The Baby Name Wizard

Fascinating post!

I'd like to add a boy list:
-VIN names seem to peak in the 20's & 30's

Alvin
Mervin
Elvin

(Devin is much later though)

the -WIN names I can think of are later
(40's, 50's)

Sherwin
Derwin

What a great post! I want more graphs! I wonder what the most timeless name endings are?

The thing that strikes me most is that the trend peaks keep getting more and more narrow. This suggests to me that trends are accelerating. Maybe it has to do with increased communication through the decades. Maybe someday in the future, a particular name will scream 2050 instead of 2050's???

Find out how common your name is (in the UK at any rate) at www.yourenotme.com. I found that there were 12,377 people called Abigail, but only 28 people called Abigail Cooper. Bearing in mind that the population is now at 60.4 million or something like that. 1,178,806 of these people are called John. The top boy's name for about a decade has been Jack, and there are only 44,281 of them.

(The accuracy of this site is, of course, questionable, because for one, where do they get that data? I also looked up some full names of people I know only to find out they didn't exist. Still, it gives you a rough picture.)

There's a similar site as the one Abi mentions here: http://ww2.howmanyofme.com/
But yeah same gripe, it tells me I don't exist.

Yeah, the howmanyofme.com site doesn't really do what it says...they just take census figures for the commonness of first names and last names and multiply! But life doesn't work that way...somebody with the last name Gonzalez is a lot more likely to be named Juan than somebody with the last name Chung is.

Should we be able to use the NameVoyager to look at names by endings? If so, I can't figure out how.

Jason asks my question, how can we look up names using endings?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I loved this post too. I think my name qualifies as part of the 1960's -RI boom- I was born in 1962.
What's so interesting is that there *were* these booms. I hadn't realized that maybe my mother was subconsciously influenced by them (my Dad didn't get much of a look in with naming in my family... or much else for that matter...)!

what about -IS names for both boys and girls? Lois, Phyllis, Iris, Willis, Otis, Dennis... is there a common decade for these?

Jason and Wendy: I think that only Laura can make the cool ending sound charts. From what others have said, the Wizard is only set up to go by beginnings for us regular users.

We just named our first child Arlo and I'll be curious to now follow names that end in o. Traditionally, these names have been masculine. I'm wondering, though, with the Jolie-Pitt "Shiloh" whether that end sound will also become trendy for girls' names.

Perhaps this has happened before? For example, maybe the -er ending that sounds traditionally masculine to me was adopted by the feminine side when Jennifers, Heathers, etc. rose to popularity.

I am fascinated by all this, especially as I think about how my son's name will affect him (and his image) throughout his life.

Jennifer

Well I know several boys called Milo, also one each of Leo, Sholto, Otto and Mungo. And Otso who is Finnish and Thimo and Luchino who are Dutch.

So I think you're onto something with the -o ending.

But even with this, will people ever understand the concept that by using a very modern-sounding name, they are dating their children with something that will soon seem as ugly as -lene does to us now?

Hey...I like the name Amelia...is that weird? And what's a good middle name?

I thnink Amelia is pretty. MN kind of depends on your last name (sound,length). But, I like Amelia Rose, Amelia Isabelle and Amelia Scout.
I also like the spelling Emilia.

Emilia and Amelia are different names.

Amelia isn't weird, quite the opposite, in fact. It's in the top 100 in the USA. I don't particularly care for it, but it's not a bad name.

Amelia Josephine
Amelia Clare/Claire
Amelia Jane
Amelia Vivian
Amelia Katherine
Amelia Rachel
Amelia Willow
Amelia Kirsten

I like Amelia, and a lot of the suggestions for mn.
In my family tree we have a lot of Amalias. What do you think of Amalia? Apparently it's more common in Germanic and Hispanic countries- my ancestors were German.

I like Amelia and Amalia. I went to high school with a girl named Amelia (b. 1979) and she went by Amy. And I really like Amelia Jane.

I too like Amelia Jane and Amelia Claire. With four syllables, Amelia needs something simple to follow it, depending of course on the surname.
Amelia Chloe*
Amelia Rose
Amelia Anne**
Amelia Zoe
Amelia Kate
* two syllables so I'm not sure if it scans well
** the two 'a's don't sound brilliant together but still fit - my own daughter's name ends in 'a' and our surname begins with 'e', but they sounds OK together.

The only thing against Amelia Jane is the series of children's books by Enid Blyton which have names like Amelia Jane is Naughty Again and Amelia Jane in Trouble.

Don't forget the Amelia Bedelia series.

Ok I have to ask, aren't Emilia and Amelia pronouced the same way (or very similar)? Just wanted to add that I like Amelia Rose.

I am pregnant with baby number 4. We know he is a boy, and I am due in Jan. Unfortunaly we still have no names we can agree on. The other children are Alexa (mn Rose), Tristan (mn David) and Aubrey (mn Claire). Any suggestions?

I would pronounce Emilia E-mee-lee-a and Amelia Ah-mee-lee-a so I guess just the first syllable different.

I just remembered I went to high school with another girl named Emalia. Or something... Maybe it was Emilia but I just didn't know how to pronounce it.

Sarah:
From doing my own Internet Sib Name Search:
Tanner, Addison, Avery, Carter, Gabriel, Evan, Hayden, Finley, Ansel, Joel, Kelsey, Brook, Adrian, Andrew, Travis

Thanks Robyn.
I like Carter and Evan best. Finley is cute too.
I had Tristan, (my first son's name), picked before I was married. I didn't even have too think about it when he was born. My husband picked both girl names and now the choice is mine again.

Anyone else want to add to the list?

You've got two girls with an A and one boy with a T, do you want another T to match? In which case I suggest Theo.

I like Theo and Finley, so far.

My suggestions (as I see Tristan being on the artistic side for a boy (as opposed to ultra-macho), and I like it):

Benedict
Dominic
Noah
Colin
Merlin
Roland
Nicholas
Barnaby
Marcus
Miles
Milo
Oscar
Pascal
Raphael
Zachary
Some unusual ones there, I think!

Valerie and Robyn T - lovely mix of names there. I also like Finley or Finlay too but Theo is my favorite at present. Travis is very 70's now as is Hayden.
Sarah - Alexa Rose, Tristan David, Aubrey Claire and Theo Finlay? Eeek, two boys with T as their first initial - how about Finlay Theo? Your girls have the same first inital too so possibly don't want to have matching sets of gender siblings.

Valerie: I'm curious what names you consider to be more macho since I consider several of the names on your list (Zachary, Nicholas, Colin, Roland, Marcus) more on that side. I don't mean this in a bad way, just sort of curious about how we think of names.

