The Baby Name Wizard

Actually, anybody can get into Mt. Vernon for free on Washington's birthday. Sorry!

This reminds me of Christmas 2007: hundreds of Travelodge hotels in the UK gave free overnight stays to couples named Mary & Joseph.

Link to the story below:

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2007_4th/Dec07_MaryJoseph.html

I did a google search for "free if your name is" and here's what turned up:

*Six Flag's Magic Mountain free if your name is Jason on Friday the 13th

*In Minor League Hockey, West Virginia: get in free to a Wheeling Nailers game if your name is Rich Rodriguez

*Jack's Restaurant and Bar in Washington D.C. gives all those named Jack a free main course!

*Ben Hawkins poster from the 1960s free if your name is Dude

*Disney film Herbie, Fully Loaded free if your name is Herbie

COME VISIT MY BABY NAME BLOG:
http://youcantcallitit.com/

The Gardner museum is really tough too: I know an Isabel (no "la") who was about 6 and cute as a button when her parents took her to the museum. They had to pay. I figured the cute part would have gotten her in, but no dice!

The Washington State History Museum offered free admission President's Day to anyone who shared a first or last name with a President or first lady. This was the first year they've done it, but I imagine they'll repeat it as it drew plenty of attention.

If you are trying to personalize your kid's room and need to buy letters, Ed or Jo are only 2. My mom worked with an In. She loved when people asked if In was in and replying, "no, In's out." Anyway, it's a Korean name.

Or if you're stenciling or stamping their name, and only need to buy one of each different letter, you can just buy two letters with Ada, Ava, Ara, Coco, Jojo, Mimi, Otto, Pippi, Anna, Eve, Ed, Kiki, Elle, and Lulu (and there are many others).

Off topic, but since I've been avidly watching the Olympics this week, do you think the name Shawn is going to get a bump for girls after this? Not necessarily because people will want to name their daughters after this gymnast (although she is amazing), but because names like Ryan and Avery are already becoming popular for girls, and Shawn seems to fit that trend IMHO.

Shawn was in the Top 1000 for girls from 1978 to 1988, peaking at 392 on the front end. I searched this because I know of a female Shawn who is in her 30s I guess. And her mother doesn't seem that "out there." She was the secretary somewhere I worked.

I love watching the Olympics for names though! I like to test myself and see if I can identify the country or region based on the name.

Shawn does look more 'feminine' than Sean; it's just one letter away from Dawn and, well, fawn (has Fawn ever been used as a name? I can sort of imagine it around the turn of the century!). I guess it could also work as a re-spelling of the Welsh female name Sian in the US; for some accents at least (this goes back to the vowel merger discussion in the previous post!).

I don't have a point here, really... just agreeing that a small jump could be possible, especially considering that so many parents aren't put off by the undeniable male-ness of Ryan and Dylan. I can see 'Shawne' being used, too.

Hm, what do you know.. Fawn was trailing about in the 900s during the 1960s and 70s. I assume it was a 'hippy' name then, whereas I was picturing it on Dolly Parton's grandmother or something (in a good way).

Yes, there was a historian/biography called Fawn Brodie (1915-1981), and the 1980s scandal figure Fawn Hall (b. 1959, secretary called to testify in the Oliver North hearings)--they're probably the best known bearers of the name Fawn in the US. And, on the model of Shawna, I know a Fawna, too.

I have a female cousin Shawn who was born in '63 in the Mid West. Being English, I thought she had a very strange name!

My SIL has an employee named Fawn, who is probably in her early 20s, but she's the only one I've ever heard of.

I also know a female Shaun in her late 40s/early 50s. It took me some time to get my head around that one when I first met her. It still seems very masculine to me for such a strong, feminine woman. I just checked and in the American SSA list Shaun just barely appears in the top 1000 in several years in the 1960s.

I've been using the Olympics to point out great names to my SO for any future little ones. He's quite "meat and potatoes" when it comes to naming taste (not an NE like me), so I always look for opportunities to give gentle nudges towards, for example, Imogen and Jemma as I did while watching swimming last night. ;)

A long-time reader, I'm finally being coaxed out of my lurker shell to ask for advice from all you lovely and thoughful Name Enthusiasts.

In less than two weeks I'm moving more than 500 miles away to college and am eager to shed my very generic name (Lauren Marie [highly standard last name]). I don't want a complete change, just perhaps a new nickname based on Lauren. My only nickname growing up was the mawkish Lars, assigned to me in 7th grade by a gaggle of friends and eventually appropriated by my ex-boyfriend. As you can imagine, it's something I desperately want to leave behind.

As this is a name I'd like to use in my professional life, hopefully as a journalist, I'd like something unusual, adrogynous, and sprightly, but decidedly serious. In investigating names derived from Laurence, I stumbled upon Larkin, now more popularly used as a surname. What do you think?

Unfortunately a quick Facebook search revealed the presence of a Larken at my very small liberal arts college. Surely this must be a corallary to the Ethel-Mae postulate... What do you think: too many Larki(e)ns for one close-knit campus?

To complicate matters, I'm pondering legally taking my mother's very Dutch surname (Van S-----)for personal reasons, although any change would occur next summer (residency requirement, etc.). Too many name changes Of course, this may never come to pass.

Shawna was a popular name in the Midwest a couple decades ago, so I wouldn't be too surprised to see Shawn now, with boyish names so popular.

I much prefer Lark to Larkin - Larkin sounds too much like Parkin (a cake) or Jerkin (a jacket) to me. It might feel like you're trying too hard.

Laurie would be too ordinary I suppose, although I like it. My husband is Laurence and he is sometimes called Lol, Lolly, or Loz. Not cool or serious enough I suspect!

How about Laurence itself, a girl's name in France?

Lauren Van S... sounds quite a good combination to me though. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Names similar to Lauren:

Laura
Laurel
Leora
Leonore

Or following the "off with their heads" theme: Ren

What about the "off with the N" theme: Laure? Just kidding.

Van S would spice up any old Lauren I would think. But if you are going to change your first name then (apart from the suggestions above) there's always Lara, Len, Lena.

Lauren,I have to say I am curious about what comes of your new nick name search. I am a Laurie who may want to take a new nickname when I move in Jan.

I also have to add that I like the suggestion to shorten Lauren to Ren. Alas, it wouldn't work for me.

OK, Lauren... I'll have a go at your challenge.

Wren - the last syllable of Lauren, sprightly, androgynous, 'reporterly'!

This one's a long shot - Laurentine (last syllable "teen"). Certainly not androgynous (although... Augustine is a male name with a similar ending), but to me it doesn't seem frilly either; it seems to have a 'bite', and it's certainly distinctive on a byline.

Do you have the slang "doing something for a lark" and "larking about" where you are? It roughly means 'messing about for fun'. That would put me off Larkin - that, and Link Larkin from Hairspray, but perhaps I spend too much time watching musicals. Consider too how comfortable you'd be sharing a very distinctive name with a classmate who has presumably grown up with it; not a dealbreaker or anybody else's business, but you might (not that you should) feel like it is less your name?

