The Baby Name Wizard

My friend named one of her twins Mekhi (pronounced Makai) two years ago. The other is Akari. Both boys.

My named-from-a-comic-book son is 8. Just that his name isn't popular enough to make the top 1000. Similar spelling Kylan is however - though I am fairly certain that the use of that name has everything to do with people liking the sound of the name rather than being related to an obscure Marvel character.

I don't really think it's progressing (for this genre) or regressing (for the parents) that's behind the surge in these names. Clearly comic movies and video games are more common now than before and these names are directly used from them. Rather it has everything to do (as you say) with the sound/texture/style of the names and the fact that parents don't feel like they have to stick with the 'common' and are more willing to look 'far and wide' for a name that will suite their styles best.

I haven't yet met a kid named Dooce, but I suppose it's coming.

LOL- I didn't even notice the title of this article! As the wife of a World of Warcraft-er (and a player myself!) I should have noticed it right off.

WoW itself is a naming world that NEs would enjoy. Each player creates a name for his character - and there are no repeats allowed. There can only be one Jox per realm.

Valerie -

Do you think your friend's choice may have something to do with actor Mekhi Phifer since he spells his name that way?

Mekhi--like the guy from ER, right?

AG-
I just want to second Jane for Lucy's sister.
If your friend does like Daisy, it can be a nn for Margaret.

You also mentioned she liked Molly somewhat. The little Molly I know has a sister named Claire. I think Claire or Clara pair well with Lucy too.

hyz-I noticed that Cannon, too! I think I've seen that name before. I'm thinking maybe now that moms have exhausted masculine occupations and masculine surnames they're turning to just masculine sounding 'um...stuff?
How about Arrow?
I actually don't mind Cannon, but I associate it with this sort of artsy/yuppie beach town in Oregon rather than the weaponry. Of course, there are already Colts, Coltons, and so forth...

wow-Don't get it, but a friend's dh is addicted.
Mercifully, their daughters are Sascha and Sienna.

I used to love the name Maleena, from Mortal Kombat. Or was it Street Fighter? One of the fighting games my brothers used to play. I still like it, but don't think I would use it for my child.

Mara- I have no idea- I'll have to ask her! I don't have a TV anymore, so I hadn't come across him. I just got very nostalgic for ER... :(

Haha, Cannon reminds me of Cannon Beach, Oregon, too! But, then, I lived there.

Additionally, I think Jane, Claire/Clara and Daisy (Margaret) go nicely with Lucy. I would nominate Nora and Miranda, as well. I think Jane is my favorite with Lucy of those, though.

Sisters for Lucy:

Lydia, Eliza, Audrey, Susannah.

I have a friend who has daughters Lucy, Lydia and Amy. She was thinking of calling one of them Loveday but her nerve failed her!

Sisters for Lucy:

They name Lucy brings back a nostalgic feel for me so here my jab at it. :)

Grace, Mae, Stella, Clara, Ruth, Etta, Ivy, Louise, Anne, Fae or Faye, Ruby, Joesephine, Annabelle, Amelia, Elinor, Hazel, Norah and Mabel

Ok, I don't know if that helps, but good luck!

Let us know what you think.

I have a friend that call is son Ronin and i think its beautiful name. it is also unique and because of it i really like this name.

I think Rjoy has some really good suggestions. I especially like Josephine. I think Lucy and Josie go really well together.

re: the name Cannon. I've seen it used as a last name several times, so it is possible this was a family name.

A little off topic but...

We all know that the SSA stats are for names that were on applications for Social Security cards, not the babies born in every hospital in the US. SO...I was thinking. If parents adopt an older child from a different country, does that child's age affect the name that the parents give him/her? I mention this because a few weeks ago I came across a 10-year-old child that had been adopted from Africa recently and he barely spoke English, but he knew enough to tell me that his name was Stephen Kaminsky! He had other older, adopted siblings (also from countries outside the US) named Brian and Alicia. Any thoughts as to why these children, adopted in 2007, weren't named Emily, Jacob, and Michael?

This is off topic for this branch of conversation, but I wanted to point out that in my explanation of the gender of Arabic nouns and adjectives I made an oopsie that I want to put right, now that I've noticed; The "ta tawila" is not the letter that indicates feminine, it is the "ta marbouta"; I think I just liked writing "tawila" again and again. Thank you.

As for video games and comic books those are awesome sources of names. Either from the characters or the creators (so long as it's not a role call of long Japanese and Korean names that I wouldn't be able to give my child). I still have it in my head that Ocarina would be a beautiful name for a girl...

Amanda -- I wonder if part of the reason the names for older adoptees might differ from currently popular names is the age of their parents. I'm guessing that parents who would choose to adopt a child who is 10 yrs old rather than a baby or toddler would be older parents with a different naming style. Perhaps, as has been suggested before regarding older parents, they had names they've loved since they were younger and are now using them, despite their decline in popularity.

A friend recently had a boy named Gannon. It's an Irish name (I think) but my thoughts turned immediately to "The Legend of Zelda."

I suspect its rise in popularity has to do with the "ends in -en" trend and the fact that the little gamers of the 80s are now old enough to have babies.

Interesting topic!

"Lord of the Rings" has also been the source of inspiration for parents with Theoden for boys and Arwen and Eowyn for girls. They both sound like other names, Theodore and Anwen, but I'm not sure if any of them have wider historical use.

Come visit my Baby Name Blog:
http://youcantcallitit.com/

I'd like to see the trend of "Leta", dooce's daughter.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions for my sister's dd#2 (sister to Lucy).

I really like Maisy, but wonder if it seems too made up? It's not in the top 1000, but it does pay homage to her DH's grandmother (May). Are there any other full name options besides Margaret?

I have used Nymbler quite a bit and even showed it to my sister, but a lot of the suggestions for Lucy + Molly were really funny like Goldie or Reba, so I doubt she's used it since.

Here are some new ones nymbler spit out that I kinda like:
Libby, Romy

I do like the suggestion of Alice (NN Ali) and Jane (NN Janie). I'll add those to my current list: Jillian, Pheobe, Charlotte, Daisy, Celia, Libby and Romy.

I'm sure we're thinking about this waaaay more than my sister is!

(BTW: I won't suggest Lydia to her even though it's awesome because I'm saving it for myself! (I'm due sometime in 2010! ha!))

oh yeah, and Josie! I love that one too.

AG, I love that you're saving Lydia. I do the same thing and NEVER suggest the name Josephine to any one I know having a baby. That's MY future baby's name :)

Coll, that's funny! I actually really like Josephine too. Maybe I shouldn't suggest that one to her! ;) I'm also saving for myself Clara, Juliet and Elinor/Eleanor/Elsie.

