How Unisex is a Unisex Name?

20 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in Naming Issues

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boy_girl_symbolsI intimated that we’d probably do a couple of things with the complete 2012 name data from Victoria, now that it’s been released, and something I thought might be interesting would be to look at the unisex names in the data, and see whether they were used more often for girls or boys, or evenly for both.

Unisex Names More Popular for Girls

  1. Addison – 76 girls, 7 boys
  2. Ashley – 31 girls, 13 boys
  3. Eden – 65 girls, 7 boys
  4. Harper – 144 girls, 25 boys
  5. Sasha – 30 girls, 6 boys
  • There are only five names used by both sexes that are significantly more popular for girls.
  • Some parents chose names for their sons which had a reasonable history of being established as feminine by usage, and which are gaining rapidly in popularity for girls, such as Addison and Eden.
  • Ashley is the only one of these names which has a reasonable history of usage by both sexes.
  • The most feminine unisex name is Harper, which has the biggest gap between the sexes.

Unisex Names More Popular for Boys

  1. Alex – 89 boys, 9 girls
  2. Bailey – 93 boys, 15 girls
  3. Casey – 16 boys, 7 girls
  4. Charlie – 264 boys, 63 girls
  5. Darcy – 78 boys, 10 girls
  6. Hunter – 156 boys, 8 girls
  7. Jamie – 31 boys, 6 girls
  8. Jordan – 120 boys, 13 girls
  9. Phoenix – 48 boys, 14 girls
  10. Riley – 217 boys, 9 girls
  11. River – 21 boys, 9 girls
  • There are more than twice as many names used by both sexes that are significantly more popular for boys.
  • Casey, Charlie, Darcy, Jamie and Jordan have a reasonable history of usage as unisex names.
  • Most of these “more boyish” names, even if still popular, are falling in popularity for boys; Charlie and Hunter are the ones who buck this trend, and are still increasing in male popularity.
  • The most masculine unisex name is Riley, which has the biggest gap between the sexes – a much bigger gap than between the boys and girls called Harper.
  • Some parents will choose a name for their child which is Top 100 for the opposite sex (such as Harper or Bailey), so name popularity isn’t always a factor in whether a name is considered a “boy” name, or a “girl” name.

Unisex Names Given Fairly Evenly to Girls and Boys

  1. Ariel – 12 boys, 11 girls
  2. Asher – 35 boys, 26 girls
  3. Blair – 15 boys, 12 girls
  4. Brooklyn – 17 girls, 15 boys
  5. Emerson – 14 girls, 8 boys
  6. Frankie – 12 boys, 9 girls,
  7. Morgan – 13 boys, 11 girls
  8. Quinn – 30 boys, 24 girls
  9. Remi – 11 boys, 7 girls
  10. Remy – 19 girls, 14 boys
  11. Taylor – 31 girls, 20 boys
  12. Tully – 10 girls, 8 boys
  13. Yi – 10 boys, 8 girls
  14. Zi – 7 girls, 7 boys
  • These 14 names could be considered “truly unisex”, in that they are used by both sexes in roughly equal numbers.
  • None of the names are popular, which makes me wonder if once a name gains a high level of use, it will tend to skew towards one sex rather than another.
  • The most unisex name is the Chinese name Zi, with the same number of boys and girls possessing it.

