Category Archives: Naming Assistance

Is the Name Wren Strictly for the Birds?

11 Saturday May 2013

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Country Diary : Wren in frosted bramble bushHannah and James live in the United States, and they are expecting their third son in about a month’s time. He will be a younger brother to William and Griffin, and his middle name will be Michael, which is a family name. Hannah and James’ surname begins with M and ends with L eg Maxwell.

Hannah and James’ Name List

  • Wren – they really like this name, but worry it may be too different or perceived as feminine, although everything they’ve read said it is a boy’s name
  • Crosby – they keep changing their minds on this one, and going back and forth
  • Cannon
  • Gates
  • Henry
  • Oliver
  • River

Less Usable

  • Kenson – a family name, but James isn’t thrilled by it
  • Miller – love it, but Miller Michael Maxwell is just a little too much

Hannah and James want a name which sounds good with William and Griffin and doesn’t start with M. They like classic and original names, and don’t want anything trendy or with variant spelling. They aren’t concerned about popularity if the name is a classic.

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I have a disclaimer on my site saying if you’re from overseas I may not have a good grasp of name trends from your country, and some of the names on your name list are ones which are not often used in Australia, or even recognised as first names. However, I also promised to do my best, in the very Australian tradition of “having a go”.

YOUR NAME LIST

Wren

I’m sure this is a unisex name rather than a boy’s name, and according to the 2012 data from the US, it’s more commonly given to girls in America – 263 girls were called Wren or Wrenn, compared to 29 boys. That suggests that many people probably would perceive it as feminine, and it rose for girls and sank slightly for boys last year, so it’s becoming increasingly feminine by usage.

I really like this name as well (for either sex), but I don’t happen to love it for you. To me it sounds slightly odd with your surname, and is rather a clash with William and Griffin, especially Griffin. Both griffins and wrens are winged creatures, but of such wildly different types that they seem strange as a sibset – like two sisters named Lotus and Thistle.

Crosby

This name has recently joined the US Top 1000 and rose 77 places last year. It’s known from a character on popular TV show, Parenthood. I quite like it; I think it goes well with William and Griffin while sounding quite distinctive. However, you did say you didn’t want a trendy name, and a name that’s suddenly jumped onto the Top 1000 after appearing in a TV show and then risen almost a hundred places does seem pretty trendy to me. Maybe this is the reason why you keep changing your minds?

Cannon

This name is around the #500 mark on the US popularity charts. According to Nameberry, this is also a trendy name, as it had a big jump in popularity after Larry King chose this for his son. Although it didn’t rise last year, you might want to be careful with this one too.

Gates

This name is very rare in the US, given to just 10 boys last year, but it is on trend (not trendy) in the American South. I must say, a William and a Gates in one family seems like some weird tribute to Microsoft.

Henry

I think this name is great – a handsome classic name which goes perfectly with William and Griffin, and sounds awesome with your surname. I don’t know if this is an issue for you, but Prince William and Prince Henry of England are famous brothers with these names. At least this sibset has been royally road-tested.

Oliver

A fantastic choice – perfect match with surname, middle name and siblings, and very stylish, while still having that down-to-earth feel that William and Griffin do. I’d be hard-pressed to pick between Henry and Oliver, they both seem exactly right.

River

Like Wren, this is another unisex nature name, and it seems like a better fit for your family. I think it’s really handsome, and would make an excellent choice.

OTHER NAMES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Alexander

A classic like Henry and Oliver which is in the Top 10 like William and with Greek connotations like Griffin. This seems like a great match with both brothers.

Beck

This short simple nature name reminds me of Wren, and means “brook”, which is rather like River. According to US data, it is underused, and only given to boys.

Corbin

It means “raven”, so it’s another bird-related name, like Wren, but this is a very old name that’s almost entirely masculine. I like how it sounds with your two boys.

Frederick

Another classic name, but this one is in the lower half of the Top 1000. It has Henry’s royal background, but something of Oliver’s European style.

Gage

This surname name has a vaguely military feel, like Cannon, and sounds similar to Gates. I think it seems very cool and masculine with your surname.

Oscar

This has the slight “growly” sound of Crosby, and like Crosby, it goes well with William and Griffin while allowing each name to seem quite distinct from each other.

Rowan

A unisex nature name which sounds a bit like Wren, with a similar level of popularity to River. I like it with William and Griffin.

This blog consultation took me right out of my comfort zone, and I’m not sure if I was able to give you any real help, because of my deep unfamiliarity with some American-style names. However, from your list, my choices would be Henry, Oliver and River, and from my suggestions, I confess to finding Beck very appealing and usable.

Please write back in if you need more help with narrowing down your name list, and remember to let us know what name you eventually choose.

Note on the title: For the uninitiated, bird is British slang for woman

NOTE: The baby’s name was Henry Michael!

POLL RESULTS: Almost half of respondents voted for Wren being a girl’s name, with Oliver being the preferred name choice, gaining more than 20% of the vote. Henry came a very close second.

(Photo of wren from The Guardian)

Will Sadie Always Be a Cleaning Lady?