Ok, here's the updated list for Lucy Ann3's sister:
Molly
Alice
Jane
Jillian
Pheobe
Charlotte
Maisy/Daisy (still wondering if those names grow up well..that's why I like that they're NN's for something but not sure if she'll like Margaret.)
Josie*
Libby
Romy

Hopefully she'll like some of those.

How long until we see the first baby name fad spurred by a web site?

Not a baby name fad, but this makes me think of the character Dot Com from 30 Rock...

Off topic--but though you all would enjoy this story. & for the father who named his child Dow on a dare, I'm sorry-but I think that'd be grounds for a divorce!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/08/01/unusual.names.irpt/index.html

I'm sure many parents out there have gotten inspirations from books, TV, and movies. My dh loves LOTR but we would never actually name a child any of those names even though I think Arwen and Galadriel are somewhat pretty.

Elisabeth--

I am not sure what you mean by "wider historical use," but Theoden is the Old English word for the ruler of a tribe or nation. Theod means tribe, nation, people and is derived from the same root as Deutsch, Dutch, and Teuton. Theoden is not historically a personal name. After conversion to Christianity Theoden came to be applied to God (in the Christian sense), as were other words that denoted human leaders (Dryhten 'chieftain of a dryht or warband' and Hlaford 'source of loaves'--Modern English 'Lord'). (BTW lady is derived from hlafdige 'kneader of loaves').

Eowyn was constructed by Tolkien on the standard template of Germanic bithematic names. Eo means horse and wyn(n) is a feminine noun meaning joy. So, horse joy or perhaps delighter in horses, similar in meaning to and partly cognate with Philippa. Wynn should not be confused with wine, a masculine noun meaning friend which shows up in a name like Edwin.

The elvish languages and names have associations with Welsh and Finnish and so are out of my realm.

I have encountered one Eowyn who was in her twenties, but as yet no Arwens, although I would certainly not be surprised if there are some. One of my students had a brother with the middle name of Gandalf. So who knows, there may be a little Galadriel or two out there--or maybe not so little, since the first wave of Tolkienmania in the USA dates back to 1966, just before hippies started having kids with hippie names (I knew of an Eleven and a July back in the day).

It occurs to me as I am writing this that Wynn would be a suitable name for a girl these days. The meaning of Joy is good, it is a feminine noun and thus suitable for a female name, and yet in Modern English it would not appear gendered. It would have the obvious familiar nickname Winnie and would also fit with the last name as first name trend and the ending in -n trend.

AG - do you mean to spell Pheobe like that? Only because it is usually Phoebe. I vote for it anyway, my daughter's name!

My husband and I are self-identified geeks and two of the names we were considering were Rogue and Tauren. Names which have gaming, fantasy, and comic book ties. In the end, we dropped both names from our list of serious contenders because, while the names were appealing to us and geek-chic (and actually sound very similar to other modern, popular names) we felt the name said too much about us, and may say nothing about the interests of our child. We also felt that, even though only fellow gamers and geeks would instantly recognize the reference, either choice was dangerously tied to niche pop cultural references of the early 21st Century to be a good choice for a child that may well be living into the 22nd.

Yolanda-Rogue and Tauren are rather "out there" but the similar names of Rowan, Ronan, Taryn and so on are very nice so you shouldn't disregard their sound-alikes.

Something to consider about the video game name tie is that, according to a recent study (see http://www.womengamers.com/news/2008/07/18/40-us-gamers-are-women ), adolescent boys are far from the only ones playing games. In fact, the average gamer age is 35 and women over 18 are more likely to be gamers than boys under 18. So maybe the connection between video game names and baby names is not that far-fetched at all--though I don't know how many new parents play games like Mortal Kombat and the like.

From an article in today's NYTimes on paparazzi as a public safety problem:

"Another apparent ramification of all the celebrity hunting is fruit names, like Apple, for stars’ children. In a riff on fame at the hearing, the not-so-often-photographed actor Eric Roberts said that hunted stars sometimes “name their kids after food just to have permissible food they are allowed to love in their lives.”

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Keren,
RE: Phoebe...It was just a typo.
But it does make me think of a good twin name from the last post: Freebie!!

I love reading the info on Tolkien's naming. I actually find his names much more thought-out and effective than Rowling's. Although I know many who like her character names, I find them to be generally too obvious and heavy-handed.

I think this may tie in to the use of video game names (or any pop culture name): even fans of a genre may not want to pick a name that broadcasts their interests too forcefully. I know I would rather pick a name that only the connoisseurs would "get". So even though Zelda has the trendy "z" and sounds like a cool name, it is probably too obviously video game. The names Laura cites seem less blatant.

More names in the news:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/08/01/unusual.names.irpt/index.html

CNN reports on readers with unusual names, like the siblings Indiana and Dow Jones. Most of those who reported their own names don't sound too happy about them. Perhaps pop culture references are not the way to go when naming one's children.

More unusual names in the news: I know other name enthusiasts have noted the name of the unfortunate little girl who has been abducted by her father, an apparent impostor who goes by the name of "Clark Rockefeller".

In the first news accounts of the incident, I thought she was "Rae Rockefeller", but it turns out the spelling is "Reigh". Like the spelling of "Leigh" for Lee", but pronounced "Ray". It would be interesting to know how the parents arrived at that. It has been mentioned in the reports that the child's nickname is "Snooks".

I know a girl whose middle name is Galadriel - her first name is for a Beatles song, but much more normal. It was pretty neat, though, as her parents are still quirky in a cool way.

Totally unrelatedly, I was playing with baby names in my head on my commute home (as I often do), and stumbled upon a problem I've never realized before. I always planned to give my last name to my kids as a middle or second middle name... and then I realized I might have sons. My last name is a recognizable girls' name. And not in a girls-named-Carrington sort of way. More like "Great-Grandma My Last Name." So I had decided that girls would have my last name as a second middle name, and boys would just do without. But is that fair to any sons of mine? Do they get gypped of a second middle name rightly? Or do I give up my beloved first middle names I have stored for daughters honoring my sister and grandpa? Or the final option - do I have boys named the equivalent of Jack David Maria Green? I suppose I could also give the boys my mother's last name as a second mn, which is a much easier Jones-type-name, but I really would prefer my own...if only it weren't so screamingly feminine.

I feel like I have to have my last name in there - I'm so connected to my family. I'm not pregnant nor do I expect to be for a few years, so this isn't urgent. I'm just wondering what your opinions on the subject are. I do know of one family where one kid has 4 middle names and her little brother has 1, and he was pretty annoyed about it.

Oh, and I belatedly realize that Maria can be used as a male name. Bad example. Try Ethel or Hazel - similar in feel to my name.

