The Baby Name Wizard

Rowan's tricky for a boy because folks are already using it for daughters--it could be the Taylor of the 2010s.

It's interesting to see Lila, Luna, Lena, Lana, Lyra turning up as likely risers--makes me wonder if they're being read as "fresher" versions of the "Lisa and Lori" names that 30-something US mothers and aunties have in abundance.

In the UK Rowan's one of the truly unisex names - I know two boys and two girls named Rowan. Great name.

I'm a little sad to see Jude climbing the ladder. We chose the name Judah for our older boy when he was born in early 2005. We liked the meaning and the unusual-though-not-crazy feel of the name, and finding it on your "Why Not?" list was a bonus. I had kind of guessed that Jude would get popular, thanks to Jude Law.
Also, we seriously considered the name Finlay for our second son (so we could call him Fin), but finally settled on Micah, another name that I fear is about to be super-popular.

I'm predicting that the name Sawyer will be huge soon, and maybe Quinn, and what about Grayson?

It appears that, at least for now, Rowan is also a "true unisex" name in the US. Since 2003 the name has become more popular each year for both boys and girls, and has remained slightly more popular for boys during that time. Rowan is one of my favorites for a boy, and I think that for those of you who like this name for a boy you should not abandon it for the unisex reason.

ETA: I checked the SSA stats, and what I said isn't quite true: Rowan dipped off a little on the girl's side between 2004 and 2005. Nonentheless, I think that Rowan will likely continue to be closely used for both genders for awhile.

I was considering Rowen for my new baby (2 months) if he had been a girl. I like it for a boy, too, but I don't get to name the boys. I hope that it stays unisex, I'm always sad to se a name become "unusable" because of trends.

we've considered asher. we love ash as a nickname. i just can't decide for sure on an unusual name for a boy, though. can't decide which way to go - unusual or traditional. i also like the name grey. i'd use that in a second. my hubby is a harder sell.

have thought about beckett too.

The German name charts might be a good place to look for girls' names. Germans are absolutely crazy about L names for at the moment. Leonie, Lena, Leah, Lara, Lily, Laura, Lina, Lisa, Leni, Leon, Lucas, Luca, Louis....

I've been tracking Lydia for a few years now, and it's definitely on the upswing. Disappointing. Maybe a generation of little Lyras will be born of of the Dark Materials series (and now movie). But I'm never sure whether it's pronounced Lee-ra or Lie-ra.

Lyra makes me think of Patricia Wrede's Lyra novels. There it was Lie-ra, believe.

Ps. I wish this thing had edit. I mistyped Rowan above, and it jumps out at me when I scroll down.

Girls: elsa, adela, leora, eliora, saibh, niamh/neve, arielle/ariella, genevieve, gloria, keturah, aliza, linnea, zella, carrington

I love the name Lila. It was also on my short list.

Girl's names that I can see rising: Alana, Lana, Elena, Lina, Elina. Elina's not on the charts yet, but it's only a matter of time. (It's big in Finland, I think). I think Aileen is a pretty name that is far down on the list but fits with the L sound.

Boy's: Kieran. It's got all the right stuff. Not uber popular, but not outlandish. Ends in an N.

New Baby Alert: Calantha Eloise nn Cala

I'm guessing Cala is pronounced like Calla which I know is popular on this board.

A quick google search tells me Calantha is of Greek origin and means "lovely flower"

I kind of like it. What does everyone else think? I'm curious.

The audiobooks for Pullman's Dark Materials series said Lie-ra for Lyra (though I realize that's not necessarily an incontrovertible source).

Lyra was on my husband's and my list for a girl ... but we're having a boy.

I know a few little Callas. Their mothers all told me they chose it because Lily was so popular and they wanted something that meant the same thing, but was different at the same time.

I have sighted a few Peregrines, Becketts and Emmetts around Melbourne lately. I dont know what these names are doing in the US.

I'm sad to see two of my favourite names on your list. Asher and Lila. Here I thought I was the only one who could see their appeal. I guess it proves, yet again, that either great minds think alike, or naming trends are somehow linked with culture.

we had our baby girl six months ago and named her angelina...lia for short as our last name begins with l and i enjoy alliteration....

i enjoy this name abrv. since i didnt make the connection between the actress..and our baby..oops

Were the winners of the baby name pool ever announced?

I think Fiona is on the cusp of true popularity.

I would tend towards the pronunciation of LIE-ra for Lyra, partly because LEE-ra sounds like Italian currency! I almost like it as a name, but think the sound reminds me too much of liar.

Hmm . . . interesting list.

I actually know (of) a little Asher -- a name I was unfamiliar with until I stumbled onto this board (and fell in love hard and fast). I just realized that there is a nose in front of my face and see that Ash will be a nickname for the little Ashers and Ashtons who will be roaming the playgrounds in the approaching future (as well as the little Ashley's who are already there and outgrowing it). I am just sad that my name is going to be coopted into unisex-status. Never mind that Ashley was a male name first. Also never mind that friends constantly tell me that "Ash" isn't my name because I don't introduce myself as "Ash" in any situation IRL. Everyone calls me Ash if they know me well enough, though (and that standard is actually pretty low in my book), so I still claim it. I'm just feeling sleepy and possessive tonight.

I can't use it because of a family member with that name (and it not being a family member I would want to honor in that way), but I loooove Lydia. I would actually be happy to see little Lydias on the playground (or have them over for playdates and slumber parties, since they will likely be the same age as my future children).

Lyra is too much like both lira and lyre for my liking. Lila/h doesn't seem new to me, because I grew up with one (funny how that affects perception). I know a tween-age Elaine who was clearly born well before her time.

I like traditional-leaning names for boys too much to weigh in on most of the trendy names unless we are discussing actual babies who might have those names. Accordingly, I will leave that analysis to others.

I've always really liked Asher and Lucia- I've met an Asher, never a Lucia. Actually, aprt from Asher (and Luna, sort of) I've never met anyone with these names. They're all too young. I named my dog Luna, so I can't really picture it as a name for a person, but obviously that's not a problem the general public would have.
Lyra from His Dark Materials is pronounced Lie-ra, at least according to Pullman himself (He was the one who narrated the audiobooks). Also, it's implied in the scene with the harpies in Amber Spyglass. It's always sort of bugged me when people say it Lee-ra...I like Lyra, but the name I like the most from those books is Hester. I'd never heard it before, and I adore it.

Hi Kirsty, we also have a Judah, born 1999! We have two friends with sons called Asher, and another with a Finn. Rowan is one of my favourite names for boys or girls. But Grady doesn't fit at all in that group to my ear.

Laura, would love to know the names that are still on the list that have not been discovered yet. I bet some of them are popular here in the UK.

I love His Dark Materials.
I know a two year old Lyra, her mother did pull the name from the books but of course she didn't anticipate the film and possible surge in popularity of Lyra.

My favourite name from the books has to be Serafina.

Names I'd add to why not?

Oscar
Hugo
Silas
Felix
Theodore
Leo

Serena
Selena
Natasha
Sasha
Alice
Eliza
Ivy

Some other 'why not' ideas (not in the SSA top 1000 for at least the last 20 years):

Rosalie
Harriet
Gemma
Bryony
Verity
Thora
Saskia
Adela
Dominica
Eloise
Irina
Jacinta
June
Simona
Thea
Philippa

Lachlan
Alistair
Fraser
Niall
Hamish

The boys' names are a bit harder - I'm Australian, so all those Scottish names sound nice and normal to me, but perhaps to Americans they're a little too Scottish?

