The Baby Name Wizard

Thanks, Laura! I had forgotten what a brilliant namer Dickens was. And one of the things that makes Rowling so delightful to read is her talent for creating perfect names for her characters.

I've read all the HP books (still catching up on sleep after a week of late nights with #7), and there were still some names from the list that I had to think twice about. What a wonderful list! I think even my husband (who finds my name obsession really weird) will find this post fascinating.

It's funny that this topic comes up just after a few of us were going on about the pronunciation of Hermoine in the comments of the last topic.
I've never read any Dickens, but I've read all of the Harry Potters so I can recognize which names belong to each author.
It is surprising to me that Rowlings's names have not caught on well within the baby naming world. Even though they're very different from the "norm" I would have figured they'd have enough pop-culture cache without being too singular like Oprah (or Seinfeld or Madonna).

I have read some of Dickens' work, but know the Harry Potter series like the back of my hand. That list of names was very interesting! While it is true that most of the names in Rowling's series have not picked up in popularity, there is one that has- Lily. It was the name of Harry's mother.

Although not a Harry Potter fan, I do love J. K. Rowling's quirky names, and like playing with the Harry Potter name generator. Have ALWAYS thought Dickens was a genius namer-- one of the best ever. Many of his faves have caught on, in certain circles over time.

The public seems to take its time acclimating to names. My prediction is that a number of the Harry Potter names will climb in popularity, eventually. I remember years ago reading "The Great Gatsby" and thinking Fitzgerald was so clever to name one of his female characters "Jordan", almost unheard of when he published. It took generations, but the name took off and now has become TOO popular. Wonder if the Seventies movie version of "Gatsby" with Robert Redford facilitated the surge?

Harry has become more popular in England though. It also fits in with the Jack-Freddie-Alfie nickname trend so perhaps that's why.

"Make the name too obvious or too extreme and it all falls apart; the reader is jerked out of the book and finds herself staring face to face with an author who's trying a little too hard."

That's my problem with Nabokov in a nutshell.

A few years ago virtually nobody in America had heard of the name Hermione. Now, to a lot of people, it is familiar. I predict in a few years we'll be seeing some baby Hermiones as girls who grew up with her as a heroine become moms.

I agree that it will take awhile before these names become popular (but I do think some of them will eventually). Right now, naming a baby Hermione would be trendy, but in ten years it will be 'literary'.

Laura, you forgot my personal favorites for 'if I were going to name a baby after a Harry Potter character':

Bellatrix LeStrange
Andromeda Tonks
Narcissa Malfoy

(OK, I wouldn't actually name a baby Narcissa.) I would pick Bellatrix as the one name that would probably take off (sort of a rif on Ella, Bella, Isabelle, Annabelle, etc.) if the character weren't so evil in the books...

I'm keeping Andromeda on my list for my imaginary 3rd baby, though ;).

I love Harry Potter names. This is a great post. It really makes me want to read #7 now.

Jill C- My pick would be Lavender. I LOVE it but don't have the guts.

I completely agree with ClayB. Within the next ten to twenty years we'll be swamped with Hermiones as well as some of the less usual names as younger readers begin their families. I'm also a fan - as escapist literature it ranks with the finest, and it has so many different levels and textures for all ages and education levels of readers. I've loved the names and JK's clever and generally unique talent of turning less than charming names into heroic characters - Ron Weasley enchanted me from day one simply because of this.
Rebekah - with my kids named and grown I use loved names for pets and characters in my own writing - it keeps then nicely close.

I've wondered if the kids reading the books now might use HP names when they have kids of their own. Hermione has potential, I think, as does Albus.

I don't feel like Kingsley is too outlandish, even right now.

I really think that when the current 8 - 18 year olds are seriously naming their kids, you will see lots more HP names. They may not be the thing right now, but very few!! of that demographic are naming babies...

I agree with Jessica and with Pru!

Of course, at 30, I am a mother AND one of those "kids" reading Harry Potter! ;)

I've always loved how JKR's names sort of define the characters. Lupin (lupin = wolf-like), Flitwick (charms teacher/wand-waving), Sprout (Herbology), etc.

Oops, that above comment should've said

lupinE = wolf-like!

And I forgot to remark about the name Kingsley. With style maven Gwen Stefani naming her (absolutely gorgeous!) son Kingston, I don't see that Kingsley would be much of a leap.

My daughter's name, Nell, makes a good Dickens detector--people will say "Oh, like Little Nell," and I'll know they're Dickens fans!

My daughter's name, Nell, makes a good Dickens detector--people will say "Oh, like Little Nell," and I'll know they're Dickens fans!

Actually, I think there just might be a few Harry Potter children out there. I just plugged "Luna" into the Baby Name Voyager with some very interesting results! It seems that the name creeps into popularity very quickly after the character was introduced in the series.

Jill C: When I was 21, I totally planned to name my future babies Lyra and Orion. Andromeda could be my third too!

Pru: That's funny cuz Kingsley struck me as one of the most likely to be used! Like Lara, I thought of baby Kingston. I guess also the surname trend.

Kate brought up Luna. What do you all think of this name? I liked it for its feminine-power associations. (I think the moon is like a female power thing right?) But lunatic worries me...

I don't know much Dickens but I adore HP names. For a brief while a few years ago, I cherished a dream of twins Sirius James and Severus Draco, and their little brother Remus Neville. I don't think I'd actually do that (or that my eventual husband would let me, anyway ;)) but I still adore all the names, as much on their own right as because of the amazing characters and the world I associate them with. JK Rowling really does have a gift for names of characters, first and last--I wish I could come up with names that good for the characters in my own stories.

I love Rowling's homage to Dickens too. But for the subtlest shades of meaning in names, try Henry James. His name for his most famous rigid feminist is Olive Chancellor [= the branch of peace + "secretary to a monarch," see Basil Ransome below]. She is in love with a loquacious, pretty stage medium named Verena Tarrant [sounds like "serene,"+ torrent]. The young man who rescues Verena from Olive or holds Verena hostage, depending on how you look at the novel, is Basil Ransome [= kingly + ransom]. Olive and Basil are plants; Verena is one step away from Verbena, another plant, and what a tangle of thorns is the plot. And that's from just one novel (The Bostonians!).

I love Rowling's homage to Dickens too. But for the subtlest shades of meaning in names, try Henry James. His name for his most famous rigid feminist is Olive Chancellor [= the branch of peace + "secretary to a monarch," see Basil Ransome below]. She is in love with a loquacious, pretty stage medium named Verena Tarrant [sounds like "serene,"+ torrent]. The young man who rescues Verena from Olive or holds Verena hostage, depending on how you look at the novel, is Basil Ransome [= kingly + ransom]. Olive and Basil are plants; Verena is one step away from Verbena, another plant, and what a tangle of thorns is the plot. And that's from just one novel (The Bostonians!).