04 Saturday May 2013

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vintage-cleaningSamantha and Conall are expecting a baby in a couple of months, and if it’s a boy, he will be named Liam, which is a family name. Girls names are still not settled, as each name they like seems to have a few issues, but the middle name will be Patricia, which honours several relatives. Samantha and Connall have a surname starting with L and ending with R eg Lalor.

Their Short List

  • Sadie – Samantha loves this name to bits, but every time she mentions it to someone they bring up the song, Sadie the Cleaning Lady.
  • Eliza – Samantha also loves this name, but worries that Eliza Lalor doesn’t sound right. They are considering the name Elizabeth (a family name), but calling her Eliza.
  • Niamh – Samantha likes this name a lot, but worries that it is too Irish, and wonders whether spelling and pronunciation will prove troublesome.
  • Annie – Samantha thinks this name sounds almost too sweet.

Other Names That Seem Less Usable

  • Amity, Annabelle, April and Bonnie – Conall doesn’t seem so keen on these
  • Rose – a favourite name which has just been used by a close friend

Samantha would like to know what people think of their name list, and if there are any other names they might like they haven’t considered. The name has to fit their surname, suit the middle name Patricia, and not clash with Liam should they have a boy later. In general, Samantha doesn’t really like most of the girls names in the Australian Top 50.

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Your Name List

Sadie

Sadie is a very hip name at the moment, and you’re probably slightly ahead of the crowd on this one. If it’s any comfort, your daughter’s peers won’t know of the song, so it’s definitely not playground teasing material.

Eliza

I don’t think Eliza Lalor sounds horrible, but I agree it doesn’t seem quite right.  Elizabeth Lalor is lovely, but if you call her Eliza anyway, I’m not sure it really solves anything. Wouldn’t she still essentially be Eliza Lalor?

Niamh

This is a really gorgeous Irish name, and I don’t think there would be too many problems with spelling and pronunciation, although you probably would need to explain it sometimes. Niamh is reasonably well known and used in Australia – more than it is in Ireland at present, I believe.

Annie

You’re right, Annie is adorably sweet with your surname, although the name Annie is practical and homespun. I really like it, but saying it’s “too sweet” almost seems as if you’re looking for reasons to cross it off.

Other Names You Might Like

Zadie

This is an option to replace Sadie if you really can’t get over the “cleaning lady” association. Zadie had her heyday in the 19th century, and is probably most familiar from the writer Zadie Smith.

Maisie

Has something of the sound of Sadie and the feel of Annie. It’s not as hip as Sadie though.

Elsie

This short form of Elizabeth has a similar retro feel to Sadie and Annie.

Maeve

If you wanted an Irish name with a fashionable V sound but without the spelling/pronunciation issues, Maeve is generally well known now. Of course, that suggests that Niamh will be better understood in time too.

Nora

Has an Irish history, minimal spelling/pronunciation issues, and is hip and retro like Sadie.

Annabeth

This gives you a name that incorporates Elizabeth, but can still have Annie as a nickname. I think it’s pretty, and seems sweet and sophisticated at the same time.

Felicity

This is a virtue name like Amity with the elegance of Annabelle.

Hazel

A pretty nature name like Rose that sounds a bit like Sadie and Eliza. Like Rose, this is rising in popularity.

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It seems as if Sadie is easily your first choice. With the other three names on your list, the doubts you have about them are your own doubts – with Sadie, I wonder if your mind would already be made up without comments from other people.

It’s okay to change your mind about a name; it’s not cool to have your mind changed for you (except by your partner). Almost any interesting name is going to have some issue attached to it: if you want a controversy-free baby name that nearly everyone approves of, pick a name that’s in the Top 30 and rising.

For what it’s worth, I think Sadie sounds great with your surname, suits the middle name you have chosen, and would make a cute sibset with Liam. I would think long and hard before you allow outside interference to decide what you name your baby.

Good luck Samantha, and let us know what decision you make when the time comes!

UPDATE: Samantha and Conall had a boy named Liam, but later had a girl named Sadie!

POLL RESULTS
95% of respondents were not troubled by the connection between the name Sadie and the song Sadie the Cleaning Lady

47% of people had never heard of the song
25% were reminded of the song by the name Sadie, but didn’t think it was a big deal
18% did know the song, but didn’t immediately connect the name Sadie with it
6% were only reminded a little bit of the song by the name Sadie
5% of people were reminded of the song by the name Sadie, and thought it was a big problem

There was strong support for Samantha to stick with her favourite name, with 29% of readers saying that Sadie was the name the parents should choose.

Baby Name Follow-Up: What Do You Think of This Sibset?

23 Saturday Mar 2013

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A-Streetcar-named-Desire-marlon-brando-30585945-705-539Mia wrote in recently to share the problems she was having coming up with a sibling name to match her son Bugsy. Since then, she has a front-runner for girls names, and is still mulling over boys names.

Manday commented on the original post that since Bugsy had been named in honour of Bugsy Malone, a movie that is special to his dad, maybe the next child could have a name from a book or movie that’s special to his mum.

Well, Mia would very much like to choose the name Marlon if the baby is a boy. Marlon Brando has been her favourite actor since she was ten, when she would watch A Streetcar Named Desire with her grandmother. Watching Marlon Brando movies continued being a little tradition for them, and seems like a wonderful connection with her grandma.