With Rowan being one of our top 3 boy choices, all this just makes me glad we're having a girl right now, I guess. I don't know how to feel about the direction Rowan is moving, and I'm glad to have at least a few more years (assuming we have another baby in a few years) to watch its trends before making a decision about it. I still love it, and I admit to being a bit baffled as to how it was "discovered", although I'm not surprised that, once it was discovered, it was fairly rapidly picked up, considering that it fits so many of the popular categories these days (ends in n, nature meaning, Celtic connections, soft sound, could sound like a surname, etc.).

I, too, see Lydia popping up on a lot of more mainstream name polls, etc. I think it's a definite riser. I don't quite feel the appeal, myself, but maybe I shouldn't talk, since I do so love Sylvia (which has many comparable traits).

Guest--I love Calantha Eloise. Calantha was on our long list of girls' nature names, but didn't make the short list because I prefer using full names to NNs, and I thought Calantha risked sounding either too stuffy/pretentious or too medical/scientific. I still think it's lovely, though. Eloise is another "also ran" for us--I like it a lot, and think it goes charmingly with some of our other top picks (siblings Ivy and Eloise? for example), but the "S" ending gives me pause b/c of our last name (Eloise Soh risks sounding like Ellowy Soh, or Eloise Oh). Anyway, long story short, I'm a big fan of Calantha Eloise.

I've also heard of a few little Ashers. I love it, but I do think it's already trendy among a certain set (highly educated parents looking for a biblical name that sounds fresh and soft and maybe a bit nature-y--I'd expect brothers Isaiah, Micah, Jonas, etc.).

Eloise, I believe, is a favorite on this board. I know I resisted it for a long time, preferring Louise and Louisa. Then, several weeks ago, it suddenly popped into my consciousness in a good way and has achieved status of one of my favorite names. I think many of these "why not" names require a little perseverating before they really click and seem to work. Or at least that's how I feel about them.

Lucia is adorable!! Weighter than Lucy, with the same feel. Heck, one could even use Lucy as a nickname if he wanted to.

hyz, I also like Syliva, I think it is adorable and works on girls/women of all ages. How is your name search going?

P.S. hyz, the little Asher I know has parents who fall into exactly the category you described. He has a new little brother named Stephen.

Ooh, I love these kinds of names - they are few and far between!

As far as the boys go, I know several of each name except for Rowan. I only know girls named Rowan. In regards to the girls, I only know of one Lila - but I see it on MANY lists. Lucia I also see on lists, but not IRL. Luna still feels out there to me and don't know any IRL. Perhaps Luna had a little help from Harry Potter?

Next hit names:
Boys:
Lewis -699
Locke - not listed; irish sounding
Quentin - 377 - but so consistent, never really moves up or down
Killian - not listed, irish

girls:
Calla - not listed, wonderful alternative to lily
Beatrix - not listed, unusual, letter X!
Briar - not listed, feels unisex like Harper
Larkin - not listed, unisex feel, cute nn Lark, surname like the recently popular Finley/Finlay

fun topic!

I know of one Asher. I thought his parents had great taste in names until I found out what they are naming Asher's sister who will be born soon...McKlayne. Maybe it's a family name and has some significance, I hope so! I just wish they decided on a name that went along with hyz's description.

Other new baby alert: Harlie Addison. Ugh.

Guest, I like Calantha Eloise nn Cala. I'm just not sure I would use it.

Marie-Claire- Thanks for your list. I particularly like Bryony, Saskia, Dominica, Irina, and a lot of the other girls' names could grow on me. However, the boys' names are nms.I know Lachlan is HUGE in Oz as my sister keeps me posted.
How would one pronounce Dominica- Dom-in-EEK-a or Dom-IN-i-ca? Guess it might depend what your mother tongue is.

I also love Lucia, pronounced -Loo-SEE-a the Hispanic way.

Wow, it's wonderful to see all the names being posted! There are lots of fantastic ideas.

As a note on the pronunciation of Lyra, I assume Pullman took the name from the constellation, which is pronounced Lie-rah. I wonder if parents are choosing the name for its literary or its astronomical association? (Or, I suppose for its roots in the word lyre, the musical instrument.) Does anyone who knows little Lyras out there have any idea?

Guest, I think Calantha Eloise nn Cala is lovely!

I love the name Lucia, but it is the number one girls name in Spain right now. When my husband and I have children, I'd like to name them something that "works" in both languages/countries but that is "not too popular" in either. Doubly difficult.

Ack...posted before I was ready, sorry.

My girl picks:

Elsa
Adela
Leora
Eliora
Saibh
Niamh/Neve
Arielle
Ariella
Genevieve
Gloria
Keturah
Aliza
Linnea
Carrington
Waverly
Belle

Either:
Archer
Barrington
Phoenix

Boys:
Simon

I also agree with Luna, Lila/Lilah, Lachlan, Eliza, and Kieran.

I LOVE Jude, Lincoln and Lucia, but dh would probably never go for them. Both Jude and Lucia are off my list b/c they are too close to Julia, my dd. Julia and Lincoln? Maybe. My top female choice right now would be Ivy, which I see was already posted. I believe hyz was gathering feedback about Ivy a few posts back? I've always loved Ivy. Fiona is another winner in my book. I'm sure they are all right around the corner as up-and-comers!

FWIW, I know a Lyla who just turned one.

Ash,
thanks for asking about the name saga. We're still tentatively set on Ivy, although I did have a slight crisis of confidence when my MIL was here last weekend and opining that the ivy around our house was overgrown, and ivy has a tendency to do that, and we needed cut it back. I happen to like it that way, thank you very much. Hmph. (Maybe I wouldn't be so indignant if that was her only comment about our home-keeping choices, but she was full of "helpful suggestions" all weekend.) But her slight negative tone about the plant (a concern which I remember Tirzah raising earlier) made me worry that she'd be full of negative thoughts/comments about the name. I love that ivy is a hardy, thriving, vigorous plant. That may make it a bit of a nuisance to some, but I'd rather have a plant like that, and a child like that, than some fussy hothouse flower, or another plant you have to coddle and coax to keep it going. I guess we'll just have to be careful not to allow our Ivy to turn into a pushy little tyrant--but then again, we weren't intending to raise any little Napoleons anyway.

Speaking of strong plants, I was just saying to DH the other day that I wish honeysuckle had a better name (lonicera doesn't do much for me either), because I'd love to name a child after it--another potentially over-vigorous plant. I think the smell of honeysuckle is one of the chief pleasures of summer. Random thought, I guess--DH looked at me like I was a bit nutty.

Anyway, we do have other names still in the running, but the extent to which we're *seriously* considering them shifts day to day, depending on my mood swings, I guess. :)

Baby watch--On a baby board I visit, the following babies have been born so far this month:

Ivy Evangeline
Fleur Ruth
Clover Wednesday
Fiona
Elwyn (g)
Jude River
Dylan & Oliver (twin boys)
Erik
Brayden Marc

Interesting set, I think, and interesting for me to see two of our top choices represented (Ivy and Fiona--plus Oliver, which isn't really surprising to see), and another from my long list (Clover--this one was on my very long list--I love the imagery, but didn't seriously consider it). There was a time when I would've been disturbed by that, but now I actually find it kind of pleasant to see other people making the same choices. It's not a very mainstream board (as you probably guessed from the names), so it doesn't raise the concerns of massive, widespread popularity that it might otherwise--it's a bit like seeing other people like "my" names on this board.

Apropos of honeysuckle, hyz, I've sometimes wondered why the botanical name for lilac doesn't get used more-- "Syringa".

Although there are not that many names ending in "-a" that I'm wild about, apart from "Eliza" and a few others, Syringa strikes my fancy, somehow. Probably because of the fugitive "y", and the swinginess...

