The Baby Name Wizard

Those choices are way different from my list, but I never expected to win anyway! As for the Emily/Emma comment, neither of those names were on my falling list, but I chose Jacob as a falling star for the same reason Laura intuited. It's been on top for so long that I feel like it's time for something else to elbow it out of the number 1 slot.

Also, I can't believe I missed Britney for a falling star. Duh squared.

I'm curious about the Max vote as well. Anecdotally, it makes sense to me because I have heard of a lot of Max babies born recently (including J-Lo, right?). I don't understand, though, why parents are choosing the name ranked #1 (I think) for a dog. Not a big deal & it is a great name, but not one I plan to "steal" from anyone!

Well I didn't vote officially. I had many choices and couldn't decide. I don't have any past experience in voting since I am new to the boards over the past few months. So anyway, here are my thoughts for all the world to see just so we can compare when the names get released. Who knows-maybe I will have some right.

Risers=Rowan; Ari; Holden; Celeste; Aubree; Adeline
These have been on the radar on these boards for the last few months. So if fellow posters are any indication of the general population then these should be going up!
Fallers:Crystal;Ariel;Monica
I know these aren't popular right now but I think they will fall even more!

As the mother of an 11 month old Max, I'm neither psyched or surprised about it being the #1 dog name. I'm more bummed about the flurry of celebrity Maxs recently - i.e. JLo and Christina Aguilera. Between those and the prominence of Max on the list here, I'm just hoping Max doesn't become the new "Matt"! (Anyway, keep up the good work Wizard! I can't wait to buy the updated edition!)

I had a couple of the risers and fallers on my list, but it wasn't really right on with the rest of the list Laura posted. I am most shocked to see Miley on the list of risers. Perhaps it is my own hatred of the machine that Disney has made out of this little girl (Ms. Cyrus). I was least suprised to see Max on the rising list. Even in my hipster circles this name has been very popular (usually with a given Maximus or Maxwell). Not only is it rising in the general population, but star power (as mentioned above) is really igniting this stagnant name.

Zoerhenne:

I certainly agree with you that I've been seeing all your risers on naming boards. However, I sometimes hesitate to consider that the majority of naming trends. I think most of us out here in naming land are looking for unique names that are still stylish and fresh for the little ones. I loved all the names on your rising list...I just don't know if they will be huge risers this year.

huh. I've loved Max for years but thought it was rising already so hadn't considered it for DS-in-utero. I hadn't realized it was stable! Yes, its a dog name but so are Zoe and Chloe (at least among my friends) and there are plenty of little girls with those names.

Yesterday I looked at the children's names in Iris's preschool--there was a Callum, a Max, a Sebastian, a Colin, a Leopold, an Augustina and a host of other NE type names (as I associate them). There is only one Brayden. Apparently there are a bunch of NE there.

So I think I might have put Callum on my rising list, if I'd made one!

I don't think I picked any of those names *~* Oh, well.

What did everyone guess about Delilah's ranking? I guessed 425.

I didn't vote, but I agree with the assessment of these names. I know loads of boys named Max, and I could easily see Lila(h) taking off in my neighborhood. And although the girls who are most tapped into the Miley machine aren't having kids anytime soon, the name is present enough for adults to be aware of it too (even adults without kids currently).

Angela - Rihanna has actually broken the UK top 100, as of 2007! It's hovering around in the late 90s. Eek.

Miley definitely looks like a safe bet... unless it's too much associated with the one celebrity; that could stop it in its tracks, especially seeing as much has been made of her originating the name and now officially changing to it. Hmm, we shall see!

Likewise, I haven't checked this, but I would have thought that Britney had already began its descent years ago. Brittany and its variants surely peaked a good fifteen years ago, and the emergence of Miss Spears and her distinctive spelling in 1999 might have killed off Britney because it was so tied to her, even though at first she had a good public image.

^^
Actually, what am I blathering about! If there are people naming their children Rihanna, I guess anything goes! Or perhaps Rihanna is not quite as famous as the other two, maybe?

Amber M--I also guessed 425 for Delilah's 2007 ranking.

I'll be shocked if I get any of my choices right. My track record over the last two years has been dismal. I think that my exposure to different naming styles is just too limited for me to really have a clue what the country at large is doing.

I made my predictions and while some of them are on the BNW popular list and some aren't I tried to look at names that were a bit further down the list from years past. My rationale? Names in the top 10 or 20 don't move in giant leaps and bounds but names in the lower echelons of the list only need a small change in numbers to see huge movement up or down the list. I guess we will see how I did huh?

I voted right when Laura put the survey up and I don't even remember what I voted for anymore!
I definitely had Britney as a faller, I also had Lindsay as falling based on the shenanigans of Lindsay Lohan this year...
I may have had Miley as rising but I'm not sure.
I don't remember what I guessed for Delilah either! I'd better start writing these things down....

Wow, Max seemed fresh among my baby-having hipster friends about 5 years ago, and decidedly stale now. Maxwell, on the other hand, seems to be a new twist.

I'll vote for Miley, on the same theory that made Barack win last year. It's not that the name is immediately getting slapped onto hordes of kids, but it's distinctive enough that there will be a date-stamped peak somewhere along the line...

Interesting. My list was Adeline, Adelaide and Evelyn up. I thought about Addison, but it really shot up last year out of nowhere, and since this is done by percentages, I don't think it can go much higher. Same thing with Ava - it's been rising, and it is already #5. How much higher can it really go? Adeline seemed like a good choice for following Madeline up the charts, and Adelaide came out of nowhere last year but results in the popular nickname Addy, so it seemed a good candidate.

I think most Miley Cyrus fans aren't of childbearing age yet, if my 10yo cousin is any way to judge. I think that name will show up more in future years.

Lila is a good choice, but the only downside I see for a huge jump is all the Layla and Leila spelling options.

Max and Britney never really got that popular to begin with, so when you measure using percentages, I don't think there's going to be much change in either case.

Ashley started its precipitous fall a good 6-7 years ago, so while I agree that it is falling, I think it has already seen its biggest drop.

Emma is still going up, while Emily is on its way down, but I don't think there's going to be a huge change this year because they are so similar and also Amelia is still rising.

My down votes went to Madison, Olivia and Kaitlyn. Madison's time is just about over, but whether it will drop this year or next, I can't really guess. Kaitlyn has already started to fall gradually, but I'm seeing so many fewer requests for opinions on ALL of the Kay-names, that I think it's going to fall very soon. Olivia seems to be about done, too. That's the big one I think I might be wrong about.
I voted Madison

Interesting. My list was Adeline, Adelaide and Evelyn up. I thought about Addison, but it really shot up last year out of nowhere, and since this is done by percentages, I don't think it can go much higher. Same thing with Ava - it's been rising, and it is already #5. How much higher can it really go? Adeline seemed like a good choice for following Madeline up the charts, and Adelaide came out of nowhere last year but results in the popular nickname Addy, so it seemed a good candidate.

I think most Miley Cyrus fans aren't of childbearing age yet, if my 10yo cousin is any way to judge. I think that name will show up more in future years.

Lila is a good choice, but the only downside I see for a huge jump is all the Layla and Leila spelling options.

Max and Britney never really got that popular to begin with, so when you measure using percentages, I don't think there's going to be much change in either case.

Ashley started its precipitous fall a good 6-7 years ago, so while I agree that it is falling, I think it has already seen its biggest drop.