I guess I am partly swayed by the people with these names I've known. I think maybe I also find the N at the end to be very manly--like my name, originally a boys' name. I think that I consider names affiliated with Christianity to be very manly also.

Robyn, that's fascinating! I guess it's just very personal.
I usually find boys' names which end in n to be more artistic or gentle- some other examples would be Julian, Adrian, Damian, Crispin. Maybe that's because of the people I've met! And in terms of biblical names, I guess it depends on the character. For example, Raphael is an archangel, so I see him as a bit ethereal.
Do any of the rest of you have a viewpoint on this- what names do you find macho/sensitive?

I'd agree with you on all of those Valerie, except perhaps Nicholas, which although isn't 'macho', does seem less of a 'sensitive' name. Colin I just see as either a little boy in the 1940s or an old man today. I can't understand why anyone would call their son Colin. Zachary and Marcus are certainly on the 'sensitive' side. Roland is very uncommon; it makes me think of the only Roland I know of: that French Knight in the Crusades who got beaten, so they wrote a song about him. Anyone else remember the Song of Roland?

I think examples of more 'macho' names would be the more traditional names, like Sam, David, John or Matthew.

I'm still looking for a good name for my third child! My two oldest are named Aidan Christopher and Kaleigh Makena.
The last name begins with S. 2 syllables.
Any suggestions?? We are thinking about Quinlan for a boy and Delaney for a girl. But I'm not completely sold on either one.

Terri--

I just love Delaney! Go with that!

I am less enthralled with Quinlan. It makes me think of Karen Ann Quinlan, and also echos "Aidan" with the very (too?) popular 'an' ending. Do Quincy or Quinn have any appeal?

When I thought of a boy's name to go with Aidan and Kaleigh, the first one to enter my head was "Seth" . .

Sydney, Lindsey, Ross, Mia, Tyler, Erin, Sasha, Darcy, Faith, Camille... It also seems like you like names with the long A sound so that might be a way to find more names you like...

Is Kaleigh pronounced KAY-lee or Kah-LAY?

Something I found while doing this:
http://www.logarithmic.net/pfh-files/blog/01153898830/name-net.html
I think it is just free-associating names, but it might be kind of helpful.

Kaleigh is pronounced KAY-LEE.
I also really like the name Finlay for either a boy or girl, although probably leaning towards boy. My husband likes Rowan, for a boy.

'Sensitive' boys' names : Julian, Aubrey, Cedric, Sebastian, Lancelot, Bertrand, Perry,Robin, Felix, Tristan.

'Macho' boys' names: Bill, Jake, Mick, Ed, Robert, Mark, Mac.

I like boys' names that are just a shade to the macho side of sensitive: Gabriel, Daniel, Jacob, Adrian, Judah.

Darcey might be an alternative to Delaney. Quinlan is a bit of a mouthful - how about just Quinn? Or Conlan, Connor or I like your husband's idea of Rowan.

oooh, just thought, the ultimate macho name has to be my little cousin, the wonderfully named Spike Rock.

Terri,
I have also heard of Quinlan for a girl, as well as Quinn. I like both. I also think Delaney is very nice. (come to think of it, my sister teaches a girl named Rowan too). These are all cute.
For a boy I love the names Jacob or Gabriel for you.
Aidan, Kaleigh and Jacob.
Aidan, Kaleigh and Gabriel.

Sarah, for you I can only think of Jonah.
Alexa, Tristan, Aubrey and Jonah.

Do you think I can use Tristan? My last name has 3 syllables. (Similar to Worthingtin). Is it too much with the tan, tin endings?

Keren- I agree with you. "Macho side of sensitive" sounds good for a son of mine! I like your choices, apart from Adrian, for some reason.
OK, Spike Rock HAS to take first prize... or can anyone beat it? (Real life examples preferred.)
Abi- yes, I've heard of the Song of Roland, which is partly why I like the name, as does my husband. It has pedigree, is well-known but rarely used these days. However, my parents have a friend of that name who is known as Roly-- yuk!
I included Colin because I'm living in teh US and it's considered quite new and trendy here, from what I can gather, although I previously thought it a bit dated. I think my fondness stems from reading "The Secret Garden" as well.

Oh God, I just remembered the most UNmacho boy's name I ever heard. He was a childhood playmate of my mother's and his name was Fairy Gosling.

I can see that some of the boys' names considered less macho are ones that are (or could be) used for girls: Robin, Tristan, Perry, Aubrey. Well I'm sure we won't ever settle this but it's interesting anyways.

Re: Tristan Worthington: I think it's fine. I know a Tristan who has a last name with three syllables (though it ends with an A).

re: macho (Spike Rock) names in real life; what about Madonnas' boy, Rocco, I think. That's pretty macho.

Rocco sounds like a cartoon character.

Fairy Gosling? Wow! Do you know what happened to him, Valerie? I wonder how his name influenced his opportunities. With luck and a strong personality, not a whit, but I'm curious.

I like Colin with Tristan, Alexa and Aubrey. I also like Cameron.

I think tristan Worthingtin or whatever it is sounds pretty decent. I don't think you'd have issues with the tin/tan match up.

I guess I just can't picture naming a baby "Spike." A dog, maybe, a vampire - fine, but a baby? Seems really weird to me.

Aidan, Kaleigh and Brennan? You've got such a Celtic sound there... Lachlan? Declan? I like Brennan best of those three.

Elizabeth T.
I don't know what happened to Fairy Gosling. I was always afraid he would have had a rough time growing up, and wondered if he might have changed his name to survive! When I googled him, there was just one entry, saying that he built a boat in 1960. He would have been probably mid-twenties at that time, so seemed to have kept the name at that point...unless that was another Fairy Gosling!!

Totally off the subject, but my BF just told me she had chosen Cameron Michael for her sons name. She's been agonizing over it for a couple of months. It's funny because Cameron was my top 5 for a girl. She said "I didn't know that - you can't say I stole it!" I never would have claimed she stole my name, even if she knew about it. She got to it first, so she can have it. I still love it, even though I know there are more boy Camerons than girl Camerons. But I can't imagine talking with her about our children and always having to say "my Cameron" so I guess it's out. Bummer.

that's very big of you, christiana -- i can't say i wouldn't have a little pang of resentment about my favorite name being scooped by a best friend! what are your next contenders for a girl name? and are you expecting a girl now?

Not expecting yet - we're trying. Top contenders now are Alison, Meagan, Kirsten, Lorelai and... Caroline or ,aybe AnaCathryn? I still can't quite take Cameron off my list, but I know I should. :-) But I've been addicted to names since upper elementary school, so it's natural for me to pour into it now that we're actually looking at a baby in the near future. A bunch of DH's cousins are using the Katherine/Kathryn name, so I'm hesitant to use it for mine, even though it's a family name. I am a little bummed that Cameron has been taken out of the running, but I know his sisters didn't like it when it came up in conversation, so I'll just say that my BF's choice to take it saved me grief later on. :-) At least it's going to a baby that I'll love.