Theoretically Unisex Names Overwhelmingly Used by Girls

  1. Alexis – 112 girls, 5 or less boys
  2. Allie – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
  3. Allison – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
  4. Ally – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
  5. Angel – 21 girls, 5 or less boys
  6. Arya – 19 girls, 5 or less boys
  7. Aubrey – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
  8. Avery – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
  9. Bonnie – 52 girls, 5 or less boys
  10. Brooke – 24 girls, 5 or less boys
  11. Cassidy – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  12. Chelsea – 104 girls, 5 or less boys
  13. Chelsey – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
  14. Clare – 18 girls, 5 or less boys
  15. Cleo – 34 girls, 5 or less boys
  16. Clover – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
  17. Coco – 23 girls, 5 or less boys
  18. Courtney – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
  19. Crystal – 15 girls, 5 or less boys
  20. Dakota – 25 girls, 5 or less boys
  21. Dana – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
  22. Ebony – 66 girls, 5 or less boys
  23. Elisha – 9 girls, 5 or less boys
  24. Erin – 31 girls, 5 or less boys
  25. Esme – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
  26. Evelyn – 68 girls, 5 or less boys
  27. Florence – 26 girls, 5 or less boys
  28. Gigi – 12 girls, 5 or less boys
  29. Ginger – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  30. Harlow – 18 girls, 5 or less boys
  31. Indiana – 68 girls, 5 or less boys
  32. Indie – 29 girls, 5 or less boys
  33. Indigo – 36 girls, 5 or less boys
  34. Indy – 21 girls, 5 or less boys
  35. Iris – 20 girls, 5 or less boys
  36. Jade – 53 girls, 5 or less boys
  37. Jessie – 14 girls, 5 or less boys
  38. Joyce – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
  39. Kalani – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  40. Kelly – 14 girls, 5 or less boys
  41. Kelsey – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  42. Koa – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
  43. London – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
  44. Madison – 134 girls, 5 or less boys
  45. Maria – 26 girls, 5 or less boys
  46. Marley – 40 girls, 5 or less boys
  47. Mary – 42 girls, 5 or less boys
  48. Mika – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
  49. Miley – 22 girls, 5 or less boys
  50. Mischa – 11 girls, 5 or less boys
  51. Nicola – 13 girls, 5 or less boys
  52. Nikita – 27 girls, 5 or less boys
  53. Nikki – 6 girls, 5 or less boys
  54. Noor – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
  55. Olive – 53 girls, 5 or less boys
  56. Paige – 85 girls, 5 or less boys
  57. Paris – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  58. Payton – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
  59. Pearl – 21 girls, 5 or less boys
  60. Peyton – 24 girls, 5 or less boys
  61. Piper – 68 girls, 5 or less boys
  62. Reese – 7 girls, 5 or less boys
  63. Ruby – 419 girls, 5 or less boys
  64. Sage – 13 girls, 5 or less boys
  65. Scarlet – 6 girls, 5 or less boys
  66. Scarlett – 256 girls, 5 or less boys
  67. Shelby – 19 girls, 5 or less boys
  68. Shiloh – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  69. Skye – 43 girls, 5 or less boys
  70. Stacey – 6 girls, 5 or less boys
  71. Stevie – 16 girls, 5 or less boys
  72. Sydney – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  73. Teagan – 13 girls, 5 or less boys
  74. Tegan – 9 girls, 5 or less boys
  75. Tia – 23 girls, 5 or less boys
  76. Vivian – 19 girls, 5 or less boys
  77. Wendy – 8 girls, 5 or less boys
  78. Willow – 129 girls, 5 or less boys
  79. Winter – 22 girls, 5 or less boys

The most feminine unisex name is Ruby, which is #3 for girls and in very rare use for boys (quite possibly, no boys at all). Ruby does have some usage as an Australian male name in the 19th century.