The "why not" names, to me, have already sounded too trendy, especially Finn and Asher. Not sure how to describe it, but there's a "preciousness" or something about them that bugs me...

barrington? jaysus.

Thought of a few more:

Boys:
Drayden/Draidan/etc.
Grayden/Greydon/etc.
Gray/Grey
Tynan
Sullivan

Either:
Murphy
...Actually, I guess most of the names I listed as boys could go either way.

Girls:
Ada
Ida
Tirzah
Tatiana
Ellery
Azalea
Zinnia
Isadora

Yvette--What's wrong with Barrington? I don't like the style personally, but I think it fits in with some of today's trends.

Oops. Forgot Keziah.

Sorry. :/

Syringa? Sounds like syringe. End of story.

What about "Lilac" as a name? It's a beautiful plant, a beautiful color, has the newly popular "lie" sound, and isn't too common on the one hand or too obscure on the other. The only drawback I can see is that I've heard it pronunced differently in different regions. I say "lie-lock" but my husband says "lie-lack," for instance.

Yvette- I'm with you about Barrington.
Re Asher- don't you think it would be used by the kind of person (I sound snobby already)who liked the name Ashton because of the Kutcher phenomenon, but want to be yooneek? I'm just sorry the name Ashley was hijacked for girls a while back...As a mother of three boys, I feel those with daughters have so many great names to choose from, while the list of boy's names shrinks weekly. And Murphy for a girl? I can't get my head around that one at all!
In Sydney I have only ever met real life male Rowans (also Rohan). I think Brooke Shields has a girl Rowan??
Love the name Lydia- feminine but not frilly, a good sibling for an Ivy perhaps. And the Pride and Prejudice Lydia had personality. I just can't see Graeme (Graham) taking off here this generation- it was a popular name too recently

Heard an interesting segment on NPR titled 'Remembering a Tricky Name Change'. I naturally thought of my fellow Naming Enthusiasts and thought you all may enjoy the short story. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91216351

Re Ashton and Asher

Susan, I have loved the name Ashton since I read The Far Pavilions - a love story set in 19th century British colonial India. This name was then hijacked by silly Ashton Kutcher and then parents started using Ashton for their little girls. I think of Asher as a safe, Biblical name that would fit most personalities. I doubt that girls will steal Asher because few girls names end in "er"

just some thoughts...
Brooke

Except, Keren, that in "Syringa", it's a hard "g", not a "j" sound.

You're probably right that many people would stumble into the "j" pronunciation.

Kristine, I do like "Lilac" as well. I say it like you, but I like both pronunciations. And the heavenly scent of lilacs has to be one of the most romantic... What is the T.S. Eliot line-- something about lilacs mixing memory and desire? I've garbled it but it's quite lovely...

Re: Asher ... This is a name I've had a huge crush on for a long time. I'm pretty sure my husband would never have gone for it, and now it's a moot point since I couldn't very well have Astrid and Asher.

Re: Lyra ... Count this as another pet name for me. Friends have a cat named Lyra (pron. lie-ra). Plus, it sounds a bit too much like it could be a pharmaceutical name for me.

Phoebe -- I discovered Hester via Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as a high school sophomore. I've had a soft spot for it since then. Such a great name.

Some thoughts:
Hyz-Lonicera is pretty you could divide it up like Loni Sara or something although I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing it properly. I say Lye-lack btw.

Clover Wednesday is NMS, sounds like a cow or racehorse or something sorry! And I see "syringe" in Syringa too.

CHW-That was a cute story. It reminded me of something an old boyfriend said-"Do not abbreviate fraternity as frat because you wouldn't call a sorority a sore".LOL

Ashton, Finley, Barrington are all a little too stuffy for my tastes although they are nice names. I would choose Asher over Ashton if those were the only names available. Lydia is definitely on the rise. I am still looking over the girl names with the lowest point in the charts over the last 100 years (which is taking awhile) but I do believe that Audrey and Eleanor are rising as well. I have not attempted the boys names. If anyone is up for the challenge-go for it!

Re Honeysuckle, look for the actress Honeysuckle Weeks in Foyle's War which will be back on tv in the US this summer.

As for L- names, I know toddlers named Lela Zoe and Lily. Lily has grown common, but that was the first Lela I have heard of.

I looked up Honeysuckle Weeks to see if I could find out more about her name. Apparently she was born when the fragrance of honeysuckle was heavy in the air. She has a sister Perdita and a brother Rollo, both of whom also act. Now that is a sib set! Her husband's name is Lorne. I haven't heard that name since Lorne Greene and Lorne Michaels, both, coincidentally or not, Canadian-born.

Come to think of it, I haven't met anyone named Lorna for a long time. That might fit in with the Lilas, Lydias, Lunas, Lucias, etc., etc. Does anyone read Lorna Doone anymore? I assume people still do eat them though. (BTW Lorna was another name created specifically for a fictional character.)

Thanks for the reminder about Honeysuckle Weeks. I thought I remembered hearing about somebody named Honeysuckle, but I couldn't remember who. I'd never go there, though--honey is too sweet, and any name with suck or suckle in it is right out. I could see Lonicera as a name, just not for me--it begs for a NN, and I don't care for any of the obvious ones, even if I liked NNs in general. Oh, and I definitely say LIE-LACK for lilac (almost even stress on each syllable), which doesn't make for a very pretty name, IMHO. I think it sounds too forceful and choppy (like a cat with a hairball), even though I do like the plant. We also like Lila(h), Lily, et al, but if they're common in general, I think they're especially so in our circle, so we didn't seriously consider them.

Eo--I also see syringe in Syringa--even though the pronunciation is different, the visual similarities are too strong for me. I see what you mean, though--it does have a similar rhythm and sound to Serena, for instance.

I do like Lorna, though. I have some excellent vegetarian cookbooks by Lorna Sass--the name sounds very wholesome and quaint to me. I've never known any Lornes other than the famous ones mentioned above, but I've known several male Lorens. I like the name, but I do feel a bit sorry for them having to explain that they're not Lauren all the time.

I really hope that Ashers aren't popping up as kre8iv versions of Ashton. That certainly hasn't been my experience with the name so far.

Asher may also be useful as a Western equivalent for common Indian boys names like Ashwin and Ashish. Lila would, likewise, pick up echoes of Indian girls' names like Leela. And so on. Such simple, attractive, not-too-baggage-laden names have this advantage. I could see a bi-cultural family choosing Asher or Lila as a perfect compromise in the midst of very diverse family traditions.

Oh, nice topic. I agree on many of the suggested names as additions to the list, and I was looking for others to suggest into the mix. How about:

Roman (currently at 207)
Ezra (at 342)
Leland (316)
Tessa (189, just made it from the 200s)
Elias (173, also just out of the 200s)
Tobias (477)
Eve (618, waiting for discovery)
Jonas (331, rising sharply)

Woohoo ... I guess little Rowan caught the wave of popularity. In other news, did you hear Angelina named one of her twin girls Isla? Damn you, Angelina! That's Rowan's sister's (if she is ever to be) name!

(Rowan decided to decorate the both of us in spit up so I forgot what I was going to say, hence the double post) About Asher, I would like the name but I just can't get over "bad Ash", the name, since Army of Darkness. Whenever I see/meet an Ash, all I can think about is the dialog from that movie.

I met a Finley that's maybe a week or two older than Rowan at the bookstore on Saturday. His parents are both from the UK and living in the US. I don't know what that means about their naming styles though. I also met a Quinn the other day though I don't remember where. I think I'd add that to the same list as Rowan and Finley.

Anyhow off to work.