POLL RESULTS: Around 38% of people thought Bugsy and Marlon as brothers sounded a little too close to Bugsy Malone, but not enough to be a problem. An equal number hadn’t thought of it until they saw the poll. A clear majority of more than 63% said that sometimes it might be tacky to have sons named after a movie and a movie actor, but in this case it would be okay.

(Picture shows Marlon Brando as Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire)

Finding a Sibling Name for Bugsy

02 Saturday Mar 2013

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180351.1020.AMia and Lachlan are expecting their second child in about ten weeks, who will be a baby sister or brother to their son Bugsy.

Lachlan chose Bugsy’s name, in a tribute to the film Bugsy Malone, which has special significance to him. Mia wasn’t at all sure about the name, and pushed for Bugsy to be used in the middle instead. However, once their son was born, Bugsy suited him so perfectly that he couldn’t be called anything else; Mia absolutely loves his name.

It is now Mia’s turn to choose the second child’s name, and she feels utterly stumped. Nothing seems to match the name Bugsy, and everything she has come up with seems wrong. She’s made a name list for each sex, but isn’t completely happy with any of them.

Mia’s Name Lists

Boys

  • Penn
  • Hugo
  • Finley
  • Otto
  • Tristan

Girls

  • Poppy
  • Nellie
  • Scout
  • Clover
  • Marigold
  • Tilda
  • Maisie

Names Already Crossed Off the List

Harrison, Luca, Max and Ryder (boys); Emerson, Emme and Sadie (girls)

Mia’s getting increasingly stressed as her due date grows ever closer, and feels ready to contemplate almost any name.

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Mia, this is a good demonstration of one of the pitfalls of the “I’ll pick the first name and you pick the next one” baby name compromise. It sounds very fair, but in fact it’s a far more difficult task for the parent who goes second, and the parent who goes first rarely stops to think about what their choice might mean in regard to subsequent sibling names.

I feel that while it’s a nice idea to have your childrens’ names sound good together, it should be a preference (even a very strong preference) rather than a requirement when choosing names.

Look at the way Bugsy’s name was chosen. It is meaningful, both parents love it, and it fits him perfectly. I think your second child deserves to have a name that’s equally meaningful and fitting, and loved just as much. It shouldn’t just be an accessory to “match” Bugsy (although if the two names do sound great together, then that’s a bonus).

You don’t seem to have really fallen in love with any names yet, and I wonder if that’s because you are constantly judging them against Bugsy? When you start off a baby name search with an absolute in mind (must start with J, must be three syllables long, must match with Bugsy), it makes it hard to properly consider any other potential names.

And something like “must match with Bugsy” is much more complex than “must start with J” because it’s a subjective matter rather than an objective one. We all agree on what the letter J is – we may not all agree on what matches Bugsy. One person may think Bugsy and Daisy is adorable; another may think the names sound horribly twee together. The same person may swing in both these directions, unable to make up their mind one way or another.

Rather than tie yourself into knots finding a name which sounds good with Bugsy, I would start out by eliminating names which sound terrible with Bugsy. So when you are considering baby names you like, ask yourself, “Will this sound awful with Bugsy, and make both names look ridiculous?” If it fails your test, cross it off; if it doesn’t sound too dreadful, I would give it a chance.

For example, Bugsy and Elmer sound ridiculous together, because of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, and makes your children’s names seem like a joke. On the other hand, Bugsy and James may not be the most amazing sibset in history, but I don’t think that it’s absolutely terrible either.

I think it would be a mistake to think that you can’t use a mainstream or popular name as a sibling for Bugsy. I imagine you get a lot of people saying, “Bugsy? That’s different”, or “What an unusual name”, but although Bugsy is definitely a very uncommon name, it isn’t really that unusual. It’s a vintage American-style nickname with a movie reference context, so to get you started, here’s some ideas of other names similar to that which I don’t think sound too bad with Bugsy.

Names From Movies

The first one that comes to mind is Rocky, which is another name from the movies of the 1970s; however I think they are too much alike as brothers. I could see Rhett or Scarlett though, from Gone with the Wind, or Atticus or Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. You have Scout on your girl’s list, and I think Bugsy and Scout sound fantastic together.

The Cutesy Factor

Bugsy sounds quite similar to the name Buddy, and Jamie Oliver’s son Buddy has sisters named Poppy, Daisy and Petal. I’ve noticed you have some pretty cute names on your girl’s list, such as Poppy, Nellie, Tilda and Maisie, and I think any of these would make an adorable sister for Bugsy. Cute names are fun and likeable, just like Bugsy.

Tough Guy Nicknames

Another name which reminds me of Bugsy is Buster, and I’ve noticed that parents of Busters tend to give their other sons tough guy nicknames, like Jake or Dan. However, this doesn’t really seem to be your style for boys names.

Names from the 1920s and ’30s

Because of its vintage style, I can see a boy named Bugsy matching with another name from that era, such as Coco, Etta, Lulu, Mabel or Zelda for girls, or Arlo, Dashiell, Django, Lenny or Roy for boys.