Interestingly, I had a (male) student named Tauren. He was from Africa (I don't know where in Africa). I can't remember his sister's name, though it was another name I hadn't heard before. I just assumed it was from his culture (and it still might be). Anyone know?

Katie, I've pondered a similar, though not exactly equivalent, scenario. My mother's maiden name was Kelly, and I've always thought I'd like to give that to a child as a middle name. There is a precedent for using Kelly for boys, though it isn't often done these days, so I think it would be fine to use it. (I also plan to give all my children my last name as a second middle, but it has no connotations, male or female, as it is very much a last name and difficult to picture as a first)

Honestly, how often would your child's second middle name come up? On the baby announcement, at his high school or college graduation, and that's about it. I don't think it's a big deal, if it means something to you to give him the name. And if people ask why he has a "girl's" name, there's an easy answer for that.

Katie, I'd go for Jack David Ethel Green. He'd have two masculine-sounding names first, and the 2nd mn wouldn't come up that much, as Coll says.

A precedent of sorts is author Joyce Cary. I just discovered that Joyce was actually the 1st of his 2 middle names, and his fn was actually Arthur. I don't know why he chose to go by Joyce, or whether he used Arthur in everyday life.

Some of my favorite name inspirations have come from video games, especially The Legend of Zelda! Female names like Zelda, Romani, Tetra, Aryll, Ilia, Saria and Malon. These names are quirky and fun and have a meaning, or at least a face behind them!

And I don't think that's bad in any way, to get a name from a video game. How is that different from getting a name from a fictional book? The characters aren't real, just like they're not real in video games or comics. I don't see how that's weird or bad. *shrugs*

Katie, I would include your last name as a second middle name for your future son. Most people (other kids at school) wouldn't hear it, so he doesn't stand much chance of being teased about it. And since it is a family name which I'm sure your son will hear often while he is growing up, to him the name will sound like that--he'll be carrying a family name, not a feminine name.

Raiden is more than just a video game. Its the god of thunder and lightening in Japanese mythology (also spelled Raijin). I believe its pronounced Ry-den, possibly why there aren't really many spelling variations.

Katie - I had the same problem, my surname is a boy's name and I had a daughter. I decided not to give her my surname as any sort of middle name, thought it would be too confusing/embarrassing.

Also my surname is my husband's MN so it would have looked like we were naming her after him, which is strictly taboo in Ashkenazi Jewish families.

I suppose it will take time before the creative spelling of web 2.0 sites will take hold in first names... So far people still prefer switching vowels to dropping them altogether in the style of Flickr, Dopplr, and such - the requirement for uniqueness in the .com name space is literal, whereas with first names uniqueness is relative and subjective, and usually means "I don't personally know anyone else by this name". Also shortness in domain names is much more precious than in first names, going from seven characters to six or from six to five is a huge bonus (in fact, coming up with available dotcom names that are somehow memorable and six characters or less is quite a challenge!

So... has anyone seen e.g. a Waltr or Walkr, Parkr, or Skylr? Or Aidn or Braydn? Or Emly, Jzmyn or Jms?

It's just kreatyv spellng with a different twist...

So I realized that on my last post, I forgot to mention that I'm having twins! I wouldnt really have a reason to bring it up, though, bc I've already picked out the names (Lorelei Jane and Avalon Rose)but now I need another set of names-for my parents! My girls will be the first granchildren, so (according to family tradtion) I get to "name" them. Growing up, my mom's parents were just Papa and Grandma, which was fine, but I loved having special names for my fathers parents-Miss Mama and Daddy Jack (we were from the South, btw)
My parents have since split up and both remarried. My moms name is Mindy (dh Eric) and my is John, nn JD (dw Ondine)
I was thinking that my mom AND Eric could be Grandy (Grand E) and Minmin, which I like bc it reminds me of the French Manman or mammam, however it's spelled. And then my dad and Ondine could be Pops and Deeny. Its her somtimes nn anyway, and I know he wants to be called Pops after his grandfather. I know I'm off topic and rambling really badly and probably putting way too much thought into this, but I thought if anyone could help me, it would be this board. So...help, anyone? :-)

btw, my dh's parents are Pawpaw and Mawmaw, which i dont really like-but i didnt have the first grandkids on that side!! ;-)

Phoebe-We call my husbands parents Grammy and GrandPA, the kids have fun saying the PA part.

I know that is not super creative but it is a little different.

Congrats on the twins! You have decided on pretty names.

Isn't the prevalence of celebrity-inspired names at least partly due to the internet, if not a specific website? Not that the paper weeklies are irrelevant, but my impression is that people are more plugged into celebrity and reality-tv stuff because of the convenience (and privacy) of the internet. Sure, I'd know about Knox and Vivienne, but I wouldn't know who the heck Kingston Rossdale and Violet Affleck are if it weren't for the internet.

P.S. I have also had a friend be call the grandma Mimi before.

-> Elisabeth
Arwen is a Norwegian girls name. It is rare but not unheard of.

-> Katie

Sure you can pass on your maiden name to future boys of yours, even if the name is also a girls name. You just need to make your sons aware of the teasing potential before it hits them. And luckily, you're already one step ahead because you've identified the soft spot. Tell your kids that 'your second middle name is "Mary", and if anyone tries to make fun of that you just tell them it's your mom's maiden name and shrug it off'.

Simply, if you teach your children to not be ashamed of their names, the teasers have nothing to work with. You know, there is no "fun" in making fun of someone if that someone just doesn't seem bothered at all. This is also true is a more general sense.

And hey, it may even work as a distraction: If someone sets out to make fun of Harry Joseph Lolita Lastname's name, I doubt they'll start with Harry...

An interesting bit to the main topic:

We went to our high school reunion last month and one of our old classmates named her kids Luke Sky Walker (last name is Walker) and Anna Mae (as in "anime"). She seemed quite proud of her cleverness! At least they can go through life as Luke and Anna if they choose.

My grandfather was to be called "Grandad," but when I began to talk (I was the first grandchild), I would say "G-da." It stuck, and now we've got G'dad.

Thanks, Miriam. That MORE than answers my question! I think I'm going to start a file entitled "The Name Wisdom of Miriam"...

And Anna, I had no idea Arwen was a Norwegian name. In fact, I know little about Norwegian names and would love to know if -wen is a common suffix there?

http://youcantcallitit.com/

Grandparents

My son's are: Nanny and Pa, Grammy and Grandpa.

A dear friend has a "Go-Go" - Grandma was confined to a wheelchair, and the eldest grandchild really liked the wheels.

But my favorite, I just heard on the playground this week for a grandma: Ding-Ding!