I'm with Brooke on the name Asher. When I hear it, I think of one of the 12 tribes of Israel, or one of the 12 sons of Jacob, which hardly says kre8ive name to me, or derivation of Ashton or Ashley.

That being said, I do know a girl of about 16 named Asher. I guess her parents were ahead of the naming curve when they decided on this name 16 years ago, and by using it on a female...I think of it as a male name.

Celebrity baby watch: Seems that Brangelina did go with Isla Marcheline and Amelie Jane as someone had mentioned earlier.

And Jessica Alba named her daughter Honor Marie.

Doh. I may have posted too soon. The Alba-Warren baby is definitely here, but not so the Jolie-Pitts.

*blushing*

Honor is one of the ones I see with some frequency in the Telegraph birth announcements- I wonder if the Hollywood endorsement will put off that group of parents? How well is Jessica Alba known in the UK?

I always thought that the Pride and Prejudice connection to Lydia was a negative because I don't like the character. Rowan does seem a little more girl to me, maybe because I connect it to the Anne McCaffrey character. I really like Asher. I can definitely see those names rising, although I don't think I'm that big a fan of the L names for girls. Maybe it is backlash from too many Ellies, as much as I loved Eleanor, I think I find myself staying away from the sound all together. L names sound pretty girly to my ears right now and having a houseful of boys makes a frilly girl name for their sister seems out of place now. It is strange how the first kid or two you name shapes your choices. I couldn't really use Asher now either since it doesn't seem to fit with James and Thomas.

hyz - I was just wondering at Lorna the other day. It sounds so much like the Lily group, but has that pesky rn in the middle.

Baby alert: Evan Charles LN. Northeast well-educated parents. (Also the fifth under-5 Evan I can name!)

Boys:
Asher - a wonderful name used traditionally in the Jewish community (has nothing to do with Ashton Kutcher)
Finn - brisk Celtic sound, nn for Finnegan?; Meadow Soprano's fiance's name; Ethan Hawke's character in "Great Expectations" movie circa 1998.
Finley - a girl in the US (thanks to Angie Harmon)
Grady - perfect for about one more year, will attain real popularity
Jude - was perfect before Jude Law became famous, so how about Judah?
Lincoln - used in the African-American community; a brother to Madison?
Rowan - definitely a girl's name in US thanks to Brooke Shields; a boy in the UK, love comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean)

Girls:
Lila - perfect for about the neat year, will soon be way too trendy
Lucia - the pronunciation issues will keep it from being overused in the near-term; Ana-Lucia character from "Lost" (prn "loo-SEE-uh"), how about Lucien/Lucienne?
Luna - means moon; too many dogs with this name.

I think Brooke's picks are interesting--
Boys:
Lewis - anglophiles will like it
Locke - Not so sure (John Locke character on "Lost", but how about Desmond instead?)
Quentin - an African-American name for sure
Killian - "kill" might not evoke the right feeling, but actor Cillian Murphy could become more famous and give this name a bump.

Girls:
Calla - nice but a caution, calla lilies evoke funerals, how about Poppy, or Dahlia?
Beatrix - Daughter of British royalty, but Trixie is an unfortunate nn
Briar - wow!! perfect for right now
Larkin - another winner. One of the lead female characters on short-lived US TV show "Invasion" in 2005 was named Larkin, but few remember it.

I'd add--
Boys:
Judah
Desmond
Tobias

Girls:
Darcy
Wren
Comfort

As for Lilac (eek!), please don't - will be misheard as Lila (trendy)

Our daughter (19 months) is a Lyra. We had read His Dark Materials, which probably helped it be sufficiently familiar to allow us to consider it, but we came across the name 'separately' in 1950s book of names (which I can't name as my sister currently has it) and it appealed because of the meaning (and she does appear to _love_ music!) and it's classical nature.

We pronounce it Lie-ra. It does present some difficulties, most people hear it as Lara (we're Australian, which may have an impact), and if we're not careful how we word it, they hear the meaning as liar:-(

When naming, we aim for gender non-specific (didn't work for Lyra...! but did for her brother), uncommon names (and dh prefers 4 letters because that's the minimum length of most login names:-) obviously Lyra meets that, but her brother has 5). We've been watching anxiously post-movie—we hadn't connected just when it was coming out. From our perspective, we've been quite glad it wasn't a big hit:-)

hyz, what is this babyname board you visit? I would love to check out a place with babies named Clover Wednesday. It's not my style, but I can certainly appreciate the boldness of the choice!

I think hanging out here is giving me a skewed perspective on normal naming choices. I was just visiting my best friend Theresa this weekend, who is also newly married and contemplating starting a family, and we got to talking about names for future children. She wants James and Katherine (Katie). Nice names, totally unobjectionable, classic and beautiful, but a little too bland for me (especially with her incredibly generic last name--if you thought of five "regular," common last names it would probably be there right under Smith). I told her about my husband's and my final agreement on Simon and Josephine and she looked...less than impressed about Josephine? As did my m-i-l. From the comments here, I was worried Josephine was too popular and widespread, but apparently that's not the case.

And I know a Calla my own age! She's close to thirty. Her parents named her Calla Ruth, which means (she told me) Beautiful Lover of Beauty. She thought they went a little overboard with the meanings. Calla Ruth is a name that would fit right in here, I suspect.

I also knew a Luna and a Lucia in college. I was hanging out with a very ahead-of-the-naming-curve crowd. Though, to be fair, Lucia's parents were both from Italy and she had about eight middle names. Loredana was one. Any takers?

Although Syringa may not be pronounced like syringe, the spelling is too close for my tastes. Blech. Lilac and Lila hold the (basically) same meaning, without the unpleasant needle/intravenous drug associations.

And I wouldn't classify "Drayden" along with Asher, Finn, Jude, etc. It's just another permutation of Aiden--and an ugly one at that.

Can't see Comfort catching on for girls in the UK, it's a well know brand of fabric conditioner.

I'd add Edith/Edie; Dora, Edmund, Woody, Ina, Elijah, Ezra and Malachi. All these names present in my son's school nursery and reception classes.

Coll,
it's actually not a name board at all, but a parenting site--check out the forums at mothering.com--it's an interesting group of people, generally with "alternative" or natural parenting leanings. They have their share of Braydens, Draydens, and Makaylas, but also some more attractive and fascinating (to me) choices as well.

Love Lachlan, Alistair, Lincoln for boys. Miles and Graham are on my list - having a boy this summer.

What do you all think of Conrad?

Some of the older generation are under the impression it would be shortened to "Connie" - which I hate. But in the day and age of many Conners and "my-son-is-Timothy-not-Tim", I think most people would use the whole name.

Thanks!

@JennyAnna - Conrad reminds me of the song from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie".. "We love you Con-on-rad, oh yes we doo-ooh..." Don't know of anyone named Conrad, except for very old movie actors (Conrad Veidt).

Miles and Lachlan are your best bets (in the US anyway, Lachlan may be too popular down under); Graham is ok, but I can hear the playground teasing already: "Hey Graham Cracker!"

@Coll - great comment. Yes, hanging out here does give you a skewed perspective, but in a very good way I hope. As Laura wrote, these are "names captured at the brink of popularity, the ultimate fashion peak."

These are the names we'll be frowing upon as "too trendy" when they're ranked in the top 25 15 years from now.

I know a Conrad in his early 20s; he goes by Rad. I can't imagine calling him Connie, even though he's quite effeminate!

Syringa is absolutely syringe-with-an-A to me. The words ARE related, and whether that g is pronounced as a hard or soft one has little impact on its immediate visual association.

Of course, I nearly convinced my husband that a future daughter would be well served by the name Connocha, derived from Connochaetes of the wildebeest's scientific name...