Gemstones

Gemstone names were very fashionable in the 1920s, and besides the popular ones like Ruby and Pearl, less common ones like Emerald, Sapphire and Opal were just as cool. Gemstone names for boys such as Jasper, Garnet and Diamond were also stylish.

Nature

When you think of it, Bugsy is kind of a nature name as well. You have Clover and Marigold on your list, and I think either of those would sound great with Bugsy. I think boy’s nature names seem a bit more problematic with Bugsy, as they tend to sound quite soft, except animal ones like Fox or Bear – and these probably underline the “bug” part of Bugsy too heavily.

Surnames

I admit that I have had much more success finding girls’ names to go with Bugsy than boys’ names (and really I think all the names on your girls list sound fine with Bugsy). But one of the appealing things about surname names is that they harmonise with many different styles of names. You have Penn at the top of your boys list, and I think Bugsy and Penn sound awesome together. They’re both a little off-beat in different ways, and they don’t seem to either clash or be too matchy. Other surname names that I get a similar vibe from are Arlen, Cash, Dexter, Gray, Knox, Reid, and Weston.

Mia, I hope this has given you a few ideas of how Bugsy can be matched with a sibling name. Once your baby name lists have firmed up a bit, write in again and we’ll have another look at naming a brother or sister to Bugsy.

NOTE: The baby’s name was Jem Richmond!

POLL RESULTS: One third of respondents thought that a name from the 1920s or ’30s would be the best match with a brother named Bugsy.

(Photo shows Scott Baio as Bugsy Malone)

Does This Baby Name Have Too Much Baggage?

16 Saturday Feb 2013

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Baby kneeling, packing the suitcaseKylie is pregnant with her second child, and doesn’t yet know the sex, so she is making name lists for both boys and girls.

She would love to add Azaria to her girls’ list, but isn’t quite sure. She wonders if it is still too soon to use the name Azaria, because of Azaria Chamberlain, and worries that she would be condemning her daughter to a lifetime of dingo jokes.

Kylie also likes the names Gaia and Juniper, but not nearly as much as Azaria.

The full name would be Azaria Lucienne, and the nickname would be Azra. Kylie isn’t interested in giving the name an unusual spelling in order to make it seem different to the original.

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Kylie, this is a very interesting question, because it touches on that sensitive issue of whether some names are too controversial, or have too much baggage to be usable.

Nearly all of us feel that that there are least some names that should be “off limits”, and many people can get quite worked up at the thought of such names being given to a child. The trouble is that we don’t all agree on what these “off limits” names are!

There’s no right or wrong answer to this one, because different people are going to have different opinions. That’s really all I can give you – an opinion.

It is more than a generation since Azaria Chamberlain died, and last year the long drawn-out legal case finally came to an end. I tend to feel that by now, enough time has gone by and enough closure has been gained that we should be ready to move on. There must be a few people who agree with this, because some parents have already chosen this pretty name for their daughters in recent years.

I don’t think someone named Azaria would have a lifetime of dingo jokes ahead of her. For one thing, I haven’t actually heard a dingo joke since the 1990s. For another, the children being born now, your child’s peers, won’t know about Azaria Chamberlain, and when (or if) they learn of it, they won’t find it funny at all.

And while I can easily believe there are adults moronic enough to find a dingo joke funny, I have trouble imagining one so utterly bereft of brain cells that they would find it amusing to repeat it to a little girl named Azaria, or her parents.

I do think some older people might find the name Azaria a bit confronting at first, but I also think that if they actually knew a child called Azaria, they would soon stop associating the name with the Chamberlain case, and associate it with the child they know.

However, it doesn’t really matter what I think. What’s important is what you think. Do you feel that enough time has gone by? Do you feel comfortable using the name Azaria? And how does your partner feel about it?

Being practical, you don’t even know if you’re having a girl yet, and are just making lists of names that you like. You love the name Azaria, and it fits beautifully with the middle name you have chosen. I would leave it on the list at least until you know the sex of the baby. Give yourself more time to think this over before you decide.

NAME UPDATE: The baby was a boy, and his name is Kaelan!

POLL RESULTS
78% of people were generally okay with the idea of a baby named Azaria. 39% thought that it would be a little strange at first, but that people would soon get used to the idea, while another 39% couldn’t see anything wrong with it at all.

22% people weren’t in favour. 11% thought the name wasn’t usable yet, but might be in another 25 years, while 3% thought that just another 5 years could make all the difference to the name’s fortunes. A pessimistic 3% didn’t think the name could ever be used again, while 5% just weren’t sure whether it was a good idea or not.

She’s Having Last Minute Doubts About Their Baby Name

02 Saturday Feb 2013

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Just before deadlineSarah and Rupert are expecting a baby girl, due in only a few days. They always agreed that their first daughter would be named Isabella, which is a traditional name in Sarah’s family. However, as time went on, the name Isabella became extremely popular, and also associated with the Twilight phenomenon, so Sarah grew less enthusiastic about using it.

Sarah’s solution was to use the name Isabel, which is traditional on the other side of her family. She and Rupert like its simplicity, and they plan to use another family name in the middle position.