Theoretically Unisex Names Only Used by Boys

  1. Adrian – 37 boys, 5 or less girls
  2. Aiden – 144 boys, 5 or less girls
  3. Ali – 65 or less boys, 5 or less girls
  4. Arlo – 28 boys, 5 or less girls
  5. Ash – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
  6. Beau – 75 boys, 5 or less girls
  7. Blake – 163 boys, 5 or less girls
  8. Bodhi – 19 boys, 5 or less girls
  9. Brodie – 55 or less boys, 5 or less girls
  10. Brody – 35 boys, 5 or less girls
  11. Cameron – 53 boys, 5 or less girls
  12. Campbell – 35 boys, 5 or less girls
  13. Chance – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
  14. Chase – 94 boys, 5 or less girls
  15. Chris – 18 boys, 5 or less girls
  16. Clancy – 13 boys, 5 or less girls
  17. Coby – 17 boys, 5 or less girls
  18. Cody – 48 boys, 5 or less girls
  19. Colby – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
  20. Cooper – 248 boys, 5 or less girls
  21. Dallas – 13 boys, 5 or less girls
  22. Dion – 12 boys, 5 or less girls
  23. Dusty – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
  24. Dylan – 146 boys, 5 or less girls
  25. Elliot – 41 boys, 5 or less girls
  26. Elliott – 24 boys, 5 or less girls
  27. Evan – 50 boys, 5 or less girls
  28. Ezra – 13 boys, 5 or less girls
  29. Finlay – 18 boys, 5 or less girls
  30. Finley – 23 boys, 5 or less girls
  31. Francis – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
  32. Harley – 53 boys, 5 or less girls
  33. Hayden – 119 boys, 5 or less girls
  34. James – 381 boys, 5 or less girls
  35. Jay – 18 boys, 5 or less girls
  36. Jesse – 65 boys, 5 or less girls
  37. Joey – 10 boys, 5 or less girls
  38. Jonty – 15 boys, 5 or less girls
  39. Jude – 60 boys, 5 or less girls
  40. Julian – 70 boys, 5 or less girls
  41. Kai – 89 boys, 5 or less girls
  42. Koby – 51 boys, 5 or less girls
  43. Kody – 10 boys, 5 or less girls
  44. Logan – 178 boys, 5 or less girls
  45. Luca – 113 boys, 5 or less girls
  46. Luka – 53 boys, 5 or less girls
  47. Mason – 266 boys, 5 or less girls
  48. Max – 283 boys, 5 or less girls
  49. Maxwell – 49 boys, 5 or less girls
  50. Memphis – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
  51. Micah – 32 boys, 5 or less girls
  52. Milan – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
  53. Miller – 21 boys, 5 or less girls
  54. Musa – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
  55. Myles – 16 boys, 5 or less girls
  56. Noah – 409 boys, 5 or less girls
  57. Oakley – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
  58. Parker – 31 boys, 5 or less girls
  59. Rafferty – 17 boys, 5 or less girls
  60. Reece – 17 boys, 5 or less girls
  61. Reed – 7 boys, 5 or less girls
  62. Reid – 9 boys, 5 or less girls
  63. Reilly – 6 boys, 5 or less girls
  64. Rory – 36 boys, 5 or less girls
  65. Rowan – 12 boys, 5 or less girls
  66. Ryan – 228 boys, 5 or less girls
  67. Sam – 66 boys, 5 or less girls
  68. Saxon – 26 boys, 5 or less girls
  69. Shane – 8 boys, 5 or less girls
  70. Sean – 32 boys, 5 or less girls
  71. Sidney – 7 boys, 5 or less girls
  72. Sunny – 12 boys, 5 or less girls
  73. Toby – 78 boys, 5 or less girls
  74. Tristan – 38 boys, 5 or less girls
  75. Troy – 9 boys, 5 or less girls
  76. Zion – 15 or less boys, 5 or less girls

The most masculine unisex name is Noah, which is #6 for boys, and very rare for girls (perhaps not used at all). Noah can also be a Hebrew name for girls, from a completely different derivation than the male name Noah. I was not able to find any women named Noah in Australian records, but this might be because the high volume of male ones obscured them.

So … how unisex is a unisex name? Disappointingly, the answer seems to be “not very”. Most unisex names are in fact used much more by one sex over another, and those that are given fairly equally to both boys and girls do not have a high level of use.

I see no reason why a boy cannot be called Sage, or a girl Memphis, but even these obviously unisex names are skewed either female or male in the data.

Some people worry that girls are “taking all the boys names“, which will lead to some kind of naming cataclysm of epic proportions. Others look forward to an era when parents feel free to choose whatever name they like, unconstrained by gender.

So far, there is little evidence of either this fear or hope coming into being. Although we all seem to know a boy named Jade or a girl named Arlo, their numbers are too insignificant to show up in the data.