Lola occurred to me, but it's decidedly not serious and Lola Van Something sounds like a star of burlesque...

Good luck with college!

Ah, I didn't see the posts above... so I'm not the only one who thought of (W)ren!

Leonie, Laure is actually the French form of Laura (sorry, I'm not sure from your post whether you knew that). I had a French teacher named Laure, and I always felt bad for her because there was no easy way to pronounce it in British English - "Law" is the best we can do. But perhaps Laure would work better in American English, with that 'r' pronounced at the end. It looks gorgeous too, and not too frilly.

Shawn used to sound like a girl's name to me, but for quite a few years, I've known only boys with that name. So when my son's best friend said he had a crush on Shawn Johnson, I wondered if he was "coming out" to me by telling me he had a crush on a boy. ;)

Question- how is Imogen pronounced? I tend to say it IHM-o-gen (soft g), but a teenage girl said some singer's name to sound like "imagine" but with an "oh" instead of the /a/ sound. So now I'm wondering.

Lauren- I really like the suggestions of Ren/Wren, or Laure, or Lors, even. But Ren/Wren best of all.

Trish, you're saying Imogen right. Was the singer Imogen Heap? Anyway, it's a pretty commmon name here and it's certainly IHM-o-gen.

In a small town I know 3 Shawns, sometimes called "Shawna." All of them between 25-35.

I think Wren is the best, although it's not very androgynous to me.

Larkin reminds me of a character from the musical "Once Upon a Mattress" named Lady Larkin--I didn't much like her because she was too much of a damsel-in-distress for my taste.

Trish--I think Imogen is pronounced Ihm-oh-jen. I'm mostly getting this from the artist Imogen Heap, as I think that is how she pronounces it.

I've been noticing names on the Olympics too! I didn't see Imogen and Jemma, both of which I love, but I did notice Australians Briony and Bronte (I think one was a diver and one was a swimmer?).

I went to high school with a female Shawn (class of '96) and I know a Fawn (about 75 years old).

Lauren -- I don't have any suggestions, but your question made me think of the female writer George Sand, portrayed in the film "Impromptu" (with a very young Hugh Grant, and Emma Thompson as well) (wikipedia info about her: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sand). George Sand was her pen name, and she dressed like a man too -- scandalous! I'm actually sorry Lars hasn't worked out for you -- it's a cute nn for Lauren!

Lauren -- I love the suggestion of Wren. Let us know what you finally choose, please!

Trish -- I know a young girl (2nd grader) named Imogen, pronounced as you do.

Thanks for the Imogen comments, the student was talking about Imogen Heap, whom I had never heard of, so I didn't know if she said her name differently.

I was in London recently, and was fascinated by the names that were on the personalized items there. I didn't have time to write them down (with a student tour group), but Daisy and Eva stick out in my mind (although I might have seen Eva in Paris instead). I know I also saw Gemma, which is a name that I have been loving for the past few months.

I didn't see the Australian, Bronte. That is a new favorite of mine, but wasn't sure it was actually used.

My sis-in-law is named Laura, and sometimes she gets called Lo.

"The Washington State History Museum offered free admission President's Day to anyone who shared a first or last name with a President or first lady."

Ha ha! I KNEW there was a good reason to name our daughter Mamie! Now if only we'd gone with Rutherford for our son...

When I was young I knew a girl named Shawna. She was born in 1974. My sister had a female friend named Shawn, born in 1976.

I had thought of the short leap from the female name Dawn as well.

Fawn makes me think of Bambi, another female name that, fortunately, is not often used.

I know a girl whose mn is Fawn. About 35. Born in Wisconsin.

Lauren - How about Lorne? Or Laurent, which is the French male form of "Lawrence"

A friend of mine is named Elizabeth Ross, and anyone with the full name is admitted to Betsy Ross's house in Philly for free on her birthday. But it has to be both the first and last names (her parents made very certain to choose her nickname, Beth, at birth, so she'd never be called Betsy). That's even tougher than the Gardner museum! But much less cool.

Lauren, I like Wren or Lark (I'm into bird names these days), but I also find Lo kind of fun.

Heard a fantastic name today: Augustine Jude, pronounced au-GUS-tin. He's the youngest of 10 children in a huge Irish-Catholic American family. I think this might be the best name I ever heard.

Hoping things are going well for hyz and baby Ivy.

Lauren-
First, I love the name Lauren. I totally support your wanting to change it, but every Lauren I've known has been smart as a whip and lovely to boot.

Back to your question....Believe it or not, Larkin has long been a guilty pleasure of mine. It was the name of a character in a silly 50ish story I read as a preteen about a girl who takes flying lessons.
Anyway, I love it, but it does have a certain soap opera quality, and as you know from this blog, the n ending is a bit trendy.

It seems to me that the clear winner is Wren or Ren. Both are somewhat gender neutral, distinctive, and are reasonable derivations of Lauren.
I just think it will be much better if you can say, "Oh, it started as a nickname for Lauren..." then, "Well, I never really liked my name, so...."
I'd avoid lo, as I believe that is the nn for one of the girls on "The Hills," on MTV.

Btw, you sound like an exceptionally bright and self-aware young woman. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors (well aware that I sound ancient in doing so)! Sigh....

I'm Aussie and can confirm that indeed Bronte Barratt is an Aussie swimmer, and a good one at that! Bronte has been a favourite name of mine for a while but we have very good friends with a Bronte so we can't use the name as it would be a bit weird. Bronte is not and overly common in Austalia but it isn't unusual, there are a few Brontes around and Bronte Beach is a well known Beach in Sydney!

Briony Cole is a diver. I have known quite a few Briony's of various ages. It seems to be normally be pronounced more like 'BRY-ny' by most of them, but I heard all they commentary prouncing Briony Cole's more like 'BREE-oh-nee'. That may be how she likes it pronounced?

I have also enjoyed watching the olympics (aside from my sport addiction) to see the names of other countries athletes. There are some really great ones!

Lauren-

I have to admit I'm a bit amused by the names that you've suggested for your name change. Don't worry, they are lovely it's merely that it sounds like you are doing a role-call for the people and animals in my house. My kitten, who I've only had for 2 weeks, is Lark while my roommate is Laurence (pro. the french girl way Lo-RHANS). I'll make a side note: Laurence is exhausting to say again and again all day so her name often gets shortened to Lolo, which is much shorter and kind of spunky.

new baby on my block---1i1ah 1ynn. Both family names. Loving Lilah, thinking it'll be the next big thing.

I knew a Fawn growing up. She'd be about 31-32 now. And (I am ABSOLUTELY not joking about this!) Fawn's mother was named Bambi. We used to ask if her dad is named Buck. Interestingly, Fawn's sister is Shawna.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has been geeking out over the names at the Olympics!

Lauren, have you considered the nn Rory?

Rory of Gilmore Girls is a Lorelei. I don't think it's too much of a stretch for a female Lauren or male Lawrence to become a Rory.