If it isn't too late, Laura, how about a page in the new book for grandparent names?

My daughter pronounced "Grandpa" as "Crappa" when she first learned to talk. Despite the fact that my husband and I never reacted (in her presence), it stuck. My poor dad and father-in-law! Now my daughter calls him "Grandpa," but my son is still pronouncing it incorrectly. None of my brothers have children yet, but they all think this is hilarious, so I'm sure that they will instruct their kids to call our dad "Crappa." Isn't that awful?

Re Arwen--

Arwen is not a traditional Norwegian name. According to Statistics Norway there are seventeen females with the name Arwen registered in Norway.

http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/navn_en/

I think it very likely that those seventeen were named by parents who read the Lord of the Rings.

In Tolkien's world it is the dwarves who have Norse names (not the elves). In fact the dwarf names are taken directly from the Dvergatal (Dwarf Count--a catalogue of dwarf names) which is interpolated in the Voluspa (the Prophecy of the Seeress), the first of the poems in the Elder (Poetic) Edda. The Voluspa contains both the Norse creation story and the famous prophecy of Ragnarok, the doom of the gods.

The Voluspa is written in Old Icelandic which has its origins in a dialect of southwest Norway. Even today Norwegian (Dano-Norwegian) is close enough to Icelandic that I can make some heads and tails out of straightforward Norwegian based on my (now somewhat rusty) knowledge of Old Icelandic.

BTW the name Gandalf appears in the Voluspa, along with other names familiar to Tolkien's readership like Dain, Dvalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Thorin, Thrain, EIkenskjaldi (Oakenshield), Durin, and many others that Tolkien did not use. It should be noted that Tolkien invented a Dwarvish language (as he did other languages), and within the secondary world of Middle-Earth these names have meanings and derivations which are not Icelandic/North Germanic. Nonetheless these names are in fact ancient and traditional dwarf names and are not of Tolkien's invention.

BTW Gandalf means 'magic elf.' A number of the names in the Dvergatal have 'alf' as part of them. This would seem to indicate that in the ancient Norse cosmology dwarves had some kind of positive relationship with/attitude toward elves. 'Alf is also found in historical Old English names as in Alfred 'elf counsel.' In C.S. Lewis's science fiction/fantasy trilogy, the main character, Elwin Ransom, is based on Tolkien, and the name Elwin (a form of Alwin) is derived from Old English Aelfwine 'elf friend."

Well, I have gotten far away from Arwen, but nonetheless while a few Norwegians may have the name Arwen, it is not a Norwegian name.

Back to Lucy sibs--I love a sibset I met a few years back, Lucy, Tabitha, and Hugh--not matchy at all, but somehow all together they fit the mom's spirit perfectly.

A comment on boys getting "feminine" middle names--remember that some of them may actually find that convenient--for a penname if they happen to write romance novels, for example. You might be giving your son a wonderfully flexible name for the possibilities life holds!

Katie (I hope that's right!) -- I think you should definitely give any future sons your maiden name as their second mn. I totally agree with the comment that if you teach your kids to value their names (and, by extension, themselves), the teasing has much less potential.

Phoebe Claire -- We've taken a pretty boring grandparent naming route, although we weren't first out of the gate on either side of the family. My mil has a compound name and is known by the initials of the two names. Both granddaughters (as well as most other people) call her this.

My dad and his wife are Grampa fn and Grandma fn (which my dad would like to spell Gramma, but my dh *hates* that spelling and pronunciation). I'm not crazy about calling her grandma since she isn't my mom, but my mom died when I was a kid and it apparently means so much to my dad's wife so ...

My fil is called Grampa fn and his wife is just called by her fn. I guess we could call her Grandma fn, but we never do.

I have two cousins whose kids call their grandma Mimi. I think that's cute.

If and when my son and DIL take my very broad hints and present me with a grandchild, I am thinking of going the Mimi route. I have been called Mimi by all and sundry since the day of my birth, and while I deplore children calling adults simply by their given names, I think maybe I will just have everyone, including any possible grandkids, (but not including my son) call me Mimi. My DIL has a 9 year old nephew whom we all dote on, and he calls me Mimi. I don't think it's appropriate, but I grit my teeth and say nothing. I am also thinking of possibly asking to be called Oma.

I really really don't want to be called gram, gramma, gran, granny, etc., and while Bubba was fine for the old country (I called my paternal grandmother Bubbie and so did everyone else), I spent too long in Louisiana to want to be called Bubba now.

on the grandparent naming:

for my in-laws they are Grandpa and Grandma ln, which is what I always called my grandparents so it makes sense to me. My family is complicated though so my Dad, Mom and Step-dad go by Grandpa/ma fn. My father's wife is currently going by Bibi fn. Bibi is grandmother in Swahili (and a bunch of other languages) and to her American ears sounds younger than Grandma. She's not much older than I am.

I did notice last week when they were visiting that my father has started calling her Grandma fn. We tried to get him to go by Babu but it was too cute for him

On grandparent names - My brother married fairly young. Their first child couldn't say Grandpa - it came out Bumpa and it was encouraged and kept with my sil's father; her mother elected Nana. My parents became Grandpa and Grandma for all my nieces and nephews and my two boys (ll grandchildren). When a new generation came along, my brother became Granddad and sil became Nanny.
One nephew had married young and their first daughter married young. Her little son came up with Grammy and Papa for his very young grandparents.

One of my sons more recently produced a grandson. I liked Grammy but decided it was better for the children to be able to differentiate so chosed to be Granny.

My daughter's several sets of grandparental-figures are: Grandma and Granddad, Grandpa and Granny Firstname, Gran and Uncle Dinosaur.

I think the best one is Uncle Dinosaur, bestowed by my niece.

ADDISON WATCH:
I work at a newspaper in a semi-metropolitan area in Oregon and in this week's birth announcements we have an Addison Faith, an Addison Lynn and an Addison Rose

Off topic, but of course of interest to all NE's! Some friends of mine (Anglo-American couple) are having their third child in October (gender unknown) and are stuck for names right now.
Their children so far are:
Roenne Marie [LN -sounds a bit like Forrest] aged 3
Oliver John [her LN] [LN] aged 2

They chose a kre8ive spelling for Rowan so that it would be clear that she is a girl, but actually are not into kre8ive names generally, I think.

So far, they like Matilda (Tilly), Jack, Finn. She likes Eliza, he really doesn't. I asked them if it would be OK to ask you and they are keen on suggestions. They're even thinking of a "Name the Baby" contest with a prize!
They don't mind nn's but wouldn't give the child one legally, e.g. not Alfie, unless they liked Alfred (which they don't)!