Some more perfectly good names?

Giles

Rufus

Lorna (wow, can't believe I woke up thinking of Lorna and then someone mentioned it here)

Ferdinand (Ferdie totally is the next Archie/Alfie replacement for the UK) has a great pedigree.

Annabella

Amabel (however would prob be confused with Annabel)

For those seeking a pan-European name:
Anton
Emil
Roland
Darius

For the hipsters:
Rupert
Cyril
Horace (nms, but I bet someone chooses it)

I just saw a list of names one family is considering (on the site http://babynames.com/Names/namelist_view.php?VNLID=9632873) and noticed this trio:

Remington
Colt
Wesson

Each one isn't noteworthy by itself, but together they make quite a statement, don't they?

You all have such a good grasp of names, especially on this particular topic!

I like a lot of the names mentioned - Gemma, Beatrix, Ezra, Phillipa have all been on my lists at one time or another.

I know a sib set Simon and Elsa. And another Eloise and Atticus. The last new baby I met was Malachi.

My Cabbage Patch doll was called Luna Paige. How trendy she would be today!

I like the Italian pronounce of Lucia (loo-CHEE-uh)

Coll, I wish more people would name their children the names your friend used (James and Katherine) that you thought were too bland rather than some of the names I have encountered recently.

Here is an example of some girls:
Addison, Riley, Sibley, Taylor, Harley, Alexandra, Macy,

I would definitely take Katherine over any of the names I just listed.

Re: Conrad, I do think your point that Connor is so familiar is a good thing for Conrad -- Connors don't get nn'd Connie. There was a WonderWorks movie on PBS about 20 years ago that my brothers and I loved growing up called "Conrad," about a boy our age (we're now late-20s) who was "manufactured" in a factory and shipped to his adoptive parents in a huge can. Sounds very weird -- and it certainly was a weird premise -- but it had all sorts of good messages about human dignity and all that.

There's an Irish boy's name Conn, so Conrad shortened to Con sounds masculine enough to me ... though a caveat: Our Gabriel was called almost exclusively "Gabey" by our whole family his first year of life, which I thought was cute, but my husband hated because he thought the nn would stick into his childhood and growing up, and he thought it sounded too much like "baby." Though he goes almost exclusively by Gabe now (at the ripe age of not-quite-two!), Gabey slips out often, and I think it's because the "y" ending feels so natural when you're talking to an adorable little kid, especially one you know intimately. So Con could very well unintentionally turn to Connie; that's also one of the reasons we won't use Jude, though we both like it -- we don't like the possibility of "Judy" for our son.

Oh please, don't let Grady get too popular/ trendy! This will be a huge disappointment to me, the mother of a Grady. Actually, it would probably disappoint my husband even more. He evidently was traumatized by being one of four Davids in his high school graduating class (a small private school with a graduating class of a mere 35 students) and absolutely insisted on a name outside of the top 100.

I really love this topic! Let me think on it, and I'm sure I can come up with my own "Why Not?" names!

The Angenlina Jolie/Brad Pitt girls have not yet been born. That was evidently a rumor last week about Isla and Amelie.

I live in Berkely, CA and know three Finns (nicknames for Finnley and Finnigan), two Judes (Jude and Judah) and one Lincoln. Quite a few Lilas, too.

I'll agree that Asher, Finn, Jude and Rowan are becoming fashionable. Likewise, Lila and Lucia are getting popular. I don't circulate with the type of people who would find names like Lincoln and Grady attractive, but it's possible that they're popular in another region. I've never met anyone with the first name Luna.

The names I'd like to see in the "Why not" category are the ones that never quite fall from use, but that don't quite have a sound that conforms to today's fashion. By this, I mean girls' names that don't end in "a" or "ella", that can't be nicknames "Ellie", and that don't have the alliterative "L" sound. For boys, I think anything not starting with "Luc" and not ending in "n" is a candidate.

Some suggestions: Mark, Edith, Donald, Ingrid...

To me, these are "why not" names because there's nothing wrong with them, they are familiar, yet most people would never consider them for a baby. Of course, they WILL come back in style one day.

JennyAnna,

If you love Conrad, I think it's a fine name, and I really don't see people nn'ing him Connie--maybe just Con, if anything. If you're looking for general opinions on the name, I'll say that it's a little too strong and choppy for my particular tastes (I tend to like names that flow a little easier without so many strong consonants)--I really love Alistair and Graham off your list, and I like Lachlan and Miles pretty well, too. But Conrad sounds a bit abrupt to me with that hard stop in the middle and nearly even emphasis on each syllable, and maybe sounds a bit like a corporate name/abbreviation (ComEd, ConTech, GenTech, DynCorp--they all have that same rhythm to me). BUT, it's a solid name with plenty of good history, it's familiar without being common, and it's German, which seems slightly hip now, and which I do like (I think of Konrad Lorenz, the Austrian animal behaviorist, or lots of northern/eastern European nobles named Konrad--some of whom may have been a bit violent for my tastes, but interesting nonetheless). I'd say if you love it, go for it--it's a very respectable and powerful name, and he's very likely to be the only one on the playground with it, even though I wouldn't call it weird or quirky.

My niece and nephew are Sadie and Lincoln. When each was born my first thought was "that's a DOGs name!" Now they are quite the trend setters!

I wanted to name each of my sons Lachlan but the hubby wouldn't go for it. Certainly not many down here in New Mexico!

I've been interested as I read this blog to see where Rowan pops up as I worked in the Infant Room of a daycare center from 2002-2006 and my first year we had a little boy Rowan so it's seemed pretty normal for me since then. That same year we actually had a Roman too so that was a little confusing at times... "The Letter K," I was reading over your list and I thought it was interesting that I had Roman, Elias and Tobias in my 4 years at the preschool!

I've also had a professor named Lydia and she's in her late 30s I would guess? It works beautifully on her!

yikes. we named our guy graham a couple of years ago. i was hoping it would stay under the radar. now you "outed" it. ack!

I really think Graham is a handsome, stylish name. I've only known one person (that I can think of) with that name--a former classmate who was kind, funny, smart, interesting, athletic, and not half bad-looking--so only positive associations there, and actually, exactly what I'd expect a Graham to be like. We'd actually consider it strongly, except that it seems a little short with our 1 syl. LN, and we live on Graham Street, so it might seem a little corny.

I also like Roman a lot--again, handsome and stylish. Speaking of place-based adjective names, I also know a man named Dutch. He's mid to late 30s, and he definitely pulls it off--it sounds cool on him.

Hi hyz - did you go to school with my husband? Because it sounds like you're describing him :)

But here in Australia Graham was a totally ordinary 60s-70s name. My MIL wanted all her kids to have normal names to offset the fact that they were half-Chinese (very unusual in Australia at that time).

re Conrad

You might also like the name Cormac. Mac is a very fun nn!

good luck,
Brooke

why not consider these lovely ladies? Clementine, Virginia, Edith,Helen, Josephine, Ruth, Isla, Dorothea, Daphne, Millicent, Mairead. Or these sterling gentlemen? Calvin, Desmond, Raphael,Gideon,Alonzo, Orlando, Barnaby, Thelonius. I wouldn't use all of them, but I am open to them. I would like to see more classic Italian male names join the naming party. And I love names that sound stately and can be the source of myriad nicknames. I love reading others' "why not" lists--it is like a secret trove for each of us, it seems. The names that feel a little daring, but delight.

Okay, here are some names that I feel should be added to the "Why not?" list. Of course, this is just me and I know that. But here they are:

Simon (#258)
August (#607)
Milo (#548)
Curtis (#336)
Silas (#346)
Ronan (#554)
Abram (#583)
Solomon (#456)
Cullen (#769)

lol, hyz, I'm on MDC all the time. Maybe if I see a birth story/announcement for Ivy I'll say 'hi'.