My high school geometry teacher said he'd give $100 to any student who named a future child Pythagoras.

Newish baby in my building ... Bennett. Don't know his mn, and I'm not sure if they're using a nn.

I know a Fawn as well and she is 16. Her mother just really loved the name.. Fawn's brother's name is Jacob.. Since I know and like this girl I think good things when I hear this name.. although I personally wouldn't use the name.

Lauren, I too like Ren as a suggestion. Have you also tried rearranging your names letters to come up with something?

Aura, Aurie, Arie, Ari, Ramie (my middle name is Marie and as a child, I always accidentily said Ramie), Nea, Lena, Mia, Lura, etc...

Lauren-I also vote for Wren/Ren. I think this is the perfect nn for your name.

I had also noticed some of the names in the Olympics. I saw Briony but missed Bronte. When I first learned of Shawn I too wondered if if was a mistake and should be Shawna.

Going back to the "odd made-up name" discussion, if we concentrate on the "ending in N" theme I wonder if anyone mentioned these:
Oxygen-take off of Imogen
Exxon
Citrine

On the original thread topic, I think it doesn't matter in the long run what you name your child. It's kind of like the nature vs. nurture debate. I think it's the feel of the name that gives you the perceived notion of success. IMO, the "old lady" names might work as librarians or teachers, but not the hipster names. Totally stereotyping I know!!

Also, I think there may be scholarships available to people with certain names but I'd have to search on that. Ok, couldn't wait-found a few re: last names but didn't see any about first names in a quick search.

speaking of the olympics, and given the last thread on 2 syllable names ending in -n, did y'all notice Cullen Jones? I think he is the first Af/American to win a gold medal in a swimming event (one of the relays) and apparently a really nice kid (from my area). Would be a great naming model.

a note on Edison--my FIL was telling someone about it and she said--like the lightbulb?

Got to thinking that maybe some of you would like to look these scholarships up so here's the info:

Zolp Scholarships
The Zolp Scholarship is restricted to students at Loyola University in Chicago who are Catholic and whose last name is Zolp. The student's last name must appear on their birth certificate and confirmation certificate. The scholarship provides full tuition for four years.

Other scholarships for students with particular last names include:

Scarpinato at Texas A&M University. Scholarship pays full cost of attendance at Texas A&M University for anyone whose last name is Scarpinato by birth or marriage.

Gatling at North Carolina State University.
The John Gatling Grant provides scholarships for students who were born with a surname of Gatling or Gatlin to attend NC State University. The scholarship provides up to $9,000 for in-state students and $18,000 for out-of-state students. (There is no known relationship between John Gatling and Richard Jordan Gatling, the inventor of the Gatling machine gun. John Gatling made his fortune as a real estate developer in Raleigh, NC.)

Harvard University has several scholarships based on the student's last name, including Baxendale, Hudson, Thayer, Downer, Bright.

Van Valkenburg. The Van Valkenburg Memorial Scholarship awards $1,000 to a descendant (by birth or legal adoption) of Lambert and Annetje Van Valkenburg, who emigrated in 1643. Variations in the surname Van Valkenburg are acceptable, including Van Valkenburg, Van Valkenburgh, Van Volkinburg, Van Falkenburg, Valkenburg, Vollick, and Van Velkinburgh.

Also thought this one was a hoot:
The Icy Frost Bridge Scholarship at DePauw University is restricted to female music students who can sing or play the national anthem with sincerity. Icy's brother, Jack Frost Bridge, is an alumnus of DePauw University.

Lauren, Wren reminds me of the architect Christopher Wren (and the character in Mousetrap by Agatha Christie), so it does have a sort of male feel for me. I'm anti-androgeny (having grown up as a female with the name Toby), but if that's what you're going for, I think Wren does work.

On the original post, I think some names do impact the people who carry them, and some do not. I don't know what this means, but the name Barry is VERY prevalent at our synagogue (it's also my husband's name). It's the first name of the rabbi, the cantor's husband, the nursery school teacher's husband, etc. To me, it's a very Jewish, in the secular sence, name. Did it inspire these people to be active, practicing Jews, or was it the other way around -- they came from active Jewish families who chose the name ...?

Opposite of people using short names or palindromes to make it less expensive to buy/spell out a kids name is to give the kid an unpopular name. You'll never have to buy license plates, pencils, cups, etc., with their name on it as they will not be able to find them (as I was not -- and when I did, the products were clearly for boys).

Someone mentioned Bennett above. That is my 2nd son's middle name. As I've mentioned b4, we were hesitant to use it as a first name as we didn't want it to be shortened to Ben and have him be one of many Bens (or constantly correct people by telling them he's Bennett, not Ben).

I'm a little odd in my name choices as I don't want one as unpopular as mine (again, Toby, a female) or one in the top 25. Our boys have names that are currently in the 50s. One has stayed in the 50s for a long time; one (the one who has the middle name Bennett) is climbing, which we knew but used it anyway! Some days I think we should have gone with Bennett. Oh well.

Some sibsets I can across yesterday:
Rebecca, Jericho and Gideon. It ws so great to meet a Jericho! The are about 15, 12 and 9. I only heard the names but I actually wondered if it might be Rebekah, in that context. Very biblical.

Second set: Shaun, Wyatt and Julia. All teens. Somehow, that struck me as an odd sibset. Very different styles of names.

Coll- Augustine Jude is rather striking! I'm glad to hear they pronounce it the traditional way. Someone was mentioning St Au-gust-INE to me this week and I had to bite my lip not to correct them. Do you happen to know the rest of the sibs? That would be fantastic! Or maybe we should try to guess?

Zoerhenne- you sadden me with your stereotyping of "old lady" names. I am a happy mother of many "old ladies" and an "old man," Gladys, Mildred (Millie), Prudence (Pru), and Cecil. But, to each their own I suppose.

Lauren- I can't blame you for wanting a name with a bit more spark. I feel the pain of the totally vanilla naming period (IMHO) of the late 70's-90's.
I am going to have to disagre on the, "Ren/Wren" suggestion. I understand the draw, but I think it's too common sounding. I LOVE LOVE LOVE "Lark." I think it's perky, but not silly, strong, but still tinged with a light femininity.

Coll -- I too LOVE Augustine Jude, pronounced that way!!! We considered Augustine for our youngest son, but were turned off by the number of people who pronounce it au-gus-TEEN (apparently an accepted pronunciation for males, but also the pronunciation of the female name by the same spelling). Your post has me hopeful that we might consider it in the future!

Please please do tell us the names of the other siblings!

Love some of the Olympic names I'm seeing - new ones for me are boys: Loris (french swimmer), Leith (aussie swimmer) girls: Alessia (italian swimmer)

oops! Loris Facci & Alessia Filippi are Italian swimmers. Leith Brodie is an Aussie swimmer.

My favorite Olympic names so far:

French swimming relay team:
Coralie
Aurore
Camille
Ophelie-Cyrielle

French archer (female):
Berengere

Not so favorite:

Tarnee (Aussie and I think a swimmer)

I wonder if the other children in grade school dared to call Nastia Liukin "Nasty"?