My friend named her daughter Alison when I stupidly piped up "I LOVE the name Alison" - I wasn't even dating at the time so when she exclained, "OH Jen-that's perfect!" I couldn't say anything! If my husband liked it I would still use it. My cousin and I are 3 weeks apart and are both Jennifer's. We LOVED sharing our name when growing up (different last names). Both our moms loved the name so they agreed they would both use it. You - and your child has to live with the name you pick so don't settle for something else if you really LOVE that particular name.

By the way - I also have 2 cousins named Matthew, yet my husband and I still LOVE then name and will use it if the time comes!

Also, for the person naming your 4th child, what about Kieran for a boy or Kiera for a girl?

Christiana,
I feel for you! I think you're handling the situation well. In fact, it does get a bit crazy when people talk about 'stealing' names. It just goes to show how important they are to us!
One of my best friends called her little girl Josephine Alice recently, and I was a bit disappointed for us, as I like Josephine a lot. However, just last week I found out that my DH doesn't like either name, so I guess it wouldn't have been a contender.
My favorite name for a girl has been Francesca for about twenty years, and he doesn't like that either. He says it's a name for a dark-haired girl and as we're both fair, it's unlikely we'll have one of those! I don't know what we're going to end up with(we're trying right now).

I found out today that Ewan Mc Gregor and his wife have two daughters, Clara Mathilde and Esther Rose,and have recently adopted a four year old girl from Mongolia (which interested me, as we've been considering doing that). Does anyone know what her name is? BTW, Clara's one of my favorites too

I've been looking for a good combo to go with Aidan and Kaleigh. I've gotten a lot of great suggestions! Thanks! I really love Keiran and Brennan. I couldn't do Keira for a girl because I have an acquaintase who just had a baby named Keira and frankly I don't really care for their family. So the name has been kind of ruined for me! But I do like Keiran for a boy. I think Brennan could go for either a boy or a girl.
Christiana- I love Cameron for a girl. we were considering that as well, and calling her Cami for short. But I'm trying to stick to Irish/Celtic names. I can't wait to find out the sex of the baby, so that way I can narrow my search a little better. Only 6 more weeks to go until we know boy or girl!!

Terri - Cameron is a Celtic name - it's a clan name in Scotland. While I'm sharing my list, I'll add Kirsten and Sabryn (which is Celtic for Princess) to the Celtic suggestions. Brennan is probably still my favorite for matching your children's names and at one point I had it on the long list for both boy and girl. I love the nn Cami and also Cam. Keiran also has a great sound, but I always think of Kieran Culkin (Macauly's brother who layed on the father of the bride movies amongst others) when i hear it.

Christiana, Something similar to Kieran(if it's not quite what you wanted),is Tiernan. I also just met a baby named Kiernan. I like it, kind of a combo.

I feel for you about Camryn. I also LOVE this name. Perhaps we have a similar style so I will give you a few of my other favs and won't be cross if you use them!(all are on my list for girls only)
Teagan, Rhys, Kinlee, Bryony, Aubrey, Bronwyn.

Back to Lauras'post for a bit, I think one of the popular name endings for girls in the past, maybe, 5 years has been LYN. (Kaitlyn,Jocelyn, Kaylyn, Madelyn, Jaylyn)

also I seem to hear a lot of ELLE/ELLA and ANN/ANNA endings.

Christiana, of those girl names you list, I like Lorelei, but spelled the German way with two 'e's, since it comes from a German legend. Here's an entry from an encyclopedia of myth about the origin of the name -- it's a sad but very pretty story: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/l/lorelei.html

The name sounds classic, with echoes of Laura and Laurel, but it's also fresh and unusual. To my ear, it's nicer than any of the girl names you list, with Caroline a close second. Alison, Meaghan and Kirsten all sound a little date-stamped in the 70s or 80s to me. But if this site teaches us anything it's that names sound wildly different to different people.

Lizpenn - I think Alison & Meagan are a bit outdated, too, but that's why I feel it's safe to like them - there's minimal chance that they will find 12 others with their names. Kirsten seems more old-fashioned/modern (I know, weird combo) - the trend of using Celtic names, etc. I got the spelling of Lorelai from my favorite TV show - Gilmore Girls. But that seems to be the only place I find it spelled that way. I've read the german myth before in researching the name. We like Alison/Allison (still debating on 1 or 2 Ls) since his favorite teacher is named Alison, my favorite character on his favorite Tv show is Allison Cameron and the heroine of my favorite book is Allison, nn Allie.

Val - i was just thinking the same thing about the -lyn ending. Katelyn, Madalyn, Shaylyn, etc. In Laura's book it's one of the syllables for the "make your own name" trend. Teagan & Kinley are both on my longer list and I love the sound of Bronwyn. I also love Aubrey, but there is a cousin named Audrey & that is too close, IMO.

Does anyone have any opinions on the names Cara (Friend), Kara (Sweet Melody) and Kera (Pure)? (all pronounced similarly, but they mean different things)

I think I like Kara the best--based on the look of the name. I think it looks more down-to-earth than Cara and less hippie than Kera. Plus Kera might get pronounced Kira, if that bothers you.

My feminist side turns me against girls' names that mean pure (=virginity=desire to control women's sexualiity).

I think I like (or have liked) all the names on your list. Allison and Megan have sort of fallen out of favor for me cuz I'm a trendwhore, but I also agree with your reasoning for using these outdated names.

Christiana, personally I like Cara. It sounds modern but has a warm old-fashioned look.

A note on one of the posts above: not all Scottish names are Celtic. Wilson, for example, is the name of a Scottish clan, but its etymology is about as English as you can get.

(Of course, what really matters is if the name sounds right to you.)

Hi there! Hope you are all well today. Christiana, I like the name Cara, and Kara. I like the nn "Kay". Sorry your Cameron name got taken. I'll keep trying to think of an alternative, does Laura's book have any sib suggestions?Lizpenn, I like Allison and Meagan too-- I do know a four year old with each name, but the names seem classic to me and grow up well.
Do you guys have any suggestions for me? I'm looking for girl and boy names to go with my son Joshua. I like names that grow up well. I've always hated the feathery softness of my name "Heather" yet I like the sweetness of the current girl name trend. Names I like for a girl are Elise and Lily and for a boy are Griffin and Henry but my hubby dislikes all but Henry. I came across the name Clara the other day... anyhoo, I'm open to suggestions! This site helps me pass the time waiting for invitro and I hope to not make another comprimise like we did with Joshua's name (though it suits him very well it was never one of my favorites). Thank's

HN: How about Zoe, Alexander, or Ezra? (These are names considered or used by some folks I know who have a Henry.)