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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)

Nova and Memphis

18 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in Birth Announcements

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866144-whyallaTwins

Allegra and Alexa (Aria)

Ashley Susan and Madison Aubree

Greyson Giuseppe and Elliott Gregory

Ollie Jay and Kai Reef (Baylen)

 

Girls

Astrid Jayne (Scarlett)

Billie Rosemarie Faye

Charli Haze

Edie Grace Marjorie

Evangeline Priscilla (Yasmine, Dion)

Hallie Zara (Cody)

Jemima Audrey Jane

Luna Rose

Marina Niamh

Mary Violet (Jack)

Milla Bo Jean (Joey, Eddy)

Nova Jean (Tex)

Remi Layne (Deegan, Cordell)

Summer Aileen Mary (Jaydyn, Jorja, Caytlyn, Ella, Lynley, Jackenzie)

Trinity Leah-Ruby (Silas, Logan)

 

Boys

Archie Ned

Blaize Kingston (Delainey)

Braxton Ashleigh (Sienna)

Buddy Solomon (Macy)

Cooper Arden

Elijah Leib

Kaisyu Owen (Daichi)

Kaito William

Kalden Khan (Dion, Erin, Jareth)

Lennox Keith (Indiana)

Mason Jarred

Memphis Edmond (Madeline, Ethan, Kynan)

Noah Wolf Serge

Oscar Bear

Zarin George Paul (Phoenix, Xayvian)

 

Most popular names this week:

Girls: Ava

Boys: Oliver

(Photo of Whyalla from My South Australia 2; image from Adelaide Now)

Celebrity Baby News: Zhenya and Lydia Tsvetnenko

17 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by in Celebrity Baby News

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Rich_6-600x400Businessman and software engineer Zhenya Tsvetnenko, and his wife Lydia, welcomed their first child on January 16, and have named their daughter Max Alice. Max Tsvetnenko was born at 2.47 am weighing nearly 3 kg (around 6lb 6oz).

Eugeni or “Zhenya” came to Australia from Russia as a child; his family arrived with $6000, speaking little English. He is now the richest young man in Western Australia, with an estimated fortune of $115 million made from selling mobile phone services. He wrote his own computer code at the age of 7, and began his first business while still at university, doing Russian-English translations. He never completed his engineering and electronics studies, but instead became an entrepreneur, first operating alone from his bedroom. He debuted on the BRW Young Rich List in 2009, won Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010, and the 40 Under 40 Award in 2011.

Lydia (nee Gaugg) has been successfully working in the fashion industry since she was a teenager, and currently co-owns the fashion house Zhivago. She also organises charity-based parties and events. Lydia and Zhenya met in a nightclub when he was still a university drop-out working for a software company. For 18 months, she supported him financially as he developed and programmed SMS gateway technology. The couple were married in 2008.

Zhenya and Lydia have enthusiastically embraced the lavish American celebrity lifestyle, partying with stars such as Hugh Hefner and Paris Hilton. Their baby name choice also seems quite Hollywood, because Jessica Simpson welcomed her daughter Maxwell last year.

 

Late Celebrity Baby News: Brett and Sheena Metcalfe

17 Thursday Jan 2013

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fa8420af4d97f9291763137f3d3f1d97Motocross star Brett Metcalfe, and his wife Sheena, welcomed their first child in the middle of last year and named their son Nash Ari.

Brett has been racing motorcycles since he was four years old. He began his pro racing career in 2001, and joined the American Motocross in 2003. In 2005, he won the US Open of Supercross. Brett’s father was also involved in racing, and his brother Shane is a motocross rider as well.

Brett met Sheena in the US; they were married in 2009 and live in southern California. Currently sidelined by injuries sustained last year, Brett and his family recently visited his home town in South Australia, catching up with friends and family over the Christmas break.

(Photo of the Metcalfes from Sheena’s Twitter account)

Famous Name: Rose

16 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Famous Names

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Gift_white_rosesThis Friday will be The Day of the Roses, which sounds lovely, but has a tragic meaning. January 18 this year marks the 36th anniversary of the Granville train  disaster, when a crowded train was derailed in a suburb of western Sydney, and hit the supports of a railway bridge. The bridge collapsed onto the train carriages, crushing the passengers inside. 83 people were killed, and more than 200 injured; it was then Australia’s worst peace time disaster, and is still the worst rail accident in Australian history.

