Baby Name Dilemma – Solved!

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

A couple of weeks ago, we featured Connie and her search for a short but sweet boys’ name. In addition to my suggestions, you guys came out in full force, with tons of potential baby names. So Connie and her fiancé, Travis, had plenty to work with when choosing the perfect baby name. Here’s what she had to say:

I made a list of 107 names consisting of your suggestions, the reader suggestions, and other names I came across, and Travis crossed off all but 7…it was a start.  Last Wednesday morning I had to have an emergency c-section, and 48 hours later we finally picked a name. Wade Lee!! Short and sweet, not too common and not too weird.

I think Connie and Travis made a fantastic choice! Wade is an English name that means river crossing (it’s also a word that means walking out into water). It reached its peak in popularity in the 1960s, but is still reasonably popular now – it’s currently in the top 500 baby names for boys. It’s a short one-syllable name that has no nickname, which was one of Travis’s deal breakers for baby names. It looks like one of our readers, Suzanne, came closest  to picking the perfect name for Connie and Travis’s son– she suggested the more modern cousin of Wade, Cade.

Lee is also an English name, and it means meadow. It’s less popular than Wade as a first name, but Lee is one of the most popular middle names around.

What do you think of Connie and Travis’s choice? Is it a baby name you would pick for your child? And how concerned are you about nicknames when you’re picking your child’s baby name?

Don’t forget: if you have a baby naming question, send it to me at LAMilbrand@Gmail.com.

Photo: Question mark by PZ Designs / Shutterstock.com

Did Adele Give Us a Clue About Her Baby’s Name?

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

Singing phenom Adele has been famously tight-lipped about the name of her little boy, even telling reporters at the Golden Globes, “I am not sharing his name at the moment,” she said. “It is very personal to me. I am enjoying him on my own.”

But perhaps she gave away a little bit of her secret earlier this week. While on a shopping excursion, she was spotted wearing a name necklace with the name “Angelo” on it (and that’s not the name of her boyfriend, Simon Konecki).

Angelo is the Italian word for Angel. It’s a name that’s been pretty popular here in the U.S.—it’s been hovering around the top 300 boy’s names here for the past 80 years.

It’s a name that would be best with a shorter middle name—I like it with more offbeat names like, Zen, Fox, and King. Or perhaps she should pick something a little more music-oriented, like Jude, Jazz, or Reed, to fit her career.

Do you think Adele signaled her secret with her jewelry? And if so, what do you think of Adele’s baby name choice? What would you pick for a middle name with it?

Photo: Adele by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Celebrity Baby Names: Shakira’s New Son

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

It’s a boy for pop singer Shakira and her boyfriend, Barcelona soccer player Gerard Piqué, and they chose a place name—Milan—for his first name. (His full name is Milan Piqué Mebarak, with his surname and hers filling the middle and surname spots.)

Milan is a city in Italy, famed for its fashion industry. According to a statement on Shakira’s website, “The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification.”

Milan is a slightly offbeat baby name choice. In the U.S., Milan is more commonly used as a girl’s name—it ranks in the top 600 girls’ names, while it hasn’t hit the top 1000 boys’ names since 1955. But given the popularity of city and place names for boys and girls (we’re talking London, Brooklyn, Camden and Roman), perhaps Shakira’s new son can help lift Milan into popularity here. Keep in mind, though, that if you’re a jet setter, you’ll find plenty of Milans in your travels throughout Europe, especially in countries like Hungary and Croatia, and even into the Netherlands. (It’s also pretty popular in India, thanks to its lovely meaning in Hindi.)

It’d be a nice alternative to names like Mason and Miles—as it has a slightly more exotic, cosmoplitan vibe.

What do you think of Shakira’s son’s name? Is it one you’d consider for your son (or even your daughter)?

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

Photo: Shakira by vipflash / Shutterstock.com

Cool Name of the Week: Martin

Monday, January 21st, 2013

What other choice would there be for today? My girls have spent a lot of time over the last few days talking with me about why Martin Luther King is so important—a talk which brought us to all kinds of injustices that people have fought against and won, from the right to vote here to equality for everyone. We’ve even done some research to find out how they would have been treated back then, as people of Chinese descent, if they were in the South—and it turns out, in some places, they would have had to sit in the back of the bus and use “colored” water fountains and schools. I’m feeling very fortunate today for Martin Luther King’s influence.

Martin is a Latin name that means “warlike,” which makes sense considering how fiercely he battled for equal rights (of course, he didn’t actually use violence to make his points, so he was a more peaceful kind of warrior). Paired with his middle name, Luther, MLK’s name is a homage to the creator of Protestantism, one of the other most famous Martins. It’s a name that’s been used for past presidents (Martin Van Buren), actors (Martin Sheen, Martin Lawrence and Martin Short), and of course, a director (that’s Scorsese).

Martin hovered near the top spot for centuries, but recently started a minor decline this century (it’s number 262 in the U.S. right now). But in other countries—particularly in Europe—it’s still in the top slots.

As a shorter name, Martin can pair well with either short or long middle names, depending on the length of the surname. I like it with Theodore and Jackson, or with short names like Charles and Grant.

What do you think of Martin as a boy’s name? Would it be one you’d pick for your son? If you need help picking out a baby name for your son or daughter, don’t forget to e-mail me at lamilbrand@gmail.com.

Photo: Pregnant woman via Ronald Summers/Shutterstock.com

Celebrity Baby Names: Glee Creator Ryan Murphy’s New Son

Thursday, December 27th, 2012

It’s a boy for Glee and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy and husband David Miller—and their new bundle of joy is named Logan Phineas.

Logan has become an incredibly popular name in the U.S., especially in states with more outdoorsy vibes, such as the Pacific Northwest and Mountain regions. It’s a Scottish name that made it into the top 20 on the last Social Security Administration list, and will likely be headed toward the top 10 when the next list comes out this spring. It has a lovely meaning—”small hollow.”

Phineas is an up-and-comer name, which hadn’t been heard from much since the era of P.T. Barnum (AKA Phineas T. Barnum), the legendary circus master. But thanks to Julia Roberts, who gave the name Phinnaeus to her son, and to the Disney hit Phineas and Ferb, it’s come onto the radar of parents looking for an innovative, but still traditional name. (It’s also a nice way to get to Finn…the name of one of the characters from Murphy’s hit, Glee.) It’s a Hebrew name that means “oracle.”

What do you think of Ryan and David’s choice in baby names? Do you think Logan is something you’d consider for your son?

Image: Ryan Murphy, via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com