Other names I noted:

Steliana (Romanian gymnast)--for when Stella is not enough

a male Ashley on the Aussie swim team

Sada-American fencer

Klete Keller--American swimmer

Hayden Stoeckel--Aussie male swimmer (parents were ahead of the -ayden/-aiden curve)

How about naming the kid after mom or dad and then inheriting all the personalized license plates, mugs, and all that junk as hand-me-downs.

Leith Brodie, how unabashedly Scottish.

re olympic names (which is a big part of why i'm watching)

i took a liking to the name Otylia Jędrzejczak (Polish swimmer).

Miriam-
Nastia Liukin's full first name is Anastasia. When I read her name though, all I can see is "nasty."

These Olympics have really reminded me that Chinese names are beautiful sounding and fun to say too! Just say Guo Jingjing aloud. It puts a smile on my face saying it.
:)

Re: Scholarships for certain names

My law school awarded scholarships and aid based on need, but then had us fill out a form indicating if we met any of many different odd scholarship requirements (are you from X city? Are you left-handed and a red-head? Did you major in piccolo performance?). You still got the same amount of scholarship, but they were able to draw from one of these very specific funds instead of using general funds.

Coll, I'm going to take a stab at guessing Augustine Jude's siblings. Not knowing, of course, the gender breakdown, I'll just throw out a bunch of names that might fit:

Gabriel
John Paul
Patrick/Padraig
Dominic
Michael
Joseph

Mary (or some form of, like Maura, perhaps followed by a second name, a la Mary Kate)
Gemma
Therese
Kateri
Regina

Have I hit on any?

-- I, too, cannot look past the "nasty" in Nastia.

-- There is an American actress who goes by Sean Young. (By birth: First name "Mary", middle name "Sean".) Different spelling than "Shawn", but it's still the same sounding name being used by woman. She's been around since the early '80s and is kinda infamous, so someone could easily have heard her name without having seen any of her movies.

-- And Miriam's mention of the name "Bérengère" reminds me of a little naming anecdote that amuses me: When my friend's older sister was to be born (c. 1974 in Toronto,) her parents wanted to name her Berengeria, but then at the last minute they chickened out and instead named her... Jennifer.

When their son was born in 1980, there was no pretense of creativity and named him Michael David. Siblings Jennifer and Michael, eh? There can only be one or two of those pairs floating around, right?

Hmm ... I don't think I have enough boy names matching Augustine in my list. How about:

Ambrose
Blaise
Xavier
Raphael
Benedict

i have a question for all you name fans(i am sure there is a more exact name but it escapes me)

i am having a baby girl in october...my mother named me after rona barret..the great gossip columnist of the 50's 60's and 70's.

i have always loved my name and loved whom i am named after as she is a strong and successful woman..what do you think of naming my baby barrett? i really like it ; but have not heard of any girl named barrett...my husband is not yet on board....

any input would be appreciated

thanks

rona

I love the name Barrett for a girl. I know one female Barrett - she's 30ish and goes by Bari. And I knew of one elementary age girl who went by a double name with Barrett being the second one (J4ne Barrett) so I am very used to hearing it for a girl.

Barrett is interesting for a girl, but I would find a mother/daughter pair named Rona and Barrett to be a bit odd, like a mother and son named Martha and Washington.

Too matchy--seems cheesy to me.

Lauren-

I agree with others that Ren is great, but may I suggest Rennie? Some might think it is kind of girlie because of the "ie" at the end, but it always makes me think of the wonderful (male) Scottish artist and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It also strikes me as being kind of plucky and, to use your word, sprightly, but at the same time has a weight to it.

It might even sound especially international and kind of Dutch too with your proposed last name: Rennie Van S...

Cheers and best of luck!

rona-- I think that is a great idea. I like you! Don't worry about mother and daughter having those two names- that's a non-issue.

The "Barrett" I have heard of is a pivotal character in one of Sue Grafton's mystery novels. It might have been "N is for..." (I forget what the last word was).

But it's the one in which detective Kinsey Milhone goes up to fictional resort area "Nota Lake", California, to find out why a small town policeman died suddenly.

The "Barrett" in question is a spunky and intelligent teenage girl...

Lauren-- I also like "Lark"-- very plausible as a nickname for Lauren, plus gives you a change in that it is one-syllable, brisk but womanly.

Although it apparently doesn't fit with your naming style, I also like the very old nickname for all the Laur- names, namely, "Lally". The daughter of the late Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham is named Lally Weymouth and is a very famous journalist in her own right. It's a bit preppy but I like it.

I also think that "Larry" for a girl is perversely amusing and could work.

LaurieLw, what nickname are you considering?
All of the above could work for you too, with the exception of the "Wren/ren" sub-group, presumably.

Wow! Thanks, everyone, for the feedback on nicknames for Lauren! As much as I love Wren/Ren, I actually tried to adopt Wren as a nickname in 7th grade, to defer the "Lars" that my friends perversely insisted on. There was a character on the Disney Channel show Even Stevens named Wren--a definite overachiever and perfectionist, much like myself! I believe Ren was short for Renee.

Unfortunately, I don't think Wren/Ren would work for me. The first part of the name of my college (Welsh name, for an American college, no less!) rhymes with Ren and as much as it is uttered around campus, confusion would be invariable. (Sleuths will surely be able to ferret out my college quite easily! It's very distinctive and always pronounced incorrectly. The gorgeous name is actually what drew me there in the first place. I guess my name obsession extends beyond people to institutions of higher learning! Any guessers?)

I'm definitely still pondering your other (wonderful) suggestions, though! I actually do like Lauren: it's feminine but sporty and has the irresistible Old Hollywood connection (smoky-voiced Lauren Bacall, after whom I was named). I just don't like it's popularity! I hate being one of many, many Lauren LN's. I suppose taking my mother's surname would solve that. Lauren Van S___ does sound both distinctive and dignified, plus as the bonus of sentimental value and familial connection. (I've always been closer to my mother's family than my father's.)

Also, Augustine Jude is fantastic! Why, oh why would people ever turn to Jayden/Braeden/Caden when such marvelous, underused (well, not Jude so much anymore) exist, ripe for the taking?

I'm not a fan of Shawn for a girl, or even Shawna. I know a Shana (pronounced Shawna), about 23 years old and the oldest of 7 siblings. Her sisters are J@cqueline (pronounced Jack-quil-een), Gabrielle, Alexandra, and Samantha. At first glance they don't seem to match (Shana seems much more modern and less "frilly"), but I suppose they're all feminized versions of standard male names.

Lauren:

I guess you're not headed toward Kenyon, Centre, Denison, Hendrix, or Bennington, since none of those are Welsh.

Bryn Mawr is the obvious, but isn't that pronounced "brin"?

Jack-quil-een?? Good grief. How to give a daughter a hard start in life...