Beth,
Henry James does offer a rich palette of names, doesn't he? Isabel Archer and Caspar Goodwood? Good grief!

Gabriel Garcia Marquez also writes novels just swimming with good names. Arcadio Buendia, for example, calls up images of Eden.

Actually, now that I think about it, names make up an essential part of what makes good literature really good. Not sure I agree about Nabokov, but I've only read "Lolita".

I always thought the reason Harry Potter was named 'Harry' was because it was already a popular and therefore common name. As an author trying to connect with an modern audience would make her character have an already popular 'likable' name. I wonder if characters like Luke Skywalker, Alice in Wonderland, Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables were all popular first names when the stories were written?

Tara

We might not see a great wave of Harrys or Hermiones (too obvious), but I would place a timid wager that people would feel inspired into looking at the minor characters for inspiration.

Minerva perhaps, or Ginevra, could rise from the depths. Or the abovementioned Kingsley - or Remus, even Sirius.

And of course Gred and Forge. :-)

with you there Clay! I know two Hermoines's here in England - one is twenty (so pre trend) and goes by Mimi but the other is a baby. I can't see it ever becoming popular but definitely can see it gaining ground post Potter...

You stole my point Kate! ;-) I was going to mention Luna - there's a footballers daughter called that over here and it was rumoured that Victoria Beckham was going to choose it if she had a girl - personally I don't care about either of these associations but it does mean that the name is being heard and talked about - SO definitely expecting to see it rise...

I wonder if some of the names will take off more in England than here in the US. Hermoine is already used in England, but would be a bit odd here in the US. Maybe some of our British posters could help us out. Harry and Ron also seem better suited to England than here.

And after all, JK Rowling is from England.

And so does Harry Potter.

I always thought the HP names came more from mythology than from current British tradional naming. Minerva? Andromeda? Bellatrix? They have a distinctly British feel, somehow, but are rooted in the mythology and astronomy/astrology that is often associated with sci-fi/fantasy genre anyhow. I think Rowling's choices were brilliant.

Maybe "Hermione" will be too direct a reference for a generation or two, but the name "Ione" has an uptick, I'd still maybe credit the HP character for reviving the possibilities in that lovely old name.

Ok, this is off topic, but I had to share. Has anyone used this website: http://www.behindthename.com/random/, the "Random Name Generator"? It's kind of fun, plug in a set of criteria and it comes up with a random name. Except it was very spooky because on the third try it came up with "Shaelyn Catharine Lastname"...I think Shaelyn is rubbish but it had Catharine spelled *my* way! Bizarre!

I can definitly see Hermione taking off more in the UK. Prior to HP wasn't it considered a Shakespearian name? I think from A Winter's Tale? Isn't there a famous British actress named Hermione?

Beth- Thank you for your post on Henry James' use of names. It was really fascinating.

I'm enjoying this post and comments- I'd never noticed how much the HP characters' names have a similar flavor to those used by Dickens.
I was pondering this yesterday when suddenly the name Augustus Gloop popped into my head, and I realized that Roald Dahl also has moments of naming genius.

Take Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The hero is Charlie Bucket:
Charlie= one of those 'friendly' names we were discussing a while back, and Bucket= humble origins.
Augustus Gloop: Augustus= great or venerable, name of an emperor. Here I think self-important, puffed-up. And Gloop... well, that foreshadows his unfortunate adventure in the Chocolate River.

Violet Beauregarde: Violet,again a foreshadowing of an unfortunate incident where she turns into a huge blueberry, and Beauregarde= beautiful look,IMO how highly she regards herself.

Veruca Salt (my favorite): a verruca is the common name in the UK for a plantar wart and salt to me sounds like some kind of traditional cure (as when you throw salt on a slug)! (continued

The only character whose name is too 'in your face' IMO is Mike Teavee who is miniaturized by a TV camera. Hmmm, I guess Mike (as in mic) might also be relevant.

So anyway, that's as far as I've got, but I had fun! :)

Any thoughts on Willy Wonka? Mine aren't printable...;)

There were TWO well-known British actresses named Hermione, Baddeley and Gingold, but they both died back in the 1980s.

I love how so many of the mythological names Rowling chooses for her characters fit the story, but they are from less well-known myths, so the kids have to do some research to get the full effect of the name: such as Merope Gaunt.

Arabella is being drawn upward in use in the USA in the wake of Isabella, but I doubt if Arabella Figg has much to do with that. :) I would agree that the real impact of Rowling's names, if any, will be seen in about a decade when the kids who grew up with the books and films start to have kids of their own.

Luke was not a very common name in the USA when George Lucas chose the name for his character. Luke actually became quite popular in Australia and England quite a while before it returned in the USA. When Nancy Drew was created in 1930, Nancy was just at the start of what became a tremendous boom in the USA. The author picked that name very well. :)

I know a couple who named a daughter Virginia so they could call her Ginny.I believe this was before Ginevra was revealed as Ginny's full name?
Two names I like appear in the HP world: Felix, which is rising more for ethnic reasons than literary ones, and Percival. HP also has a Percy, which follows Oliver and some other rising names into Seriously Brit territory while also being a surname as firstname deal.
Definitely give it another decade to see the name impact of the books.
Kingsley could be right there with Kingston, a name currently on the pop charts with the Jamaican-Miami guy who does "Beautiful Girls."

Hi! I am new to the board. I've always liked good, solid names, but find that all my faves are taken. As a teacher, I have seen so many Jameses, Wills, Edgars, Oscars, Hectors, Marcuses, and all the other names t one expects that I want somehting unusual. What do you think about Tamir for a boy? I have always been a fan of the ballad Tam Lin, but I want a name that has more than one syllable.

Wow, Meg, I've hardly ever met an Edgar, Oscar, Hector or a Marcus. I think of those names as pretty unusual!

Personally, I'm not too keen on Tamir. I think this is because it reminds me of the animal the tapir. How would you pronounce it?

Have any of you ever run into the problem that you feel you've looked aat every name and can't find one you're in love with enough to use for your kid? I'm having that problem. We're having a baby and I've been searching for a girl's name for so long, but now I feel like I'd have to settle for one instead giving her a name I truly adore. We want to name our first son after his father, but I fell in love w/ the name Judah for a boy so that will be used in our second son's name. (if we are so blessed). But a girl? I have a dozen+ names "that would do" for a girl, but I can't come up with one I'm in love with (or one he will tolerate).

I'm not too crazy about Tamir and it seems to be a far cry from your usualy tastes, Meg. It's certainly a pretty far cry from James, etc.