The Granville Memorial Trust was established to commemorate the victims and to campaign for improvements to rail safety. Since the disaster, there has been a substantial increase in money spent maintaining the railways, and standards have improved. Each year on the anniversary of the crash, the Trust organises a memorial service, in which a bell rings 83 times, and 83 roses are thrown onto the railway tracks – one for each of the victims.

Rose is not the simple flower name it at first appears, for it began life as the Germanic name Hrodohaidis or Hrodheid, meaning “bright kind, famous kind” (kind in the sense of type, sort). It was the Normans who introduced it to Britain in the forms Roes, Rohais, Roheis and Rohese. The name Rohese was a fairly common one amongst the Norman nobility in England after the Conquest.

The form Rose began to be used by the early 1200s – even this early it was already being associated with the flower, whose name is French, derived from the Latin rosa. It goes back to an ancient word meaning “sweetbriar” (a wild rose also known as the eglantine rose).

Roses are tens of millions of years old, and have been grown in gardens for thousands of years – perhaps first in China, although they were grown in Persia, Babylon and ancient Egypt as well. The flower was sacred to the goddess Isis, and later the Greeks and Romans identified it with Aphrodite or Venus, so that it became seen as a blossom of beauty and eternal love – which is one reason why you are more likely to receive roses on Valentine’s Day than daisies or sweetpeas.

In medieval Christianity, roses became associated with the Virgin Mary, were carefully cultivated by monks, and in both Christian and Islamic mysticism, the rose can be a symbol of divine love. The rose is the national flower of England and the floral emblem of the United States; the red rose is the symbol of socialism; the white rose of peaceful resistance. The Romans used it as a symbol of secrecy, and to alchemists it meant balance and unity.

This ancient flower speaks to our hearts on so many different levels, and the rose has a richness of beauty we cannot help but admire. Yet it is mysterious too, and its thorns urge us to keep our distance, even while its loveliness attracts. Roses are by no means vain beauties, because they can be used to make perfumes, skin care products and medicines; rose hips can be made into jams, syrups and teas (in fact I am drinking a cup of it as I write). Rose petals are also edible.

We often think of Rose as being a quintessentially English name, and a beautiful Englishwoman is even called an “English rose”. Yet the name is also French, and Rose is Top 100 in France, as well as in England/Wales and Scotland.

In Australia, Rose is a classic which has always charted. It was #55 in 1900, and gradually fell until it left the Top 100 in the 1930s. It reached its lowest point in the 1970s, at #287, and after that began a stately rise, with its sharpest increase in the late 2000s. By 2008 it was near the bottom of the Top 100, and each year has continued to steadily gain. In 2011 it was #66 in New South Wales, and in Victoria and the ACT it has proved to be one of the names with the most growth during 2012. Rose is also extremely popular as a middle name.

Rose is an overwhelmingly feminine name, yet isn’t frilly. It’s both sensual and sensible, possessing the ripeness of a mature woman rather than a frivolous girl. It’s a short name, yet doesn’t seem abrupt or harsh but rather, soft and velvety as one of its own petals. Despite being an English word, there are many international variants of Rose, and it is easily understood in other countries. It is a name from fairy tale, reminding us of Briar Rose, the sleeping beauty, and Rose-Red, the vivid sister of fair Snow-White – and yet it also has a practical and wholesome appeal.

Increasing numbers of parents are choosing the name Rose for their daughters. In The Little Prince, the prince, who is in love with the only rose on his planet, cries in dismay when he comes to Earth and sees dozens of rose bushes; he has given his heart to something special, and found it commonplace. But a wise fox teaches him that his rose is unique, because it is the only one that he loves. There may be a garden of Roses in the world, but only one Rose who blooms there will be the one in your heart.

POLL RESULT: Rose received an approval rating of 86%, making it one of the most highly esteemed names of the year. The name Rose was judged to be beautiful and feminine (54%) and pretty and wholesome (21%), although 7% thought it was better left in the middle position. Nobody thought that the name Rose was boring.