Emma is still going up, while Emily is on its way down, but I don't think there's going to be a huge change this year because they are so similar and also Amelia is still rising.

My down votes went to Madison, Olivia and Kaitlyn. Madison's time is just about over, but whether it will drop this year or next, I can't really guess. Kaitlyn has already started to fall gradually, but I'm seeing so many fewer requests for opinions on ALL of the Kay-names, that I think it's going to fall very soon. Olivia seems to be about done, too. That's the big one I think I might be wrong about.
I voted Madison

I actually think Miley will rise this year, not later when Miley Cyrus fans become of childbearing age... because people don't name their children AFTER celebrites (not many people are really that shallow, right?). But they do hear a name thrown around alot, in a glamorous context, and they think, why have I never thought of THAT name... it's so pretty? And they use it, but decidedly NOT because of the celebrity. They even tell people, "She's not named after Miley Cyrus, we just thought it was such a cute name!"

That was supposed to be "a lot." Not "alot." And looking back, sorry for all the CAPS.

I did a few google searches and I now agree with the Max voters. 3 celebrity couples chose it recently- J Lo & Marc, Trista & Ryan, Christina & Jordan. Not sure the exact birth dates, but I decided to look into the "lag time" between when a celebrity baby name is announced and when it catches on with the public. I was interested that Violet Affleck was born in the fall, but I think still contributed to the huge jump for that name the same year. Same is true for Ava (Reese's daughter) and Ava (Heather Locklear's daughter).

Ok... update... so J Lo's Max was born in 2008. She and Marc are the biggest celebrities of the three couples mentioned, with the added bonus of their widespread popularity with our ever-growing Hispanic population in the US. So I think Max will rise much more in 2008 as it gains cross-cultural appeal.

I got distracted trying to think of names that would break the top 1,000 this year... then I got distracted by pretty girl name "foreign imports". So I chose Aislyn, Isla & Matilda.... but I'm not at all sure about any of them.

I am really surprised that Henry didn't make the list. Baby Henrys seem to be everywhere right now, just like Max. I would also have said Finn was a riser.

I find it interesting that girls names were tipped to rise or fall as compared to boys names. I know the top 10 boys names are pretty static compared to girls but I would have thought the Hayden/Jayden/Braden/Aiden trend might have played out now. Surely Aiden must decline at some stage.

i didn't fill out a ballot, but if had i would have put henry on there; seems like every time i turn around i hear a mom calling on her little henry.

what other name boards do people read? i haven't been able to find any decent ones.

I know a Miley that was born this week!!! Actually, it is spelled "Mylee." Does that still count?

I thought Henry and Liam would've made the list. Mason too.
For girls, I'd say Amelia, Ruby, Miley, Matilda...

Did anyone venture to vote on a rising name that is not yet in the top 1000? I put a bet on Ellery showing up in the top 1000 for girls.

If I had to guess an name that might break into the top 1,000 names in the next few years, I would say Lois. It sounds similar to Iris, and "L" is a trendy first letter. Plus, it never really fell totally out of view because of Lois Lane. Additionally, it is actually a Biblical name, which might make it more appealing to some parents.

I've a question for the readers of this blog... Would it be weird, nowadays, to name a boy John and call him Jack? Or would that confuse people? Is it still pretty well accepted that Jack is a nickname for John, or do you think most people feel that Jack is either its own name or a nickname for Jackson?

I think that John, nn Jack is still pretty accepted. I know one who is in Kindergarten this year and I don't think that he has encountered any confusion. i think most people don't know how Jack got started as a nn for John, but they are aware of it. Maybe because of the fame of John/Jack Kennedy.

Kristine, I would ditto what C and C's Mom said. Although, "Jack" is now often given as an independent name, TRENDILY, most people still know it is a nickname for "John" CLASSICALLY. To me, "John" is a lustrous, handsome, trend-proof name, like "Peter" and a few other stalwarts.

None of the rising or falling names Ms. W. mentions appeal to me in the least. I can never guess what will be the next "new" name, given that so much of current pop culture interests me almost not at all.... Not that I don't sneak a read at "People" or "US" magazine whenever the spirit moves!

There was some show on triplets and twins yesterday, and three little boys were furiously finger-painting. These hapless triplets had been dubbed "Parker", "Peyton" and "Preston"! Funny-- I love surname names when they have personal meaning for the people giving them, but naming three brothers three generic, increasingly used surnames, all with the same initial letter, does grate...

Which makes me wonder, if you had triplets to name, what would you name them? My guess is that most people on this blog would choose harmonious-but-distinct-from- one-another names. Anyone?

If _I_ had triplet boys to name tomorrow they would be William, George and Charles. No doubt. Girls might be Catherine, Vivian and ???. Louise? Did I pass? :)

Eo: If I had 3 girls, they would be Margaret, Dorothy, and Vivian (or Florence, depending on the day)

3 boys would be Frederick, Theodore, and Peter.

If I were having triplets, I think that I would be in such a panic that names might be the last thing on my mind. It's hard enough to come up with a name for one baby at a time (in fact, I'm expecting baby #3 at the end of July and we haven't had any substantial conversations about names yet!) :)

Goodness, my DH and I are having such a hard time finding one name for our daughter (ETA early August), if we had to find 3 names there wold be total panic in our household!

I suggested Eloise a couple of threads ago, which seemed to divide people. I like it because it is slightly unusual, has some easy nn (Ella, Lou), it isn't in itself very popular but it is recognisable at the same time, and because I enjoyed reading the letters of Heloise and Abelard (I found her intelligent, kind and funny). Also my DH has agreed that he doesn't hate it. Most people against the name had an old lady association or a story book association.

Well, I'm on the Ava and Miley bandwagon (though I'm beginning to think I should have voted Mylee, as that's the spelling I've seen most often in recent months). The third riser was possibly Lila. Or Lilah, Layla, Leila, and I cannot for the life of me remember. Oh well!

For fallers I know I picked Talan, one of the fast risers from last year, because it seemed so tied to minor pop culture of 2007, but I'm actually seeing a lot of that one (in various respellings), so that was probably wishful thinking.

As for triplets, I don't know- Jane, Margot and Edith? Ingrid? Frances? Ellen?

Eo,

Jonathan, Nicholas, Benjamin

Elizabeth, Caroline, Jerusha

UK Telegraph announcement triplets, 2006 & 2007:

Harry, Oliver, Jasper

Imogen, Olivia, Annabel

Chloe, Bernard, Allegra

Fantasy triplets...

Gabriel, Jacob and Malachi
Verity, Mira and Anna

Scrub my female triplets, they need some more thought. I'm going to sleep on it!

I have a five year old Max (Maximilian, actually) so I'm guilty, I guess. For one of the earlier commentators, I would point out that this pet name list received a lot of press lately, but I can't say that most parents think to check into pet names before choosing a baby name.

My husband and I actually had a different name chosen for our son, but when we saw him, we just thought "Max." I do often run into other Maxes so I'm not surprised that it is popular. I have three children, and he was the only one with a name I didn't check on the SS list (because we didn't have it in mind), and the only child that I've run into other children with his name. So my other two are not so popular choices.

My theory on the Max dog popularity is that it is a result of all of us who grew up watching The Grinch That Stole Christmas. To pull from another Laura article, I think Max has a very likeable-guy sound to it, and that is why people are choosing it.