HN - To go with Joshua how about Emily for a girl and Andrew for a boy? Joshua seems so classic to me. Or you could go with the biblical route - David, Gabriel, Jonah, Samuel, Noah, Joel, Isaac, Joseph, Caleb, Judah, Jeremiah for a boy and Elizabeth, Esther, Lydia, Ruth, Naomi, Miriam, Chloe, Anna, Julia, Rachel, Rebecca, Abigail... etc. I like Caleb and Judah best for boys and Abigail, Julia and Miriam best for girls. I also love Naomi and Lydia, but they don't flow as well with joshua. You do run into the "pairing" of Joshua and Caleb, so consider that if you like it well enough to use it. I like your choices of Elise and Henry. I used to love Lily but it has just gotten SOOOO popular that it has lost some of it's sparkle for me. Of course, i still love Lillian, so it hasn't comletely disappeared from my long list. You seem to like names that are deffinately feminine or masculine. Boy names on my list include Ryan, Garrett and Landon. Girly names include Cecelia, Sabrina, Felicity and Analiese. Hope it helps

My nephew Joshua has a sister called Eliana, which might be an alternative to Elise. And his middle name is Marcus, which I think goes well with Joshua as a potential brother. But Henry and Elise are both really nice names.

Christiana, I can't wait for you to have a baby! The lists will just get longer and longer...

HELP! i'm due in three weeks, already having contractions, and i have no idea what to name our little boy! well, i do have some ideas, but you know how sometimes you look at a name for so long you start to get sick of it? that's kind of happening to all the names we already have picked. so if you guys could help me, i'd really appreciate it. here are the possibilities as of right now:
charles finn (to be called charlie or finn)
henry
asher
if we don't go with charles finn we'll probably use my husband's name as the middle name. (nathan)

feel free to make any other random suggestions as well. help! i don't want to go to the hospital without a clue about naming our child!

Jo - i really like Charles Finn. Henry is also very classic. Sounds like you really like English names. Edward, maybe? How about Harrison? If I have 2 sons, they will be Charles Allen and Theodore Robert. How about Connor, Landon or Lucas?

Keren - My husband refuses to look at my "really long list" (it was 3 pages, typed, small font), so I've had to make a shorter "long list" which is down to one page. We'll choose from there. :-) I can't wait to have a baby, either. Ha ha.

jo: it might help if you tell us what you like about each name and what your misgivings are. like i think asher sounds really trendy but if trendy doesn't bother you, then that's no big deal.

i like henry, but it does seem to be going up in popularity. charles finn is also great.

you could also do what some have mentioned--you've got a few in mind, so just see what seems right after baby's born.

THank's Christiana, RobinT,and Keren! That was helpful :) Keren my cousin just named her baby Eliana! I love it, but can't use it now :( Robin T I love Alexander, that's now going on the list :)
Christiana you are such a sweetie thank you. YOu are right about Lily, it is getting overused. I do like Andrew, and Elizabeth, I love Jonah and Julia too but worry it would get to be "JjJJJ hey you get over here" in this house with two J names already. I love Annelise too. but my hubby doesn't. He likes Sarah, which feels so overused (I already have a Joshua which makes me feel like I didn't try hard enough) what do you think of Sarah?
Jo: how about Griffin? You could call him Fin. BTW, I have a brother who went by his middle name and it was VERY hard on him. But I love the name Charlie, Asher doesn't seem to be a name I would want as an adult, though I love it for a litte boy. Of course, I'm partial to Henry right now, that would be my first pick

HN-
My daughter's middle name is Lucille- named after my husband's grandma. It seems to go along with names like Lillian. I love it and would have liked it as a first name, except I'm from Germany (American husband, and we're living in US), so none of my family would have been able to pronounce it.

Jo-
We did not find out the sex of our baby before she was born, and she would have been Andreas Karl if she had been a boy. Maybe too German for you! :-) I also liked Benjamin, Markus, and Nikolas (nn Niko, pronounced NEE-ko-- again, a German thing!) Good luck.

I think Sarah might be quite unusual for babies right now - more of a 1960s name in the UK anyway. I like Sara better than Sarah - or how about Zara?

Yay, HN! Glad to help!

I also like Sara better than Sarah. I think efficiency is important to me.

About going by middle names, is the problem always having to correct people? A friend of mine goes by his middle name (and hates his first name) but still wanted to give his son the same first name and call him by his middle name cuz it's tradition.

My cousin went by his middle name among family but at school some called him by his first name. (I also went to school with him so that was interesting.)

Actually I know a lot of people who go by their middle names. I think it's a Hawai'i thing for the somewhat common occurence of people's first names being "American" and their middle names being Hawaiian. I think you do have to be mellow about people using the first name though. Cuz it's gonna happen.

NB: Love Niko.

Christiana -- if you decide to use it, go with Alison. ;) While I have spent the last 19 years of my life correcting people's spelling, I have always enjoyed having my name be a little bit different. There are three "Allison's" on my floor in my dorm, but I'm the only "Alison!" I'm not so ubiquitous as the 'two L-ers.' Anyway, just a thought -- glad you like the name!

...Back to lurking!

Jo, I like the names you've picked(especially Asher) .It seems anyone who asks me, lately, for a boy name gets the following answer,
Spencer, Jonah(nice for Jo), Tristan, Tait or Gavin.
How about Kendrick or Davis.
But Fox, and Mica and are my "wild and wonderful" favs.
Hope this helps.

About a brother for Joshua, I have taught 2 boys with the name Josh and their brothers were Ted(sometimes called T'Jay) and Zachary.

About Sarah, I like this name and the alternative someone suggested, Zara. You might also like Amara(can be pron. as a rhyme to Sara).

Christiana,
I am smiling thinking about you hunched over a three-page list in 8 point font! Good for you! I hope your first child is a girl so you get to use a name off your list. Do keep us posted (I realize this could happen three years from now, but I'm patient).

Jonas is also an alternative to Jonah. I like both.

I would beware of "Tait" as it is REALLY close to "taint"--which has two negative meanings! Tate is better but I would still be wary since my husband and his friends are very fond of the word taint.

Sarah is clearly not more of a 1960s name in the UK. In my sixth form it sometimes seemed like every girl was either Sarah, Hannah or Rachel. The boys' names were a lot more varied, oddly enough.

Yes, you're probably right Abi, I meant 60s/70s/80s...but not now.