Celebrity Baby News: Bryan and Kim Norrie

14 Monday Jan 2013

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539925-bryan-norrieNRL footballer Bryan Norrie, and his wife Kim, welcomed their son Brody Michael on January 3. Brody Norrie was born weighing about 3.7 kg (just over 8 pounds).

Bryan has been playing rugby league professionally since 2004, and began his career with the St George Illawarra Dragons. He has been with the Melbourne Storm since 2010.

This makes Brody Norrie the first celebrity baby for 2012, with Bo Blackwell the first celebrity girl baby.

 

Waltzing with … Sullivan

13 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in Waltzing with ...

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thesullivansfamilynewWe are now about halfway through the summer holidays. Despite your best intentions that every day of the holidays will be productive, rewarding, and jam-packed with memorably fun activities, there always seems to come at least one day where you find yourselves slumped in front of the air conditioner watching non-ratings season re-runs on TV. Perhaps this is what has inspired me to cover a name from Australian television.

The Sullivans is one of Australia’s most successful soap operas. First aired in 1976, it centred on an ordinary middle-class Melbourne family, and the effects that World War II had on it. The war gave endless opportunities for dramatic plot-lines; various members of the Sullivan family, and their friends and neighbours, went off to battle, worked as nurses, opposed the war, developed psychological problems, married people from different countries, got divorced, committed suicide, were lost at sea, ran the black market, went to prison, were interned as enemy aliens, shot by the Nazis, killed by bombs during the London Blitz, and had to adapt to peace-time conditions.

The show’s producers went to great lengths to ensure historical and cultural accuracy. Not only did the sets use authentic period furniture, but even the weather in the show mirrored that which actually occurred on each day during the war. This attention to detail and high production standards, not to mention a new nostalgia for the recent past, made the show a success.

A consistent ratings winner which gained the acclaim of the critics, it won five Logie Awards in 1978 and was the first Australian drama series to be sold overseas; more than 45 countries broadcast The Sullivans, where it was most popular in the United Kingdom. It made a star of Lorraine Bayly, who played dignified matriarch Grace Sullivan, and employed dozens of Australasian actors in supporting roles. Like all good soaps, it provided a testing ground for young actors, and it was on the set of The Sullivans that later big names such as Mel Gibson, Kerry Armstrong, Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Sam Neill, Gary Sweet and Sigrid Thornton gained early experience.

Ratings for the show suffered after fan favourite Grace Sullivan was killed off, and as time went on, the war finished and most of the main characters were dead or had otherwise been written out. There was some talk of continuing the story into the 1950s and showing how Australia changed in the post-war era, but it was decided to let it come to an end in 1983.

Sullivan is an Anglicisation of the Irish surname O’Sullivan, which means “grandson of Súilleabhán”. The meaning of Súilleabhán is disputed, but one theory is that it means “dark eyed”. There are also Sullivans whose family name is derived from Súileacháin, meaning “quick eyed”.

The O’Sullivans originated in County Tipperary, and the original Súilleabhán was a direct descendant of one of the kings of Munster, so his dynasty is of royal blood. The O’Sullivans also claim descent from the first Celts to colonise Ireland, migrating there from northern Spain in 800 BC.

Although this story is mythological, it does have some truth to it, for DNA studies show that the Celts of Britain and Ireland (all Celts, not just the O’Sullivans!) are descended from a tribe of Iberian fisherfolk who migrated there about 6000 years ago, and formed what is considered to be the indigenous population of the British Isles. In fact, nearly everyone in Britain is descended from them, and any of us who have British and Irish ancestry are too.

Famous Australians Sullivans include Pat Sullivan, who helped create Felix the cat; Victoria Cross recipient Arthur Sullivan; Olympic swimmer Eamon Sullivan; and Paralympic athlete Tim Sullivan. Actor Sullivan Stapleton, who starred in Animal Kingdom, is a rare example of it as a first name.

Sullivan has never charted in Australia, and only a few with the name can be found in old records, although it is reasonably common as a middle name. In 2012, there were 16 baby boys given the name Sullivan in Victoria. In the US, it is #524 and rising briskly up the rankings; in England/Wales, it is #970, and also trending upward.