Just some thoughts from a mother of a Max. :)

Fantasy Triplets:

Boys: Simon, Jasper, Charles
Girls: Josephine, Eloise, Georgiana

wow, I really like the "j" sound. Didn't realize quite how much until doing this.

Wow, I don't think put any of those on my list. I thought about Max, but all the Max's born to the hollywood "A-Listers" were born in early '08, so I figured it would have it's surge later this year. I agree with the comment about trendy parents thinking it is a stale choice, so that would take it out of having a huge surge. And ditto to Miley. Most people who like the name Miley aren't really at the age they are having kids. Who knows.

I put Colton, partly because of the surge of Colt's in college football this year: Colt Brennan, Colt McCoy and Colt David. 2 were part of perennial powers from the South and 1 was the Hawaii quarterback who got lots of face time due to his Heisman run and the teams quest for 12-0. It almost seemed the quintessential Quarterback name this year...popular with Dad's who want a little athlete ala Brady in the late 90's early 00's.

I came really close to putting Pamela, due to the connection with The Office on TV. That character is cute and makes the name seem younger, so trendy parents might think of it as an offbeat choice that would conjur up a connotation other than that of an older sister or aunt. I wish I could remember what else I put. Oh well! Can't wait to see what the results truly are.

Fantasy Triplets:
girls: Elizabeth, Katherine and Margaret (Ella, Kate & Meg)
boys: Nicholas, Ryan and Charles (Nick, Ryan and Charlie)

My imaginary triplets:
Rosalind, Beatrice, Adelaide
Augustus, Theodore, Frederick (Catherine - I was interested to see that 2 of our 3 boy names overlap.)

Alexis - Eloise was one of my favorite potential baby names for awhile, but I gave up on it after my partner vetoed it.

Imaginary triplets:

Alice, Nora, and Violet

Edward, William, and James

I can't even name the one boy on the way. Triplets scare me.

I really like AK's list though (love the Ned opportunity and Nora!). and whoever's list had Gabriel. but of course, I love that name and curse its popularity!

Imaginary triplets (if I had to name them right now, without months of thought):
Liam, James and Oliver
Kate, Louise and Anna

my friend recently had triplets -- Alexander, Philip and Griffin.

if i had to name triplets, off the top of my head --
i would have a serious problem! i like names that are from a variety of style and i can't think of three of either gender that sound good together! twins would be much easier!
Harriet, Margaret and....
Chase, Burke and....
Frederick, Charles and...
Fiona, Ainsley and....
Tenley, Holland and...

The only name I had that Laura mentioned was Britney, but I took the spelling that had been in the top 10 in the '90's (Brittany), and thus had farther to fall.

Other names for fallers I had were Ann (I think it could fall completely out of the top 1000 this year) and Trinity (which had a huge jump after The Matrix came out and started on the decline last year).

For risers, I voted Eva makes a big leap in 2007. It's a name that's been climbing for years, but only had a modest gain in 2006. I also picked Evangeline, even though it had a huge rise in 2006, and a name that hasn't been in the top 1000 before and most likely won't be in the top 1000 in 2007 either.

I definitely picked Britney for a falling name and Addison as a rising name but I think those are the only ones that match the list. I didn't even think about Max as a possibility.

Triplets:
(f)--Paisley, Eleanor, and Virginia
(m)--Atticus, Gideon, and Sydney

I didn't vote. I wasn't sure since I have been out of pop culture lately.

Fantasy Triplets:

boys are easier for me-Isaac, Seth, Gideon

girls-Anneliese, Rosetta, Nesya

Fantasy triplets:

Phoebe, Aviva, Elsa
Elijah, Seth, Noah

...or a combination thereof for mixed triplets.

(Noah is my least favourite of all these so I might have to reconsider the boys...)

Double posting to say that the above names pretty much wipe out all my favourites, so I have no idea what the triplets' middles would be. But it would be such a treat to name three people all at once!

My fantasy triplets:

Girls: Greer, Avery, Honor

Boys: Heath, Wyatt, Griffin

I forgot to vote for the rising/falling names this year. I did pick Lila last year though. I actually almost named my daughter Lila - she was born last spring. Man oh man, am I ever glad that I didn't use it. I'm already sick of hearing it, along with Delilah, Leila, Lily, Livvie, Ellie, Ella, Bella, etc. We ended up choosing a name with absolutely no letter "L" in sight!

Ah, I love the imaginary triplet game. I've been doing this for years!
Girls: Josephine, Violette (or Rose) and Louise.
Boys: Oscar, Gabriel and Alistair.

When I was 14, my triplets were Ophélie, Olivia and Oscar.
At least I remain consistent with one name! Still my top pick for a son. but there is no way i'd do the matching initial thing now. Eek.
Although...the matching flowers are awfully temptingeven now:
Violet, Iris and Rose... as long as it's fantasy :)

Fantasy triplets:
Boys: Theodore (Theo), Abraham (Abe), and....perhaps Jonas?
Girls: Matilda, Ingrid, and Clara

I intended to post my imaginary triplets' names with middle names, but then I'd be thinking about this all day and I have some work to do!

I probably couldn't get my husband on board with Theodore, though. He still thinks of the chipmunks, or Theo Huxtable. It's too bad, because I adore the name, with the nickname Teddy for a baby and Theo for an older child.

What are your thoughts on Edward vs. Edmund? My grandfather's name was Edmund. Sometimes I'm in love with the name, and other times I can't get past the rough, almost gutteral sound of "mund".

Love both Edward and Edmund.

Fantasy boy triplets: Stephen, Brendan, Gabriel
Girls: Anna, Katherine, Leah

Boy, what fun triplet names. Several of my favorites have been mentioned. Triplets DO seem exponentially harder than singles or twins. But I'll make it even worse and try to throw in some middle names too!

I'll use some of my perennnial faves, which people on this board have heard before, but...

Sybil, Phoebe, Eliza

With middle names?

Sibyl Trennum
Phoebe Augusta
Eliza Nell Perry (Probably should go for the formal "Helen", but I love Nell so much and wanted to work it in...)

Barnaby, Piers, Josiah

Middles?

Barnaby Cook
Piers Wilkinson
Josiah Osborne

In true fuddy duddy fashion, I had to sprinkle in some dead relatives, both first and last names, but in fractured combos. Looking at these mixtures in aggregate, I would say I lean toward a stodgy, often British and/or Biblical style. And I like that stale, middle-aged English vibe a little too much-- I could also go for "Simon", "Hugh" and "Nigel" (or "Gordon", with a nod to my Canadian family...)

Isn't it funny how having to name multiples, can really clarify your "style" leanings? I have a much better feel for many of you, too, after hearing what you would name THREE children...

Like Keren, I keep thinking I could do better, though...

Fantasy Triplets

Boys: Finley, Roan, Julian
Girls: Charlotte, Katharine, Margaret or Sasha, Nora, Geneva

Dream triplets: Katherine (Cassy), Anne (Nancy), Cecily
Frederic (Fred/Freddie), Edward (Ned)... oh, boys are hard, and I suppose I can't really have a Fred and a Ned! Best hope for one boy triplet maximum!

Blythe - I love Margot too - a very close runner-up for my girl triplets!

Astrid - I was actually just weighing up Edward v. Edmund myself! Edward to me seems more 'wholesome', it has a sort of 'golden boy' vibe. There's something darker about Edmund, although I can't put my finger on why. Still, Edmund has been growing on me lately. I have to say, when I say it, it doesn't feel guttural at all... an accent thing perhaps? The main attraction of both names for me is the nickname Ned, is that what you are going for too?