Lauren, what do you think of Lowry? Laurence?

http://youcantcallitit.com/

Re nn for Lauren--

If you watch Big Brother (and I confess I do), one of the current contestants is called Rennie, short for Lorenza.

BTW another is named Libra, for her grandmother or mother's astrological sign (not hers).

Nastia Liukin's name is pronounced with a very distinct "ahhh" sound, since Nastia is a traditional Russian nickname for Anastasia. (Nastia was born in Russia and is a fluent speaker.) It's funny--as a big gymnastics fan for many years, I've become so used to hearing Nastia's name that the "nasty" connection never even occurred to me, since they are pronounced quite differently.

I've noticed that some commentators pronounce "Shawn Johnson" as if the two names rhyme, while others pronounce the vowels very distinctly. Almost like "Shoin Johnson."

I personally think that Jiang Yuyuan is a beautiful name. Can any Chinese speakers clue us in on what it means?

And yes, Miriam, I was charmed by Coralie Balmy in the French relay too.

I've been enjoying watching the Olympics for names as well (I always thought Nastia was pronounced NAH-stia, but I guess I was wrong).

Sorry to hijack the thread again, but I'm yet another person who desperately needs some naming help-- I'm having a baby in a little more than a month, and we're totally blocked on boy's names (we're not sure what we're having). We want to name our child after my partner's grandmother and my aunt, and we're very open to creative ways of doing this. Their names were Millie and Bertha. I've posted on this a while ago, but I think I was soliciting girl's names then.

We have a girl's name picked out--Noa Bay. We love the name Noa (and she's a strong female character from the bible) and Bay is after Bertha while also being after Millie, whose favorite place in the world to be was at her apartment on Cowpet Bay in St. Thomas. My aunt really liked the water and the beach as well.

For a boy, we're stuck. I like Micah, but my partner associates it with a specific person. We tend to be drawn towards biblical or hebrew names as first names (or at least something that doesn't sound too "un-jewish"), perhaps getting more inventive with the middle name (we've been drawn to nature names). We also might try to name a boy after my partner's friend Jordan who died a few years ago.

I feel like I've looked at dozens of name books and I don't seem to love anything, or else it's too popular. Some thoughts: We're drawn to Jonah, but my close friends just named their baby boy Jonah. My partner likes Asa, but I feel like it's too feminine sounding especially if we have a girl later and name her Noa. Milo's cute, but is it too trendy? We've even thought about Marlowe, but I don't think I really love it. And Ber as a middle name, which means Bear in Yiddish.

I don't know if this is enough to go on, but does anyone have any suggestions? I feel like I'm going to give birth without a boy's name, so I'm hoping for a girl!

Rachel-- I love all the Tob- names -- Tobiah, Tobias, and Tobit.

Laura's book has Judd as a nn for Jordan -- perhaps as a mn?

Benjamin and Jonathan are two of my favorite Biblical names; I also love Micah, though did you ever worry that girls are using it a lot these days?

Thomas would be a cool mn after St. Thomas for Millie ...

Is Asher too popular? My son is Gabriel -- I love that too. Instead of Jonah, what about Jonas? What about Judah?

Laura's book has Mose as a sibling for Milo -- what about that? Kind of a funky Moses? And it's an M for Millie ... maybe Mose Benjamin, with Benjamin for Bertha?

I love Matthias too.

Any of these helpful?

Rachel, my 2nd son is named after my grandmother, Belma. Belma, Bertha ... seriously, what were they thinking?

Her yiddish/Hebrew name was Bluma, which means flower and back b4 we knew it was a boy, we toyed with various flower names.

We could not come up with a B boy name. I got desperate and was walking around trying out the name Bruce (as awful as it may seem to some, there are tons of strong Bruces out there) when my husband made me give up. As I posted above, we went with Bennett as his middle name, and Barak as his Hebrew name. How about Barak? As we've also discussed here it's not the same root as the presidential candidate (which is from baruch -- meaning blessed).

I kind of like Boaz.

Re Asher, I've heard of 3 in the last 2 days. 2 were middle names of newborn boys and one is the new cat next door!

Did you see the post about Cohen being used as a first name? I found that discussion really interesting and have been ruminating on that name (not that we're having another).

I don't think Asa is too feminine. I've always liked Ari or Aryeh (meaning lion), and Dov, which also means bear, I think.

Good luck.

Lauren -- i believe i went to your college --is it in PA?
I have a friend named Lauren who we sometimes called Lou or LuLu. Lulu might be a little too cutesy, but Lou could work. Lou Henry Hoover was a great first lady!

Re Bertha--

Bertha is derived from the Germanic word for 'light,' 'bright', so perhaps the modern Israeli Hebrew name Lior (male)/Liora(female) which means 'light.' The connection between a Hebrew name and a vernacular name is not always similarity in sound. It can also be similarity in meaning. Meir, Uri, Ziv, and Abner also have light, bright meanings.

And, yes, I know that Nastia's formal name is Anastasia--and how to pronounce it--and the Russian custom of using either formal names plus patronyms or diminutives. However, since Nastia is using that name in the Olympics, I am assuming that is the name she used at school. Hence, my curiosity as to whether her American classmates decided to call her Nasty. After all, so many expectant parents are concerned about whether a chosen name will lead to some, um, nasty, teasing nickname.

Lauren,

How about Renee?

Rona- I have heard of girls named Barrett, and I really like it a lot.

Does Barrett not make anyone else think of Barrette? As in the things used to hold back your hair?

Based on the characters given on Wikipedia for Jiang Yuyuan's name, "Yu" means "hard metals" and "yuan" means "source." I think it's meant to sound like a vein of gold glittering in a mine. I'm not a native speaker, though, so my interpretation could be off.

Wiktionary gives the meaning of "yu" as "rare treasure," so maybe Yuyuan could be translated as "treasure trove."

Rachel: For Millie how about Malachi? There are also Malcolm, Matan, Marley, or Michael which I used to hate but I now feel might be coming back. And gives you the nn Mikey which is pretty similar to Micah but less date-stamped.

For Bertha I love Barak, but surely Bay would also work for a boy? The only thing is that as a midle name it does sound like a place name. Bertie is cute, or how about Bart?

Or why not just go for Noah Bay for a boy?

I speak from experience when I say that you get NO perks at Mark Twain Caves if you and your spouse are named Tom and Becky. :-Þ

re: Bennett - I know one about 12 years old, older brother to Owen. He's a great kid, so it makes me kinda dig the name.

I love the guesses for Augustine Jude's siblings, but sadly they are all wrong. His parents followed in the Duggar's footsteps (actually, I suppose they led the Duggars, as their youngest is 16) and gave all the children names starting with the same letter.

I don't know them all, but the few I do know are Aaron, Amy, and Angela. Aaron (the brother I met) told me that Augustine has by far the coolest name. And that he's often known as Gus at home and by friends. We could take a stab at guessing the other names, which I've forgotten. There are 6 boys and 4 girls.

How I would have loved for them to have a saints' names theme, though. Blaise and Xavier and Bede and Cecilia and Theresa and Perpetua...so cool!