I have a Henry myself so I'm partial to that name. Although lots of little Henries seem to be springing up around me lately. Full name is Henry Thomas, and we're expecting #2 in the spring and our short list for names includes George, Leo, Theodore (nn Ted), and Hugh. George will probably win. Girl names are Margaret (nn Maisie), Alice, and Gwendolyn. Incidentally, I know another family with a Josh and a Henry! There are four kids and their names are Jacob, Joshua, Abigail, and Henry. Hope that helps!
Hearing lots of little Ashers around as well. Don't know if it is just a cluster in my community or if it is getting popular everywhere.

You are all so great thank you! NB I love Lucille, and Lucia, thank's. Val and Angela thank's for the sibling pairings, I love the family names and it makes me feel better about my Joshua choice too. I do like the spelling Sara, though Zara is cute, I think I'm realizing that while I'm drawn to the trendier names I shy away from using them. RobinT my brother always had to correct his teachers to use his middle name, and gave up in college-- for him it was a nusaince. While I Like the name Henry and the flow of Jack Henry but still calling him Henry I would probably legally name my son Henry Jack and just call him Henry or Jack Henry if he got in trouble. Confusing enough hee hee :) But it's good to know that my brother's issues may be just his own, and others may not find it annoying to correct teachers/substitute teachers, etc.
Okay, so I re-bought Laura's book last night (gave the other away) and am thinking I like the name Lea (LEEAH). What do you think?
Heather

Anyone have any other ideas of a good sibling name to go with Aidan and Kaleigh?? We are thinking about Quinn, Quinlan, Finlay (boy) and Delaney or Brynn for a girl...I used to really like Teagan, for a girl, but now I'm not sure how I feel anymore. I kinda of want to pick a name that does not start with A or K, its a wierd balance thing.

Anyone have any other ideas of a good sibling name to go with Aidan and Kaleigh?? We are thinking about Quinn, Quinlan, Finlay (boy) and Delaney or Brynn for a girl...I used to really like Teagan, for a girl, but now I'm not sure how I feel anymore. I kinda of want to pick a name that does not start with A or K, its a wierd balance thing.

I LOVE the name Sarah or Sara - everyone I've ever known with that name has been very sweet. My college roommate was Sara. She had minor difficulties getting people to spell it without the H, but no major problems. It seems alittle less common without the H.
I like Lea, but prefer the spelling Leah. I've known both. As a kid, Lea had no problems, but as she got older more and more people tried to pronounce it "LEE". My DH's cousin just had a daughter and nameed her Leah Kathryn. Good luck!

Keren - now you know what I do at work during my down time! I seriously hope it doesn't take 3 years... :-) I might go stir crazy. I want my first one to be a girl, too - I can't wait to use one of these names!

I like Lea, but I think I like the Princess Leia pronuncation. Just something a little different. It seems less biblical and more... "ethnic," which is an awful way to put it.

My middle name is Leea, which is some kind of plant.

Jo - You could do a twist on your husband's name and use Nathaniel. I think Charles Nathaniel has a lovely flow.

Does anyone else feel like this is something of an exercise in futility...? It seems to me that each of us is looking for the perfect classic-but-still-modern-sounding, unusual name, and feeling upset (whether we express it or not) when someone else (especially someone within our own family or social circle) "steals" it. It occurs to me that, even if you do find this perfect name, and it's not currently part of a giant trend, that other people will hear your child's name and decide to use it. Which makes your child the equivalent of a Jennifer born in 1965... a little ahead of the trend, but still, in people's minds, just another Jennifer. No one will care that you were the first mom in your town to choose "Emily"! If we want our kids to have unique names, what we should try to do is find names that everyone besides ourselves will find objectionable, I guess, and that way no one will "steal" them. Or else, stop worrying about uniqueness, and just use the names we like, even if they're super-popular.

Terri I love the name Finlay for a boy! How about Payton or Quin for a girl?

Jen,
That is a great analysis of the zeitgeist! When I was pregnant with my daughter, I wanted to choose a common name because I didn't want her to be teased. By the time I had my son, however, I had succombed to the notion that trendy was somehow bad and wanted to choose a less common name. If I have a third, maybe I'll search for an "objectional" name! :),

Jen B: very funny! it does kind of remind me of being in high school and claiming that "I liked Blink 182 before they were cool." but you know we can't choose names everyone else hates--cuz that would include the kid, our parents, etc... oh, what a nightmare. i realize you were not seriously recommending this, but... i guess it just shows all the different concerns people face.

i think that it's just fun to talk about and i do feel good when someone appreciates my recommendation.

i have a friend though who has chosen a name and does not want to read this board. i totally understand why. i'm sure she would start to notice the negative aspects of the name and realize the millions of other options...

I like Payton and Quinn, thanks for the suggestions! For some reason my husband thinks that Payton sounds "country" I don't really know why???? I love Finlay, but I'm not sure about the nickname Finn, if it'll just be too odd.

Blink 182 were cool? Seriously?

On Finlay - fantastic name, I was in love with this name when I was about 11 - convinced that if I had children when I grew up they'd be Finlay and Megan. Finn is a fine nickname, reminds me of Finn the Irish Wolfhound. My parents plan to get two deerhounds in their retirement and call them Finn and Gelert.

I know two boys called Finn, One short for Fintan, brother is Milo, the other just Finn, brother is Lachlan.

Jen B. - Interesting take on our obsession with finding the perfect name - I think that's why some people want names that were once popular, but now have fallen - they're common enough, but not likely to rebound as quickly. I think back to childhood though and realize that people were drawn to friends with similar names. I knew 2 Jessica Lynn's in school and they were best friends. My best friends were always Katies and Kellys as a child. It was always exciting to find someone with your name. Will our kids feel the same - especially if it's harder to find someone with that name?

Terri - I always though Payton/Peyton was kind of a high-society name. I first heard it on the night time drama Savannah in the 90's and now it's on One Tree Hill. I think it sounds "cool and trendy" these days. It has possitive connotations to me. I love FInlay. The nn Finn could go either upscale or rugged, depending on the connotation (think polo club or Huckleberry Finn).

I agree with Payton sounding country. I also think Clayton, and Hayden sound very country, but I know these names are pretty big right now b/c of the whole rhymes with Aiden thing.

I really hate this trend, b/c I love the name Caden, but don't want my son to end up in a class where most of the boys names rhyme with his. I know that may seem exaggerated, but where I live right now, the Aiden craze is really bad, all the boys, and a few of the girls are named Aiden/Braydon.... Funny how name trends are so localized.

I read on here all the time about Finn, or short girls names lime Eva, Ava, but have never one in my area.

RobynT - I could see why someone would stop looking at the boards after deciding with certainty on a name. No more ideas jumping out, no negative comments, etc. Especially if you hemmed and hawed and aren't totally hung up on one name. It would be hard to hear people knock it or whatever.