However, with just a few days to go, Sarah is wondering if they have chosen the right name for their daughter. Although Isabel is towards the bottom of the Top 100, if you add up all the Isabellas and Isabelles, that makes quite a few girls called Issy or Bel. Sarah wonders if the name Isabel is really distinctive enough.

Sarah likes names in the style of Sibella, Arabella and Violet; Rupert prefers names like Molly, Ebony and Lila. As such, they haven’t really agreed on many names. The only other names Sarah and Rupert have agreed on are Camilla and Clementine. The Duchess of Cornwall puts Sarah off using Camilla, and for some indefinable reason, she can’t quite commit to Clementine.

Sarah wonders whether a personal meaning or family association is more important than popularity, and whether they should just stop discussing it and go with Isabel. She wants something classic and unique, yet can’t quite find it … and if she started meeting lots and lots of little Isabels she wouldn’t be happy about it.

Sarah has a very popular name, and it never bothered her, and Rupert loves his unusual name, so they know that children can be content with their name whether its common or rare. Sarah and Rupert have a nice solid one-syllable surname, such as Mack or Holt.

Sarah’s sisters, who have children already, tell her that once the baby arrives, she won’t give a thought to any of these worries, but right now they feel like genuine concerns!

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The last few days before a baby arrives can be quite frustrating, and there’s so many “What ifs …?” involved. Some of us worry that the car will break down and we won’t be able to get to the hospital; some of us worry that we’ve packed completely useless things in our little bag; and some of us worry that we’ve picked the wrong baby name. I expect all these little worries are a coping mechanism to keep our minds off the really big worries that we could be having instead!

I think that you might just be having last-minute jitters. Like someone getting nervous before their wedding, you may be slightly anxious about committing to the name Isabel for life. You wonder if you’ve made the right choice – what if things don’t work out the way you hoped? And could there be a better name out there that you haven’t thought of yet?

The good news is that you are in a much better position than someone having doubts about their wedding. Unlike a wedding, you get to have the baby first and then decide if the name seems right. You don’t have to make any commitment until the baby arrives, and you get a good long time to make your mind up after the birth. Most importantly, the name Isabel won’t be heartbroken if you decide to go with another name instead.

At this stage, I believe it’s too late to be actively searching for, and arguing about, a different baby name. I think Isabel [Middle Name] [Surname] is a really delightful combination: one that’s a nice balance between pretty and feminine, and neat and sensible, and could belong to a wide variety of girls. It doesn’t sound like a name that someone has to live up to, or pull off, or get used to. To me it seems like a name that isn’t boring, but would be easy to live with.

Let’s take a good look at Isabel:

  • Isabel is a name both you and Rupert like You’ve only managed to agree on three girl’s names in the past nine months, so let’s face it – your chances of finding another name you both like in the next couple of days aren’t that high.
  • You haven’t come up with anything better The only other names you could use just don’t seem quite right. It’s not impossible you’ll change your mind once the baby is born, but for now they don’t seem like viable options.
  • Isabel fits both your requirements You like pretty, feminine names for girls like Arabella and Violet; Rupert prefers simple fuss-free names like Molly and Lila. Isabel seems like a perfect fit – as elegant as Arabella, with the clean lines of Lila.
  • Isabel honours your family heritage Isabel is a name from one side of your family, while also providing a distant nod to the Isabellas on the other side. As you don’t want to use Isabella any more (and it doesn’t seem possible to have both), Isabel appears to be a great solution to your dilemma.
  • Isabel is a classic that has never been common There is no such thing as a name which is both classic and unique, so I’m not surprised you haven’t managed to find one! The closest you could get would be an underused classic – one that has never left the charts, but never been popular. Isabel fits reasonably well, because it’s a classic, but never got any higher in popularity than the bottom quarter of the Top 100.
  • Isabel is falling in popularity That makes the chances of you running into lots of little Isabels in the future less likely. And as you can’t control what other parents name their children anyway, I wouldn’t give it another thought.
  • Popularity isn’t that big a deal anyway I do think that personal meaning and family associations are more important than popularity. You’ve eliminated Isabella for being too well known, which is fair enough, and Isabel seems like an excellent replacement. You know from having a popular name yourself that it doesn’t necessarily cause a child any problems – and your name is much more popular than Isabel.
  • If Isabel is not distinctive enough, what is? If you look at names for girls, there are certain family resemblances between them. Once a certain sound becomes popular, you tend to see it in other names too. I think you’d have trouble choosing something which sounded nothing like any other baby name being used – and still like it.
  • Isabel does not have to be an Issy or a Bel You could make her name distinctive by giving her a different nickname. There are old-fashioned nicknames for Isabel such as Isa, Ibby or Tibby, and more unexpected choices like Sabel, Tizzy, Whizz, Zibby or Zsa Zsa. Or you could not use any nickname at all.

My advice would be not to think any more about the name. Wait until the baby is born and then see how you feel about calling her Isabel. Once you have a baby to hold in your arms, it all becomes a lot more real. I truly believe that if Isabel is not the right name for your daughter, the perfect name will come to you by the time she arrives.

NAME UPDATE: The baby’s name is Isabel!