Rachel, I like the suggestions of Malachi and Noah Bay for a boy. I prefer Malachi to Micah (I've got the same problem as your partner and asociate it with someone in particular).

All A's? I would have thought that Ambrose might've fit in there, though if Augustine is the "coolest" name and other sibs are Aaron, Amy, and Angela, then we're most likely looking at Abigail and Anne/Anna or maybe Alana for the other two girls; maybe Adam, Alexander, Andrew, and Anthony for the other four boys?

Speaking of Bede, I'm recently loving that one ... and a family I know has daughters Faith and Felicity, which I love!

Rachel, what about Japheth? Or Mishael? (I just read that this morning from the book of Daniel ... I don't know who Mishael is, but it's so similar to Michael I thought you might like it!)

Thanks for all the suggestions--it's great to hear thoughts from people on this blog since I don't like asking people I know personally (I don't want to give anything away) and as a long time reader I really respect people's opinions here!

It's amazing all of the reasons certain name ideas are off limits: we would almost definitely use Benjamin except it's my partner's middle name, for example.

I guess I don't want to use Noah Bay for a boy because I vastly prefer Noa as a girl's name, since Noah is so popular. Bay sounds like a girl's name to me too.

I think I've looked at every B and M name there is, and just don't love any of them. I do like J names more generally, but none are popping out right now (we are considering Judah, but I just don't love it.)

I'm ready to go out of the box, so the suggestions of names based on similar meanings are really helpful. I've even found myself brainstorming about what my aunt liked to do and basing a name on that. She loved to play games, was fabulous with children (she never had any of her own), had me and my cousin's over every new year's eve when we were children which we still reminisce about, loved picking berries in the summer. I even jokingly found myself remembering how much she loved to go to Atlantic City and play the slots (Bandit, anyone? ;-) Or are there other suggestions of names that evoke water? The names don't have to be Hebrew or Biblical, I just don't want them to have specifically Christian derivations.

If this is helpful, the last name of the baby will start with a hard G, and it's a very common Jewish last name.

Any more suggestions? All help is appreciated!

Bea Dee,

My son who has the middle name Bennett, has the first name Owen!

Rachel,

Two of my cousins, one who lives in Israel and one who lives in New Jersey, have daughters named Noa. One is Noa Elizabeth and they call her Noalee.

I'll keep thinking about options for you. You don't need a girl name, but Maya is derived, I believe, from maayim, meaning water. We just got the class list for pre-school and there's a Mayaan on the list. I assume it's a girl?

Good luck.

More, Rachel, sorry ...

With Jonah, you don't get a name meaning water, but you get a water story ...

We have an elder relative Jonas who gets a kick out of the Jonas Brothers. Do you all think Jonas will uptick? One would hope the people listening to the Jonas Brothers are too young to have kids, but the name will be seared in their brains ....

A little off topic but I wonder if Nastia will start a naming trend of Nasia? That's the way they are pronouncing it and I think spelled that way it hits the "naming vibe".

Laura, when do you give us your Olympics naming blog entry?!

It's funny you mention Mayim, since if we have a girl, her hebrew name will be Noa Mayim (hitting the M from Millie.) I've heard of the name Mayaan, it's definitely a girl's name.

We're going to look at a Hebrew dictionary directly as well for ideas.

OK, so I do actually know that Maria Himmelfahrt is German for the Feast of the Assumption (today, as it happens) and literally means Mary's Journey to Heaven, but it just sounds like a name to me- one of those that grabs my brain and won't let go! Incidentally, the Ascension is known as Christi Himmelfahrt. Meet the Himmelfahrts, anyone?

As far as saving money via a certain name, I once went to school with a family consisting of eldest son Kenny (named after his Dad), who's younger siblings included:

Kourtney, second eldest, which their Mother was absolutely IN LOVE WITH as a name.

Kevin, named after the the doctor who delivered him.

Kori, the youngest, who's name they wanted to be unique.

and finally, in the middle of it all, third eldest Bobby, who was named after the grandfather that died very shortly before his birth.

Everywhere they went, the poor kid was so left out. Their Mother's name was Christy, so even that fit better than Bobby.

Point being, they gave their Mom a birthday present one year, a bracelet with "K+B" charms on it. It would have been less expensive for them if they'd all had K names.

As far as saving money via a certain name, I once went to school with a family consisting of eldest son Kenny (named after his Dad), who's younger siblings included:

Kourtney, second eldest, which their Mother was absolutely IN LOVE WITH as a name.

Kevin, named after the the doctor who delivered him.

Kori, the youngest, who's name they wanted to be unique.

and finally, in the middle of it all, third eldest Bobby, who was named after the grandfather that died very shortly before his birth.

Everywhere they went, the poor kid was so left out. Their Mother's name was Christy, so even that fit better than Bobby.

Point being, they gave their Mom a birthday present one year, a bracelet with "K+B" charms on it. It would have been less expensive for them if they'd all had K names.

Lauren- This one would be a stretch from Lauren, but I've always thought Liesel a very pretty name and it has a similar feel to Lauren.

Rachel- Have you considered Bertrand or Bernhard?

My due date is very shortly approaching and I have posted a couple times over the past several month as I have worked through the naming process. When last posted it was down to Philippa (Pippa) Tate, Juniper or Calla. Sadly, my favorite Philippa Tate has been nixed by DH. We are now 90% set on Juniper Frances. What does everyone think of this? My son's name is August Frederick. My only reservation is still that Juniper will sound really cute on a child but not sure for an adult. Also have had a hard time with the MN. I like Frances but am not sure if this is right. I wanted something more feminine sounding and short. My mother and I both have Anne as a MN. I am considered Juniper Anna.

Just so you know, the name Maayan is a unisex name and I personally know both a male and a female Maayan. The male is Israeli.

The name means "spring of water"/"fountain", which does keep the water feel.

(Note that the primary spelling is Maayan, not Mayaan, but many of the latter do exist, too, as evidenced by a Facebook search.)

Steph-

I'm sorry to hear you lost the fight for Philippa Tate. I adore the name Pippa.

Juniper is very unusual, I've never met anyone with it--do you think people will end up calling her June for short? I think I prefer Juniper Anna to Juniper Frances, which sounds somewhat old fashioned to me. I have to add that I love the name Calla, I think it's gorgeous.

Rachel--

A few more out of the box suggestions--

Moss which is a form of Moses (e.g. Moss Hart)

Melek/Melech--king (sounds rather like Millie)

Maor (another 'light' name)

Off topic--I have a new baby alert!

My SIL gave birth this morning to a baby girl. They named her Alyssa Grace LN. I think it's pretty, but it's NMS. She's the first grandchild on both sides, so everyone is VERY excited!

Just wanted to keep all you NEs informed...and now back to the discussion.