Christiana- When we named our daughter we didn't have any names we were in love with, either. We'd debated several back and forth, but nothing really *spoke* to us. Then, one day, we both looked at each other and said "I could live with Elena," and that was that. It was my husband's grandmother's name, and we liked the connection to beauty and grace. Now that she's almost three (and riccocheting off the walls, most days) I can't imagine her ever having another name. It's perfect for her and I love it. Sometimes "settling" is just how you find what you've always loved all along.

Meg: (shot in the dark here) but don't suppose you teach in an English private school? names that are commonly used like Oscar amongst the upper classes here are more or less considered obscure elsewhere - just a thought...

Alongside the actresses that Cleveland Kent Evans mentioned there is also Hermione Norris - who has recently starred in Cold Feet and other prime time BBC dramas...

Ps. I could also live with Elena - simple yet elegant...

Katherine- Meg probably teaches in California or Texas or another US state with a high hispanic population. Names like Edgar, Oscar and Hector are outrageously popular in that population.

I also love the name "Bellatrix" although I loathe the character. And I think "Nymphadora" is the best author created name ever! I guess it would mean "Gift of the Nymphs" sort of how Theodora means "Gift of God."

My mother has always blamed The Thorn Birds for the surge in Megans several years after I was born, but I tend to agree with what I think is Laura's premise-that pop culture tends to influence names only if the names fit in with current trends (like Luna and Kingsley would seem to). Our local newspaper had an article that happened to feature several young mothers waiting for the latest book. One of them had painted a little lightning bolt on her tot, but he didn't have an HP name.
By the same token, I actually know of a couple little girls with names similar to the main characters in the Lord of the Rings, but their parents picked them for the sound (the Irish/Celtic trend) rather than the literary connection.
On a sort-of related note, did anyone think Nymbler had a decidedly English bent?
Christiana-Lisa put it just beautifully.
Meg-My first reaction to Tamir is that it sounds feminine, and also Indian (not a bad thing, of course, just sharing my first take on it).
Best all!

I also love the name Bellatrix, but obviously couldn't use it because of the character in the book. I think it falls into the category of "cool names that I will one day give my pets."

Christina- I sympathize with your girl name plight. Girl names have been a huge frustration for me too. When the time comes, we have the name all picked out for baby #2, if it's a boy. I have no idea what we'll do for a girl, and I wouldn't want to "just settle" either.

With all this talk about the names JK Rowling selected for her fictional characters, let's start discussing what she chose for her two real-life daughters:

Jessica and MacKenzie

Discuss!!!

Congratulations, Christiana! When are you due? I thought you had a three-page list ready to whip out for your future daughter. :), My sense for you, as a fellow name nut, is that the real issue is that by choosing one name you're discarding all the others! (Confession: the real reason I didn't find out my children's sex before they were born was because I couldn't bear the thought of not having names for both sexes chosen!)

Nina- N.B. JK Rowling also has a son called David.

Nina--First, for the record, JKR's daughter spells it Mackenzie, with no capitalizations in the middle. :) Anyway, I do think the disparity between "Jessica and Mackenzie" and "Minerva and Pomona [Sprout]" is interesting...but I guess it's probably better that way for the kids--I mean imagine going through life as JKR's daughter WITH a name like Andromeda. Might kinda make you stand out....and, as a barely related side-note, Hermione was also the daughter of Helen of Troy.

Catharine--That's one of my ridiculously geeky hobbies!

Jill C--Same here on Bellatrix...why couldn't that have been the name of someone good?!...

Lisa--How do you pronounce Tamir?

Christiana--Ooh! How exciting! Good luck, and let us know when she arrives. I'm sorry, I can't really help on the name issue.

Hey Meg, you probably know this, but Tam is an old Scottish nickname for Thomas--you could give a son Thomas (or Tomás), and call him Tam?

I have to agree that Tamir looks a bit like the girl name Tamar, but also might sound like a mispronunciation of a fairly common Arabic name, Samir, or the Indian name, Sameer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samir_(name)

Since we're on a pop-culture bent, anyone else expect an uptick in "Delilahs" this year thank to the "Hey There, Delilah" #1 hit from the White Tees? Gives the lovely sounding name a new context than the Biblical seductress.

Meg, do please tell us where you teach. I also think the SES of your students is skewing the names you see!
Tamir (tah-MEER?) does sound South Asian (or maybe Arabic) to my ear, so if your child is white, I would assume the parents are hippies in choosing such a name.

I like Bellatrix for the same reason I favor Beatrix over Beatrice/Beatriz: Trixie!

A.C.: Ah! I blame the following source for the misspelling of Mackenzie:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4200000/newsid_4206500/4206517.stm

I think it's interesting that she chose a surname for her little girl. I get the impression that using surnames and unisex names for girls is not very common in the U.K. Although, didn't Stella McCartney name her daughter Bailey? Maybe the fact that this is not a common trend in the U.K. makes it that much more attractive.

AJ: I love the Delilah song, but it is ALWAYS on the airwaves, and I fear that I will soon tire of it. So annoying how that happens. Actually, I had another daughter 5 months ago and Lilah was high on our list. I wouldn't be too thrilled right now if I had chosen that name and then this song came out. Dodged a bullet there. (Another reason why Delilah didn't appeal to me is that Diddy/P.Diddy/Puffy/Puff Daddy also named one of his twin girls D'Lila weeks before my own due date. That spelling made the whole name less attractive to us.)

Anyway, I wonder how songs do affect names? Did Eileen take off after Dexys Midnight Runners released "Come on Eileen"... did Cecilia surge after Simon and Garfunkel released the song of the same name? I bet "Nikki" took a tumble after Prince released "Darling Nikki"... yuck.

Meg: I also thought of Tamar and Samir. And also Amir (another male Muslim name I think) and the Tamil Tigers.

I hope Eileen dipped after "Come on Eileen." I think one name inspired by a song might be Layla, after Eric Clapton's.

I think Delilah would be a perfectly acceptable name for someone like me who isn't planning on getting preggo for another 3-5 years....By then the song will pretty much be gone and when it is heard it will be a sweet reminder of the baby.

I also love Bellatrix--And I love that HBC played her in the movie....

interesting point about the influence of songs Nina - Ruby is huge in the UK (currently ranked no 3 I think) and I wonder if the song of that name by the Kaiserchiefs has anything to do with continuing that trend... Then there's 'Valerie' by the Zutons - I think Valerie is a name that could really take off...

I must say that J.K.Rowling's choice of names for her own children surprises me - I hope I'm not offending anyone but I thought as an author so creative with names I thought she would go with something a little more inspired...

Stevie Nicks' "Rhiannon" inspired a generation of little Rhiannons, at least in the US... not because of the song's lyrics, but I think just because it introduced a traditional but unfamiliar (in the US) name that happened to fit the tastes of the day. (I've also wondered if some of the Briannas of the 1980s were partly inspired by this song, but parents avoided the tricky "Rh" beginning and went for the safer "a" ending.)