POLL RESULT: Most respondents thought Sarah should stick with the name Isabel, with 60% giving this as their answer. Another 33% thought that Sarah should wait until the baby’s birth before deciding. The rest thought that Sarah should keep looking for another baby name, or consider their suggestions.

Should She Change the Spelling of Her Daughter’s Name?

26 Saturday Jan 2013

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U1264Laura has a five-month-old daughter named Lijsbeth, which is a traditional Dutch spelling of the name Lisbet, and is pronounced LEES-bet.

Few people have been able to pronounce Lijsbeth’s name, and even her Australian grandparents haven’t been able to learn to say it properly. Laura is getting heartily sick of having to correct people all the time, and feels bad for her daughter that nobody knows how to say her name – especially as Lijsbeth’s big sister has a very simple, straightforward name (for example, Katie). She has started telling people to just call Lijsbeth by the nickname Bessie, even though Laura doesn’t particularly care for this name.

Since her daughter was born, Laura has learned from a Dutch cousin that the spelling Lijsbeth is considered so old-fashioned in the Netherlands that even Dutch people would have trouble pronouncing it.

Laura is starting to think it might be a good idea to officially change the spelling of her daughter’s name, probably to Lisbet (said the same way as Lijsbeth), although she’s not completely sure. She still wants her baby girl to have a Dutch name with Dutch pronunciation, like Lisbet, but she’s worried it won’t be said properly.

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This is the first time someone has written in to the blog having already named their baby, but not completely satisfied with the results.

I think that if you want to change the spelling of your daughter’s name, then you’ve got good reasons for wanting to do so. In just five months you’ve already run into issues, and if you’re fed up with constantly correcting people after this brief period, you have to remember that Lijsbeth has a lifetime of it ahead of her.

Not only that, but you’ve also discovered that her Dutch name, chosen to honour her heritage, would be a curiosity and a stumbling block even in the Netherlands. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to use the modern Dutch spelling instead.

I think Lisbet is much simpler to spell than Lijsbeth, but I’m not sure it would solve the pronunciation issues, because they are said exactly the same way. I don’t actually think LEES-bet is that hard to say, once you’ve learned how, but explaining it to everyone is probably a pain.

Luckily, you only have to register the spelling of a baby’s name, not its pronunciation, so I would just concentrate on the spelling for now, and worry about pronunciation later. Changing the spelling might make it easier for people to understand; you may become more relaxed about people’s attempts to say the name correctly; it’s possible that in time you will decide to compromise on how the name is said. I would just put that issue to one side for now and see what happens.

I think your idea of using a nickname for everyday use is a brilliant one, but what a shame you don’t like your daughter’s nickname. Is there something else you could use instead? Lisa, Leesie, Libby, Libsy, Lili, Lilbet, Itsy, Issy, Betty, Betsy, Bitsy, Bibi, Biddie, Birdie …. ?

As your daughter gets older, she will probably develop her own ideas about how she’d like her name to be pronounced, and what nickname she would prefer. Our names do often evolve and change with us, and she may come home from kinder one day and announce that her nickname is Lissy, because that’s what all the other kids call her.

The good news is that it is relatively easy to officially change your child’s name (or its spelling) before it is 12 months old. My understanding is that in the first year, it’s not considered a legal name change, but simply an amendment to the birth certificate. That means that whatever the original name was, it will simply be wiped from the records as if it had never existed.

Each state and territory has different rules, but in some states it is free, and in others you will have to pay a nominal administrative fee. Just like registering the name for the first time, both parents must sign the certificate at Births, Deaths and Marriages, and once you have the new birth certificate, you’ll have to change her details with Medicare, Centrelink, the doctor’s office, and anywhere else that has her name in their database. A bit of paperwork to fill in, but that’s about it.

You may also want to send a mass e-mail to everyone you know, briefly explaining you’ve changed the spelling of your daughter’s name to something simpler, but that the pronunciation will stay the same. This could also be an opportunity to let them know that a nickname of your choice can be used instead.

It is important that you are absolutely sure that you want to do this, that you know exactly which spelling you want to use, and that both parents are completely on board with it. It’s really something you don’t want to delay either, so I would get on to it as soon as you know what you want to do.

Good luck Laura, I’m sure you will be able to come up with a solution that makes life easier for you, and ultimately for your little girl as well. Write in again if you still feel unsure about it, or run into further issues down the track.

NOTE: In the end, Laura decided her daughter’s name didn’t need to be changed.

POLL RESULTS: Just over half of respondents voted that the baby’s name be changed to Lisbet. Nearly 18% voted for the spelling to be unchanged.

(Image from Embroidery Library)

Their Rare Baby Name Isn’t Rare Enough!

19 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by in Naming Assistance

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gulgong-35961Elise and Alex are expecting their third child, and had already decided that if it was a boy, his name would be Digby. Digby is a rare name; unfortunately, it has been used often enough amongst Elise and Alex’s circle that they no longer feel as enthusiastic about using it.

They are now looking for a new boy’s name, and would ideally like something which is uncommon without being particularly unusual, and would sound at home in a country community. They like surname names for boys, and don’t mind if the name they choose becomes popular later, just as long as it isn’t popular now.

