Tag Archives: Appellation Mountain

Take Five For Waltzing More Than Matilda’s Fifth Birthday!

14 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by in Blog News

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Yesterday marked five years since I started Waltzing More Than Matilda. Time seems to have flown while I had fun, because it feels as if I have only just started, and still have lots to learn. For my fifth blogging anniversary, here are the top five results in various categories from Waltzing More Than Matilda.

Waltzing With … Names
Waltzing With … Taiga
Waltzing With … Archibald
Waltzing With … Lawson
Waltzing With … Mary
Waltzing With … Sunniva

Famous and Requested Names
Famous Name: Barack
Famous Name: Adelaide
Famous Name: Molly
Requested Famous Name: Banjo
Requested Name: Dimity

Names from Name Lists
Girls Names of Australian Aboriginal Origin
Girls Names From Stars and Constellations
Boys Names From Stars and Constellations
Boys Names of Australian Aboriginal Origin
Names of Convicts on the First Fleet

Articles
Upper Class Baby Names
Finding Baby Names to Match Your Surname
You Can’t Call it That: What the Law Says About Naming Baby
What Happens if You Don’t Register Your Baby’s Name?
Choosing Between Two Baby Names

Celebrity Babies
Virginia Trioli and Russell Skelton
Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Mick and Angie Molloy
Leigh Sales and Phil Willis
Livinia Nixon and Alistair Jack

Celebrity Sibsets
Brody Dalle and Josh Homme
Dave Hughes
Richard Roxburgh and Silvia Colloca
Kate Langbroek
The Daddo Brothers

Name Help
A Girl’s Name From an Aboriginal Language Meaning “Star”
Can You Suggest an Old-Fashioned Sibling Name That’s Nickname-Proof?
Can You Suggest Any Vintage Names for This Couple?
Is Margot the Next Big Thing?
Can You Suggest an Australian-Themed Name for the Third Triplet?

Interviews
Bewitching Names
Swistle
You Can’t Call It “It”!
Appellation Mountain
For Real Baby Names

Most Commented Articles
What Do You Think of These Names for Twin Girls?
Girls Names Which Rose in Popularity in 2012
Is Cressida a Girl Name or a Car Name?
Why Your Child Will Hate Their Name
Underused Names for Girls

Favourite Pictures (most often clicked on)
The Turnbull Family Wedding
The Newton Family Christening
Kangaroo at Lucky Bay
Japanese Tiger
Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom

Top Referrers (you most likely came here from ….)
Search engines
Facebook
Appellation Mountain
Nameberry
Wikipedia

Top Clicks (you most likely leave my site to go to ….)
The Herald Sun
The Australian
Nameberry
Twitter
The Sydney Morning Herald

Favourite Blogs on Blog Roll (most often clicked on)
Appellation Mountain
Baby Name Pondering
Upswing Baby Names
For Real Baby Names
British Baby Names

Top Countries (you are most likely in …)
Australia
United States
United Kingdom
Canada
New Zealand

Top Search Terms
waltzing more than matilda
flynn christopher bloom
virginia trioli baby
lynette bolton
sydney

Top Names Searched For
Hazel
Ruby
Ella
Olivia
Rose

Top Commenters
Prue
Clare
Ebony
Madelyn
Nana Patricia

Thank you to all my readers, subscribers, followers, and commenters for five years of enjoyable blogging! And have a happy Valentine’s Day!

From Mary to Olivia: Life Cycles of the #1 Girls Names in New South Wales

05 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by in Naming Issues

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Recently Abby from Appellation Mountain had a great article on the #1 girls names in the United States – such a good idea that I had to steal it! As we don’t have national data stretching back to the turn of the century, I’ve looked at the #1 girls names in New South Wales, since it is the most populous state, and has the best data. Annual data is only available from 1960, so until then the #1 names are for the decade only.

Mary 1900s and 1910s
The #1 name of the 1900s and 1910s (previous history unknown, but in the UK was #1 for the second half of the 19th century). Left the Top 10 in the 1940s, and the Top 100 in 2009. 2011 position was #101. Mary was the overall #1 girls’ name of the twentieth century.

Betty 1920s
Was #276 in the 1900s. Joined the Top 100 in the 1910s at #62 – sudden increase in popularity correlates with matinee idol Betty Blythe starting her film career. Shot up to #1 in the 1920s, the peak era for Blythe. Left the Top 10 in 1940, and the Top 100 in 1950. Left the charts in the 1990s.

