Posts Tagged ‘
baby names ’
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
I’ve been thinking about the latest spate of celebrity baby names, and I’ve noticed a trend—the celebs who have more unique names themselves gave their kids very traditional names (i.e. actress Shiri Appleby and her daughter, Natalie), while ones who have more common names themselves went offbeat for their babies (see Holly Madison and her daughter, Rainbow Aurora, and Kristen Bell and her daughter, Lincoln Bell Shepard).
So are we all looking to give our kids the names we wish we had? I know I didn’t like that my name was super popular and had no nickname possibilities, and so I gave my girls names that weren’t super common (Katharine and Margaret), and came with a slew of nickname possibilities. And I’ve seen that with some of my friends—one who loathed the fact that her name, Katherine, was always shortened to a nickname, gave her sons names that can’t really be shortened. Another who disliked the offbeat spelling of her name gave her kids names with classic spellings.
I think it’s only natural that we’d want to give our kids names in the style we wish we’d been named. But does that mean that my daughters are going to pick short and sweet names for their kids? Or that all the Olivias and Jacobs from this generation are going to rebel and give their kids offbeat names like Wheat and Amaryllis?
Let me know if my theory’s totally bunk! In the comments, let me know what you would have changed about your own name—and if you picked names for your kids don’t have that particular issue.
Image: Babies by Nejron Photo/Shutterstock.com
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Monday, April 8th, 2013
I was sad to see that the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, died today. For anyone who grew up in the 1980s, she was the face of England, as the first female prime minister of that country. I think she inspired many girls and women around the world to rise to power. (I’m hoping to see that come to play here in the U.S., too.)
While I’m a big fan of her first name, Margaret—I even gave it to one of my daughters—I also think her last name makes a fabulous first name. A thatcher was a old-time roofer (back when thatched roofs were in), and it’s one of those “job” names that have become red hot—names like Taylor, Mason, Sawyer and Hunter. While it’s considered a boy’s name, I think it would work nicely for a girl as well, especially when placed in the middle slot.
In addition to Margaret Thatcher, there are a few who bear the name—there’s Thatcher Grey, the father of Meredith on Grey’s Anatomy. And of course, classic lit lovers will recognize it as the surname of Tom Sawyer’s sweetheart, Becky. (Perhaps pairing a Sawyer and a Thatcher within a sib group would make a nice homage to Mark Twain’s magnum opus?)
Thatcher needs a distinctive name to go with it. For boys, I’d pair Thatcher with middle names like Jude, Mead or Finn. For girls, I like it with Jane, Jade or Marnie—you pick the order, depending on how daring you are.
What do you think? Would Thatcher make your short list of names? Or does another occupational name work better for you? If you’re having problems coming up with a great name for your baby and want some advice, feel free to share your dilemma with me at lamilbrand@gmail.com.
Photo: Pregnant woman via Ronald Summers/Shutterstock.com
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Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
The former Seventh Heaven actress Beverley Mitchell and husband Michael Cameron have a new bundle of joy—a brand new daughter. The name they gave her? Kenzie Lynne.
Kenzie began as a boy’s name, and it means light-skinned. But these days, it’s more commonly used as a girls’ name, where it’s currently on its way into the top 300 baby names on a huge upswing. (Consider it an alternative to the top 75 baby name Mackenzie.)
Lynne, of course, has been a middle-name staple for decades. Lynne means “lake,” and it’s currently fallen out of favor as a first name (it hasn’t been in the top 1000 baby names for more than 30 years). More people seem to go for the literal “Lake” as a middle name now than the Lynn/Lynne option.
The name is cute, and flows nicely (I like the zingy “z” in the middle of Kenzie).
What do you think of Kenzie Lynne? Are these names that you’d consider for your daughter? Don’t forget to like In Name Only on Facebook to keep up with the latest in baby names.
Image: Beverley Mitchell by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
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Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
If you follow this blog, you know that I’m just a wee bit of a pop culture junkie. And my current addiction is Game of Thrones—my husband I plowed through the first two seasons of the show in a week and a half, and now we’re settling in and psyched for season 3.
If you haven’t watched it, it’s a bit Tolkein-esque, with generous portions of political intrigue and nudity thrown into the mix. Game of Thrones offers some pretty cool name inspiration—author George R.R. Martin chose names that are tweaks on classic names. They’re just right for people who don’t want to stray too far from the classics, but still want something unique for their kiddos. Here are the names I love from the show:
Tyrion Actor Peter Dinklage has won numerous awards for his portrayal of the “imp” brother of the devilish siblings Cersei and Jaime—and even watching a few minutes of him at work as the Machiavellian-level scehemer, it’s clear why he’s won the accolades. His name is a variant of Tyrone, which is a place name from an Irish county, and currently falling out of favor in the U.S. Perhaps this variation can take its place?