They would like it to match with their son’s name, Law$on, and as their daughter’s name also starts with L, they don’t want another name starting with that letter. Elise and Alex’s surname starts with M and ends in S eg Matthews.

Names on their short list so far:

  • Banjo
  • Baxter
  • Fred

Names they’ve crossed off or can’t use for some reason:

Abraham, Angus/Gus, Benjamin/Ben, Cameron, Charles/Charlie, Elliot, Eustie, Fletcher, George, Guy, Hamish, Henry/Harry, Hugo, Jack, Jed, Luke, Remington, Samuel/Sam, Sawyer, Spencer, Stirling, Sullivan, Thomas/Tom, Wilbur, Wilhelm, William/Will, Winston

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I felt quite distraught on first reading your e-mail, because Digby is one of my favourite names too, and it’s so uncommon that it doesn’t seem fair that it’s become overly used in your corner of the world. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that choosing a name not on the Top 100, or even not ranked at all, ever, means you will be the only parents who like it. Underused doesn’t mean unused.

I grew up in a small town, so I understand why you want a name that nobody else is currently using. When you live in a small community, you see each so often on a daily basis that it almost feels like you’re one big family. Nobody really wants 8 Uncle Jacks and 13 cousins named Mia – not to mention all your brothers being named Sam.

You’ve already discovered that rare names can prove disconcertingly popular in pockets – the good news is that quite common names may be almost unheard of in your community. When I was born, my name was in the Top 50, and yet I was the only one, of any age, called Anna in our little town, or in all the towns surrounding us. It was only when I went to the city for holidays that I met other Annas – it just didn’t seem to be used in my region.

If you are concerned about too many other people choosing the same name, I wouldn’t worry too much about the overall popularity charts, but more about what’s popular and unpopular on a local level. Keep an eye on birth notices in your local paper, and also watch out for regional popularity lists (I have been putting these on Twitter as they come out).

The perfect name is probably one which your friends and neighbours think sounds “a bit different” the first time they hear it, but are used to within two days, and in two weeks time, are starting to really like it. That means you might want to consider a few names that you think sound a bit different at first!

It’s also a good idea to have several names on your list, in case someone else uses one you’ve picked out while you’re still pregnant. Luckily, you have plenty of time left to thoroughly explore your options.

YOUR SHORT LIST

Banjo

This is such a cool name, but for me, Banjo and Law$on are a little too much as brothers. Also, if your daughter’s name isn’t super-Aussie, I wonder if she might be a little left out of the theme?

Baxter

I think Baxter is a definite keeper. It’s got that perfect balance of being uncommon, yet sounding completely normal, and the nickname Bax fits in with familiar names like Max and Jax.

Fred

You’ve absolutely got me over a barrel on this one, because Fred is my dad’s name. To me Fred sounds kind and funny and sweet, just like my dad. Yes, I’m very biased. But being non-biased, I do think Fred sounds brilliant with your surname.

SUGGESTIONS

Archie

To me, Archie is very much like Digby – it’s cute and boyish, yet also sounds grown-up and dignified. Unfortunately, Archie is popular, increasing in popularity, and seems to be used more in the country than the city. However, I’m suggesting it because I love the way this sounds with your surname – it seems really happy and I just can’t help smiling when I hear it.

Arthur “Artie”

Arthur is one of those useful classic names which have been stable for decades (a “normal name”), yet also underused (“uncommon”). It’s very slowly increasing in popularity, but in no way trendy. The nickname Artie makes it seem like a replacement for Archie, for people worried about popularity. This is another name I think suits your surname

Dexter

Dexter is really similar in sound to Baxter, and has a similar level of popularity. I like this better with your surname, but I think Baxter makes a better sibset with your son’s name.

Huxley

Huxley reminds me both of Baxter and Digby – I feel as if someone who likes both these names might appreciate Huxley. And like Banjo, it has an Australian connection, because the naturalist T.H. Huxley travelled to Australia, which is where his scientific career began (he has a mountain named after him here). Huxley’s descendant Sir Leonard Huxley became a famous Australian physicist. You get the nickname Huck from Huxley, which somehow seems to tie in with Sawyer.

Beckett

Beckett is another name which reminds me of Baxter. It does have an Australian literary connection, because Beckett’s Budget was a famous men’s magazine of the 1920s and ’30s which combined hard journalism with saucy pictures (tame by today’s standards). Not quite as idealistic as Banjo, I admit!

Jasper

Jasper is another name which reminds me, in sound, of Baxter, yet somehow also has a little of Digby’s image. It might seem mad to consider this when it’s a Top 100 name, but when I thought about it, I couldn’t recall often seeing this name in birth announcements from rural areas. Could this be one of those names which are popular overall, but underused where you live?

Camden

I really like the sound of this surname, which as a place name, has played an important role in Australia’s colonial history. You’ve crossed Cameron off your list, so I wondered if Camden might appeal instead? This name, growing in popularity in the US, is extremely rare in Australia.

Theodore “Ted”

Like Arthur, Theodore is a classic, but rapidly growing in popularity, while still not a common name. I mostly thought of it because Ted is very much like Fred, and to me it sounds “country” but also quite patrician – Ted is  the gentleman farmer, while Fred is his trusty right-hand-man!

