even at a stretch: Mimi??...

Yes, Katherine / Katharine is always going to be a beautiful classic, in my book certainly. It's not that the meaning of 'pure' was especially what made me like it, it's just that bit better than 'son of...' or 'unknown'. But I've come to think now that if people have been choosing it with Greek 'katharos' in mind, then I think it can be said to derive from it.

Another fan of Stella Maris here too!

Katharine, I think the name is Hepzibah... I had a friend who was almost named that, but her mum chickened out at the last minute! I was pretty horrified when I first heard that (I think it's the 'bah' - makes me think of 'bah, humbug!'), but Hepsi is cute and kind of makes me see it in a new light...

I think it can be either as I've come across a Hepsibar - and if memory serves theres a Hogwarts character called Hepzibah... Hepzi certainly sounds very hip!

My grandmother was named Stella Marie. I unsuccessfully tried to get my husband to go for it. Oh well.

Camilla or Priyanka (pree-YONK-a)are cute alts to Priscilla. I think Camilla's biblical...Priyanka's Indian.

Hepsy is the cute old-fashioned nn for Hepzibah, but with Hepatitis C (nn Hep C) a new epidemic, I wouldn't use it.

Boymama, I almost posted about Quincy seeming to honor black history, whereas the other names seemed more European-American, and I wondered if white people using a name like that was a show of appreciation for black culture/history or a kind of oblivious appropriation (a real question, not a judgment). Then I realized I had no idea what your ethnicity or that of the baby's other parent was, and deleted. Then you wrote that you preferred Quincy as opposed to Quentin because it does have those ties. So now I really am curious about what that means, to you or to anyone else...I hope I don't cause offense with the question.

Good point about Hep C, Beth. In _Silas Marner_ Eppie was short for Hephzibah. You could call her that, or combine the two into Heppy or Epzi.
Jane--ignore Zillah. The Godzilla thing just hit me, which is way worse than Priss. Sorry for the bad suggestion!

Blimey Beth - good call - I never thought of the 'Hep c' connotations...

Boymama, I'd love Gaicomo. (Jack-ca-mo) nnGaic or Jack. I think it's italian, but who cares? Also, Zev with means wolf. I like Quintin the best. With Quincy or Quinn as a nn.

Would like to throw in:
Calla
Gianna (although pronouncedJahn-na in italian)
Tabitha

As for Mae, I like Esme and Mabel.

Dh is open to Anwen, Aislin and Gwendolyn and alternative to Azlyn! But likes Anwen (ann-wen) the best. Which means 'pure' like my name. Does anyone know any other pretty names ending in wen/wyn. Or really old, untrendy names ending in lyn?
I like Sulwen (Soul-wen) which means "white sun." I also like Eowyn " a-oh-wen", but it was it made up my an author or what? I think the real name means horse lover and the author pretended it mean "maiden of the dawn."

Our last name is "Ryan." I'm worried about wen/wyn/lyn names as middle names going right before Ryan.

Kayla,I think you mean Giacomo? Gaicomo would be pronounced GUY-ca-mo.Giacomo is a great name!

Hmmm...I always thought Giacomo was pronounced Jack-a-mo, as well.

Kayla, you're having baby Violet, right? Have you decided on a middle name yet? (I'm still partial to Avani!:))

My daughter's middle name is Bronwyn and I love the sound of it. Violet Bronwyn (or Violet Azlyn Bronwyn) sounds nice to me. I think that the "an" of Ryan has a different enough sound from "yn" that it's not a big deal. Plus very few people will ever know her middle name or say it with her last name. Not a major problem.

Philippa- Yes, Giacomo is pronounced Jack-a-mo.One has to make sure the i comes before the a when spelling it.

To the person looking for nicknames for Sebastian: I've heard Sabs before, which I thought was very cute.

boymama, I see several of your name choices as European or neutral ethnicity. Perhaps I'm out of the loop on Af-Am naming trends, though.

I like the name Quincy and love Quentin as a more boy-safe alternative. I like Quinn, too.

Dante came to mind with some of the names you're considering.

Loved the discussion on Mabel and wanted to say that I, too, liked Mae (it's my middle name) but also found it too short for a formal name, so we went with Mabel and LOVE it! It fits her perfectly. Funny thing, I've not yet once called DD Mae and she's 16m old now! Two of her Aunts have called her Mabes (long A sound) and I think that's kind of cute, but I put my foot down at calling her Maybelline.

On Sebastian, we have good friends who named thier son Sebastian and call him Seb or Sebi as a nn. He's nearly 4y now, and Sebi still works well, but I think as he gets older, they'll switch to just Seb.

Oh, and we're expecting our 2nd child now and I love the ideas here! I feel with a big sister Mabel, we can't go to a common name like Jack or Emily.

When we had decided on Mabel, we kept her name a secret until she was born to avoid the, "Oh, that's a different/old name" b/c we were sure that once people met her, the name would work. A common question we get now is, "Oh, is that a family name?" My Dad started the response of, "It is now!" :)

Help- only 2 months left to pick a name for baby girl #2...My 30 month old DD is Daly -- a family name which suits her perfectly. We like Rory but its hard to say...also like Ella, Caroline, Charlotte and Nora...Any help out there?? Please!?

Lately I've been liking Aurora with Rory as a nickname. I don't think Rory is hard to say, but there are easier names to say.

I like Charlotte a lot but am not as big of a fan of possible nicknames. Nora is interesting...not heard that often...and would go well with Daly, IMHO.

Elisabeth: Do you think it should be a more androgynous name to go with Daly? I notice a lot of people recommend that and I sort of understand the impulse. I like Rory best as a "match," I think. And don't think it's difficult to say. Well... Gilmore Girls made me a fan I guess.