Regarding Isla: Apparently the Angelina twins birth thing was a hoax. Whew! My baby name is safe (for now)!

It has been such fun reading all the "Why Not?" lists. I don't know that mine exactly fit the criteria as such, but they're names I would consider (or love but would never really use).

Girls (none in the '07 top 1000):
*Maude
*Beatrix
*Agnes
*Elspeth
*Bronwyn
*Eily (this is a name we seriously considered; I think it would fit in well with today's Lilys, etc.)

Boys:
*Solomon (#456)
*Enzo (#658)
*Pablo (#305)
*Edmund (#918)

Very interesting discussion!

What I'm wondering here is, how much of these names' popularity surges can we attribute to the book itself, or rather to the Why Not list itself? I know that these names are lovely, and thus were bound to be rediscovered eventually. But is it possible that the adept Ms. Wattenberg somewhat accelerated their popularity with her own perceptive name-sleuthing?

a few more for the why not list :)

Girls:
Fiora - familiar because of Fiona, but more adventuresome
Amity - usual virtue name
Bellamy
Catesby - I LOVE the nn Cates
Sabine

Boys:
Cormac - I listed this above as an alternative to Connor and Conrad, Mac would fit right in with all of the kids named Jack, Gus, Sam, and Henry
Madoc
Soren - I know this recently made the charts, but at 746 a parent would still be way ahead of the trend
Gibson - I like this surname a lot and the nn Gib is different
Howard - 855 and falling (!) I think Howie is so cute on babies

Just some thoughts!
Brooke

Below are the babies in Rowan's daycare class. We have a couple of the usual suspects, but no -aidens!

Adrienne
Alec
Avelyn (I'd previously thought it was Avalon but someone had spelled it wrong on her crib)
Avi
Emma
Gage
Gavin
Helena
Jacob
Lorelei
Lucas
Molly
Swe (boy, pronounced sway)
Zachary

I'm short a couple of names, though I'll probably remember them later. I absolutely adore Molly. I can imagine a little Molly and sister Lucy even though I'm usually so NOT into cutesy name pairs. It's like my oh so very strange attraction to the name Elfrida. It doesn't really fit the pattern of names I like, but I like it anyhow.

I posted too soon. I checked back and I hadn't put in my girl "Why not?"s. They may be seen as a little strange to non NE's, though.

Briony or Bryony
Fleur
Ramona
Sybil
Margot or Margo
Ailsa
Ffion
Cleantha (nn Clea)

and the only ranked one:
Laurel 942

My son's preschool class (4 yr olds):

Coby
Cody (yes, the teacher loves having those 2 together)
Steven
Max
Taylor
Natalie
Angelina

To me, it seems like such a normal, untrendy list of names.

I'm still trying to come up with a few names for my own Why not? list.

Finally, to all who like the name Graham: I love this name. It was the name of my first love so it seems very nostalgic to me. It is also the ln of very dear friends of ours, so I have nothing but god associations with it. I actually think Graham Cracker is a very cute reference for a little baby named Graham, and it becomes such a distinguished name for grown ups.

B - totally agree with Sybil. Lovely associations, lovely sound. I'm also partial to Sybilla. Neither seem too far removed from the trends to make an eventual modest comeback.

I have a 2 year old called Lana Grace. When she was born i put a notice in the local newspaper...2 weeks later there was a birth announcement for another Lana Grace.

Coincidence? I think not.

I quite like names like Sullivan and Patterson, they aren't popular right now, which makes them even more attractive.

Another name I'll submit is June. It isn't currently ranked but it did peak in the 1920's.

Kimberly, happy to see you here AND on MDC! It's funny--hanging around both of these places tends to make a lot of generally uncommon names seem normal, if not trendy. More birth announcements from MDC's June group:

Juniper Olivia (love it)
Rieslin Claire (v. pretty, although it makes me think of tasty wine)
Daniel

And, Kimberly, you've probably seen all the people on MDC talking about Rowan lately. Ivy's a hot topic, too. Ah well, right?

Liz & Louka, I doubt I went to school with your DH, but it sounds like you found a winner! :)

I've never really hung out in the DDC area on MDC, so I haven't seen all the talk on Rowan, but I've run into it a lot elsewhere, including here. When we picked it, I knew it was gaining in popularity, but I didn't really expect the kind of surge that's happening now. I don't know whether to be upset or not. Right now I'm kind of bemused. LOL

And I'm half expected Isla to suddenly take off. Right now that's what I would name a daughter if I were to have one--Isla Ruth LN.

I have to say I also really like Graham. I kind of doubt it's going to see a huge popularity surge anytime soon, but I think it's a really solid, attractive name that would look good on a little boy as well as on a man.

Here's a funny name story for you all. This morning I spent half and hour listening to a coworker complain about her daughter-in-law. Then she talked about how weird it was that her DIL had given the baby four names, with one of the mns being the DIL's maiden name. I didn't point out to her that Rowan's MN is my LN. It's not like it's not on the birth announcement I have pinned to my cubical wall or anything. I did tell her it really wasn't that unusual, though. LOL

sme, let me clarify, I think James and Katherine are beautiful and NOT bland-- I like them both very much, and James is actually my husband's favorite boy's name! I'll be quite happy for my future pseudo-niece if her name is Katherine Grace. My comment was more about the names that I'm drawn to, which I read as fairly middle-of-the-road, but are more outlandish than I'd thought.

Some Why Nots for me:

Girls
Georgianna
Edith/Edie (seriously considering this with husband)
Eloise (also a serious option)
Agnes (love it, husband will never go for it)
Ramona (considering it for the Dylan song)
Henrietta
Beatrix
Medbh (Maeve)
Maude
Agatha
Briony (loved Atonement)

Boys
Alistair
Roland
Reginald
Clive
Jasper
Casper (obvs never for brothers)

Alas, I gave birth to a Lyra in July of last year. I actually encountered the name for the first time here and it immediately sang to me, but we remained stuck between Kensington, Harper, Cassia and Lyra until we saw her (we didn't know what we were having, but had decided on a boys names--girls have many more options). We pronounce it Leer-ruh, which may sound to many ears like lee-ruh (like lyric, but with an "uh", instead of an "ick").

AHHHHH-This post is scaring me. Many of your up and coming names are the names of MY children. Serena, Ezra, and Eliora

AND....speaking of Lydia, That name has been on my mind lately after reading a lovely children's book with the name in it.

@JennyAnna -

I also know a late 20s Conrad who went by the nn Rad when I knew him. It's a cool nn for a personality-plus kid.

I rather like the name Conrad as a standout to the many, many similar boys' names that seem to be popular right now, e.g. Aiden, Caden, Brayden, everything else that ends in -n. Conrad is a very strong-sounding name to me, and it brings to mind revered author Joseph Conrad.

Yolanda-Cute baby!

I think all these "Why Nots" are my favorite names. Now I finally have a handle on my style!

We have a new boy cousin in the family- Indy Ercole LN. Ercole (AIR coh lay) is the name of our grandfather (Americanized to Eric, my son's name). Not sure *exactly* where Indy came from, I haven't asked if it's the obvious. Knowing the cousin whose child it is, the name fits, and there certainly are (imo) worse names than Indy. Other recent children- Ruby, Connor/Conner, Abigail (all 4-9 mos old).

Oh, B got there first, but i can't let be. The female name Ailsa is just begging to be used more, and it's curiously independent of cultural baggage. It's a geographic name (Ailsa Craig is a small island in Scotland of the firth of Clyde), and surprisingly straightforward to pronounce, just a little lither than plain Elsa. It's really a Why not - most people probably haven't noticed it even exists....