I didn't vote but I really suspect that Nora/Norah will be growing in popularity. I live in the Indianapolis area and know 2 that have been born in the last 2 weeks. Nora Kate and Nora Caroline.

Imaginary Triplets:
Edmund, Leopold, Wilem (Ed, Leo, Wil)
Temperance, Faye, Heluna (Tempe, Faye, Luna)

Wild I know! Sadly I would suspect my DH would choose very differently so we would end up with a combo of unique and old lady and then also common and normal. Pretty sure when we have kids we will have a Prudence or Temprence (depends on the day) and a Benjamin. Sad.

Hillary-Has the show bones sway you to like the name Temprence. I never heard it before the show.

Ooh, I had to weigh in with triplet names!
To join brothers Thomas and Gabriel:

John Dominic*, Matthias, and ... Caleb? Atticus? Tobias/Tobiah?
Susanna, Therese, and ... Lydia? Juliet? Caroline? Mariah?

* Does anyone have nn ideas for John Dominic? If we have a boy, we're naming him John Dominic after family ... I love the combo, but I can't see calling him "John Dominic" all the time ... my husband won't go for calling him Dominic (and with a Thomas who's sometimes Tommy, I guess a Dominic who might sometimes be "Dom" or "Dommy" is a bad idea ...), and I don't care for Jack ... John isn't too bad, but my taste is a little more non-traditional -- I'd love an interesting nn! (Incidentally, I was interested in the Geordie/Jordy/Jordi conversation from the previous entry -- I love the name Jordy, and thought it could work as a nn for John Dominic, but my husband only thinks Star Trek, like many of you!)

PS C & C's mom -- congratulations!!!! Can't wait to hear what you name your newest little one! (I love your other kids' names!) I'm due in July too ...

Kate: You could always go with JD, unless that's too Scrubs for you.

Kate-- "John Dominic"--- nice!

Is "J.D." too obvious?

Is "Jodo" too adventurous? Pronounced "JOE- doe".

"Jed"? I like nicknames that are a combo of letters in first and middle names. In the many conversations about John we've had over time, I've also liked the nickname "Jock" and of course "Johnny" which has had a timeless charm over the centuries.

Congrats to you, and remiss congrats to long-time poster C & C's Mom! I don't know how I missed your announcement, and I'm also very interested in what you'll come up with.

Ooh, fantasy triplets.

Benedict Paulsen (Benji over Benny)
Henry Dominic or Alexander (nn Harry)
Patrick Andrew (Paddy)

Harriet Evelyn, Margaret Katherine, and Johanna Cecelia, perhaps? Molly, Jo, and Eve. Girls are harder.

Also, I'm not married so there's a whole side of family names I have yet to discover, so my hypotheticals are even more hypothetical than most.

AmyA:

Perhaps the darker connotation to Edmund is because of Chronicles of Narnia? He's the younger brother who went off with the White Witch. That's the first thing I think of when I hear Edmund anyway.

I'm rather partial to Edward. Of course, that's my hubby's first name and the first name of our future son--as it has been for the last 5 or 6 generations in my husband's family. The first-born son of the first-born son MUST be Edward. World without end, amen.

And that also explains the English-Monarchs-for-$1000-Alex quality of my imaginary triplets. It's hard to come up with two other boy names that flow well with Edward. Although I was toying with Edward, William, and Royal (Roy), but that might have been too blatant...

random notes:

I like Jed for John Dominic nn.

I also love Ned (one of our shortlisted names, well, nn). I'm not much on Edward or Edmund but I'm leaning towards Edward (and am sometimes tempted to stretch boundaries with an Edison). Edmund reminds me of that snarky kid in the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

hmmmm, I'm sensing a lot of Neds out there this year!

cross-post--clearly I'm not the only one making the Narnia connection!

Rjoy - Yes Bones has def. influenced my love for the name because I love her character. I love how independent and smart and saavy Bones is. I really enjoy that she seems to be so "in charge" of her life and could care less about love and all the "rules" that society has for women. It is fresh compared to all the lovey lovey b-s that is on the tube. I am even ok if she and Booth end up together because they have developed such a strong caring friendship. If I had a daughter like Temprence Brennan I would be proud.

Osbourne, unless it's a dear old family name, is totally shades of Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath/cheap reality TV to me. Completely, like naming your kid Elvis. Maybe if you're from a non-US/UK culture where Ozzy Osborne was never so omnipresent? I would think of it as a sibling match with Jagger & Rhett.

Obviously I am aware of the Ozzy Osbourne connection, but a little Ozzy would sound very fresh to me. Like a twist on Oscar, which I love but which is too popular for me, with extra points for zs.

Wow lots of interesting fantasy triplet combos. Mine would be:
Kimberley Elizabeth, Samantha Noelle, Cassandra Nicole
other names I would have given my girl.
Connor Jeffrey, Maxwell Alexander, Brian Zachary as these are all names I was thinking if my 2nd was boy. Don't know if hubby would approve all of them or not might switch around combos. I know he didn't really care for Connor. He loves the classic names on the girls.

Fantasy triples:

Simone, Josephine, Claudia
Glen, Frederick, Christian

btw...thoughts on Claudia? Not many I've talked to like it. I wonder what it is I'm not seeing.

Addison is rising because of that atrocious Grey's Anatomy. And as soon as that show's popularity wanes, so will the name. On the other hand, Emily might drop, but I see it as one of those names that will always be floating in or around the top 20, because it's just classic and normal. And I would have thought Ava was already up there in popularity - I know so many of them.

What about Grace? Is that one dying of overuse yet?

Sorry if this is a double:

I like Edward and Edmund both, but I prefer Edmund--I get the Narnia association, but it still sounds a touch more refined and dignified to me. Like Rosamond--very strong and proper.

Triplets?
Boys: Rowan, August, Oliver (Oliver would probably be Silas if our lns didn't start with S)

Girls: Ack! I can't even decide on ONE now. Actually, I could put together a few hypothetical lists, though--matching seems easier than picking just one:
Rosalind (Rosie), Philippa (Pippa), Sylvia (Sylvie)
Ivy, Hazel, Laurel
Averil, Fiona, Sylvia
Adele, Sylvia, Laurel

With MNs? We don't have to think of this in real life, but here are my first thoughts, off the top of my head:
Boys: Rowan Alistair, August William, Oliver James

Girls: Rosalind Ivy, Philippa June, Sylvia Fern
Ivy Eleanor, Hazel Margaret, Laurel Beatrix

KRC-- Rats, this is too interesting, and I should be cleaning my house! But it's neat that you like "Osborne". I briefly considered using it as a first name with our little guy, as it is my maiden name. One reason I didn't is, I didn't want his name to draw too much attention to itself, in a funny way, and I do believe Osborne would have.

We did give it to him as one of his middle names. I don't feel proprietary toward it-- it's out there in the public domain, fairly common, and anyone who likes it should use it. Means, among other things, "divine bear". "Ozzie/Ozzy" is a cute nickname, and there's also "Hob" or "Hobbs".

Tk, I know what you mean, but our family TOTALLY ignores the whole Ozzy Osbourne thing. Apart from the different "u" spelling, he represents I think just a tiny, quickly passing slice of popular culture.