I have to confess that until this was discussed on another board, I had no idea what Stevie Nicks was saying in that song!
Clapton fans seem to be particularly devoted. I've seen more than one post about using Layla as a tribute.

I like the idea of a song inspiring a name. I know a girl named Kayleigh whose parents knew a song in the 80's by that name/spelling and used it for their daughter. One of my options is Caroline and I like that it has that song "Sweet Caroline" to go with it.

Due in Feb for those who asked. I've got a ton of names that I've considered over the last year+. I've mostly got it down to about a top 20 list but I struggle with finding "the perfect name" for a potential daughter. I've seen my tastes run totally tradtional (Catherine) to hippie (Sage) to Celtic (Cameron) and back again. (Mostly, i stick with names that fit into one of those 3 categories.)

Re: Luna

My Cabbage Patch Kids doll was named Luna Paige (this was circa 1985). My uncle called her Luna-tic, which made me furious.

Still, the name made our short list for my DD. I would use it for another girl if I couldn't get DH to agree to Andromeda :).

I remember when first hearing of Rowling's childrens' names, I thought, well maybe they are less common in Britain.

Christiana: The three names you mention seem to have a sort of strength. Oh, I konw, maybe it's the ending with a consonant sound. And starting too but I think maybe the ending is more significant, especially for girls' names.

Christiana: I love the names Cameron and Sage from your 3 examples. we considered Cameron for our dd, but I really wanted a name with no r's because there are 2 in my husband's ln - so we wound up with Campbell! Funny coincidence: I know a Molly Catherine, Molly Cameron and my own Molly Campbell. Maybe Molly is the name you're looking for :)

Meg - I'm pretty sure that Tamir is an established boy's name in Israel.

Guys- as this is about "weird"ish names, I've got a question for you! What do you think about "Athena"? I absolutely love that name, but my fiance thinks it's too strange, and any girl named Athena would be teased at school etc. I always thought names of goddesses would be quite normal these days -like Diana. So what do you reckon?

As for Harry Potter names, when I first read them I thought, "why does she name her characters like THAT?", as for Hermione and Hedwig and Draco and so on... but now I really like the magic that these names can conjure... it perfects the world JK Rowling creates in her books.

I LOVE the name Athena, but our last name has an ee sound, so I think they'd be a bit much together. Not to mention my husband's expression if I told him I wanted to call our daughter that... I say go for it if you love it. I also used to know a Greek girl named Athina.

Nina, thanks for adding the names of J. K. Rowling's children to the discussion-- fascinating.

My first reaction to the combination of Jessica, Mackenzie and David, was-- how Scottish! Before the pop culture surge of "Jessica", and when it was still considered a quaint, Biblical name, I believe it was quietly but consistently used in Scotland, along with nickname "Jessie". "Mackenzie" speaks for itself as a Scottish surname-- wonder if there were any of those in her family tree. "David", along with certain other Old Testament names, was very popular in Scotland, and of course, Wales. Only "Andrew" might be more so!

I know three little girls of greek heritage called Athena, Carmen and Lydia - I say if you can convince your fiance go for it!

(apologies in advance for sweeping generalisations) David isn't popular in the UK for newborns but a lot of 40 year old men have that name here! Mackenzie really isn't that popular but Jessica is ranked very highly (3 or 4)

By the way, to me both "David" and "Peter" are perfectly gorgeous traditional names that new parents should pick up on. Those of us in the rapidly aging Boomer category might think of them as "tired" but they are truly timeless and beautiful, esp. when NOT shortened...

Anna: I think Athena is a fine name. It is a little unusual, which of course might lead to teasing, but nothing too extreme I think. Just that bit of teasing that every kid is bound to get.

I like Pete, but not Peter. I think Peter reminds me of the dad on Family Guy and also the slang.

I this Athena is pretty, and I don't think it would inspire teasing.

I was also surprised when I first heard that Rowling's first daughter was named Jessica. I read somewhere recently that she was named after Jessica Mitford, which I think is kind of cool.

Ooh, more HP discussion! Hurray! I've been listening to every HP podcast's debate of the 7th book, and I still haven't had enough! :)

I've found myself liking the name Bellatrix in spite of how evil the character is.

JKR's kids- Jessica was born in the early 90s, I believe, so it was completely normal at the time, and not as over-used as it was here. David doesn't need any explanation. I have to admit that Mackenzie surprised me, because it's still very much a boy's name in Scotland. But then again, the names which seem ahead of the curve or, to use Katharine's word, more inspired here like Imogen, Freya, Matilda or Isla, are the slightly tiredly trendy ones in the UK (all four are mainstays of their top 100). Mackenzie might be the more inspired choice there, gender ambiguity notwithstanding.

There was a girl in my high school named Athena... she was Greek. Her nickname that she went by most of the time was "Athen," pronounced like "Athens" without the S. It was pretty cool. I think it's a lovely, exotic, and graceful name, but it definitely might strike some people as a little much if you don't have any particular connection to the Greek myths or culture, though.

I was also interested in the suggestion that Valerie might take off... it seems quite 80's to me. But perhaps that's because I'm 80's : ) wdyt?

Elly -- You made a very good point when you said that names which seem ahead of the curve here in the US are the trendy ones in the UK. That's exactly how I feel about the names Charlotte and Lucy. They were on my list, but when I saw how popular they are in England, Australia and elsewhere, they lost some of their sparkle. Plus, I now know quite a few under the age of 3, so there you go.

Argh. Isla is such a lovely name - is it really trendy in the U.K.? It sounds so classic to me . . . Charlotte doesn't seem trendy to me either. Isn't it rather a classic, along the lines of Helen, Alice, Elizabeth and Jane?

Just curious about the opinions of others- does Isla strike a trendy note?

Just a sidenote: another literary Hermione appears in D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love. She's pretty unbearable. The two main characters in the novel are sisters with what I always thought were interesting names: Ursula and Gudrun.

I think Valerie should come back too. But then I find myself into names that I've grown up with I think. Names that are sort of blank for me because I don't associate them with one specific person, but also not commonly used since they are associated with other times.

Isla sounds trendy to me. I immediately think of the Madonna song La Isla Bonita, but I think as a name it is pronounced EYE-lah right? I saw a woman with the name on TV yesterday. First time I saw a person with the name I think.

Oh, thanks for your comments! :)It's all still hypothetical - we probably won't start trying for a baby until we get married next year - but I just love to think about names.
My favourite since childhood for a girl would be Ava, because it starts with an "A" and is a palindrome, just like Anna. Just it has become so popular now, and a friend has got a little girl called Ava now,so I started looking for alternatives! I think Athena has got a lovely sound to it, and it's a "strong" name as well, which I really like.
My fiance's favourite name for a girl is Hannah -which I like, but think it would sound too much like my own!
About Harry Potter names - am I the only one who likes "Lucius"? That's been one of my favouites since the character was fisrt intrduced!