For a boy's name, why not go for Shiel (after loch Shiel, also in Scotland).

(this whole Why not exploration could easily get a little out of hand... )

I do wonder, though, why Duncan's popularity is declining, and Eamon has never made it into the top 1000 despite all that attraction to celtic-ish names? And my oddball riser bet for this year, Ellery (for girls) didn't make it either. Come on, it's practically Avery's twin name! But!

Atticus is rising (683)
Penelope also (412)
Paisley is rocketing skyward (610)
Brock is up (255)
Aldo is up, too (429) (from Aldous?)

so... why not, indeed!

Newest baby on my block is named David Emmanuel. Really nice combo in my opinion. I think his older sister's name is Mariella.

Tori Spelling just gave birth to "Stella Doreen." Weren't we just talking about those "een" ending names?

Agree re Ailsa - it's just begging to be rediscovered. Also Ailey, an anglicised version of the Gaelic Eilidh.

I know of a Cyrus born recently. Not my cuppa but certainly not common.

To me, the "why nots" should be names which are definitely "out there" just not used so much. Sepcifically, I like the idea that they're names that are somewhat immune to trends eg Antonia (there's a blog entry on Antonia from last year I think).

One of my son's classmates (age 3) is Lacey. It seems to fit the Lila/Lily trend, but peaked in the '80s. Does this name have too much baggage from Laci Peterson? Why did it peak so much earlier?

I'll post the names of my grandparents for the "why not" lists:

Paternal grandmother and siblings:
Stella Marie
Agnes
Adelaide
Cecilia

Paternal step-grandmother:
Frances Evelyn

Paternal grandfather:
Albert

Maternal grandmother and siblings:
Catherine Marian (the middle name could qualify)
Raymond
Dorothy

Maternal grandfather:
Henning, called Larry

B and Tess, in aggregate your lists come closest to mine in the "why not" category.

I would have put Jessica Alba's choice, "Honor", in that same category, but now I'm not so sure. My "rule" is that once a Hollywood actor/actress discovers/ uses a name, it means it is no longer as unusual as I thought. This has happened over the decades, time after time. Back in the Sixties and Seventies, I loved Gwyneth, Henry, Oliver, Tobias, and on and on, only to see them be "taken up".

Honor is beautiful, and I like both spellings, "Honor" and "Honour".
"Graham"s appealing Scottish variant, "Graeme" in nice too.

I'm amused at the reactions to "Syringa". I would never have thought of it in connection with something as utilitarian as a syringe. Obviously, my brain works in a weird way. The association doesn't bother me a whit.

In fact, remember in the great Greer Garson weeper, "Mrs. Miniver", her lovely, serene house was called "Starlings", presumably because those naughty birds swarmed around? I've often thought if our house had a name, "Syringa" would be great because of the ancient, overgrown lilacs in our back yard...

I wonder how many name enthusiasts toy with the idea of naming their houses? It's romantic, but here in the U.S. is perceived by many as being pretentious. But in Britain, I love all the "Rose Cottages" etc. you stumble over...

Ailsa was on our long list, but didn't make the short list because of the "ail" aspect--I didn't want any sickly connotations. I actually prefer Elsa, and like that name a lot, but we have a dog named Elke, so it seemed like a bad idea.

Eo, I wouldn't consider naming my house (it would seem too odd in the middle of our city neighborhood, although it's a lovely centenarian brick victorian with lots of old charm, and might well "deserve" a name), but we have dreams of moving to a little farm sometime in the not too distant future, and I love thinking of names for that. The British names are wonderful inspiration.

Yolanda -- Your Lyra is adorable! Very sweet.

JennyAnna -- I think Conrad is a wonderful name for a boy and, having a young cousin (10 yrs old) named Conor, I wouldn't think shortening it to Connie should be a concern of yours. I agree that Conrad is a refreshing change in a sea of similar boys' names.

I also agree that Eamon should be a "why not" name (I, too, find so many names I like on others' "why not" lists). The double-whammy of Irish origin plus -on ending seems like a surefire hit. Maybe perceived pronunciation difficulties are slowing its adoption?

New babies in my life:

Sara Kirsten (pron. Keer-stin)
Benjamin Andrew
Ian Adler

None of these kids have sibs.

hyz, I too went to school with a Graham who fit the description of your Graham perfectly. He would be 27 now. The only other Graham I know is a man from Australia who is in his 40s. I agree that Graham is a handsome, great name.

Coll, I very much understood the point you were trying to make and I even agree with it. I just wanted to throw it out that even though those names were a little too bland for you (and probably me), they are MUCH, MUCH better than some of the names I have been hearing lately that make me sick.

Graham's one of those names that doesn't work for babies yet in the UK...it's a 50-year-old man. Like Nigel, Trevor, Derek...

I'm wondering if the common theme with the boys names is the slightly unisex theme. Rowan, Jude and Asher, all a bit girly in feel. Speaking as the mother of a Jude (Judah) I like that in aboy's name.

I think a couple of these have been mentioned, but I definitely would add these to the Why Not list. Many of these I'd love to use...

Ellen
Amadea
Sylvia/Sylvie/Sylviana
Elodie
Althea
Annelie
Clemence/Clemency
Constance
Eliana/Iliana
Coralie
Mireia/Mireya
Philomena
Regina
Lorraine
Mercy/Mercia
Anthea
Adalie/Adalia/Adelia
Amalie/Amelie/Amalia
Amalina/Amelina
Benedicta
Raphaela

Peregrine
Ronan
Matthias
Simeon
Thaddeus
Clement
Marcellus
Casimir
Florian
Stanislaus

Lorien, I think Ellen is the outlier in your (awesome) list. Although on a definite decline, Ellen has been on the top 1,000 since the list's inaguration, giving it a certain visibility not associated with other "Why Not?" names. Ellen has only recently fallen out of drop 500 and now hovers at 581.

In contrast many of your listed names--ioncluding Elodie, Annelie, Coralie, Raphaela, Benedicta--ever cracked the top 1000. Those that did (Sylvia, Mercy, Constance, Loraine) did so generations ago.

I personally know five Ellens and one Ellyn, including my dear (ha) younger sister--all born between 1987 and 1993. I wonder if these parents were made aware of the name by the trend-setting television show "thirtysomething," airing from 1987 to 1991 and featuring a character named Ellyn Warren. I know that my parents first became aware of the name watching the show and liked it so much they had selected it for their next daughter before she was even conceived. (Thank goodness they opted for the more traditional spelling!)

All - thanks for the comments on Conrad! I appreciate it. I do think it has a less fluid sound, but my LN goes well with it.

Brooke - I LOVE the name Cormac, and it was my #1 boy name. Again, though, is a LN problem. My LN starts with Hick-, which means any boy name ending in the "K" sound ends up with a LN sounding like "KICK-", and it makes the first name sound like "Corma". Husband's not so fond of the "kick" sound.

For "why not": Gulliver - follows in Oliver's footsteps, but maybe more of a middle name.

I'm gonna throw out Callum as my other "why not" name. (Apparently I like "C" names!)

Lauren,

Now that I think about it, I've never met anyone with the names in my girls' list except for two named Ellen, two named Regina and one named Lorraine (who was older). So, yes, I can see that Ellen might not fit, especially given the popularity you mention. I'll have to check the stats on Regina, too, since the ones I know are college age or younger.