My ideas so far(aided by Nymbler):
Josephine (Josie)
Tamsin
Amelia (Milly)
Charlotte
Phoebe
Daisy
Eleanor
Maisie??
Caroline
Clara
Sophie
Georgia
Harriet

Sebastian
Tristan
Nathan
Owen
Toby
Dominic
Logan??
Brendan?? (not keen myself)
I refuse to suggest Aidan, although I've loved it for ages. They wouldn't thank me when he gets to school!

NB The kids' cousins (British) are Alice and Minnie May. They thought Minnie May was a bit much.

So, if you feel like suggesting... bring it on!

Thanks!

P.S.
Dear Laura,
Has Nymbler changed its algorithm or something? When I first started using it, I thought the suggestions were, in the main, extremely appropriate. Now I'm finding I have to wade through many which are not. For example, when I put in Rowan and Oliver, it gave me Paris! Sorry, I just don't see it... also many, many Celtic names, when I actually think Rowan is not necessarily only used by people who are into those.
Are you still involved in Nymbler? Any feedback?
Thanks...

For Roenne and Oliver's sibling - agree with most of your suggestions, particularly Toby.
How about Daphne, Cicely, Marianne, Susannah. Barnaby, Benjamin, Thurstan, Lucas, Jonas.

Suggestions for Roenne and Oliver's siblings:

Philippa/Pippa
Romilly
Briony
Jasper
Christopher (sounds nice with those other names)
Hugh
Theodore (Theo)

I like Matilda a lot of the names they're considering.

Valerie, I thought Nymbler seemed a little off myself, but was wondering if I was using it too much and my all over the map favorites had confused it! Love your suggestions. They remind me a bit of the ones I've gathered for my sister's second baby (sister to Lucy). I like Milly short for Amelia. very cute.

BTW: I talked to her this weekend and she does like Alice and I emailed her the list I gathered from here and will let everyone know which ones she likes!

I just remembered another couple of names I suggested to her that I've seen recently on a baby board I frequent: Paige and Bridget. I just think they are so cute and snappy. They are not my style but I think would somehow work with Lucy. Is it just me or are those ready for a come back?

CALLING ALL NAME ADDICTS:

I put out a call on my website for the first 20 (or so) names you come across this week and what general area you live in. I'd like to see if there are regional differences beyond what the Social Security Administration offers. Want to help? Thanks in advance.

~Elisabeth

http://youcantcallitit.com/2008/08/04/international-poll-calling-your-to...

I second Valerie's query. I asked the same thing several posts back and never got a reply of any sort for anyone. It has just been off.

I put in Catherine, Mary, Margaret. It gave me several Victoria, Christina, Nathaniel, Angela, Forest, Jacqueline and Jack. Not nearly as susinct as it used to be.

I've noticed Nymbler being off, too. I put in classic names like Katherine, Mary and Eve, and got a very unpredictable mix back, including some 'made-up' ones, and a few baby-boomer hits. Perhaps there are facets to these names of which I am ignorant! I've also noticed that alternate spellings of vetoed names still come up; not sure how intentional this is.

And now against the grain of the "fuddy duddy" factor (older parents choosing names slightly past their peak, or at saturation point): a friend in her early 40s has named her daughter S.ienna (minus the full stop, of course). I had been playing around at guessing the name since I heard, and was thinking along the lines of Abigail, Jessica, Georgia. How wrong I was! If a name can date stamp a person, I think it can also date stamp the parents... and I would have expected little S.ienna's mummy to be in her twenties or even teens. Yesterday, it was a one-woman name to me, all Miller, but now it already feels more "like a name", familiar, likeable, not so tabloidy. The grandmother still can't wrap her tongue around it, however!

I'm here wondering about grandparent names, too. My mom's parents were Grammy and Pappy (or Gram and Pap as the grandkids got older), and on my dad's side it was Granddad and GrandJean (her name was Jean, Granddad's second wife). My dad has said that he wants to be Pops, which is fine by me. My mom, on the other hand, announced that she wants to be Pippi, which I am irritated by to perhaps an unreasonable degree. She said she just "saw it on the computer one day and it seemed right." I think she likes it because it sounds like a female "Pappy", and she was always very close to her dad. And I understand her not wanting to use any of the "grandma" sounding ones--not "youthful" enough for her. But for me, Pippi IS Pippi Longstocking, who I grew up with and love, and I find it grating to try to think of my mom with that name. Also, Philippa is a name that I've seriously considered using for future kids, partially because I LOVE the nn Pippa. So it's like my mom is "stealing" the name. I've tried pretty hard to discourage her, but she seems pretty stuck on it. I don't want to come right out and say I hate it, and cause hurt feelings. So, I'm watching this thread with interest to see if anybody mentions something promising that my mom might like instead. I'm thinking of trying Oma on her--she likes foreign languages, so she might go for it.

Oh, and DH's mom will be called Halmoni, Korean for grandmother.

Both of my parents grandparent names have "evolved" over the years.

Originally my mom was Grandmama and my dad was Grandpa. They picked their names

Grandmama is often shortened to "Grandma" by the older ones.

Then one of the younger nephews started calling my dad Papa. It stuck. So 4 nieces and nephews call my dad Grandpa and the 5 younger kids call him Papa.

Then the youngest 3 kids started calling my mom Granny. I don't think she really like it... when she refers to herself or writes cards she always uses Grandmama but they insist she is Granny.

Well, I don't know if this accounts for Nymbler, but I've had this theory for a while that once a name reaches a certain "tipping point," in the popularity charts, it becomes harder to pinpoint the parents' tastes.

For example, an Ava out here is just as likely to be sister to a Mackenzie as an Olivia.

On grandparents: My boys have four sets of grandparents and two great-grandmas. My dh and I were also close to our late stepfathers and grandparents, so we frequently talk about them as well.
As you can imagine, it gets confusing for the boys!
We've always just called them Grandma and Grandpa ln/fn (we switch between ln and fn randomly).
I sort of wish we'd "named," everyone, but I'm not sure that would have helped much. I think then the boys would have just forgotten whom to call which name, but who knows??

I have a friend whose children call one set Nina (with a short i sound) and Papa, and the other Grandma and Grandpa.

Jack had a babysitter when he was young, and she decided he would call her "Nanny." Her name was Suzanne, so it sort of worked with her name and described her role in his life to a degree as well.

My mom has a friend who selected Gigi for herself.

And then, some nns just happen...our Henry still can't say most consonants well, so most everyone is "rah, rah."

My kids have Nana & Papa (dh's parents), Grandad & FN (my dad & sm), Grandmama & Grandpapa(mom & sf), Grandmother & Granddady (my pat. grand), Gram & Grandpa (my maternal grand), and Grandma and Grandpa LN (dh's mat grands). And it can only get more complicated as my grandparents have stated their intentions to still be here when my oldest has kids.