"Osborne" has other fun associations with "Osborne House" (isn't that on the Isle of Wight?) and Queen Victoria, etc. There was rebellious English playwright ("Look Back In Anger" etc.) John Osborne. My Dad's family was quite unexceptional but he and I used to imagine the Osbornes were interesting-- there was a glamorous rumor in the family that we might be English Jews, way back, etc.

Anyway, it's one surname-name that certainly hasn't had a chance to pall through over-use!

Anon--for me it's the "Clod" in Claudia. You know, clodhopper, big clod, etc. If you use the Sp. pron., more like CLOUD-ia, it sounds too much like "loud" to me. If you're wondering why the first one doesn't sound like "laud" or the second doesn't sound like "cloud", I can't tell you--I'm just inconsistent like that, lol.

Kate - Thomas, Gabriel and John make for a great sibling combo. As for nn's, I know an adult who has gone by John D. his entire life - D. is his middle initial. Nic is a good nn for Dominic if you were interested in calling him Dominic - good way to avoid Tom and Dom :) Also, Dominic John,nn DJ would be cute. At any rate, you have many options.

EO & Kate - thanks for the well wishes! I really should try to come up with some ideas soon. The problem that I have is that my dh frequently doesn't like the same names that I do (common dilemma). So I prefer to keep my ideas to myself for a while before telling him - that way I get to pretend (for a little while)that some of my favorites are actual possibilities!

Re: Claudia-I like it. Went to school with one-pretty + feminine associations with it.

hyz, I like your Ivy, Hazel, Laurel combos all the mn's sound gr8 with them too. They are not my style but they sound great together and I know YOU love the style.

Eo - I totally agree with your description of Ozzy Osbourne as a tiny, quickly passing slice of popular culture. Osborne is a great name, I think. In addition to yielding what I consider to be the great nickname Ozzy, I love the way the word Osborne looks. I told my husband that and he just stared at me, but you other NEs understand that kind of comment I'm sure!

Also, hyz's list reminded me of my other favorite boy name - August. It had to be removed from my list because I love the girl name Astrid more and could not do siblings with matching initials.

Eo - I agree with your description of Ozzy Osbourne as a tiny, quickly passing slice of popular culture. Of course, he is not my inspiration for liking the name Osborne. In addition to yielding the great nickname Ozzy, I just love the way the word Osborne looks. I told my husband that and he just stared at me. But you other NEs will understand, I'm sure!

hyz - your triplets reminded me of my other favorite boy name, August. How I love that one. I had to take it off my list because my girl name is Astrid and I can't do matching sibling initials. I like so few boy names so it was painful for that to happen.

I'm going to go and name these triplets names my boyfriend would never agree to, as they're fantasy:
Eloise, Adelaide, Verity
Silas, Jonah, Callum

What we'd really name triplets:

Ivy, Calla, Elizabeth
Jack, William, Owen

Perhaps it is a generational issue, Ozzy was famous before I was born, and the Osbournes were TV personalities when I was an MTV demographic, so they do not seem like a passing fad (almost 40 years of fame now). I've never met another Osbourne, first or last name, so I have no other strong associations with it.

And I think if it's a family name, it's a good choice. It's a name with presence, a nice modern but not trendy sound, a hip nickname, and your relations will of course think of the family name before the singer. Yes, he will get "ha ha, bite the head off a dove?" occasionally, but probably the teasing years will be mostly behind him when his contemporaries learn about heavy metal.

pop culture reference: Ozzy makes me think of Survivor. Ozzy won a previous season of Survivor and is currently on Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites. His name is short for Oscar, however, not Osborne.

On the fantasy triplet note... I can't think of a list I would be satisfied posting... I will have to think about that some more. I can't tell you how many childhood twin combinations I came up with.... but adding one more name to the mix makes it considerably harder. Also, I feel like the names should be slightly more connected without being too matchy.

I just hope I never have to name triplets in real life I might go absolutely crazy thinking about all the possiblities!

Also, I don't mind Osbourne as a name I suppose, and Ozzy from a sound point of view, but when I see the double 'z' I can't help but think of Ozzy Osbourne, but this reference will continue to fade.

How about Oswald instead of Osbourne? My DH really likes this one but I can't think about anyone except the BIL on Keeping Up Appearances.

My fantasy triplets:
Catherine, Margaret, Evelyn
Elliott, Simon, Owen

Would really love a Henry, but LN starts with H and the alliteration is just too much.

When I hear Oswald, I think of the knock-knock joke. Which I shall now share. (Imagine also a slight southern accent.)

Knock, knock.
--Who's there?
Oswald.
--Oswald, who?
Help, help! Oswald my gum!

Needless to say, I shan't be naming my child Oswald.

I think a cute nickname for Osborne is simply Oz. I know that probably makes everybody think of Dorothy and Toto, but it has a pleasant association for me.

Emilie: Two of your triplets are my grandmother's names! (Catherine and Margaret)

Katie,
Your fantasy and "reality" triplet lists are interesting in that the latter list echoes the former.

Fantasy: Eloise, Adelaide, Verity
Reality: Elizabeth, Calla, Ivy

I changed your original order to show how the "reality" names reflect the sounds of the fantasy ones.

Fantasy: Silas, Jonah, Callum
Reality: Owen, Jack, William

Silas and Owen aren't very similar (although they both have a British Isles vibe to them), but Jack and Jonah, and Callum and William do sound somewhat alike.

Fantasy triplets-

Boys- Hendrick, Stellan and Alistair
Girls- Philippa, Calliope and Polly

I already have an August Frederick which I'm so happy I chose. Philippa is on the way but still trying to figure out a MN.

KRC, I just had to weigh in because of your mention of Astrid and Osborne. My full name is Astrid and my nickname is Oz. The nickname of the person I was named after was also Oz (though spelled As or Assi, but pronounced more like how Americans say Oz or Ozzie) so, in my family, it was as normal as being nicknamed Ali for Alison. I was called Ozzie by my family as a little girl, and, while there was some playground Ozzy Osbourne teasing, it wasn't really that bad. I still get Wizard of Oz stuff, which is slightly annoying, but no Ozzy Osborne stuff but then, I'm a girl. I adored the W. of O. connection as a little girl and have all the L. Frank Baum books. Ozzy is a relatively common nickname for Oscar.

There's a Spanish company that makes sherry called Osborne, but pronounced more like Os-born-eh. The "e" isn't silent. I mention this because, if you're ever in the south of Spain, you might see the black billboards of their bull. I think it would be fun to have your name connected with a sherry company. http://www.osborne.es/

Kate--
I was thinking about the nn Jody for John Dominic, and then I re-read your post. If you like Jordy, what about Jody? I had a (male) student with this name and he was the most respectful kid, but also really cool...popular among his friends and his teachers. It made me really like the name Jody for a boy.

Regarding Claudia, there is also the unfortunate meaning "lame." That's only a problem for we named obsessed, of course.

I like Claudia. I think it falls into the same class of names as Antonia, Rosamond, Francesca and Cecilia. They are mature, classy names - red velvet/cognac/plunging neckline names. They aren't frilly like current fashion faves Emily and Isabelle. I think the closest fashion fave that suits the style is Olivia, but it has been done to death.

I also like Edmund over Edward but love them both. The nn Ned is a deal clincher for me.

Have you considered Nick as a nn for John Dominic.