As a fellow name obsessor and literature fan, I have to say that my favorite names from books have to be from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. She picks such awesome names for her characters. Here are a few of them:
Isabella Marie Swan 'Bella'
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
Carlisle Cullen
Emmett McCarty Cullen
Esme Anne Platt Evenson Cullen
Jasper Whitlock Hale
Mary Alice Brandon Cullen
Rosalie Lillian Hale
And of course some of the villans and lesser characters:
Alec
Aro
Caius
Carmen
Demitri
Eleazar
Embry Call
Felix
Gianna
Heidi
Irina
James
Jane
Katrina 'Tanya'
Laurent
Marcus
Maria-who I'm hoping to be introduced to very soon.
Quil Ateara
Tanya
(The rest of them have pretty normal names.) The books are geared to a slightly older audience than the Harry Potter books (young adults) so I could see them gaining popularity faster. (This is coming from someone who didn't like Edward at all before reading the series, and now it's become my 2nd favorite boys name. Many others have too.)

Anna, if you like A-names that are palindromes, what about Aviva? It's a modern Hebrew name that means "spring" or "life".

I wouldn't say Isla was that popular in the UK - it's definitely more popular than it used to be, but nothing like Jessica, Sophie, etc. The only Isla I know myself is in her 20s.

As for Scottish boys' names... surely the most common is James?! Every second Scotsman I meet is called James.

SusieQ - Aviva looks great! How do you pronounce it though, is it "A-vEE-va" or "Av-EYE-va" or anything dfferent than that?

Anna,
I love Lucius too. The only problem I have with it is that I could see high school girls thinking that Lucius is lushious if he is very handsome.

Isla sounds very trendy to me. Not in a bad way; it's a beautiful name, but it's suddenly come out of obscurity to become increasingly popular. I'm pretty sure that the actress Isla Fisher has brought it to prominence. And it fits in with our short-and-sweet trend.

Because of its sudden popularity, I'm worried it may date just as fast and would not use it for this reason. Isla is the great idea that everyone and his wife is having.

I know someone named Aviva who pronounces her name A-VEE-va. She's about 40.

I like Lucius as well, but that's probably because I've been reading a lot about ancient Rome lately.

Amy A., I agree with you about Isla. I can see that taking off like a rocket here in the US.

jk rowlings children's names make me think that she and her husband disagree on naming styles. that maybe she prefers slightly more unique names and uses them in her books because she can't use them on her real children.
or it could be simply that she has a difinitive line between the "real" world and the world of harry potter.

on athena - while i think it's a great name, i have to point out that sci-fi geeks (like me) might tend to associate this name with battlestar galactica as that's [one of] the name[s] of a character on the show. actually bsg uses a lot of greek mythology names - hera, ares, apollo... just to name a few.

another "a" starting/ending name - alia (ALL-ee-uh). it's my sister's middle name. my dad picked it out of dune, one of his favourite books.

sorry, husbands. i just read that her first daughter is from her first marraige and the other two children she had with her current spouse.

also - on a couple of names mentionedabove: i quite like lucius and i *love* heidi. i tried to get my sister to use this one earlier this year when she had her daughter but she didn't like it at all.

...thought you might comment on that suggestion Valerie ;-) I don't know I just thought Valerie might be the next logical step after all the talk of Violet, Vivian and the general resurgence in popularity of the letter 'V', might be wrong though...

Isla isn't popular in the UK but it certainly is trendy (entered top 100 at last year) - actually Elly was bang on UK trend with the names she put forward, think: Mia, Freya (no. 23!), Erin, Scarlett, Poppy, Keira, Imogen, Maisie, Matilda, Sienna, Amelie, Maya... (Go figure where the inspiration for Sienna, Keira and Scarlett comes from!)

Isla is pretty, but I think it might get lost in the sea of Ellas, Ellies, Lilas and Lilys out there already.

Annie: I LOVE Jasper.

Well Harry isn't so popular, but Harry is a nickname for Henry, which has shot up.

I think we'll definitely see more Hermiones, and I think that the Ginny influence, combined with people looking to honor Jennifers as they get older and become aunts and then grandmothers, plus the rise of Ava and Eva, will contribute to a boom in Genevieve. (which stinks; Genevieve is tops on my list.)

Well, Katharine, it's taken me a LONG time to like my name. As a kid in the 60's/70's in England, it felt really dated (and we didn't have the 80's surge of Valeries). As for my middle name, Rose, well that was just one more thing to get teased about! So it's taking me a while to absorb the fact that both those names are really popular now. In fact someone commented on here the other day that Rose was too common a middle name! Valerie is heading way up the SSA charts now, so we'll be seeing a lot of little ones with that name soon. Maybe I'll be seen as being ahead of the curve! I actually really like both my names now, thank goodness!

I've seen quite a few little Dutch girls called Valerie, if that's any indication of anything!

Christiana, congratulations, very excited for you and hope all is well. Definitely hoping you have a boy so you can go on and have boy no 2 called Judah.

I loved that JK Rowling told us at the end of HP7 about the names of future generations (Spolier if you haven;t read it yet...) anyone know where Hugo and Rose came from? Perhaps after their parents?

Anna, I love Athena--rare combo of strong and pretty. How can you be teased when you're named after a goddess?

Keren, I don't know where Hugo and Rose came from, but I read that the original epilogue contained a listing of all the babies born in the 19 years to all the characters. Since JK didn't use it, she's considering publishing a Harry Potter encyclopedia at some point to use this and all the other stuff from her notes. It would be exciting to see all those names.

I too lament the fact that Bellatrix is such a nasty character. I wonder at its derivation? I know Bella means beautiful, but what of the rest?

As to Hugo and Rose - I thought she just took the parents'names' Initials for the childrens names (do I make sense?) Hermione > Hugo, Ron > Rose.

Nothing wrong with the name Valerie, but it really isn't likely to "take off" in the USA any time soon because it was too recently popular. Valerie was among the top 100 names for girls born in the USA between 1951 and 1987. There are just too many Valeries now in the 30s and 40s for the name to sound like a good one for a baby girl to most American parents. My guess is that the recent upward trend in Valerie on the SSA list is primarily the result of its adoption by recent Hispanic immigrants for their USA-born daughters, just as Jennifer and Ashley have recently had upsurges in that community. But my own bet is that the non-Hispanic population won't return to it soon.

Christiana~Why not Judah for a little girl? I know a little girl called Lukah -- Judah it is like the more contemporary version of Judith or Judy etc. I like it....

Christiana-Please don't know name your daughter Judah. It is a very masculine name and we don't need any more male names becoming feminine. sorry Hillary.

Anna-Good point about Hugo and Rose being the same initials.