My favourites from your list are Baxter and Fred, and from my suggestions, I feel as if Huxley fits your criteria better than any other.

If you still feel unsure about your name list in 6-8 weeks time, write in to the blog again, and we’ll take another look at it. In the meantime, happy name hunting!

UPDATE: Elise and Alex decided to stick with Digby.

POLL RESULTS: The most popular choices for a new baby name were Fred, Archie, Arthur and Beckett, which each got around 10% of the vote.

(Photo is of Gulgong in New South Wales, the childhood home of Henry Lawson; in no way is this meant to identify where Elise and Alex live)

What Do You Think of Bruno as a Name for an Australian Boy?

19 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Naming Assistance

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9956cc173a8fbb4051263936560ae_h_largeHelene and her husband are expecting a baby boy in the new year, and have the name Bruno as a front-runner on their shortlist.

For several years they have been living and working in the UK, but they plan to return to Australia in the near future, so they are interested in knowing how the name Bruno will go down in their home country.

The people they know in Britain strongly associate the name Bruno with the character and 2009 movie by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, and therefore it makes them wince a little. It also seems to be a reasonably popular name for dogs there, or is considered a “doggie” sort of name.

Helene is wondering what the image of Bruno is in Australia, and if we might see it differently. So I am throwing this question open to anyone who is Australian, or has lived in Australia, or knows lots of Australians, or is hip to Australian name trends.

  • What do you think of the name Bruno?
  • Do you think the name Bruno is cool or uncool?
  • Has enough time gone by that the Baron Cohen character no longer has a significant effect on the image of the name Bruno?
  • What about in six year’s time, when Helene’s son starts school? Is it a name which risks playground teasing in 2019?
  • Is the name Bruno too much of a “dog” name?

Okay, the floor is open – share your thoughts on the name Bruno!

Is the Name Macalla of Indigenous Origin?

15 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by in Naming Assistance

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image_previewA reader named Beni wrote in some time ago to ask if I could verify that the name Macalla was from an Australian Aboriginal language, and had the meaning “full moon”.

If you do a quick Google search, this interpretation does pop up on a few baby name sites, but they do not explain which language it is from. They also offer Mikayla or Makayla as being “derived” from this name, when we know that is not the case at all, so it starts to look rather unconvincing.

Even before searching these dubious baby name sites, I was already suspicious, because there is no letter c in the orthography of Australian Indigenous languages – a hard c sound, such as in the word carrot, is always shown as a k.

Feeling unsure of where to look next, I replaced the c with a k and tried searching for Makalla instead. In the National Library records, I found an album by a Western Australian musician and performer named Mervyn Mulardy; it was called Yatangal, and one of the tracks was Makalla.

I wrote to a music store named Chunes of Broome, and a helpful staff member named Andrew gave me Mr Mulardy’s phone number so that I could ask him about the song title.

Mr Mulardy was kind enough to take time out of his recording schedule to talk to me, and he explained that makalla is a word from the Karajarri language of the Kimberley, in Western Australia’s north-west. It describes the long grey clouds which roll in across the sky like waves, and which bring rain.

I don’t feel at all confident in reproducing Mr Mulardy’s pronunciation (especially as heard over the phone), but it sounded rather like MAHK-uh-lah, and the l in the word almost seemed to be a soft r sound.

I asked if Makalla is ever used as a name, and Mr Mulardy said he hadn’t heard of it being used so, but thought it very well could have been. I asked if it would cause any offence or be culturally inappropriate for non-Karajarri or non-Indigenous people to use Makalla as a name. Mr Mulardy seemed to think for a moment, and then said he didn’t believe so – in fact, he thought it would make a very good name.

As far as Macalla being an Indigenous name, that’s all I was able to find, and as you see, nothing about a full moon.

There is a Hawaiian girl’s name Makala, and this can be translated as “set free” or “myrtle” (depending upon pronunciation) – although other sources suggest that it can be used as a Hawaiian feminine form of Michael, which seems to bring us back to Mikayla again.

Another baby name site simply says that Macalla is a spelling variant of Mikayla, and this seems like the most likely explanation to me.

When it comes to spelling variants of common and popular names, baby name websites sometimes seek to make them seem more like “real names” with their own etymologies, origins and histories, and this can sometimes lead to overly imaginative interpretations of re-spelled names.

So Beni, I’m afraid I wasn’t able to verify that Macalla is an authentic Indigenous name, or even a genuine name in its own right.

But there are similar words and names that you could use, such as Makala and Makalla, and of course there is always Michaela, which could very well be the true source.

It’s interesting that while Mikayla is a Top 100 name, Michaela is only in the 400s, so the original (and some would say, the “correct”) spelling of the name actually makes a less common and more distinguished alternative.

If anyone has further information or insights on the name Macalla, please feel free to send them in to the blog. And which name would you prefer to use – Macalla, Makalla, Makala, Mikayla, Makayla or Michaela?

Much gratitude to Andrew at Chunes of Broome and Mervyn Mulardy for all their help.

(Photo shows a full moon over Lake Mungo)