The Baby Name Wizard

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.)

Steph P.--I love Juniper. It's unusual and for me it does not call up a hippy but rather a very sophisticated movie-star type woman from the 40s. Any ideas why this might be? Of the two middle names I prefer Frances; it just seems to have a better rhythm.

Sarah S.--Are you thinking Ralph pron. "RAL-f" or "RAFE"? I realized I don't know where you are writing from.
I like the British pronunciation (but I doubt if you could get people to go along with it in the US). Pronounced as "RAL-f," I think of Ralph Wiggum from the Simpsons a rather, well, slow child.

Other brothers for Calvin: what about Martin, Roland, Aubrey, Mitchell, Roger, and my joke suggestion, Knox (hee hee! points for historical jokeswomanship AND contemporary relevance!)

crys--re: Ryker. All I can think of is Riker's Island, the prison complex. Not a good reference.