[SPOILER] I agree with Anna on the Hugo/Rose thing, and think Rose is probably meant to match Lily.

Judah seems too masculine to me as well (Lion of Judah and all that), though thanks for the suggestion, Hillary.

I've been running into situations where I like the nn better than the full name, and I really don't want to do that. I hated that my parents called me exclusively "Christy" for most of my life. I want to interchange between say Kate and Catherine back and forth so she knows what her true name is and that she always have options. I always liked the nn Maddie but don't really care for Madeline and think Madison is too popular, etc.

Christiana - what about Mattie as a nn for Martha or Matilda? Sounds like Maddie - classic formal names that are not as popular as Madeline/Madison.

Anna - I love Athena. I really like many of the Greek/Roman god & goddess names as I think they're a mix of familiar and classical. My present favorite is Hebe(I called my little chocolate oriental kitten that).
I can understand Joanne Rowling using less common names in her writing while the more usual for her her children. Apart from Jessica, the others have been born once she was famous - anything else to make them stand out is going to be undesirable. Also she's not naming them alone - their father had a say too and maybe he went for the more usual. I love using interesting names for my pets and also in my writing though - it's a chance to live with names you love.
Isla was a name popular at the end of the 1900's - once of my great aunts was an Isla, so I guess it's due for a resurgence.
Christiana - the problem with Maddie is every second little girl is Madison/Madeleine and called Maddie for short. Mattie would be better or even Millie. I personally would steer away from the whole group.

Christiana, I think Magdalena and Madigan are the up and coming alternatives to Madeline & Madison, if that's any help. Addie would also be a cute nickname - Addison, Adeline, Adelaide, Adelia.

Author Brian Jacques gets my vote in the category of Best Baby Name Books Disguised as Novels. A sample of woodland creatures noble enough to name your child after:
Matthias, Mariel, Julian, Ambrose, Abram, Meriam, Verity, Clarissa. Or for something out of the ordinary, Auma, Aubretia, Emalet, Windred, Arven, Jodd, Vale.
There are scores upon dozens of good names in these books, so do read them to your children - and be prepared to take notes.

Tansey: It's so weird that you should mention Hebe because it's a name I've had swimming around my brain all week - having met an adorable little Hebe at the weekend (sister of Georgia, Layla and Angus just in case anyone is interested!)...

Thanks for your input on the subject of 'Valerie' Cleveland Kent Evans - no doubt you are right considering that girls names do seem to have 100 year cycles (see Tansey's comment re. the resurgence of Isla)

Off the top of my head I reckon some uber trendy names set to get much bigger in the UK include: Lila/Lyla, Lexie, Willow, Libby, Iris, Clara, Violet, Lucia, Pearl, Ivy, Flora, Anya and Esme but I haven't checked any of the data on these names so I could be way off the mark... any thoughts guys??

I agree with Tansey that Rowling's children's names are not that suprising. I also think that there is a strong difference in naming a child and naming a character in a story. The biggest is that you know exactly how your character is going to be and so can pick a name to fit the personality. You can't do that with a child.

Christina: my husband and I have debated whether it makes sense to name a child one thing with the intention of calling them something else. I want to be okay with the full version of the name as well as any nicknames I might like. However, in our current name debate, I have wavered as finding the right name between us is still a struggle. I'm due in September, so I really wish it would get resolved soon.

This is off-topic, but I really like the new blocked-name feature on Nymbler. Thanks a lot, Laura!

One step further for the blocked-name idea is sort of an anti-inspiration list, to give Nymbler an idea of what we're not looking for.

Now, onto playing with the new and improved Nymbler. :D

Just a note from the trendiest neighborhood in San Francisco: In the 3-and-under set I know we have an Isla! And an Isa! And an Oona! And a Leila! And even a Pica! And on the playground: Avas and Maeves and Charlottes and oh my god, more Sophias and Ellies and Lilys than you can imagine.

My favorite unexpected playground encounter: Faye. As in Dunaway. On a 15-month old. I was completely charmed, seriously.

Beth - You made me laugh. And you could easily be at my playground here in Boston with all the names you listed (with the exceptions of Isa, Oona and Pica). Do you ever get the feeling that people are trying too hard? I can't get on board with Faye, although I appreciate its simplicity and the fact that it doesn't end in -a. Wait, now that I think of it, it kind of does!!!!! But you know what I mean. There's no singsong quality to it. Refreshing.

Re: the origins of the name Bellatrix, it's a star in the constellation Orion. And lo and behold, I googled it and apparently derives from the Latin meaning
"Female Warrior." Wow...that suits the character perfectly.

I'm no classicist, but I'm guessing the "bella" part of Bellatrix isn't for beautiful...but warlike, as in the words "bellicose" and "antebellum."

Ooops, the last post was mine- answering sls's question. I didn't mean to falsely impersonate anyone...I wasn't polyjuiced or anything, I swear!

sls-
the "bella" of Bellatrix would make sense as warlike, because bella is Latin for "wars" (the singular being bellum).

Pica? Isn't that the condition that pregnant women get that causes them to want to eat dirt and laundry starch?! Egads. Maybe the poor mom was swilling all sorts of rubbish while pregnant and wanted to stick it to her daughter!

Thanks, MOLLY, for pointing out what Athena means to some of us now: Battlestar Galactica. There are some nice choices on the show, including one that is a frontrunner for the baby I am now carrying. Somebody is gonna go there and name a kid Caprica, I just know it. ;-)

Thanks to all of you for defending Judah as a masculine name. It is not a "contemporary" take on Judith et al; it's a very old traditional name for males. It would just be giving a girl another boy name. I really loved how the "Beyond Jennifer & Jason" crew summed it up with the chapter title: A Girl Named Boy.

Beth: Is Isa EE-sa or AIGH-sa? Is Pica PEE-ka or Paigh-ka? If the second, I wonder if she/he is named after the measurement (like inch, centimeter, etc.). I think it might be used in graphic arts or something. I think Faye is a great name too!

Yes, I see loads of names coming from Battelstar Galactice. Sigh...I miss that show.

Are there really that many Lilys? I know the numbers on the SS but I haven't met any yet. I live in southern CA if that matters.

Faye does sound very refreshing.

Speaking of the name Valerie, I met one today....She was twelve. I don't see it coming back any time soon.

Anna-Was it you who was thinking about A names? I'd love to sell someone on this board on Adair. I think it's so beautiful.
I do think Valerie is coming back, but I prefer Verity, which someone mentioned above. I think it's an up and comer in Britain, so it will probably end up here soon.
This is a totally self-serving philosophy, as the mother of a Jack and a Henry, but I really don't think of names as trendy unless they're both uber popular and relatively new. Even though I know gobs of Sophies it doesn't strike me as trendy or grate on my ears, like say Addison (no offense intended to anyone). It kind of pains me to hear gorgeous classics like Charlotte and Clara called trendy. Of course, some people love being trendy-maybe it's just my negative interpretation of the word!
Beth-Your playground sounds very cool to me. Mine is still full of Jalens and Mackenzies, although today Jack played with a little Davey, which I found darling. Take care all.