Sansa The eldest Stark daughter bears this name, a Sanskrit word which means charm. It’s a perfect choice for a young lady known for her beauty and elegance.
Arya Arya is one of my favorite character on the show, a spritely girl who is determined to grow up to be strong and fight, rather than sit with her embroidery. Her name is Sanskrit like her sister’s and means noble. It’s currently #711 in popularity for girls, with the operatic alternative Aria ranking even higher, at 157.
Theon This Greek name is borne by the Starks’ longtime hostage, who went back to his seafaring clan and took on the Starks in the wars last season. It’s a name that means godly.
Eddard The noble Ned Stark, the late lord of Winterfell, bore this name, an alternate spelling of Edward, a top 200 name that means wealthy guardian.
Joffrey The enfant terrible ruler of the land sports a variant spelling of Geoffrey, which means pledge of peace, hardly an appropriate name for him (but maybe one for your child).
Bran This nickname for Brandon is the name of the Starks’ young son. It means broom-covered hill, and is #47 on the most popular names list.
Stannis This shorthand version of Stanislav is a Slavic name that means glorious government. It’s the name for one of the aspirants to the throne–Stannis Baratheon, older brother of the former king.
Renly The youngest brother of the late King Robert also made a bid for the throne. This utilizes a popular Japanese name, Ren, which means raven.
Shae This unique spelling of the Irish name Shea means gift. On the show, it’s the name of the prostitute who becomes the lover of Tyrion—and is probably one of the kindest characters in the land.
Brienne This bold warrior girl has a name that’s a variant on Brian, an Irish name that means valiant—a perfect choice, don’t you think? Since Brianna is now #45 on the U.S. charts, perhaps this alternative is one to consider.
Myrcella The eldest daughter of the late King Robert was given is unique spelling of Marcella, a Latin word that means warlike.
Ygritte The gorgeous and fierce Wilding who falls in love with Jon Snow sports a Norse-inspired name, a variant spelling of Ingrid that means hero’s daughter.
What do you think of these names? Would you consider any of these, or perhaps one of the more out-there names, like Daenerys, the current leader of the Dothraki tribe?
Image: Game of Thrones Poster by Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
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arya stark, baby names, boy baby names, boy names, game of thrones, girl names, pop culture baby names, sansa stark, tyrion lannister | Categories:
Baby Name Stories, In Name Only, Must Read
Thursday, March 28th, 2013
I’ve been trying to get my daughters interested in some of the books I liked when I was a kid—my favorites were Nancy Drew, Ramona and Beezus, and the Little House on the Prairie series. But so far, they seem to be more interested in reading the newer kids’ lit. Some of the baby names are probably a little too popular for those who are looking for something unique, but there are a few gems out there.
Jack and Annie are the heroes of the Magic Tree House series, traveling through time on adventures. Annie is a classic name (think Raggedy Ann or Little Orphan Annie), and means grace. Jack means “gracious God,” and is currently #45 on the list (though Jackson, #23, is another big name with a Jack nickname).
Ivy and Bean are a pair of unlikely friends, who are a bit sassy and mischievous. My oldest daughter is regularly amazed at what they manage to get away with (she’s a very law-and-order type). Ivy’s the name of the plant, and currently #266 on the list of popular names for girls. And Bean is short for Bernice, a Greek name that means “victorious,” and is far less common these days. (I’m imagining, though, that the return of Beatrice might bring Bernice as well.)
Junie B. Jones is a divisive book series—I’m not fond of the way it’s written in “kidspeak,” with words like runned. But my youngest daughter loves the book, including Juniper, the name of the tree, which is currently #970 on the U.S. popularity list.
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is big for the boys in my daughters’ grade. Greg, the hero of the series, is a Greek name that means vigilant. It’s currently #279, and it’s on the decline.
Consider Percy Jackson and the Olympians a Harry Potter alternative. This guy is the son of a god—and bears a French surname name that’s fallen off the top 1000 baby names in the 1980s. Perhaps it’s ready for a comeback?
A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans. Oldest sister Violet bears a red-hot floral name, about to make its move into the top 100 baby names. Brother Klaus has a German name that’s short for Niklaus.
What names are you picking up from your kids’ reading lists? Any good books you’d recommend for my aspiring bookworms?
Image: Girls reading by sunabesyou/Shutterstock.com
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