How about Llewellyn, for the 'wyn' names? Personally I was going to name my daughter Emaleth, but I also enjoy 'wyn' names. I like Rowyn, also.

I did end up sticking "Violet" in as her middle name, too. Haha.

I originally liked Emma/Emily, but found out they are the top two girls names this year! Not to mention, our neighbor's 18 month old is named Emma. I'm trying to come up with some alternatives. What do you think of Emmaline, Emelina, Anjeli, and Adelene? (my grandma's name is adele)

Elisabeth: just a thought but the Irish name Ruari is a feminine version of Rori - it's pronounced the same but somehow looks more feminine...

Jennie - I've always loved Anjeli since the first time I heard it. I like Emmaline, but she's likely to be grouped with the other Ems, so avoid it if you're trying to give her something more distinctive. Emelina isn't a favorite of mine. I kinda like Adelene - how about Adelaide?

I'm with Christiana--Emelina sounds like a weird blend of different ethnicities to me. How about Emmeline or Adeline? (And read "The Thirteenth Tale" while you're at it!) Both are great names that have a common-sounding vibe while remaining unusual.

Jennie: I like Angeli too. There's also Emalia (sp?) or Ella. Pretty similar to the Emma/Emilys but...

Wait, not Emalia: Emilia.

I love the name Llewellyn for a girl, but was surprised to find out it is a welsh boy's name. Do you think anyone would know? What about as a middle name? My name is Audra & my grandma's is Zedith, & no one can spell or say those correctly, so may be Llewellyn isn't a good first name for a girl? Help!!

I like the name Madelia. It's pretty and dignified all at once, while not being stuffy.

Parents may or may not like to know that Madelia is the name of a racehorse who won the 1977 French Oaks. :)

What are some cool boy names? Anyone like Cayden? Or, Mckay, with the nickname "Mack"?

Shiloh... Did you hear about the lawsuit? Angelina tried to sue a lady that named her perfume Shiloh. Thank god it was thrown out of court. Another frivolous law suit....

About Leopold--the European royalty most associated with that name is Leopold of Belgium, the inhumanly cruel "owner" of the Congo, whose disgusting regime enslaved, mutilated, and caused the deaths of millions of Congolese. I do like the name abstractly, but really it's a bit like naming your son Adolf, I think.

I already had my daughter and named her, now 6 mos. old. Like most parents, I wanted something "different but not too different."

I already fear the name I picked will become too popular. I picked Fiona, which is popular in Scotland, but only used sometimes here in the US. It ranked in the 300's on the SSA top 1000 names, which I felt wasn't too bad, but it has been rising in popularity over the past 15 years.

Maybe I'm too obsessed with a "different" name. And what is "different" anyway. Trying too hard to be different comes across as contrived, and risks becoming dated. Name your kids after produce--anyone?

I'm not ready to get pregnant again anytime soon, but if I had another girl I would love to name her Ione (pronounced Eye-oh-nee NOT Eye-ohn).

Unfortunately my DH says this name is horrible. I disagree. I think it has so much going for it... will save for another post.

I was wondering what everyone thought of the name Ophelia. My husband and I are expecting our first baby in a few short weeks and We are between Ophelia (no middle name ideas yet), Dana (Dana Jolie), and Marissa (Marissa Scott). We are leaning more towards Marissa as of now. What are the common perceptions of these names? Please help! Is Ophelia too odd? What would be our child nn?

Ophelia is a beautiful name. I think most people avoid it because of the associations with the tradgic Shakespeare character. Maybe you will be the first to first to free the name of such unfortunate mind-sets.

If you are stuck on the middle name, why not ommit it? The only reason my daughter has a middle name is because it is my middle name and my mom's middle name, otherwise she wouldn't have one. I think omitting the middle name sometimes makes a stronge statement, especially with such a unique name like Ophelia, which stands on its own. It already has 4 syllables.

Ok... here goes... my case for Ione:

I am the sort who likes to practice my own personal take on a trend instead of blindly following it. While Ione is not a widely used name, yet, it follows so many naming trands:

1. It is greek for Voilet, and therefore follows the flower naming trend but not in the obvious way.

2. So many popular names start with vowels, but how many other names start with 2 vowels?

3. It sounds like the smart, artsy, but also overtly trendy and somewhat over-used Zoe.

4. It just looks neat written on paper - I think.

I admit the name has drawbacks:
1. There are 2 possible pronounciations which could complicate the kid's life. But I think the most widely used pronounciation is the one that ends in "nee" which the one I prefer.

2. While the name is short in letters, it already has 3 syllables, making it a hard choice for those looking for a short name.

3. My first child is named Fiona and I am not sure if Fiona and Ione mesh well or not.

Thanks Angie for the imput on Ophelia. Your right about omitting a middle name. I think it would make a stronger statement. We are also considering Marissa Blue and Dana Jolie. What does everyone think of these names?

As for Ione... I love it. I think it goes great with Fiona. Its beautiful and looks great written out.

I'm pregnant now- 5 months- and all of you have really helped. I have a boys name already, Adryan, it's a girls name I'm having trouble with. My first son is named Andrew so a girl with an "A" is of most interest. I'm not sure of the sex of the baby YET, so there's still time. Some ideas: Ashlyn, Addison(maybe spelled different)..........

My son is named Max(well). I didn't really think about how popular it would be, I just really liked the name. Now we are having #2 and trying to find a name to match. For boys we are looking at Oscar. Do they go together? What about Oscar the grouch? Will he just hate me for it? If it's a girl, I have no ideas.

given to the trade of those inferior chambers as to that of the idle expense. In public, as well as in private expenses, great