Steph --

Juniper is one of my favorites, and I think Juniper Frances has a great sound. I agree that Juniper might be better on a child than on an adult, but she could go by June or Junie, which could fit a wide variety of women, or -- who knows -- she could grow into the kind of woman that Juniper suits perfectly. (For instance, maybe she'll grow up to make and sell her own jewelry, or teach ceramics classes.)

Calla is pretty, but what it really says to me is "We're trying to get away from Lily."

I think Juniper Frances is fantastic, and I like it much better than Juniper Anna. I don't think Juniper sounds particularly little-girly. Junie does, and is an adorable nickname, but Juniper can fit a host of women, from a sweet little toddler to a sophisticated older woman. If I recall correctly, there were also some last name issues with a Ph in your name (right?), and Juniper sounded better with it than Philippa did. So congrats on a great name that's unusual without being kooky!

Eo-Thanks for asking. At this time we are going to try on Elle, as in "L" for Laurie. The only nick name I ever really had was "E", and I don't think I can pull that off.

Lauren, I don't know if this would work, but how about LaRue? I know it may be a stretch, but I thought I would throw it out there. Or even Elle, like I am thinking of doing.

I think either Juniper Anna or Frances will work well. Anna and Frances are both very mature names so if she were to have concerns about Juniper later she would have good names to fall back on. I also think that June sounds grown-up (and Juniper may sound perfect when she actually is grown-up!).

Rachel- I just wanted to comment on the Milo question, I've known one Mi1o and he was actually brother to a No@! I think their mom was a ne though so I wouldn't worry that the name is too popular. I thought they had a great sibling set (other child was a girl, Cre@ (sounds Krea).

Good luck!

Thanks for the comments so far. We are thinking Junie as a NN, if we use one at all.

Coll- Yes, I'm the one with the Pf last name that sounds like an F, so no more alliteration problems since we are not going to use Philippa.

JM- A jewelry maker or ceramics teacher!! Oh dear, exactly the kind of image I was hoping Juniper did not evoke. Perfectly fine professions, but I was hoping it didn't sound so 60's flower child.

Steph P -- I *love* Juniper! In fact, in our faux families with 18 kids, Juniper Nora was my 4th. I do think Juniper sounds slightly better with a mn that begins with a consonant so I prefer Frances to Anna. Also, I don't see Juniper as a hippy-ish name so I wouldn't worry about that, if that's what a future jewelry maker or ceramics teacher conjures for you. I think it fits in nicely with other nature names without being another Lily or Violet or Rose.

Besides, the name will be shaped by the girl who wears it and you don't know anything about her yet!

Lauren, I know a girl with your name who goes by "Elle." Another variation of the spelling may work better for you. Good luck at school!

Rachel-
I like Blaise and Bennett, which have already been suggested. I also thought I'd toss out Bram, or you could do Sebastian with the nn Baz.
Maybe you could use Bruce with a less conventional nn, like Rudy?
I do like Asa, and I don't find it feminine at all. Actually, it has a Western/cowboy sound to my ear. I've read discussions on name boards about using Ace as a nn for it-not really my style, but maybe you could pull it off!
Milo is a name I like, but it has a "pet name," association for me. I don't know that it's too trendy, though. I see it discussed a lot more than I actually hear it irl.
I also like the idea of using Jordan to honor your friend. My one Jewish friend has boys named Jordan, Issac, and Levi.
Have you already ruled out Eli?
Finally, I know it's a different style, and maybe a little much, but a William nn Will or Willie could certainly be a tribute to a Millie!

Rachel-my first thought for you was Noah Thomas but then I read further and found you like Noa for a girl's name for sure. So Noah for a boy is out. I think Jordan Thomas sounds nice but may be too plain or common for you. I also thought of Bailey/Bayley but that doesn't sound very jewish to me and if you are set on using Bay as mn for girl then that probably doesn't work either. How about Evan for a New Years Eve reference?

Rachel - I second Boaz! We're looking for a name for second our boy, due in October, and love the nickname Bo but are too chicken to use Boaz for a formal name. But if you're more adventurous, it would be perfect! What a great namesake. One of my very favorite biblical characters.

I just mentioned that we're searching for a name for boy number two, and as I'm a little stymied right now, could I ask for suggestions? I just can't force myself through another baby name book.

Big brother's name is Calvin. We loved that name for its unusualness, steady use across time, fresh sound with the -n ending, and the fact that we just plain liked it. We can't seem to find another that we like as well. It doesn't have to be matchy with Calvin, by the way. It can't end in s (last name starts with S), and we don't want another C name or -n name. We're also trying to shy away from T names, as the middle name will hopefully start with T, and TTS doesn't sound good to me for initials. So... any suggestions?

(One name we're considering is Shepherd or Shepard. Too strange? Is Shep too much a dog's name?)

How does Ryker come across? DH used to work with a Ryker from Scotland and I always thought it was very cool.

Sarah S -

I want to suggest Spencer; how do you feel about both names beginning with S?

Grant
Graham
Reid

(LMBO, just picked up the BNW book to see how I was doing and saw brother names for Reid to have Grant and Graham.)

Sarah-

I don't suppose you'd care to think about Klein? On a serious note I knew twins named Calvin Strauss and Klein Levi, last name Jeen(Pronounced Jean); Poor things.

Shepard reminds me a bit of the character that was on ER for a while. The actor's name escapes me...

What about Spencer? It's similar to Calvin and they seem to go welL as a sibset. Which T middle names are you considering?

Steph P -
I adore the name Juniper. Juniper Frances sounds wonderful. My only concern would be that since you have a son named August, that any "June" type name might sound too... monthly?

Ryker says "I love Star Trek." Whether you do or not, that's what it says.

Since the name Calvin just came up, here is an odd little "naming" anecdote that appeared on one of my professional listservs today. It's about Dorothy, Lady Stafford, who was Mistress of the Wardrobe for Queen ELizabeth I. When Henry VII died and Mary I took the throne, Lady Stafford and her husband who were staunch Protestants fled to Geneva. There they became close friends with John Calvin. When Lady Stafford bore a son, she and her husband asked John Calvin to be the godfather. The couple wanted to name the baby Calvin, but John Calvin disapproved of naming children after people (I assume living people), and so the child was named John. When Lady Stafford was widowed, John Calvin tried to take custody of little John away from his mother. She took all her children and fled Geneva, eventually making her way back to England after the death of Queen Mary.

I normally love surnames-as-firsts, but Shepherd doesn't quite cut it for me. What about Sawyer or Sullivan?

Crys- I love the name Ryker, it's the name of my son's best friend and he is an awesome kid (ok, he's almost 17). So I have a great feeling with the name. He likes his name a lot, and hates it when people mistake it for "Ryan".

Yeah, Ryker says "Trekkie" to me too.

Ryder maybe doesn't have quite so much geek baggage.

Shepherd/Shepard, oh, that's a three-show trifecta--Dr. Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, Dr. Jack Shepherd on LOST, and there was a Shep (secondary character, a fireman or paramedic) on ER in the Julianna Margulies days....

I watch way, way too much TV.

Oooh, but my captcha is Tempest Sefton--I think that'll be my new screen name!