As a fellow palindrome and graceful one, Anna, allow me to push "Aviva," too. I've known several, all Uh-VEE-Vuh.

On another note, given the surfeit of the short-and-sweet names favoring "ah" endings, does anyone think Ida is due for a revival? I've loved the name ever since I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books in the second and third grades. (Of course, had you asked me to name a pair of boys in my elementary school years, I'd inevitably have suggested "Almanzo" and "Gilbert"; sentimental favorites, then, might not be the best bet.)

If anyone tries to co opt Judah as a girl's name I will have to come and sort them out. This is my son's name! Don't go there! It's a big butch strong man's name!

Jude however is completely unisex.

Another V name which seems to be up and coming is Vienna - my friend just named her baby Vienna Susanna Eve...despite me pointing out the sausage connection. Baby is now nicknamed Sausage. "I' girls names are also up andcoming - not just Isabelle, but also Iona, Isis and Isadora. Can't see Ida catching on though - it looks a bit unfinished.

More names to add to Katherine's list of trendy UK girl babies: Mia and Maya.

Oh I do hope JK Rowling publishes all the names for the future generations...can't wait.

Just re-read Laura's original post...Harry's really popular in the UK.

Like a number of other people, I thought Kingsley sounded the most fitting with todays trends from the HP names on that list. I don't think Arabella is too far off, either, especially because most think of the character as "Mrs. Figg" instead of "Arabella." I love the name Bellatrix, but I think there's a bit of a conflict between JKR having made an unusual name more familiar (and it's one that could have the very popular Bella nickname) and her having given it a very bad association. It reminds me of Beatrix, which I would be surprised to see rise quickly one day soon.

One of my favorite names from Book 7 was Xenophilius - how fitting, and not TOO obvious.

I, too, have wondered about Hugo and Rose. I figure Hugo is just in the Weasley tradition of rather old-fashioned names, but Rose...it could be in the Lily-Petunia vein, but why would someone who's not Harry name a kid after Harry's grandparents' naming theme?

J&H's mum - thanks for suggesting Adair. What kind of name is it, actually? Is it a boy's name? Where does it come from?
Hannah - I really like Aviva, that's definitely on my list now.
Also, I really like Faye! I never thought about that one before.

All this talk of novelists launching names (love your comment kristi re "Best Baby Name Books Disguised as Novels"-- clever!) made me think of Mazo de la Roche.

Remember her-- Canadian author of the "Whiteoaks of Jalna" saga. Marvelous potboilers about Anglo-Irish "Philip and Adeline Whiteoak" who settled on Lake Ontario west of Toronto, and spawned a dynasty and a series of eventful, sometimes lurid and often witty books. Names therein:

Renny Whiteoak (chief male protaganist)

Piers and Pheasant (star-crossed couple-- love their names)

Finch and Eden (two brothers!)

Wakefield-- called "Wake" for short

cousin "Malahyde"-- and he was as bad as his name

Tons and tons more that I can't remember. The ancestral house on the shores of Lake Ontario was "Jalna"-- I think named after the hill station in India where Philip Whiteoak had spent part of his military career...

P.S. Does anyone know how to pronounce "Mazo"?

have to rant a little to my fellow name nerds... i may have said before - i work at a liberal private day school and i was just going through the list on students enrolled for the coming year and came across the a name that drives me crazy. i'm changing the exact name (a la dear abby), but it's the same idea - david davidson. as in first name david, last name davidson.
i realize that parents have real, solid reasons for choosing names, even if it's simply that they love it, but i just don't understand this one.

Spoiler...

Regarding Bellatrix - many of the names of the House of Black are the names of star constellations - Bellatrix's nephew is Draco and his son is Scorpious.

To who ever made the point about Genevieve to honour aunts and grandmas called Jennifer- nice one. I think there's another- Linnea to honour grandma Lynns. I know of two at least.

Re: Charlotte- is tremendously popular in the UK at the moment, much more so than Alice, Elizabeth or Jane (but slightly less popular than Emily, Sophie and Lucy). It's the spike in popularity that makes it feel trendy- Elizabeth at the same level of popularity as Charlotte probably wouldn't feel trendy, as it's never really been out of the top 50, while Jane would, since it's been out of the top names for so long. I agree that it's still a classic, though!

Kathleen, yes, Xenophilius has the X-factor (pun intended) and is unusual, but I hope people don't name their child "strange lover." ;-)
Xeno on its own would just mean "strange."

Does anyone know about Basque names? Many of them are in the X and Z families, like my own Xavier, which is also Basque (not Spanish or French as many believe) and I think could break out. One I like is "Zorion," but am unsure of the pronunciation. Is "zoh-RY-an," rhymes with the constellation Orion, or is it "ZOR-ee-an"?

Fiona, don't forget Bellatrix's other relatives, Sirius and Regulus Arcturus Black. Scorpius fits in the trend while upholding the Malfoy's Slytherin tradition, as that house is very very Scorpionic, just as Gryffindor is quite the Leo lair.

Molly, yes, James Jameson, Robert Robertson, Jack Jackson, William Williamson, John Johnson, Steven Stevenson, Svan Svansson--all equally horrible. ;-)

I thought of a few Harry Potter characters with wonderful names that I don't think have been mentioned yet:

Wilbert Slinkhard,
Penelope Clearwater,
Prof Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank,
Madam Poppy Pomfrey,
Urquhart Rockharrow,
Araminta Meliflua,
Morag Macdougal,
Minerva Mcgonagall and
Rowmena Ravenclaw...

Random aside: There is a news reader on BBC radio 2 who's name always makes me smile and imagine that she would be better placed as the cookery teacher in Hogwarts, her name - Fenella Fudge! :-)

My surname is David and my parents swear that they were prepared to call my sister David had she been a boy..she had a lucky escape.

I adore the name Isla. I think that the slightly tricky spelling vs pronunciation keeps it out of the hideously popular realms and back with the super sophisticated names.

Here's a report from the baby-naming front lines:

I had a my daughter on July 6 and named her Clara Rosalie. Other couples in my birth classes, etc named their girls Freya, Fallon, and Arabelle; boys are Ayden, Carter, and Tucker.

Just thought you fellow name freaks might be interested! :-p

Leia_ Thanks! Where are you located?

My first post here, though I'm a regular visitor. I just wanted to say thanks for the discussion of HP names. I haven't yet read all the books, but I love the names -- perfect for the world that JKR has created. She definitely has what a novelist friend calls "the gift of names."