I have been put incharge of attendance tracking for my girls' scout troop. Is it just me or is this an odd mix for a group of 3-8 year olds?

Kennedy
Ian
Xe'Nedra
Gwynneth
Zoe (2)
Gabriel
Emily
Avryn
Avaleise
Hunter
Gaelan
Konnen
MacKenzie
Trystin

My son calls my parents Ya-ya and PopPop. He calls my husband's parents Grandma and Granddaddy. Grandma and Granddaddy were chosen before he was born by older cousins. He is the first grandchild on my side of the family though, and my mom went crazy trying to find a grandmother name that doesn't scream "granny." I think Ya-ya is a common name for Grandmas in Greece, and although my mom isn't Greek by blood, her adoptive father is.

My sister's mil goes by G.G., which she tells us stands for Gorgeous Grandma.

Thanks for the Nymbler feedback! I haven't been involved with any of the recent versions/changes, but I'll definitely pass on your comments to their development team.

grandparents & great-grandparents in my family: Grandma & Grandpa (2 sets are called this - distinguished by fn), Grandma FN & Papa Fn, Granny & Papa - the Papa's are pronounced differently - one in like Pa Pa (equal stress on syllables), one is like Poppa.

Saba= FIL (Hebrew from Grandpa, he's a Rabbi)
Yaya=MIL (she chose it 14 yrs ago when her first grandchild was born, she may regret it now, I notice she often refers to herslef as "grandma YaYa:)
PaPa=my dad. Shortened from Grandpa when DS was just learning to talk
Bubbie=my mom. We tried Grandma but that was too confusing because DS tried to say "mama" but knew that was wrong because that is what he called me when he was first learning to talk. My mom just could not wait until his speech was ready to say "grandma" so she picked Bubbie and it stuck.

Kids in the (Brooklyn) park today:

Nora
Katie
Noah
Sophia (the last three were siblings)

Further evidence of the Ethel-Mae postulate:

Last week, in the span of six days and independently of each other, I met two little boys named Zane. To make this coincidence even more unlikely, each Zane was the child of a gay couple--one had two fathers and the other two mothers. I had never met a child named Zane (or even heard of one!) before this week. Were all the parents big cowboy literature fans (Zane Grey)? Big Titanic watchers (Billy Zane)? Wanted to do Shane but felt it was overdone?

DH's parents picked out Poppi and Nana for themselves. I don't know... I grew up always saying Grandma/Grandpa LN for both sides of the family. In addition to being respectful, this system is simple, consistent, and clear. I've kept it for my side of the family - it even works for my step-parents. I am kind of surprised so many grandparents are excited to give themselves (to my ear) sort of disrepectful, confusing names... but obviously I'm in the minority here. (I also insist, to my husband's annoyance, that aunts and uncles be referred to as "Aunt Mary Beth," "Uncle Ben," etc., AND that non-family members not be called "Uncle" or "Aunt" when they aren't - though I've bent that rule for my DD's godfather.)

grandfathers in my family were Gramps and Granddad. Growing up, my friends had Grandy and Nanna, Mémé, Oma and Opa, Bubbie and Zaidie, Abuela...and most anglo friends I had called one of their grandmothers "Gran," which is what my mother wants to be called if I get around to kids.

Grandparents-Grammy FN and Grandpa + Grammy FN.
sadly my FIL passed away shortly after my oldest was born.

Sibs for Oliver + Roenne(which btw is beautiful and a spelling I hadn't thought of although I might have put the "w" in and done Rowenne) but anyway...
Simon Joseph;another vote for Amelia Jane;Jeremy David. I had more but they flew out of my head. So I'll post more later.

Katie-Use your maiden name as a 2nd mn. It'll be a wonderful connection to you for the future.

BTW-LOVE Bridget Paige!!!

c Elisabeth: I would have to agree. But remembering the volunteer work I did for a small Girls Troop... How many of them are different ethnicity?

reZane: I have known several uses of Zane. One is probably 25 by now another is a mn and at least 21. But intersting stats on those particular kids.

More sibs for Oliver John + Roenne Marie -(memory came back!)
Spencer Preston
Spencer Grant
Elliott James
Felicity Rose
Corinne Alexis
Victoria Jean

In Britain there is a pretty popular radio dj named Zane Lowe. He also does tv type things and festivals and stuff.

Jessica--Every one of those FireFlies is caucasian, which in itself is odd as this is the only group in the city (medium large)

My grandparents had sort of fun names. My Mom's maternal grandparents were Dear and Grandaddy, so my grandmother wanted to use Dear. Just to be sure my Mom asked her, "Are you sure you want to be called Dear, Ma?" And they really liked the sound of those two words and she was Dearma! Her husband was Grandpa NN. They got to choose those names for me and my sister to call them, but they were given Mamama and Dadadee (both said quickly ala DADadee) by my older cousins. I never found it confusing that we called them different things.

The other side was Mamaji and Pop. Mamaji comes from a word in India (I don't know what language unfortunately, but Maji that means Grandmother).

My aunt has gone with M.uzzy (minus full stop) from "Grandm.uzzer" and she's pretty proud of it!

"So... has anyone seen e.g. a Waltr or Walkr, Parkr, or Skylr? Or Aidn or Braydn? Or Emly, Jzmyn or Jms? "

Just this morning I met a 5 month old Svannah

Thanks so much to those of you who responded about naming Roenne and Oliver's sibling. I'm going to pass on the suggestions today (but keep them coming, anyone who wants too!). Some great ideas!

That should be "anyone who wants to". Aargh!

c.Elizabeth -- were these names from your list really girls? (you said your "girls' scout troop"):

Ian
Gabriel
Gaelan
Trystin

Especially Ian and Gabriel??

Sibs for Roenne (love that!) and Oliver (love that too! Gorgeous sib set!):

Finn (I know they're considering that -- I love it!)
Pierce
Atticus
August
Elliott

Juliet
Mairead
Fiona
Maeve
Lydia

I think Spencer is pretty perfect as a sib to Oliver and Roenne. I also like the suggestions of Jasper, Toby, and Simon. Here are a few more just for fun:

Thatcher/Thayer
Malcolm
Duncan/Douglas
Callum/Colin
Peter
Henry (probably too popular for your friends, but I couldn't resist!)
Wade
Heath

Harper
Hadley
Verity
Poppy
Honor
Bronwyn
Waverly

Oh, and new baby announcement:

Emily Ann

Babe was born in July. Parents work for city government and live in a suburb of Washington state.

As my mom put it, "It is sort of ordinary, but it's pretty."