Oh funny! I just googled Ryker and came up with the Star Trek association. I've never seen the show and would've never made that association.
This blog is awesome! I'm not even pregnant yet but I'll now think long and hard before adding Ryker to the list. Thanks

"A little off topic but I wonder if Nastia will start a naming trend of Nasia?"

As in Nausea?! Kidding right?

Sarah- some ideas for a Calvin's brother

Perry
Jasper
Cormac (I know you said no C names, but I think this sounds really good with Calvin)
Mitchell
Robinson

Sarah S. -- Oliver feels like a brother to Calvin to me. Also, the one Calvin I know has a brother named Maxwell.

Sarah S.-
Names that go well with Calvin that I can think of:

Spicer
Cole
Wyatt
Miles
Zacariah
Jared
Leo

Sarah-
I just have to chime in in defense of Shepard. It's a family name somewhere back in our tree, and I seriously considered it.
Ultimately I did decide it read as too "dog name," but I still have a soft spot for it. Jerry Seinfeld has a child named Shepard, as does one of the Desperate Housewives actors, and of course, there is the Fox news guy. I know this isn't what a lot of regular posters would consider much of a pedigree, but it does have some history.

The other name I chickened out on was Dashiell.
Calvin and Dashiell would be a great pair, imho!
I also like the suggestions of Jasper, Mitchell, and Spencer.

Maybe Marshall or Anders? Duncan if you're not surrounded by the donut places (they're pretty unusual where we are).
Are Heath and Wade too prep. school for you?

I love Calvin, btw. I think it has a sporty, wholesome quality, in addition to its other charms.

I wonder (to return to the original question of names that have financial impact) whether down the line there will ever be any marketing stunts involving people with luxury brand names as first names, along the lines of Lexus and Armani?

The celebrity baby name Avis was criticized a little - I wonder if you were to have a child named Avis and you went to rent a car there, if there'd be any reaction...

And, I bet if Tiffany's had ever planned to honour people named Tiffany, they'd have done that already. Still, it could be special little perk, like not charging anything for engraving that name into anything. :) But this is all speculation, of course.

Sarah:

Calvin's a great name. Tricky to find a good match that doesn't end in -n or -s! Some names that might work:

Dexter
Elijah
Emmett
Felix
Forrest
Gabriel
Henry (nn Hank?)
Jasper
Jude
Leo
Max
Oliver
Reid
Webster (nn Webb?)
Wesley

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I like lots of them! Better than what I've gotten from friends and family - Jason? James? And on the other spectrum, Hobbes and Wesley!? Come on, people. Let's be serious. J&H's Mom - 4 of the names you mentioned are/have been high on my list!

I seem to have a problem with every single name I consider. I think I'm getting too picky. Does anyone else have that problem? Besides all the restrictions and preferences already mentioned, I want it to be fairly familiar, easily spelled and pronounced, and not too out there, as well as have that something special... not to mention pass the DH test. It's a wonder our first son has a name at all.

Thanks for the help! Keep it coming.

Ellen - I didn't see your post until after I posted mine - how funny that you thought of Wesley! It must be something subconscious that makes people come up with that - Calvin and Wesley, the protestant reformers. In our circles, we would never hear the end of it. We would catch less flack if we chose Hobbes. :)

Tirzah-LOL!! That is exactly what I was thinking...Except I was going Ryker, Ryker, Hmmmm Where have I heard that before?? LOL!!

Cathie, Nastia is most definitely pronounced as spelled, not like "Nasia." I think it's a beautiful name, but a friend of mine laughed in my face when I suggested it might set off a trend. I guess it just looks too much like "nasty" to Americans.

Speaking of names in the news, considering how sordid this John Edwards business is, I was surprised at the name of his supposed love child: Frances Quinn. I personally think it's a beautiful name for a little girl--the old-fashioned Frances combined with the trendier Quinn, but somehow they work together, perhaps because they share a certain fresh and no-nonsense element. It does seem like an odd choice for a woman who changed her name to "Rielle" as an adult, though.

I want to know where Lauren's going to college! And truly, though this is not an opinion you need, Lauren, I would kill for that name. It's got everything: it's distinct from Laura, which I love but think of as very 70s; it's feminine with the Ls and Rs but ends in the androgynous "n." I too have only ever met stunningly beautiful, brilliant Laurens.

But if you have to nick the name, I'm voting for Laure.

Captcha's words for me: lip sponge. What's UP with that?

OT: I found a new great-name-if-it-weren't-already-a-brand name... Cabela. Or try being unique and use Kabella. ha.

Another vote for Juniper!

I'm not too keen on Frances, just because your last name starts with an F sound.

In the style of Juniper Frances...

Juniper Helene
Juniper Adella
Juniper Mavis
Juniper Sylvia
Juniper Lydia
Juniper Edith
Juniper Ada
Juniper Delia
Juniper Amelia
Juniper Annaliese

I suggested a lot of German names since your last name is German.

The name Shepherd reminds me of the hero of the 1950s film Bell Book and Candle. I think it's a rather nice name, though I don't think I'd use it myself.

Shep is a dogs name for me.

How about Fletcher as a brother for Calvin?

The Calvin I know has a brother Grant, which has already been suggested, but thought I'd mention it again. I also really like Dashiell.

How is Dashiell pronounced?

I went to highschool with a guy named Shepherd, always called Shep. It worked on him, and I've always had a soft spot for the name. I also back up the suggestions of Spencer, Oliver, Jasper, and Henry.

For additions, what about Hugh, Graeme, Geoffrey, Roland.

Easternbetty, I've heard it pronounced as DASH-ull.

re: Calvin's brother--I root for Jasper! If our last name didn't end with -er we would have used it. I think its quirky and cool, much the way I feel about Calvin.

Calvin always reminds me of the boy in the Wrinkle in Time series. It reminds DH of the comic strip--he always figured it would be tricky to use.

What are your thoughts on Ralph?

Sarah S: I don't care for Ralph at all. It makes me think either of the verb-use of the word or of Ralph Malph from Happy Days. Sorry!

Easternbetty:

Dashiell is a surname of French origin and is correctly pronounced D'SHEEL (accent on the second syllable). In the case of Samuel Dashiell Hammett, the Dashiell is his mother's maiden name. Hammett was a southerner and his name conforms to the typical naming style of upscale southerners.

However, Dashiell is commonly mispronounced as Dash'l. I know two boys named Dashiell, one of college age and the other in grade school, both with English professor parents, and both using the pronunciation Dash'l. IMO the name was chosen in order to get to the nickname Dash, as well as with a nod to Hammett in mind.

On a previous subject:

We were recently discussing names chosen from the worlds of role-playing games, science fiction, etc. I stayed up to watch the late showing of the Olympic Games last night and saw Shalane (accent on the second syllable) Flanagan win the bronze medal in the 10K run. It was noted that her dad named her after a character in a favorite science fiction novel. (I have read a lot of science fiction novels, but I don't know one with a character Shalane, but then the book would be a generation old.)