De-lurking to say that there are two Lydias under 10 in my tiny midwestern town (population around 2,000.) Incidentally, we also have at least two Therons (male) under 10, and a neighboring small town has four or five Marens (female). I've never heard of another Theron or Maren (save for the B'way actress Marin Mazzie) but those names seem to have caught on in these two small towns. Perhaps this is a small town phenomenon: parents pick a name that could be considered rare/unusual/inventive to the rest of the world but seems 'normal' to them because others in their town have used it. Just my .02. :)

I just found this board a few days ago and must say I am relieved to know not everyone is naming their child Aiden, Emily, and Madison.

I've also always loved the name Asher, but I'm afraid it's too non-traditional for my husband. We haven't even begun really discussing names (I'm only 4 weeks, and just confirmed this morning), but I'll enjoy having everyone here's input on our picks.

Thanks for having me!

I must say I have a secret love of Matilda, and think it would fit in quite nicely with the other Why Nots.

Other girl names I like with the same "feel" are Ruby and Pearl.

I'm having a boy in September and have an exhaustive list to choose from right now. Too soon to ask for advice, but I'm nearly there. All I can say is that Graham is on the list! I love Lincoln and Sawyer, too, but they do not sound good with my LN.

Elizabeth T -- your grandparents family does seem to have the names that would fit into today's naming patterns...although personally I can't get behind Agnes.

Most of my grandparents and sib names aren't as likely to make a comeback soon.

Vera
Chester
Boliver
Mildred
Harlan
Nancy

(But we do have 3 Williams, Emily, Margaret, Dorothy, and 2 Johns...)

As many of these names have come up before, many of you know that quite a few of them are nms. However, since you all have different tastes than I, I was wondering why the name Peregrine appeals to some of you? Perry is ok as a nn but the whole name just doesn't work for me. Would anyone care to share their thoughts?

Another topic, why are the names Brady/Grady/etc. so popular when the "ee/y" sound makes a name sound girly? Is that why so many have adopted the "en" sound and changed the name to Brayden/Grayden/etc. to give it a more masculine feel?

I'm confused by Laura's definition of "Why Not" names. On the one hand, she says in her book "hardly anyone uses them." On the other hand, she says in this post that "this is a group of names captured at the brink of popularity, the ultimate fashion peak."

Reviewing her list of sample names above, I think all but Lincoln and perhaps Luna fall in the "brink of popularity" category, rather than the "hardly anyone uses them" category. If you pick any of the other names on the list, expect to know other neighborhood kids with those names.

If I were creating a Why Not? list, I would push much farther down the popularity list than 200 to 400. At a minimum, I would make 500 the cut off for top popularity.

Sure, Zoerhenne.

I've loved "Peregrine" partly for the "wanderer" aspect, and because it is so old, (I think of it in the context of the Middle Ages, and then the Puritans-- wasn't there a Peregrine White?)

Also, because I seem to be drawn to three syllable names for boys, like "Barnaby" and "Theodore".

And I like the sound of it!

I think of a Peregrine as intellectual and quirky.

To me, Perry is a great nickname-- it's a family name I gave to my son as a middle name. And shades of clever Erle Stanley Gardner lawyer-protagonist, "Perry Mason"!

But I also like "Piers" as a nickname for Peregrine, and even "Perro"...

I have to add Linnea to the list of Why Not names.

Zoerhenne, I can't speak for others, but I like Peregrine because of a number of positive associations:

1) the saint by that name,
2) the Hobbit by that name in Tolkien's writings,
3) the falcon by that name.

For some reason I just like boy names that start with "P" also...Paul, Peter, Patrick, Peregrine.

I doubt I'd use Peregrine as a FN, though, because most people apparently see it as too "out there."

Zoerhenne, at base, I like Peregrine for its handsome nature association (the Peregrine Falcon) and its rhythm (slant rhyme with Kerrigan--so it kind of has that 3 syl last name sound to it without being a surname name). It just sounds dignified to me, plus it has fun associations (like the hobbits, Merry and Pippin, aka Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrine Took--say that 5 times fast--I love that the names alone are so sing-songy that they sound like the beginning of a children's rhyme). The main reason I wouldn't use it for a kid is that I think it begs for a nn, which isn't my thing. But Pip or Pippin are awfully darling, and Perry isn't so bad, either.

Zoerhenne, personally, I like Peregrine because of the actual hawk meaning. It's a very masculine nature name, which is hard to find. I also like Falcon. (Though I sometimes get hung up on the first syllable, which is reminiscent of "foul," as in a "foul smell," and "phallus.")

Regarding Brady/Grady/Cody/Toby, perhaps people like the "ee" ending because it has the appeal of a friendly male nickname, in the style of Charlie, Tommy, Bobby and Johnny, in a full name format.

You are right though that they are susceptible to stealing by the girls. I know girls named Toby, Brady, Charlie and Bobbie.

Oh yeah, and on Peregrine, forgot to mention that it satisfies my love of ancient names, and also 3 syllable names.

On Grady/Brady--I would never call those feminine sounding, although I know -y names tend to be female, and that -y male names are some of the first to cross gender (Ashley, Courtney, Casey, ...). But I think converting them to -en names in this case isn't to make them more masculine, but to make them sound more formal (kind of like the way we discussed people turning the perfectly fine Trent into Trenton)

Tirzah, I agree with your confusion about the "why not" category. For me, they should be truly rare names with some legitimate historical foundation that have not only fallen out of popular use as names, but out of the popular consciousness (so, for instance, Katharine wouldn't cut it, even though she's out of the top 1000, because we still have Katherine, etc.). Most of the names suggested here don't meet that criteria for me. They're great names, but too immediately appealing and familiar to be "why nots", I think.

Just popping in to say that I'm tickled to see several of the names I've added to the 2nd Ed. "Why Not" list suggested here!

And Tirzah, you wrote:

"I'm confused by Laura's definition of 'Why Not' names. On the one hand, she says in her book 'hardly anyone uses them.' On the other hand, she says in this post that 'this is a group of names captured at the brink of popularity, the ultimate fashion peak.'"

Right -- the names I listed in this blog post are the ones I *cut* from the old "Why Not" list because they're becoming more popular and reaching a fashion peak. As a rough rule of thumb, any name ranked higher that 400-500 in the U.S. would be out of the running for the category in the book.

Wendy- I think Vera, Nancy and Chester could pull off moderate comebacks, for sure...

Lorien, your "why not" list is great. Do you find that you have different categories of "why not?" I do, and sort of saw the same in your list. These are my categories:
-the ones that are a bit out there and currently rarely used as names (like your Amadea; Griselda, Prisca, Petronel, Maud)
-perfectly good but under-used names (Ellen, Constance, Sylvia; Irene, Frances, Ruth)
-the ones that are popular elsewhere, but not where I am, yet (Coralie; Flavie, Sunniva, Edith)

As for others "rising fast enough they can no longer be considered hidden gems," I'd add Beatrix, Elsa, Linnea, Maeve, Penelope, Rider and Theo from the original "Why Not?" list in the BNW.

Mrs J- I tried to post this before-but here goes a 2nd try. My son went to a tiny preschool north of Boston and there was recently a 25+ year reunion of past parents and past students. He brought his almost 1 year old daughter, Marin. One of his old classmates was attending with her baby, Marin, and another was planning to name her unborn babe, Maren. There were only 18 children in that original class and 3 have named a child Marin! There were no Aidans or Madisons. There were several Henrys, an Angus and a Raphael. A few Carolines and Emmas..but anyway, what a random pocket of popularity for a name in the 800's. I think I am glad that he calls her Marina half of the time-in case this portends a deluge!

WELCOME ELLEN!!

You will love this blog!

Blythe,

Yes, I have found that my Why Not names tend to split into the three categories you mentioned.

I have to add one more: Joachim