Valerie:

Here are a few name suggestions:
Emelene Grace or Emelene Rose
Sadie Caroline
Emery
Evelyn Irene
Georgia Catherine

Boys:
Wylie or Wiley David
Charlie William

Also I love Amelia Jane and Felicity Rose that have been already mentioned.

Ian, Gabriel, Hunter, Gaelan, Trystin, and Konnen are boys. Kennedy, Xe'Nedra, Gwynneth, Zoe, Zoe, Emily, are girls.

It is my girls' scout troop, but not a Girl Scout troop.

Oops, hit send too soon Kaiya, Kaitlyn, Avryn, Avalyse, and McKenzie are also female. We may be co-ed, but we are a little girl heavy.

My 15 month old daughter's name is Eowyn. We used it because we wanted a strong woman from literature, not because we are particularly huge fans of the books. She gets called Wyn on occasion by friends but we call her by her full name. Sometimes it is frustrating when we tell people her name--having to explain it. Also, we've come to realize that it sounds like the name Erin when someone can't say their Rs. I wonder if when she's 4 and tells folks her name they'll think it's Erin and not Eowyn. despite all of that I still love it and wouldn't change it for the world. If we had another girl I'd love to name her Dandelion after the Rolling Stones song but I think that might be going too far... :)

On the Grandparent names:
Maternal Set:
Papa and Grandma

Paternal Set:
Poppy (now being called Baba)
Nana (now being called Nanny)

Eowyn is now calling me Mimi. I wonder if that's going to stick...

I heard a sibset this weekend: Teal and Navy.

I could happily name a whole slew of kids blue themed names:

Indigo
Sapphire
Azure
Cobalt
Lilac (does that count?)
Wisteria
Delphine
Slate
Marina
Oceana
Skye

There are lots of others that I don't like as much:

Turquoise
Aquamarine
Bluebell
Lake
Cerulean

I sound like such a hippy, but I'm actually not. I'm just a hippy baby namer. :)

Interesting names I have run into lately. Ages range...

*Lars Christopher

*Rhyder

*Rhythm

*Viviani

Very, Very, interesting......

Interesting names, Tirzah. Though Teal and Navy are a bit...matchy for my tastes (and hippy as well, but that's another matter).

Sutton, I think Dandelion (with nn Dandie) would be utterly cute. It reminds me of Marigold and Magnolia, two names I find delightful and will never convince my husband to use.

For me, Marigold will forever be a doll from The Polka Dot Door. (A kids' show that was popular when I was growing up.)

A friend of mine's older brother named both of his kids after characters from Doctor Who: Adric and Nissa.

At least they aren't totally out-there sorts of names that would get hugely quizzical looks or incite unbearable teasing. Even without knowing their reference, they're not unlikable names. And even if the kids do grow up to resent being named after fictional characters, at least the show's fan base isn't huge. (It's not like being named Luke Sky Walker, where even those like me who have never seen the movies know the characters.)

Frankly, I think that he was lucky to find a wife eager to go along with this naming scheme... my (somewhat geeky) boyfriend was not so lucky.

OT-need someone's help (Miriam;Tirzah;Eo;ANYBODY),
I was wondering if someone could find out for me or just knows if MASIG is a first name that is used anywhere and/or derived from anything close to Mary. This is a genealogy problem a member of one of my groups is having. Thank you in advance for all responses.

Melissa C-That was me that suggested Amelia Jane and Felicity Rose! Thank you!

Tirzah-I think of Lilac as more of a light purple and would NOT count it nor would I consider Slate to fit because to me it is gray. However, Sky(e), Midnight, Bluebell, Hydrangea,and True would work wouldn't they?

Just thinking about it... the name Royal, as discussed in the previous post, could also be included in a list of "blue" names.

Someone spotted a "Svannah"? Oh, precious! :) Definitely an outlier in the creative spelling category. Any more like that?

Um, I am Norwegian and Arwen is NOT a Norwegian name at all. Maybe it's Welsh?

Anyway, did you guys see this article on CNN.com today?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/08/01/unusual.names.irpt/index.html

Very funny and interesting.

Arwen isn't Welsh as far as I know. We do have Aelwen though.

Svannah is almost like text speach, Im sure you'll get more of those sort of names as the text generations start to grow up.

Tirzah - I'd have thought Teal was more of a green than blue. If you allowed in green you could have Sage, Ivy, Emerald, Olive, Moss.
And if you'e having Indigo and Lilac then surely Violet counts as well.

How about Blue as a name?

I like these colour names.

Zoerhenne:

Any chance that MASIG is a wrong transcription of Masie?

I've seen Arwen a few times in birth announcements in recent years and there's a man with a preschooler daughter named Eowyn on one of the boards I frequent. I've also seen several Anakins listed in birth announcements. What has always amused me is the number of children named after Anne Rice's vampires. I've seen Lestat a few times for little boys.

Well, I guess I'm going to have to tell Lilac that she can't be in the family any more! ;)

I think if I decide to have 17 kids, I should definitely go with a color theme. Of course, I'd better have tons of girls!

Sorry, I have no insights into Masig!

We know an Erewyn.
Her parents basically made it up and then learned it was similar in sound to a lotr name. I think it's pretty, but I have a well known bias in favor of names that are easy to spell and pronounce, so it's not one I'd use myself.

I'm interested in the suggestions of Felicity and Amelia as a sib to Roenne and Oliver.
I absolutely adore both of them, particularly Felicity, but they both seem, for lack of a better word, delicate compared with Roenne.
Does anyone else feel this way? Just curious..

J&H's mom -- I agree about Felicity and Amelia being somewhat more delicate than Roenne. Wasn't Matilda a name these parents were considering? I think that's a nice match with both Roenne and Oliver.

New baby announcement: Ryder Blake (born to a co-worker)

In the discussion of Roenne - please - do they pronounce it? Is it ROW-an, like the tree? When I first saw it, I immediately thought it should be pronounced similarly to Vivienne (VIV-ee-en) or like Julienne (carrots!) ;-)

Do you think all of the Raidens are pronouncing it the Japanese way "RYE-den" or the English way (rhymes with Aiden)? We considered this name when we were in our Japanese names phase, but I didn't like the ambiguity in the pronunciation.

I think, unfortunately, that Raiden is most likely R-Aiden, just like Br-Aiden, C-Aiden, and Z-Ayden etc. It would be pretty neat for another Japanese name to show up on the SSA charts, but the timing of it says consonant-Aiden to me. I'd be thrilled to meet a RYE-den, just to buck the trend.