Fantasy triplets...
Boys: Hugh, Jasper and Peregrine
Girls: Eloise, Juliana and Cecily
or (Rosalind, Antonia and Francesca)

Most of these names wouldn't get past the DH, so more realistically:
Boys: Alexander, Hugo and Christopher
Girls: Eloise, Julia and Isobel

I have also suddenly realised how many baby Violets I am surrounded by, how come this didn't make the list?

Ha, Kate, you and I have similar taste. I also had the names Thomas, Gabriel... and Raphael but didn't want too many archangels... although perhaps one can never have too many of those around!

What fun! I like John Dominic a lot, also Matthias (although I like the way the French say it best: Ma-TEE-as) and Tobias.
I also thought of Marius, which I've always liked. And Christian.

When I was writing down my girls' names (Francesca, Rosalind nad Violet) I kept thinking that they sounded a bit Shakespearean and wondered if I should substitute Juliet for Violet. Caroline also popped in strongly. And I LOVE Susanna and Lydia. Funny! What would you call our naming style?

Astrid, thank you for your comments! Did you grow up in the US? Do you mind if I ask how old you are (roughly!)? Just interested in the relation to the name Astrid. You made me think though - are Astrid and Osborne too similar for sibling names?

Another Amy, I do like Oswald too, but not as much as Osborne. AK, the nickname Oz is appealing also.

Steph P, August Frederick is perfect. I am so jealous I can't use August. If I would just convince myself to like any girl name more than Astrid!

Back to my female fantasy triplets.

If I didn't already have children and they wouldn't have my husband's last name, and I wasn't thinking about honouring my mother in law they would be Kate, Verity and Daria.

But if I would have triplets really right now (eeek) they would be Verity, Mira and Gabrielle. (Accompanied by Nora the maternity nurse and Maggie the day nanny)

Boys - Jacob, Gabriel and Malachi

Re: Claudia - I have always loved this name, thought it was very elegant and sophisticated. My MIL is named Claudia, and she doesn't really like it - she always wished she were a Susie. She doesn't like the meaning, which is lame or crippled.

I also immediately thought of Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when that name was mentioned - it's definitely not as nice to me as Edward.

Fantasy triplets:
Gwendolyn, Francesca, Johanna (all three of which we're considering for our girl due in July!)
Jonathan, Christopher, and... all the other boy names I would like are already taken by family members! maybe Lorenzo
I think I have very different naming styles for boys and girls.

Hyz!

I just wanted to say that I love your naming style! Most of your choices are ones I would seriously consider naming my own children. I've been on a Sylvia kick for a while now, and I'm recently really digging Hazel. I'm excited to see which name you ultimately choose.

And it doesn't hurt that you chose my name, either. ;)

Well, my Italian boy triplets would be Raffaele, Alonzo and Dante..And my trio born in the British Isles would be Jasper,Crispin and Barnaby. I will contemplate girls later-I have my hands full with these six.:)

Alitalia--I love Lorenzo..and I think that people can spell and pronounce it-always a plus!

love reading the fantasy triplets. I think mine would be:
Darien, Ambrose, ...
Taren, Colette, Vera (or Nora)

re: Ozzy: I think Australia is also called Oz by locals right? Or is this only in certain subcultures?

re: Claudia: The first place I heard this name was in The Baby-Sitter's Club. Now that I think of it, that name stands out from all the others: Stacey, Kristi, Mary Anne, Dawn, Jessi... I guess Mallory is also an outlier...

re: Edmund: I agree that it also sounds darker than Edward. Also more buttoned-up. More risky in any case, I think.

Re Robin on Claudia
HA HA HA
When I hear Claudia I think of the Baby Sitter's Club too, and it was definately my favorite name of the bunch when I read them!

The girl triplets with middle names are Elodie Pearl, Millicent Ruth, and Coral Dorothea.Hmmm a lot of "L"s there. So another set- Maeve Dacey, Daphne Arabella and Isla Beatrix. Needs work--but If they came in a hurry-these will do!

KRC- It's interesting to see that several of my favorite names match yours. Astrid and Tate are also two at the top of our list (but for middle names). So far we are thinking Philippa Tate for our girl.

Robyn T- I adore the name Ambrose. Such a beautiful, diginifed sounding name. However, we can't use as we already know one.

slightly off topic--My mother's Boy Name of the Day is Thaddeus. its apparently a family name. DH isn't thrilled with it but given our skimpy short list I though I'd investigate further. How does it sound to y'all? Any good nicknames? all I can think of is Thad (which I'm not much on) or Tad, which sounds like a surfer. We are not surfer people!

thx!

Robyn T - Locals do refer to Australia as Oz. Also some British and NZ expats here do use Oz in a somewhat derogatory way.

Thaddeus sounds very "conquering Roman gladiator" to me. I dont think that is necessarily a bad thing. Deus as a nn? Stretching, I know!

I have to stop reading all the other triplet names and just post mine before my original train of thought gets entirely muddled!

All of these will be as if my husband weren't voting. He'd probably veto all my choices.

Girls: Hazel, Maud, Beatrice

Boys: Abraham (Abe), Walter (Walt), Edmund (Ned)

I've always really liked Laszlo, but I'm not sure I could make that work if I had to find two other names to complement it.

How fascinating that Francesca keeps popping up. It's been my favorite name since teenage, but DH thinks it's too dark a name for a fair-haired child. Maybe if we adopt...;)

I think Ted could work as a nn for Thaddeus.

Also, how do you pronounce the name Tobias?

And lastly, fantasy twins... totally made up on the spot (I wouldn't actually use these names, at least not these fn/mn pairs):

Zelda Mae, Zivya Rose
Zel and Ziv - cute! ^_^

Oooh--fun! Fantasy triplets.

Boys: Charles, Louis, and Theodore (not positive about the last one)

Girls: Agnes, Elizabeth, and a girl's name that I won't type or say anywhere because I want to use it for myself.

Thanks everyone who had suggestions for a nn for John Dominic! We've actually considered Jed (but my brother's Jeb, and another little John we know, born this past February, is being called Jeb by his parents, who are good friends of ours) and JD, DJ, and Nic ... but we haven't really been struck by anything. (And to the person who suggested "Jodo" -- it's definitely out there, but I'm constantly trying to "make up" nns, so great suggestion!)

jt -- Interesting re: Jody ... I knew it was at one time a nn for a boy, and from that perspective it is indeed PERFECT for John Dominic ... but we know a couple of girl Jody's, so I don't think that would work for us!

Valerie -- wow, that's funny that we have such similar tastes in names! We actually LOVE Christian, and have seriously considered it in the past, but it just sounds too much like our surname. We've polled a few people, and they all agree. I've always thought of my naming style as heavy on the Biblical (Thomas, Gabriel, John, Matthias, Tobias/Tobiah, Susanna, Lydia), with touches of a British/literary/traditionally sophisticated feel (Juliet, Caroline, Atticus, Mariah [though M. Carey is a deal-breaker for my husband], Oliver [which this baby was going to be, if a boy, until a couple of weeks ago!]), and a definite "Catholic saint" feel as well (Thomas, Gabriel, John, Dominic, Therese).

Thanks again!

Nicole -- I say Tobias as "toe-BYE-us." I've never heard another pronunciation, and I knew a Tobias (who went by Toby) in college, and pronounced his name the way I always have.

Steph P - I also adore the name Philippa especially with the nickname PIppa. It would be at the top of our list but it could never work with my husband's last name, which is very similar to Longstocking! May I ask, what are your other top girl names?