Last year country music singer Melinda Schneider welcomed a son named Sullivan James Gable, and this may help raise the name’s profile in Australia.

Sullivan is a name from Australian popular culture, and more specifically, it is one from Melbourne, where The Sullivans was set and filmed. It feels modern, yet at the same time rather nostalgic, looking back to the 1970s and ’80s – who in turn were looking back with nostalgia at the 1940s.

Irish-surnames-as-first names are a great favourite in Australia, as in other countries where a significant proportion of the population claim Irish heritage. For those wanting something more unexpected than old favourites like Ryan or Darcy, I think Sullivan fits the bill of being something that’s recognised as a “real name”, while still underused. Sully or Van could be used as nicknames.

Name Combinations for Sullivan

Sullivan James, Sullivan Kelly, Sullivan Lucas, Sullivan Maddox, Sullivan Patrick, Sullivan Thomas

Brothers for Sullivan

Beckett, Cooper, Finlay, Oscar, Ronan, Toby

Sisters for Sullivan

Aisling, Emerson, Isla, Kenzie, Maeve, Violet

Note: Middle names and sibling names partially based on real life examples

POLL RESULT: Sullivan received an approval rating of 96% – the highest-rated featured boys name of 2013, and the highest-rated overall. 40% of people thought it was okay, and nobody disliked it.

(Picture is a publicity shot from The Sullivans; photo from fan site)

2012 Name Trends in Victoria – Boys

12 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by in Name Data

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Biggest Movers Up

  1. Jaxon +37
  2. Braxton and Hudson +20 (Braxton at least this amount)
  3. Flynn +17
  4. Tyson +15 at least
  5. Nate +12
  6. Alex, Logan, Patrick and Spencer +11 (Spencer at least this amount)
  7. Archer and Hugo +10
  8. Declan, Dylan, Hunter and Isaac +9
  9. Alexander, Anthony and Lincoln +8 (Lincoln at least this amount)
  10. Archie, Edward and Toby +7 (Toby at least this amount)

Although Jackson went down slightly, Jaxon boomed – everything seems better when you spell it with an X; new boy Braxton provides a spin on this idea. Celebrity babies Hudson Sebastian and Flynn Bloom seem to have been influential, and new-to-the-charts Spencer almost seems like another royal name (one that has been repeatedly suggested by the public for the royal baby, I might add). Alexander and his short form Alex both did well, and so did Archer and Archie. The Cool Celtics for 2012 were Patrick, Declan and Dylan; the Elegant English were Anthony, Edward, Hugo and Toby. Back on the charts were Lincoln, much in the movies, and Tyson – Mike Tyson made a promotional visit to Australia in 2012. Isaac seems to be the only Old Testament name still gaining ground.

Biggest Movers Down

  1. Jake and Zac -22
  2. Darcy -20
  3. Aaron and Gabriel -17
  4. Nathan -16
  5. Nicholas -14
  6. Adam and Eli -12
  7. Hamish and Luke -11
  8. Aiden and Connor -9
  9. Ashton -7
  10. Jordan -6

Biggest losers were short forms Jake and Zac; while Jacob held steady, Zachary also fell. Old Testament names Aaron, Gabriel, Nathan and Eli fell – so did Adam, even as Eve rose. The River Jordan means “flowing down”, which is exactly what happened. The Celtic names that dropped were Darcy, Hamish, Connor and Aiden; likewise to the ACT, Aidan also fell, contrariwise, Jayden fell, Hayden rose.

No Change in Position

  • Jack (1)
  • William (2)
  • Oliver (3)
  • Ethan (4)
  • James (7)
  • Lucas (8)
  • Cooper (11)
  • Xavier (13)
  • Max (14)
  • Samuel (16)
  • Jacob (21)
  • Ryan (24)
  • Blake (37)
  • Angus (41)
  • Marcus (63)
  • Caleb (77)
  • Kai (78)

Sixty percent of the Top Ten names were unchanged, and so many boys names remained at the same position that I checked to see if I’d opened the 2011 list by mistake.