Sutton, Keith Richards actually named a daughter Dandelion, and she insisted they call her Angela, which she is still called today, 30ish years later. I'd say that's probably not the best endorsement of being named for that song, but I do like the cadence of it. I rather prefer it to Angela, actually, but I wasn't given the name so I can't really imagine. I love Eowyn - beautiful naming job there!

Hyz, I can understand your annoyance at your mother wanting to use Pippi for her "grandma name" if Pippa is something you'd been considering for a future girl. But couldn't you just tell her that? It seems perfectly understandable if you phrase it not as a matter of her 'stealing' the name (even if you do secretly think of it that way) but that you think it would be confusing to have both a Pippa and a Pippi in the family. And if she wants a female equivalent for 'Pappy', there's always 'Mammy,' if you can shoulder the burden of the Gone with the Wind associations ...

Could your daughter possibly call your mother Poppy? I know it's usually for men, like Pop, but it's a flower and well-known (in the UK) girls' name, and certainly sounds close to Pappy. It might just be too confusing though, if your dad wants to be Pops.

I call my Jewish grandparents Bubbe and Zayde (hence my confusion over the name Zayden). My mother's dad and step mom are Grandpa and Grandma, and her mom and step dad were Ammy and Appy - my eldest cousin couldn't get the "gr" in Grammy and Grampy, so it stuck. I think it's really cute. My mom had grandmothers named Boo and Boom, though I don't have any idea why. She called her own mother Momosa, like Mimosa! And yes, she was a glamorous 50's cocktail goddess all the way til the 21th century rolled around, so it worked!

Wow, I meant 21ST century, not the 21th. I shall now revoke my brand-new English B.A.

Marjorie-
Roenne's parents pronounce it Rowan. I had trouble remembering to spell it their way initially, becasue in my head it was spelled the usual way! She is known as Ro-ro usually...

And I agree with whoever said that Felicity and Amelia sound a bit delicate- I think Matilda (their current top pick) fits better also.
For boys, my personal favorite is Toby, but I haven't heard whether they like it. It was just my idea!

My in-laws already have their grandparent names from a niece. FIL is pronounced Paw-Paw, and hates it. MIL is Nana, pronounced as if the a's were short o's NahNah. They're both Southern, and the names come out exaggerated. I'm wondering do you think it would be easy to convince them to change to plain Papa and Nana? Or should I just teach the future kids my way of saying it?

Mmm.. unfortunately Bluebell reminds me of Bluebell the Troll from "The Tenth Kingdom":

http://www.everafter10k.com/images/trll-1_med.jpg

Bluebell is the one on the far left. He was not the brightest of the bunch.

Raiden is a middle name I plan on using for my future son. Yes, he is named after Raiden, in Metal Gear Solid. It is, however, pronounced RYE-den, as Lisa and others mentioned.

We are obsessed with games in this house. My fiance is currently petitioning to change his name to Nicholas Snake Valentine. Snake in honor of Metal Gear, as well. Valentine to honor Vincent Valentine, from Final Fantasy, and just because he likes the way it sounds.

My future sons are named Conan Raiden (Conan from a manga- Detective Conan) and Leon Ryu (Leon from the Resident Evil games. Ryu is from a lot of games and manga, but not for any particular one)

Call us pathetic, but hey! To each his own! My fiance's name will be official this fall.

Also, Raiden in Mortal Kombat pronounced his name to rhyme with Aidan, but I think that's the fault of the American creators.
And yes, Penny, Maleena is from Mortal Kombat.

You have to admit- the game industry comes up with some great names!

P.S., Moonlady, I think Bluebell is a girl troll.

Happy 8/8/08!

Okay I have to say that if I were to have a baby girl today (and there is no possibility of that) her name would have to be Octavia. Olympia would be the close second.

Boy name would be harder... any suggestions?

So would you name your child after a special event or date?

Wendy-Have to chime in here. It's my anniversary today! I got married on 8/8. I met my husband on a bus trip to the National Parks in the West i.e. Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion. So maybe if my husband had gone for it I might have picked Bryce or Zion or Phoenix.

ON vacation this week, I heard under-five East Asian-American twins called out to by their European-American parents. The twins' names were Leia (or Lea/h) pronounced LAY-uh, and Ruby. My friend found this interesting since she knows two or three 30+ Rubies of East Asian ancestry, so the name seemed 1-2 generations older than a five-year old.

I got another dose of NE jollies when I entered the souvenir shop and compared wares. The personalized "_______'s Room: Keep Out (by order of Pirates!)" included Morgan, Chase, Cameron, Dakota, Dalton, Gabrielle, Devin, Cody, Corey, Jasmine, Madison, Olivia, Emma, Connor, and Aidan. I presume these types of signs are made for kids older than 5, say, aged 5-9?

Perhaps by contrast, the personalized "sippy cups" (presumably meant for toddlers) included only Madison, Emma, and Olivia from the above list, and added to them Colin, Oliver and Avery. I found the new three surprisingly timely on the part of the manufacturers; when I was a youmg teen, I remember all the names on souvenirs being either Top-10 or a bit older than what was currently fashionable. For example, in the eighties, Jennifer and Ashley had placards, and Eileen and Karen did, too, but not Vanessa or Alicia or other "in-betweenly" popular names. I believe Avery is in the top 50 names, at least for girls).

But perhaps I am looking at this from the wrong perspective, since the type of things I looked at as a young teen (keychains, magnets) are used by adults as well (including Eileens and Karens), whereas "Stay out!" signs and sippy cups clearly have only one demographic target, and those would all be more in line with recent naming trends.

How, then, to account for the "Stay Out" pirate sign labelled Kathy? Thoughts?

It's funny you guys should mention "Leta" from Dooce. I adore that name, but I just can't use it ... I'd feel like I was "stealing" it even though I don't actually know dooce.

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A friend of mine is a Star Wars FANATIC and named his son Anakin a few years ago... he said if thye had another it would be Aragorn... sadly for him - his second son (with a non-Star Wars fan) wasn't going for it and their little one is instead Emmerson :)

I'm pregnant, and the name "Ronin" just popped into my head the other day. I loved it! The masterless samurai. I'd also never heard of it being used as a boy's name before. And now I come and see how not-creative my epiphany was! I also know a 7-year old Eowyn... her parents are huge gamers and sci fi fans. I've always thought it was a beautiful name, though maybe a bit too obviously derived from a single character in literature.

those are pretty terrible!

Potential website-inspired names:

LJ (livejournal.com)
Adobe (adobe.com)
Verizon (verizon.net)
Veoh (veoh.com)
Imeem (imeem.com)
Ning (ning.com)
Ebay (I am sure there is a baby Ebay out there somewhere)
Bebo (bebo.com)
Orkut (orkut.com)
Tiscali (tiscali.co.uk)