A propos the name Lachlan which Keren mentioned- I just got back from a trip to Oz and Lachlan (pronounced Lochlan) is huge over there. I think it's part of a big Celtic trend over there, partly because there actually *are* a lot of people with Scottish/Irish ancestry! I think the Celtic trend is even bigger than elsewhere, from what I can gather.

I love the name Lachlan. DH thinks it's a little too Celtic, but I just love it. I read a book once about a man named Lachlan MacLachlan. It reminds me of this romantic, rugged Scotsman.

What are your takes on the name Rowan...is it more of a boys name or girls name. If we were to use it, we'd use it as a boys name. I think the pronunciation is ROW-IN. Is that correct?
Aidan, Kaleigh, and Rowan

Terri - i think it's pretty neutral, gender-wise. My first reaction was "girl" but then I though of Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) and how it sort of reminds me of Roman, which I feel is extremely masculine, so it could easily go for a boy. Maybe even better. I've been giving it more of an AN sound at the end ROW-an. But I could be wrong.

Name Suggestions for Sarah... did you want a T boy name? I think it would be nice.. since the girls both have A's.

Some boy suggestions are Trenton, Trevor, Taylor, Tayte, or Tyson.

Terri:
The only person I have met named Rowan .. and it was pronounced row-in.. was a girl.

Melissa - Tyson? Ugh - all I can think of it Mike Tyson - you seriously don't want THAT association. Tayte seems one of those names he would spend his life telling people how to spell and Trevor is very 60's too. What about Tobias or Thomas? Or my favorite - Theo. Interesting how few good T names there are when you start to look.
Terri - Rowan seems very English - can imagine a little English boy in duffel coat and wellies being a Rowan. Finn is becoming very popular down under - Finlay, Finnbar or Finnigan are long versions - or of course Phinneas.

CK - I know 2 Caden/Kadens! One was just born this week to my DH's cousin. I had never heard it before another friend used it almost 2 years ago. It's a nice name, but I think I'm over the Aidan/Braydan thing. Which is really sad because I like Aidan. I think Jaydan annoys me the most even though according to the baby sites, it has some cool meanings.

Am I the only one who won't actually post my favorite names on here? I haven't seen my favorite name come up much (I'm pregnant at the moment) and just don't want it to become too
popular!

Laney - I'd rather tell some strangers on the internet than a firend who has opportunity to use it locally. But I could see your point, I suppose. I doubt that merely posting a not-so-popular yet name on here is going to give it that immediate jump, but to each his/her own! Good luck with your pregnancy!

Funny Telegraph names in the last ten days:

Anderson, Ossian Dougray, brother for Ethan
Ball, Ilaria Elsa
Kiggell, Balian Augustus, brother for Alexander and Kieran
Redhouse, Laragh Grace, sister for Honor (incidentally, since this is a British child, why does she have the name Honor spelt this way?)

Most popular girls' first name: Beatrice
Most popular girls' middle name: Catherine
Awful middle names:
Turner, Tabitha Amphlis Elizabeth, sister for Eloise
Shepherd, Matilda Finuala Wendy, sister for Thomas
Henderson, Zoe Vanja

Most popular boys' first name: George
Most popular boys' middle name: James
Awful middle names:
Rees, Archie Donald Monach (they even spelt it wrong)

Also there was a girl called Oska and a boy called Rex.

The winner is Balian Augustus Kiggell. He sounds like a fictional character! Closely followed by Ossian Dougray Anderson.

Honor is the usual way the name is spelled in England I think. As in Honoria.

And just because they might live in England and put their children in an English newspaper, they might not neccessarily be English - my very English son was born in Amsterdam and is no doubt included in some statistics somewhere about what Dutch parents are naming Dutch children. Rex, by the way, is quite popular in Holland. Also Dax.

Monach sounds like a family surname to me, rather than a mis-spelled Monarch.

I like the name Ossian - I know one, with brothers Cailean and Max.

Or it could be Monach for the Monach Islands, off the Scottish coast.

Two examples of famous British Honors - the actress Honor Blackman and the model Honor Fraser.

Thanks for the names once again, Abi. I always enjoy them.
I notice you objected to Finuala. I actually like the way it sounds (Fin-U-la), but think the spelling puts me off. It can also be spelled Fionnuala. I love Irish names, but the original spellings are difficult for English speakers.

About Rowan, I like it but my top pick, if I had a boy, is Ronan.
There, someone did tell their name secret.(But I'm not ready to share my girl name yet, heehee).

Although, I found myself agreeing with what Jen said, I still find myself searching for a somehow perfect name. Being a teacher, I quickly rule most names out, but I've seen a lot of you give unique and good suggestions. If anyone can help, I'm all for it...we already know we need a boy name. We'd really like a name that starts with an A or J and sounds good with Adrian (our son's name). We sort of like Aleksy (Alek) but aren't really sure?!

People, you're not supposed to jump in and defend the funny names. Ossian is ridiculous, it doesn't matter if you know one. Monach looks like a spelling mistake to me, as does Honor. I'm sure for every laughable name there is an explanation/justification. Can't we just laugh?

I'm laughing! I love those Telegraph names. We have the "Bundles of Joy" published in our newspaper once a month and the names are never that interesting.

I think Tyson's okay. There's Tyson Beckford. And Tyson chicken but maybe that's only a regional brand...

Vanja sounds like it might be paying tribute to heritage too. I suppose if that were my goal (which it is) I would still aim for something that sounded good in the culture I was living in though.

Is there a more traditional spelling of Aleksy? Aleksei? Alexei? Although I guess if it's a translation from Russian (right?) maybe a traditional English spelling doesn't make any sense. I suppose I'm just curious about the spelling. (Will be back with suggestions later. Finals week is nearing.)

Hey, I value you guys's opinions by now, so I had a question.

Do you look down on a trendy name? I happen to love a girls name right now, its the main character in a series of books that I read, and its perfect. however, at the moment, its terribly popular. I dont like popular names normaly, but this is my perfect name, I love it. Would it be so terrible for me to use it? Even if there are probably a few to many girls with that name out there?

Cn - i can only speak for myself, but I don't look down on trendy names if someone else chooses them. They got to be trendy for a reason, right? There are a handful that I think are ridiculous on the top 1000 (Unique, anyone?), but I happen to like more than half of the top 10. I just don't choose to use them (or I don't at this time - not actually there yet). If you're looking at a name like Emily or Alyssa or Isabelle which is in the top 10, I don't think I'd try and talk you out of it or anything like that beyond the warning (and if you frequent this site, you probably already know) that there are a lot of other people out there using that name.