Paging J & H's mom, are you still out there? It occurred to me today that I haven't seen your posts in a long time. I hope all is well.

I'm loving the fantasy triplet ideas. New names keep popping into my head. This must be how it is for real sports fanatics--they think about their favorite teams all the time...

Tess: I love the name Crispin! I can't help but think of a curly haired, happy, lovable person when I think of it. If it didn't clash with names we've already used, I might have used it if we had another boy.

Kate: I like John Dominic - I have a John myself, usually called Johnny (though my husband would really like to start calling him Jack). I would lean away from initial nicknames... JD or DJ sound just a touch hillbilly to me, though of course, that sort of association could be overcome. I actually second the nickname Jody if Jed is out of the running. Although I know a few middle-aged Jodys, he'll probably never meet a female Jody his own age.

Fantasy triplets:
Cyrus Levi
Sebastian David
Luke Alexander

I guess there's no common theme to them, but it's a hodge-podge of favorite and family names.
and for girls:

Gwendolyn Lily
Elyse India
Camilla Margaret

How is the name Zara supposed to be pronounced? Is the first syllable like "air" or like "art"? Is there one correct pronunciation or is it like Lara, where there is more than one accepted pronunciation?

oooohhhhh!!!! I love this site. Why haven't I found it sooner? Naming things has been my drug of choice since...forever! My college roomates wanted to positively strangle me.

ok, fantasy triplets:

Girls:
Honor, Rafaela(Rafi), Ismay

Boys:
Jasper, Angus(Gus), Winslow

I can't belive Honor has popped up already. Whenever I bring it up to family/friends, they tell me I'm crazy. It's my absolute favorite.

actually, looking back at my boy names, they seem a bit soap opera-ish. I, too, need more time to dwell on this!

Regarding the name Honor... I just read that the ever annoying yet beautiful actress Jessica Alba may be naming her daughter Honor. I find that bizarre. She strikes me as more of a Frilliana type namer.

I asked this same question to a group of my friends (all engaged/married, childless, college educated women in their 20s, many with UK ties) and got 12 responses. I'd be happy to post the results if anyone's interested.

There were two Aidens, an Aeden, and an Ardn (middle english scholar), and FIVE Alexanders. There were, however, no repeats at all among the girl's names.

A friend in her 30's is named Honor. I love it. Her nickname (in family) is Honny -pronounced with silent H. It suits her well.

Philippa--thanks--and of course now I want to see YOUR fantasy list! I can't wait to see what we end up with, too! Seriously, it keeps me up nights--it's like torture. I *never* imagined I'd be one of these people, but I think there's a real possibility we won't be able to name her until we see her. Of our top choices (meaning the ones I like that DH might go along with), I think Averil, Sylvia, and Adele are the most flexible, and could go well no matter what she looks like, but I think a person sort of has to LOOK like an Ivy or a Fiona or a Hazel. Argh!

I had Honor/Honora on my list originally, but DH said that was too much pressure to put on a kid. He comes from a culture where "honor" has strong connection to family, and where kids and adult children can be pushed to an unhealthy degree to achieve honor for the family, or to honor their parents' wishes, etc. I brought it up again recently, thinking it's a good way to get to Nora, which DH likes, but it's a no go. I actually had Verity, Amity, Constance, etc. on my original list, too, but DH just doesn't like the virtue names.

Tirzah,
I have only met one Zara, a young [under 10] girl, whose name is pronounced ZAH-ra. I think England's Princess Anne's daughter's name is pronounced this way, also. It's r lovely sounding to me and I'm surprised it's not more popular. It will be of interest to see if others know of an alternate pronunciation.

Question: when picking a name for your children, do you consider if YOU would like to have that name, or if it could fit you? On my own list, I could definitely see having some of those names myself, while others just seem wrong. When I think of it that way, those names that might not fit me seem riskier or edgier somehow, and I start getting cold feet about using them. Does anyone else do this? Or does anyone deliberately pick names that *wouldn't* fit themselves?

Names seem so personal and individual, sometimes I think it would be easier to raise the child for 10 or 20 years before deciding what her name should be!

A friend in her 30's is named Honor. I love it. Her nickname (in family) is Honny -pronounced with silent H. It suits her well.

Triplets...I guess I'm a bit late on the uptake. In any case, if I were starting all over with a first pregnancy of triplets:

Girls: Adelaide, Frieda, and Goldie (Golda)
Boys: Wolf, Rider, and Blaze OR Atticus, Justus, and Elias

if they were mixed it would be a combo of:
girls: Etta, Lottie
boys: Duke, Irving

Kate,
Tobias is pronounced Toe-bee-us here in Europe :-)

my fantasy pairings:

Owen, Bryce, Finn
Zoë, Iris, Gwen

Oh my so many things to comment on!
I pronounce Claudia as more like CLAW-DEE-AH.
Edward and Edmund are nms but if I had to choose I'd probably pick Edward.
TK-I would love to see the names your friends suggested. Sometimes when I read the posts here I feel like a bit of an outsider. There are so many people with British influenced/royalty/under-used less common names on their lists. My tastes are much more over-used and popular. I would never think to use names like Pippin, Arwen, Thaddeus, Honor or many of the choices listed above. I'm much more of the Alyssa, Madison, Jennifer, Aiden, Matthew, and Joshua type of person. Thank god I'm done naming for real though!

BTW, Zara=Zar like "art" however probably like Sara, Tara, Lara could go either way, and Tobias=To-BYE-us I agree.

Catherine,
We have a grandmother named Margaret too - that's why that one was in there. It's a great name. I love Catherine (and I LOVE Cate). I had a very beloved great-grandmother named Effie Mae. While I could never name a kid Effie, I love Evelyn Mae (nn Evie). Totally using it if I ever have another girl.

I chuckled when I read someone above call the name Emily "frilly". I've never thought of my name as frilly. Overused, yes. And while I love the spelling my parents used, it's totally annoying to have to spell my name for everyone all the time.

Astrid- I could never get over Edmund being the villain in King Lear. I don't know if anyone mentioned that but it's a real sticking point for me.

Nicole -- I also only ever say to-BYE-us.

Tirzah -- I'd pronounce Zara with the a in art (ZAH-ra, as someone said earlier).

Re: Claudia -- I also say it more like Claw-dee-ah, and think it's a lovely name. I also like the Clou-dia pronunciation, too. It's a feminine name without being too frilly. Not sure I like the meaning though ...

It's ZAH-ra and CLAW-dee-ah for me. Zara reminds me of the clothing store. I love Claudia, though it's quite mature for a little girl. I had a beautiful Aunt Claudia with waist-length red hair that I envied as a child so it's very positive for me. I'm somehow not bothered by loud, claw, or clod.

This is the list my friends gave me, sorry, this will be long (Hypothetical parents are American unless otherwise noted):
***
Gabriel Paul, Matthew Timothy, Jeremiah Xavier
Tatiana Eileen, Isabella Elizabeth, Addison Grace

***
Natalie Harper, Elena Lynne, Amelia Jean
Jackson Richard, Nicolaus Andrew, Desmond Erich
Twins: Meghan Ainslie & Patrick Leland

***
Parents are English:
Matthew Paul, Thomas Douglas, Alexander James
Sophie Judith, Charlotte Janet, Anna Katherine

***
Christopher Aiden, Tyler Aaron, & Alexander Michael
Sophia Adriana (NN "Sophie")
Olivia Rose (NN "Liv")
Gabriella Elise (NN would be "Bri" or "Ellie")

(She also took this moment to swear she invented the name Jaiden.)

