Parents Blogs In Name Only A Presidential Grandchild: Behind the New Baby’s Name

Posts Tagged ‘ baby name news ’

A Presidential Grandchild: Behind the New Baby’s Name

Sunday, April 14th, 2013

The former First Family has a new addition! Jenna Bush Hager and husband Henry Hager welcomed George W. Bush’s first granddaughter, who was given the names of her two grandmothers—Margaret Laura. She’ll be called Mila.

Mila is usually shorthand for Milena, and means “love.” Margaret is one of my favorite names (it’s my youngest daughter’s), and it’s a Greek name meaning pearl. There’s a slew of noteworthy Margarets in the past, including queens, England’s former prime minister, and an array of authors and actors.

Laura is the former First Lady’s name, and another classic. It means “laurel,” and it’s still a top 300 name, though it’s on a bit of a decline from its last peak in the 1980s. Laura Ingalls Wilder, the author of the Little House on the Prairie series,  is perhaps the other lady of fame associated with the name.

In all, Jenna and Henry chose a lovely, classic name that’s full of meaning for the family, and a sweet nickname that pays homage to both grandmothers.

What do you think of Mila—or Margaret Laura? Are any of those names on your short list?

If you’re having trouble coming up with a great baby name, feel free to send me an e-mail at lamilbrand@gmail.com. I’d love to help you solve your baby-name dilemmas!

Image: Jenna Bush Hager, a White House photo by Shealah Craighead

Add a Comment
Back To In Name Only

Celebrity Baby Names: Hugh Grant Welcomes Son

Monday, February 18th, 2013

Hugh Grant has welcomed a second child with Chinese model/actress Tinglan Hong—son Felix Chang joined daughter Tabitha Jingxi.

Felix comes from the Latin word for happiness. It’s a name that’s on a bit of an uptick here in the U.S.—currently about to hit the top 300 baby names in our country. Felix is most often associated with the popular cartoon kitty, and of course, neat freak Odd Couple roommate Felix Unger. If you’re someone who loves Alex and Max, but want something a little more off the beaten path, this might be the right choice for you.

As for the middle name, Hugh and Jinglan chose Chang, a Chinese name that means freedom, in homage to his mother’s heritage.

I love Felix as a sibset with big sister, Tabitha. Her name is Aramic, and it means gazelle. It’s slightly less popular than her baby brother’s name (currently in the top 700 here in the U.S.), but still stylish enough to be picked for one of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s daughters. Her middle name, Jingxi, means “happy surprise,” a beautiful choice for their daughter.

What do you think of Hugh and Tinglan’s name choices? Do any of their baby name choices inspire you?

Don’t forget to let me know what baby-naming issues you’re dealing with right now—I’d love to help you come up with the perfect solution to all of your baby-naming dilemmas. Email me at lamilbrand@gmail.com!

Image: Hugh Grant by s_bukley/Shutterstock.com

Add a Comment
Back To In Name Only

Icelandic Girl Gets to Keep Her Name

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Blaer Bjarkardottir fought Iceland’s tough baby naming laws—and this time, she won. Her mother, Bjork Eidsdottir, had named her Blaer, an Icelandic word that means “cool breeze.” But Iceland’s strict baby naming laws and authority rejected the name, claiming that it was “too male” for a little girl. (Iceland’s rules restrict baby names to a few thousand accepted names, and reject any names that they believe will cause embarrassment for the child, or even are unspellable using the Icelandic alphabet, such as names containing a “C.”) For years, mom and daughter fought for the right to use the name Blaer, and finally, the Icelandic Supreme Court ruled that her name was A-OK. (And that means that other parents can use that name for their daughters too.

I think Blaer is a beautiful and unique name for a baby, and I’m glad to see that Iceland’s government finally saw reason and let Blaer have her name. (It’s not like her mom was naming her Hashtag or Moxie Crimefighter, after all!) In some ways, baby-naming laws could be helpful, if only to avoid letting parents give their kids names that border on child abuse (such as the parents who named their kid Adolph Hitler, or the aforementioned Hashtag). But if they’re so restrictive that they limit parents from using perfectly nice names, then they lose me. Of course, deciding what’s acceptable is totally subjective—some parents think giving their kids a name with a weird spelling, such as Maddycyn, is wrong, while others would draw the line at Hitler. (And of course, still others won’t draw the line at all.)

What do you think? Did Iceland make the right call in this case?

Don’t forget to like In Name Only on Facebook, to keep up with the latest in baby naming news.

Photo: Gavel by heromen30 / Shutterstock.com

Add a Comment
Back To In Name Only