Back on the List

  • Tyson (86)
  • Lincoln (93)
  • Toby (94)
  • Christopher (99)

New to the List

  • Braxton (81)
  • Spencer (90)
  • Felix (96)

2012 Name Trends in Victoria – Girls

12 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by in Name Data

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Biggest Movers Up

  1. Harper +72 at least
  2. Bella +35
  3. Mackenzie +34
  4. Pippa +28 at least
  5. Ebony +21 at least
  6. Victoria +21
  7. Mila +20
  8. Rose +20
  9. Paige +18
  10. Sophia +15

Also Up

Alexandra, Audrey, Ava and Evelyn, Eva and Eve, Eden, Emily, Layla, Kayla, Elizabeth, Isla, Savannah, Sofia, Bonnie, Millie, Billie, Charlie, Willow, Sara, Natalie, Kiara, Madeleine, Maddison, Maya, Mia, Molly, Zoe

Up Slightly

Alice, Eliza, Emma, Evie, Gemma, Hayley, Imogen, Isabelle, Jade, Jasmine, Lola, Ruby, Scarlett, Sophie, Stella, Stephanie, Summer

Victoria Beckham’s daughter Harper seems to have made a real impression on Victorian parents, and Mrs Beckham’s own name was also one of the biggest risers. You can see Victoria and Sophia as “royal sounding” names, but commoner Pippa Middleton seems to have won more hearts than any of the royals (although Elizabeth, Isla and Savannah all went up the charts). Isabella may have gone down, but Bella is surging upward. Eden and Eve seem inspired by Genesis, and while flower names in general seem to have wilted slightly, the lovely Rose is blooming. Back in the charts with a bang were long-time favourites Ebony and Kayla, who obviously have life in them yet.

Biggest Movers Down

  1. Samantha -68
  2. Abbey -43
  3. Amelie -30
  4. Isabel -30
  5. Mikayla -37
  6. Caitlin -27
  7. Holly -27
  8. Charli -20
  9. Lara -20
  10. Anna -19

Also Down

Abigail and Abby, Alana, Alexis, Alyssa, Amber, Angelina, Addison, Annabelle, Isabella, Caitlin, Claire, Georgia, Heidi, Daisy, Poppy, Violet, Olive, Lily, Lilly, Leah, Lucy, Madeline, Ella, Ellie, Jessica, Sienna, Zara

 

Down Slightly

Amy, Charlotte, Grace, Madison, Olivia, Phoebe, Tahlia

Samantha dropped the most places at 68, and fell off the list altogether. The #2 biggest fall from Abbey also took off her list, and Abby and Abigail fell too. In fact, A names in general didn’t do so well, with Amelie and Alana dropping from the list, and Addison, Anna and Alyssa falling significantly. Olive only debuted last year, and is already falling – perhaps a bit of “getting too popular” jitters, or another plant name to suffer; Daisy dropped her petals and her place on the list. Lara was the biggest riser in the ACT, but the name of Sydney socialite Lara Bingle fell 20 places in Victoria. While Kayla bounced back, Mikayla plunged.

No Change in Position

  • Chloe (4)
  • Amelia (8)
  • Matilda (16)
  • Hannah (20)
  • Ivy (27)
  • Milla (35)
  • Piper (75)
  • Indiana (78)

New to the List

  • Harper (29)
  • Pippa (73)
  • Billie (97)
  • Millie (99)
  • Bonnie (100)

While the celebrity names did best out of the newbies, down the bottom of the list are sweet retro names Bonnie and Millie, and Billie, which sounds like a cross between them. Millie and Bonnie have both been steadily rising in NSW, but I expected them to make the Top 100 in Victoria first. They managed to squeak in and prove me right by a whisker.

Back on the List

  • Ebony (80)
  • Kayla (88)
  • Sara (90)
  • Natalie (91)
  • Kiara (95)

Gone from the List

  • Amelie (64)
  • Mikayla (67)
  • Alana (73)
  • Samantha (75)
  • Caitlin (77)
  • Abbey (78)
  • Abby (98)
  • Angelina (98)
  • Daisy (98)