My husband and I just got back from a weekend at Disneyland. I did quite a bit of namewatching while standing in lines or walking between rides. Those embroidered Mickey hats sure make it easy. 
Here are the names I noticed on kids. The majority of these are from toddlers and preschoolers, but I included a few who appeared to be elementary school aged as well. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Name Lists’ Category
Namewatching in Disneyland
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Cosmin, Lealy, Lois on April 26, 2009 | 20 Comments »
Multicultural Baby Names: The Globe-Trotting Girls
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Tova, Daria, Baby Name, Naomi, Lulu, Alina, Amaya, Asha, Ava, Ayla, Basia, Dalia, Darya, Dara, Dima, Eliana, Elke, Hana, Kala, Kayla, Kaila, Kira, Lara, Lila, Lina, Mai, Maia, Maya, Malia, Melia, Mila, Mina, Mira, Mona, Nadya, Nana, Nessa, Nia, Nina, Nita, Noa, Ora, Orna, Raisa, Reyna, Reina, Rayna, Raina, Rina, Rio, Sarita, Talia, Thalia, Una, Oona, Zahrah, Zara, Zelda, Zola on April 17, 2009 | 20 Comments »
In order to find names for their children, an increasing number of parents are turning away from English names and toward names that honor their family’s cultural background. But in our multicultural society, most children come from more than one ethnic background. What happens when you want to find a name that honors your Greek heritage and your husband’s Persian ancestry? Or a name that is easily pronounced by your Spanish relatives and your husband’s Jewish grandma? Or something that will work for your child whether your family settles in the U.S. or Japan?
Never fear! This is the first of a two-part installment on multicultural names: names with separate origins in at least two languages that will sound perfectly at home in a variety of countries. Today I will cover the girls’ names; look for a post on boys’ names to follow shortly. (more…)
Naming Ahead of the Curve
Posted in Advice, Name Lists, tagged Anita, Arthur, Baby Name, Carol, Clarence, Cynthia, Dennis, Diana, Donald, Doris, Dorothy, Douglas, Edmond, Edward, Ernest, Esther, Franklin, Frederick, Gary, Gerard, Gilbert, Gloria, Joyce, Judith, Laurence, Lawrence, Leonard, Lewis, Lois, Louis, Margery, Marjorie, Martin, Nancy, Philip, Phyllis, Raymond, Ronald, Ruth, Shirley, Susanna, Sylvia, Theodore, Theresa, Walter, Warren on April 5, 2009 | 40 Comments »
Should we choose names for our children that will sound cute right now, or names that will sound cute 20 years from now? (more…)
Naughty Namesakes: Biblical Bad Girls
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Baby Name, Bathsheba, Delilah, Euodia, Eve, Jael, Jezebel, Magdalena, Magdalene, Orpah, Peninnah, Rahab, Salome, Sapphira, Syntyche, Tamar, Vashti on April 2, 2009 | 20 Comments »
Biblical names have always been popular — after all, what parents wouldn’t want their daughter to be as pure as Mary, as brave as Esther, as faithful as Hannah, or as loyal as Ruth?
However, a new crop of biblical names is popping up. Not all the characters in the Bible are so angelic, and parents looking for something different are increasingly being drawn toward some of the Bible’s naughtier namesakes. I present for you today the biblical bad girl names — some already on the rise, some worthy of consideration, and some that should remain taboo. (more…)
Names that Sound Like No Other
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Abigail, Alexander, Baby Name, Dolores, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Evangeline, Guadalupe, Jennifer, Naomi, Penelope, Phoebe, Rhiannon, Rosamund, Xavier on March 15, 2009 | 26 Comments »
In the first grade this year, we have girls named Kaitlyn, Kayla (two of them), Kaylee, Hayley, Kylie, Riley, Callie, Chloe, Carla, Lara, Kari, and Kira. While the only duplicate name is Kayla, it’s quite easy to get the others confused, as they all sound so similar.
In fact, most names have “sound-alikes” — names similar enough in quality that one could serve as as substitute for the other. For example, if you like Sophia but want something less common, you might be drawn to Safiya, Sophronia, or Serena. If you love Olivia, you just might like Ophelia, Octavia, or Lydia. If you love Ava, a name like Eve, Ada, or Aoibhe might be to your taste.
There are a few names, though, that have a sound all their own. They feel distinctive, and no other name has quite all their qualities. While I suppose that could technically be said about any name, here are a few that feel particularly special:
Orthodox Saints’ Names that Are Anything but Orthodox
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Ariadne, Baby Name, Callista, Calliste, Daria, Evanthia, Isidora, Junia, Kseniya, Lucina, Oksana, Oliva, Olive, Sidonia, Xenia, Zenaida, Zenobia on February 25, 2009 | 26 Comments »
A few days ago, inspired by a recent post from Cat, I found myself combing through a long list of Orthodox saints’ names in search of little-heard ancient gems that would wear well on a modern girl. (more…)
Names that are Unexpectedly Biblical
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Adah, Alexander, Anna, Augustus, Chloe, Claudia, Clement, Demetrius, Drew, Dru, Drusilla, Ethan, Felix, Jadon, Jason, Javan, Julia, Julius, Linus, Lois, Lydia, Nicolas, Phoebe, Priscilla, Rhoda, Rufus, Sapphira, Stephen, Susanna on February 16, 2009 | 14 Comments »
We all know that John, David, Matthew, Paul, Mary, Eve, and Rebekah are in the Bible, but here are some names from the Good Book that just might surprise you. (more…)
Timeless Names
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Andrew, Anna, Audrey, Calvin, Carmen, Caroline, Catherine, Charles, Charlotte, Daniel, David, Elizabeth, Grant, James, Jesse, Joel, John, Joseph, Julia, Laura, Lydia, Malcolm, Mary, Michael, Miriam, Patrick, Phillip, Rachel, Rebecca, Richard, Robert, Samuel, Sarah, Thomas, Victor, Vincent, Wesley, William on January 26, 2009 | 20 Comments »
Conventional naming wisdom says that names tend to become popular in 100-year-cycles. A generation has to die off before the common names of that generation can sound new and fresh again. This is why many of our great-grandparents’ names (like Clara and Emma) sound cute, but our grandparents’ names (like Barbara and Norma) or parents’ names (like Deborah and Patricia) sound dated and very unfashionable.
However, there are some names that seem to transcend these trends and maintain relatively consistent popularity throughout the years. I like to think of these as “timeless names” because one could imagine them suiting a person born any time during the last century. (more…)
Names from Bede
Posted in Name Lists, tagged Alaric, Alban, Bede, Caedmon, Caelin, Colman, Finan, Hadrian, Justus, Redwald, Ronan on January 23, 2009 | 14 Comments »
What do you get when you throw a name nerd into an Old English graduate course? A list of Roman and Anglo-Saxon names she insists would be perfectly usable on a modern child (much to her husband’s chagrin). (more…)