Cn, I had a friend who felt the same anxiety when she was pregnant with her second child. The name she and her husband had chosen, Emily, seemed perfect to them but they knew it was the most popular name in the nation. They decided to name her Emily despite its popularity, and seem very happy with it (and of course, with her!). I wouldn't let a name's popularity dissuade you. After all, as Christiana said, the name is a hit because it's a likeable name. At least your child won't be teased for having an unusual first name!

My daughter's name was in the top 10 the year she was born and so far (she's four), she has never met anyone her age with the name. So don't sweat it.

Cn

You can't get too worried about it. My parents named me Megan in 1970, b/c it was not popular and I have a common last name.

Imagine their surprise when it became a top 10 name for a decade!

To this day, I have only met one Megan older than me, and she was only a couple of years older.

What do you think about naming a girl Finlay? I'm not sure what the nickname would be because Finn sounds so masculine. I think a celebrity recently had a baby girl named Finlay, but I'm
not sure who. I kind of like it...

Val, I'm dying to know what your top girl name is!

When I look at the top names for my birth year, the only ones that strike me as "too" common are the top ten. These are the ones I remember there being like... 2-3 Jennifers in a class and things like that.

Dammit, i wasn't done yet.

I would probably give a more unique middle name though, just for options. And I think it definitely depends on your last name too. If my last name was Smith or Jones or something I think it would be more important to give my hypothetical kid an unusual name.

Terri: I don't think Finlay is too masculine for a girl but I'm into androgynous names.

Jill: How about Jackson, Andrei... okay this is hard...

Laney: after he or she is born will you tell us what your not-to-be-revealed name was? Or are you still afraid of getting it stolen then?

Just curious. I'm becoming a full-time name nerd on this site, and I want to know what all the regulars name their kids!

Abi - love the Telegraph names! Of course we're going to defend some - but we still laugh :-)
Cn - if you love it to death, use it. Your child might be one of several at school - but then again he/she might not. Like most things its in the lap of the gods. At least he/she will be unlikely to have to spell it for everyone forever.
Jill - love Aleksy/Alexei/Aleksei and have no idea which is best. My spell preference is Alexei but, whatever floats your boat :-) Have you thought of just using Alek?
Laney and Val - since there are only a few of us and we're scattered all over the world - chances are your lovely children's names won't be snapped up in your neighbourhood by someone here. Besides, when it comes to names - we're all living vicariously. Its either that or have a dozen kids to use up some of our many favorites!
Lizpenn - are you interested in older kids or just the new babies named here?

Jill, For "A" names, I like Alec, as well as Archer, Asher and Axel. "J" I love Jonah and Jack. I also teach a boy named Jansen.
Some other fav. boy names of mine you may like...
Gavin, Noah, Dominic and Micah.

Terri, I actually did post 7 of my top 10 girl names earlier in this entry. To be honest, my number 1 changes from day to day. My husband loves Lexi, so right now my fav. is Lexa. (Ronan for a boy)
Anyone else feeling brave?

As for Finlay, I like it for a girl too, but I have a feeling about it becomming popular for boys. I like Aubrey instead, or maybe Sophie.

Right now, the name my husband and I have agreed on (for our baby that will come into being perhaps three years from now at the earliest) is Taren. As a girls name.

I think people may object to the unique spelling but neither of us likes the Y. I like the similarity to Karen.

And people may also say it is more '70s, '80s, or even '90s, but... oh well.

And I am just convinced that we must have a girl or two b/c we've got seven nephews and only one niece. Plus we have the middle name we want to use for a girl (Hanalei--from his family). So no boys names yet.

As the daughter of a Herbert and the granddaughter of an Albert, I can't believe I didn't think of the "-bert" ending for boys' names before now! Shame on me! A quick search on Voyager revealed the following:

Albert 1880s
Bert 1890s
Egbert 1890s (my personal favorite!)
Gilbert 1930s
Dilbert--only one of these, but I'd say he peaked in the 1990s
Herbert 1920s
Hubert 1920s
Humbert--must have been a Nabokov original!
Robert 1930s
Wilbert 1910s

and Rupert 1900s

Interestingly, the "-berto" names peaked in the 1990s with Alberto, Humberto, and Roberto (an exception is Gilberto, which peaked in 2003). Since the Latino population is rising rapidly, I find this a particularly fascinating trend. That drop to me is more significant than it would seem since the number of Hispanic babies born in the US is increasing so rapidly, I would think that the frequency of all Latino names would be as well.

Robyn, I LOVE Taren. I think it would still fit in nicely with popular names and wouldn't sound dated at all. I also know a little Tatum, love that too.

Jill, thought of two more for Adrian's brother, how about Andrew or Isaac.

What's the most unusual name you've ever come across in person? There was a boy in my tutor group at school called Lewin Beowulf Hayes and I think he'd win for me...

Abi, my friend has two little nephews named Parks and Crew. They are unusual names but I love them both.

In my area parents are naming babies more and more unique sounding things, for example, "Brazen".(yikes)

Our toddlers name is Roland. I love that Roland is traditional and unpopular. People find his name refreshing. To heck with Connor, Jack, Tyler, Aidan, etc. People ought to break out more.

Alison G -- Roland is great! Most toddlers I know (in my West Coast city) have names that would also be classified as "traditional and unpopular." Boys named things like Emmett, Ezra, Gilbert, Sterling, Leo, Byron, Lincoln, Julius, Everett ... girls like Matilda, Vivienne, Georgia, Beatrix, Genevieve. Nothing too weird or made-up, just real names that are neither trendy nor obsolete. I actually don't know a single baby named Emma or Jacob (or Jayden or Madison for that matter).

Jill: I thought of more "A" names: Ansel and Anson

Sylvie: According to the Wizard, Emma, Jacob, and Madison are all on their way down. Not Jayden though, which is weird to me cuz the only Jayden I knew was born in '78.

I love Emmett, Ezra, Everett, and Julius. But Gilbert is my dad's name and Leo, Lincoln and Sterling have odd connotations for me (DiCaprio, President, and precious metal). Also, not really feeling any of those girls' names.

I did find a name on the Wizard that seems current although it peaked in the '30s: Nila. I like it, but it doesn't match with my last name.

I think we've (tenatively) decided on Quinn Oliver for a boy and Delaney Brynn for girl (as a sibling for Aidan and Kaleigh). We still love Finn for a boy, but we haven't been able to agree on a longer name. He likes Griffin (i hate it). I like Finlay (he hates it). So we'll probably go with Quinn for a boy.

Terri, just want to say I think you've made great choices. Both names are fresh sounding without being too "out there".

On that note, I love the sound of "Fox". My husband does not, however. I guess I like the soft F mixed with the X sound. The animal association is not so much the problem as is nn Foxy. Does anyone have any alternate ideas?

I always think the name Fox sounds like a cartoon character's name, or a character in a video game. It's quite edgy, I suppose, if you like that sort of thing.