***
Brett Robert (yes, after Brett Favre), Elijah John, James Ian
Charlotte Hermione (yes, we're dorks), Anne Juliet (Anne is a family name), Emilia Grace

***
Mother is American, Father is Manx, they live in England:
Phineas Peter (Finn)
Peter Robert (yes, it sounds like Peter Rabbit, but these are our dads' names)
Aedan Robert (Aedan/Aidan is waaay too popular now, it's our ringbearer's name actually--but I liked this name before it was cool. Like, back when I was dating my ex in high school)

Lily Marlene, Aalin Sophia (Manx version of Eileen), Aurora Eve (Rory for short)
***

Madison (Maddy for short), Brooklyn, Katherine Eve (Kat for short)
Kieran, Alexander, Will
***

I have a couple middle names picked out (Pamela and Michelle or Michael), I have no idea about the rest
***
Parents are Scots:
Jean Kathryn, Lynn Elizabeth, Moira Suzanne
(Kathryn is the traditional middle name for first born girls, always with a 'J' first name)

Dane Alastair, William Sydney, Aiden Murphy (But mentioned she'd rather use Gwydion but couldn't get away with it)
***

Nolan Blake, Stephen Bennett, William Trent
Caroline Easton, Lydia Blair, Alison Lane
***

Mason Alexander, Caleb something, unknown
Molly, Samantha, Saffron, Hazel, Ianthe, Willow, Chloe, Kaylee, not sure
***

And one girl who was totally unsure about all of them except Ardn. (She is from New Zealand)

Sorry, that was really long! I didn't know how to better format this.

Irish fantasy triplets!

Girls: Siofra, Aine, Fiona
Boys: Killian, Dermot, Declan

KRC- In addition to Philippa, names we have considered for this baby are Willa, Calliope, Polly, Clementine, Poppy, Delphine, Imogen, Georgina, Eugenia. With my last pregnancy if August were to be a girl, he was going to be Ivy. Which I still love, just out of the running at this time.

Also, instead of August, we almost named him Hank!! I don't know what I was thinking, glad we went with August. I love Hank, but this just doesn't go with my general naming style. My biggest fear in choosing a name is that I will pick something that seems unusual now but 5 years from now it turns out I've named my child the equivalent of the Madison/Emma of today. One thing I have going for me in this regard is we now live in Austin, TX and in this area in general, western sounding names are still pretty prevalent. So I'm probably more safe than say, when we lived in California.

So I had a long post yesterday with my fantasy triplets and some thoughts on the other thread conversation. Of course, it got eaten by the internet for a mid-morning snack, and this is my first opportunity to replace it. So while this version is a bit late to the party I still have to play along.

For boys: James Oliver, Edward John, Henry Robert (which is impressive for me because it includes my grandpa, my dad, and five of my grandpa’s six brothers).

For girls: Margaret Grace, Elisabeth Hope, Katherine Faith (Meg, Beth, Kate) (the idea of using virtue names for middles for girls is totally appealing to me because I love the names Grace and Hope, but is something I’m totally unlikely to do in real life. Triplets, though, especially fantasy triplets, are a different story, right?!?)

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, these names are showing up on a lot of our lists. I also like Charlotte Anne, Eloise Marie , and Josephine Clare.

Late to this game, too, and I know that these names aren’t quite to your taste, but I wanted to chime in that I like using John or J.D. for John Dominic. I think John Dominic is a great name, btw – one that will truly stand the test of time.

I do like both Edmund and Edward. I would be more likely to use Edward (as above), because of family connections, but I think I might actually prefer Edmund. It has sort of an Old World/Classic charm to me (and I am not bothered by the LWW&W connotations, since the Edmund character is ultimately redeemed). I think the nickname Ned for Edmund is also totally adorable (and totally Nancy Drew, if that bothers people). I see it on here a lot, but wonder how commonly it is still used apart from NEs. I think Edmund, nn Ned, is a great way to give a child a classic name, classic nickname and still not be one of 5 in his 1st grade class.

I like Claudia in itself, but, like others, it is totally Babysitters Club for me.

Impressive list, TK. I’m also impressed that so many of your friends played along. I kinda get eye rolls when I ask my friends to fantasy name one child.

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore

Just kidding!

I am having trouble coming up with fantasy triplets. Here are my thoughts this moment. I need to think about it some more though!

Boys: Oliver, Everett, and ?
Owen, Emmett, and ?

Girls: Hazel, Coral, and Evelyn

Of these names, Oliver and Hazel are my favorite! Everett would also be a fav but it is terrible with my ln :(

Wow, it's absolutely years since I read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and I've barely given it a thought since - but thinking about it, that probably -is- where I got my impression of Edmund from - a vaguely dark, weak character, wasn't he? That was probably the only Edmund I was exposed to in childhood - and those childhood impressions always have an inordinate effect on your perception of names, don't they?

I'm still struggling over my male fantasy triplets - I've reached the conclusion that my taste in boys' names is wildly variable and so none of my favourites go together. I like a bit of olde England (Edward, and with a continental twist, Frederic), a bit of trendy (Logan), a nod to my Italian roots (Lorenzo) and a dash of... I don't know, Wild West? West Country yokel? (Jethro).

Kaitlyn, you beat me for variable taste - I was so surprised to see you list Wolf, Rider and Blaze (you are the same Kaitlyn who is mother to Gladys, Cecil and co., aren't you?).

Hyz - I do think in general that the litmus test is: "Would I like to bear that name, every day for all my life?". It's a good way to sort the workable names from the flights of fancy. But I guess you have to be wary with names you particularly identify with. Not that I think each name should be focus-grouped to death, but if, say, you've always wished you were called Theodosia and everyone you mention it to hates it, there's a good enough bet that your child won't thank you for it. Personally, I find it hard to imagine bearing any name but my own, even though I've never been particularly fond of it. I agree that a person 'has to' look the part of a Hazel - for me, it's "English rose" colouring; creamy skin, perhaps freckles, and wavy brown or auburn hair!

OK! So, I was actually dreaming about the lists I would post, so I better do it before I have another sleepless night

Triplets

Girls
Elodie, Brienne, Calla

Boys
August, Desmond, Emil

Whether these names can actually ever come to pass with my DH will be interesting. I have enjoyed reading everyone else's list.
I noticed a few of you had Annelise, a name I love, but my DH dated a girl named Annalea, and it didn't end well, and he says the names are too similar... *shrug*

There are so many people with British influenced/royalty/under-used less common names on their lists.

Zoerhenne, you are so right! I didn't realize this Board had such a slant until this fantasy triplet game. Lots of British lit type names.

If I didn't have to match my triplets with my current kids, I like:

Haven, Sonnet and Wren for girls.

I'll have to think more about boy names. (Though 3 boys would be more like nightmare triplets than fantasy triplets!)

The name Honor immediately makes me thing of "On her," and all the not-so-honorable connotations that could come along with that. I agree it is a lofty name to saddle on a child. I'm interested to hear if any of you who mentioned knowing someone with this name know if they have ever run across problems, either with teasing or with the weight of a name like Honor and the familial expectations that might come with it.

Sorry, "thing" should be "think."