Also want to put a word in for Valerie. This was my mother's name, and almost unheard of when her parents gave it to her. I don't know what inspired them, but I've always thought it was gorgeous.

I've never met an Isla, but I see this name so often on name discussion boards that I won't be surprised to see it take off soon. It seems to fit the Ava-Emma pattern of being short and sweet, and starting and ending with a vowel.

Anna-

What about Althea? The name means healer and is also a kind of flower...plus you have that Grateful Dead song "Althea" which has beautiful lyrics, imo. I've heard it pronounced AL-thea in the UK and Al-THEA in the US.

Keren: Sausage baby cracks me up! Although, besides that, Vienna does seem a natural one--between the place names and Sienna.

Re: Xenophilia: Xeno means strange as in foreign right? Like xenophobia?

Leia-Not to encourage competitive parenting, but you so did the best! Congratulations, btw!
On Adair-I don't know where I heard it, but it was on my girl list, and my mom's best friend has a new grandaughter with the name.
But, I just looked it up, and apparently it's a boy's name derived from Edgar.
So, now I'm torn. I can't really advocate stealing "boys' names," given my well documented opposition to this practice, but it still sounds like a pretty girl's name to me.

Rebekah - I'm in NC.

J&H's mom - Thanks! I did my best!

On Adair - It does sound like a beautiful girls name. But, I've recently become a convert to the practice of honoring the history of a name. I used to think Avery and Emory sounded good for girls, too, but the more I mull them the more I can't get over their traditional maleness. I do, however, like Elliott for a girl--maybe because of the "Scrubs" character?

Welcome, Leia! I am also in NC. I haven't yet met girls with any of those names here, but I do know a TON of boys named both Aidan (etc.) and Carter.

Have you all heard that the Duggars (a famously prolific family in Arkansas) had another baby? Little Jennifer Danielle joined the family yesterday. Here are her siblings' names and ages (from CNN):

"All of Jennifer's siblings also have names that start with J. They are: Joshua, 19; John David, 17; Janna, 17; Jill, 16; Jessa, 14; Jinger, 13; Joseph, 12; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 9; Jedidiah, 8; Jeremiah, 8; Jason 7; James 6; Justin, 4; Jackson, 3; Johannah, almost 2."

Anna, would you consider the simple and classic name Adele? I really like it - for me it is an alternative to Alice with the same root meaning.

So funny that the name Faye came up! My best friend is pregnant and just ran this frontrunner by me the other day! So how about Blythe, another contender?

Regarding Isla: I love this name. For me, it's a nice alternative to Iris, which I love but can't use due to the "s" ending. It's true, Isla is being thrown about quite a bit lately. But it may be that, like Esme and Isadora, Isla is in wide consideration, but not too many are taking the plunge.

I generally agree with Jack & Henry's Mom: classic names can have resurgences without being trendy. My feeling is that trendy implies that a name is newly and fleetingly fashionable but does not have staying power - that it will sound very dated at some point soon.

Names like Sophie or Henry are, I think, most fairly described as currently very popular. Trendy, to me, are the "ens" for instance, or Madison or Nevaeh.

Concerning Genevieve as a tribute to auntie and Grandma Jennifers: Guinevere is another likely alternative.

Guinevere is, I believe, the original Jennifer. Jennifer was once a little-known Cornish spelling of Guinevere.

Robin-

Yes, "xeno" does mean strange or foreign and "philia" means "lover of," so Xenophilius translates to something like "lover of strange things," which I think is the perfect name for someone like Luna's dad. It was my favorite new name in Book 7 as well.

Building on the Vienna sausage connection, howabout a strong place name like Bratislava for the next little girl, nickname Brats? :) heh
And, a challenge for anyone who wants the "original" spelling of Guinevere in Welsh, it is Gwenhwyfar. Which, to me, looks infinitely more alluring then Guinevere.

Also, does anyone know how the other ethnic names from Potter fare? Is Parvati popular or out of date? Is Cho the height of fashion or so 1980s?

In searching for baby names, I found this site and was compelled to read all of your posts due to the JKR link (I'm a huge HP fan!). I am having a boy in October and (like some of the other expectant mothers who posted above) am having an awful time choosing a name. I had a ton of girls names that I liked, but not so many boy names. I really want a solid name that sounds like a name - not what I consider "new names" that are so popular currently (ie. Aiden). I also want a name that is somewhat uncommon, since my last name is very common, and would like a nickname-able name. I am leaning towards Augustus and am interested in your opinion - what do you think? Do you see this becoming popular in the near future? I really like Jack, but couldn't use it due to the popularity. I would, incidentally, like to use a HP name, but haven't found one that I'm crazy about (really like Ginny if I was having a girl) - I thought about Lucius, but came to the same conclusion as above - Luscious - but also, he's so evil! Thanks.

Just found this on "What's in a name?" website (http://www.theninemuses.net/hp/faq.html): JKR said in an interview that she got Hermione's name from Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale".

Sarah- What a strong name! Do you have a nickname in mind for Augustus? In terms of HP names, I've always been rather fond of Percival. (Or, and here's a somewhat out-there suggestion inspired by the discussion of Athena, in the style of Augustus there's the name Perseus with the nickname Percy)

Poor old Jinger in the family of J's. He/she drew the short straw.

Gus short for Augustus is rather nice.

Remember there's a not very attractive Percy character in HP. Percival is a bit of a joke name in the UK - a posh twit's name. Also Percy can be used to mean a penis.

I love the name Sirius, but it sounds too much like Serious to use for a real person.

Just want to add my very favourite name from Dickens - Uriah Heep.

I think the analogy of Dickens and Rowling is brilliant.

Just want to add my very favourite name from Dickens - Uriah Heep.

I think the analogy of Dickens and Rowling is brilliant.

Adair is lovely, and doesn't shout male or female to me--but if its male history is a problem for you, maybe try "Ada" instead? Another one, like Ida, that's rarely heard, but fits the trends (it's just one letter from Ava, can't get much trendier than that).

Speaking of V names, I'm wondering when "Vera" is due for a revival. It's short, easy to pronounce, lovely meaning (truth), and it doesn't suggest any obvious nicknames (unless you're Russian, and then she's little Veruschka), got the zippy V in front and the comfortable A ending... but I went to Kindergarten with a Vera in the 1970s, so maybe it's still got a few decades.

Anna, what about Aria? - it's along the Ava, Athena line, sounds strong yet feminine, is short and breezy in style and begins and ends in a vowel...

The same could be said for Ada, Avia, Alia, Alina, Aurora, Ayla and Anya (but that's probably too close to Anna)

I was thinking Gus for Augustus. I don't care for Percy (the character) in HP, and that really affects my opinion of the name. I also like Sirius, but don't know if I could use it for a child. I like Cedric too, but think of Cedric the entertainer and it looses some of the appeal. I named my dog Tonks!