I have recently met two little boys named "Crew" - one was about 5 and the other about 2. I had never heard the name before. Is this a new trend?
I'm not sure about Fox, but then again I'm into pretty traditional names so I'm probably not the best judge.

I don't see Ossian as ridiculous. It's a variant on the Celtic 'Oisin', and it makes me think that the parents are sufficiently educated to be familiar with MacPherson's Ossian Cycle.

But 18th-cent. lit. was my field, so I'm biased. I had to take deep breaths not to make 'Clarissa' and 'Pamela' be my top girls' name choices.

Alison,

'Roland' is a great choice! A name with connotations of chivalry, heroism, brotherhood and self-sacrifice.

Sharon,
Why not go all out and use 'Shamela'?! I am so impressed whenever I hear of anyone who actually liked Clarissa (the book, not the name). It killed me. I found other books of that period delightful (Tristram Shandy, Tom Jones, and Moll Flanders), but Clarissa was just too much.

Val W: For names similar to Fox, what about names that have "ach," like Lachlan someone mentioned. Or other "x" names like Dax, Jaxon (or Jackson for that matter, or Jax), Rex, Dexter, Max. Or for a girl, Roxy/ie/ey/anne... Nix? Lex/ie/a, Alexa, Alex. Hrm... what about Pax (as in peace)? Hrm... well some of these are probably a stretch.

On unusual names: I went to school with a Karamin (not Carmen) a Brindley, and I work with a Soraya. They don't really sound odd, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many others. My fave first and middle combos are my best friends son Dylan Thomas (she picked Thomas, I thought of Dylan - she still has no idea who Dylan Thomas is) and of Mr. Holland's Opus - Coltrain Gershwin. Oh, there was a kid in my journalism class named Punzak, that's a pretty odd one.

I work in Payroll, and I see all the new hires, and enter them into the system to be paid, and the WORST name I have ever seen is "CONTRAVERSY" I swear, that name was on his SS Card, not a nn, his honest name. I think it bothers me the most b/c it is misspelled. (controversy) If your going to give your a kid THAT kind of a name, why misspell it on top of it all?

And thank you all so much for input on the trendy names.

Also, I must say, I love Roland, its been on my short list with Ronin, or Ronan for a while.

On the subject of what names eveyone is considering, or has named their kids. For a while I was going back and forth on Finn. I really like it. But I couldn't find a long version of it I liked. And now I realize that it is one of those names that I'll always like, but not one that I'll use. Right now, names that I like are Owen, Lincoln. So far I'm thinking Owen Henry, and Lincoln David. For girls I have Clara, Afton, and Elsie. And none of them seem to go together! Good thing I have a few years!

Sam - it means Finn will be a great name for a future pet of yours - I see a lurcher(shaggy greyhound).
I like Roland too and Roly as a nickname.
Cn - I'm with you on that one - a misspelled name says so much about a person, especially if they are somewhat educated. It would certainly make me pause if I was hiring someone.
Val W - is it the sound or the meaning of the name Fox that attracts you? Tod is the old English term for 'fox'.

Tod means death in German though (I think..might be wrong)

On the subject of laughing at strange-sounding names announced in the Telegraph - spare a thought for the parents who have chosen these names and may one day soon type their child's name into the internet to find them pilloried on this blog! And - in the case of Honor and probably Monach - not always fairly. Yes, I too laugh at some of these names (hello Celery's parents) but I also try and bend over backwards to be as positive as possible, especailly when a name may seem strange at first but not once you get used to it (like Ossian - I spent a year thinking this baby was called Ocean).

Do you all pronounce Roland with a short O or long O? Just wondering cuz I can see Roly with a short O being a good nickname (similar to Raleigh) but not with a long O (as in poly).

I think Brindley is not bad although I'd probably spell it without the D: Brinley or something.

And I think Soraya is like Arabic or something. Does a name count as "weird" if it's from a different culture? Then again I guess every name is somehow culturally influenced and then we'd have nothing to talk about!

I pronounce Roland with a long o, as in toe, so it would be Roly as in poly, which is one reason I'm not 100% keen on the name, although I love it a lot.

Interesting that it has come up on the site again- I put it in a list a couple of weeks ago for someone here and now someone else has mentioned it- ditto Clara. Both of those are high on my list and I had that funny superstitious feeling that I therefore shouldn't mention them- but all that really means is that someone else was thinking of them too! It's the zeitgeist of naming....

Although as someone sensible pointed out, even if several of us used the name it really would still be very rare...

The other name I like which seems to be ahead of the curve is Flora (as we're confessing here), although even that one appeared here jsut a day or two ago!

Flora may be ahead of the curve in the US, but not in the UK I suspect. And how about Flora margarine?

Elizabeth T.,

'Shamela' might be a bit much. :) Must also avoid 'Fanny,' both for literary and transatlantic reasons. Turning to Miss Burney's novels, we have a font of appealing names: 'Evelina,' 'Camilla,' 'Cecilia,' and (less promisingly) her very minor play 'Edwy and Elgiva.'

I did read through the entirety of the unabridged Clarissa. I think I will have the accomplishment chiseled on my tombstone.

Roland, Clara and Flora all sound very British to me. Sort of that high-class, sophisticated name that not just everyone would choose or be able to pull off. I'm not personally crazy about Flora because it sounds old lady-ish to me, but I love Clara and Roland is growing on me.

FYI, Soraya is Arabic, but at least in the US, I've never heard of another one.

Thanks, Christiana, that's exactly what I'm going for!
And yes, Keren, Flora is a margarine in the UK, but I'm in the US now, so it's safer!

PS Here's my name of the day,seen in the New York Times: Hadewych Minis (he's a musician).

Flora and Florence are appearing more and more in The Telegraph. Beatrice is still well up there.

I just wanted to say that being born a "Sara" in the 70's, I LOVED being able (especially when I was little) to tell people "No 'H'...it's MODERN". LOL!

Sorry, I know I'm a few days behind the "sara" talk, but I JUST read it.

Also, I often think many names are influenced by movies, and there's a new movie coming out about the life of Beatrix Potter! So I wouldn't be shocked if Beatrix makes it's way back to the birth certificates.

I feel that older names are making a comeback as well. I grew up with Jennifers, Heathers, Kellys, Kimberlys, Megans, ... and I am just tired of them. They are beautiful names, but in EVERY school or business I've ever been at, there have always been at least 2 of them.

I'm hoping that if I have a daughter she'll be maybe Lucille or Dorothy or Molly. However, my fiance doesn't necessarily agree with me on the "old school" names!

I had to laugh reading your post, Sara. I have a friend named Megan whose two sisters are named Jennifer and Kelly--all born in the 70s.