Margaret 1930s and 1940s
Was #6 in the 1900s (previous history unknown, but in the UK had been stable in the Top 10 for the second half of the 19th century). Made #1 for both the 1930s and 1940s, coinciding with the early life of Princess Margaret. Left the Top 10 in the 1960s, and the Top 100 in 1970s; Princess Margaret attracted some controversy at this time. Failed to chart in 2010, but in 2011 was #428 – higher than before the drop. Margaret is the overall #1 girls’ name in Australian history.

Susan 1950s
Was #149 in the 1900s. Joined the Top 100 in the 1940s at #14 – sudden increase in popularity correlates with actress Susan Hayward starting her career. The #1 name of the 1950s, the peak of Susan Hayward’s career. Left the Top 10 in the 1970s, and the Top 100 in the 1980s. Although in steady use for many years, it failed to chart in 2011.

Jennifer 1960-62
Joined the charts and Top 100 in the 1930s at #75. Surged in popularity during the 1940s, correlating to career success of actress Jennifer Jones. Was #1 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Left the Top 10 in 1970, and the Top 50 in 1995. Left the Top 100 in 2005. 2011 position was 260 and stable.

Karen 1963 to 1966
Joined the charts in the 1940s at #104 and the Top 100 in the 1950s at #13. By 1960 it was Top 10, and overall Karen was the most popular girls’ name of the 1960s. Left the Top 10 in 1977, and the Top 50 in 1983, leaving the Top 100 in 1987. Sudden drop in popularity correlates with the death of singer Karen Carpenter from anorexia nervosa, and the death of Karen Ann Quinlan, who had been in a long-term coma after a radical starvation diet. Left the charts in 2009, but made a slight recovery in 2011, ranking #631.

Michelle 1967-72 and 1974-75
First charted in the 1940s at #248 and joined the Top 100 in the 1950s at #52. By 1960 it had reached #18, and was in the Top 10 by 1961. Reached #1 in 1967, when The Beatles song Michelle won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Michelle reached #1 again in the mid 1970s, the most popular girls’ name of that decade. Left the Top 10 in 1985, the Top 50 in 1995, and the Top 100 in 2003. 2011 position was 233 and stable.

Kylie 1973
Joined the charts and Top 100 in 1965 at #93. Reached the Top 50 in 1968, and the Top 10 in 1970. Left the Top 10 in 1982, but managed to get back into it in 1987, the year of Kylie Minogue’s onscreen wedding to Jason Donovan in soap opera Neighbours. Left the Top 50 in 1989 and the Top 100 in 1990 – sudden fall in popularity correlates with Mary-Anne Fahey appearing as grouchy schoolgirl Kylie Mole in The Comedy Company television show. Left the charts in the late 2000s.

Rebecca 1976 to 1982
Was #179 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1930s. Made a comeback in the 1940s at #366, the same decade that Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rebecca was released. Joined the Top 100 in 1966 at #93, and the Top 50 in 1969. Joined the Top 10 in 1972, and was #1 four years later, staying in the top spot for eight years. Left the Top 10 in 1998, and the Top 50 in 2004. Left the Top 100 in 2008 – sudden fall in popularity correlates with actress Rebecca “Bec” Cartright leaving soap opera Home and Away. 2011 position was 188 and stable.

Sarah 1983
Has been on the charts since the 1900s, falling to its lowest level in the 1940s at #284. Began rising in the 1950s, and joined the Top 100 in 1964 at #98. Joined the Top 50 in 1970, and the Top 10 in 1976. Despite only being #1 for one year, Sarah was overall the most popular girls’ name of the 1980s. Left the Top 10 in 2005. Currently #44.

Jessica 1984-97 and 2000-01
Joined the charts in the 1960s at #437; similarity to Jennifer probably a major factor. Joined the Top 100 in 1976 at #97, and the Top 50 in 1979. Joined the Top 10 in 1982, spending thirteen consecutive years at #1 and managing to get there again at the start of the 2000s. Overall Jessica was the most popular girls’ name of the 1990s. Left the Top 10 in 2008. Currently #40.

Emily 1998-99 and 2002-2004
Has been on the charts since the 1900s, falling to its lowest level in the 1950s at #455. Began rising in the 1960s, and joined the Top 100 in 1977 at #77. Joined the Top 50 in 1981, and the Top 10 in 1989. Made #1 twice for a total of five years between 1998 and 2004, and was overall the most popular girls’ name of the 2000s. Currently #6.

Olivia 2005 and 2014
Joined the charts and Top 100 in 1978 at #65, the year that Newton-John starred as as Sandy in the movie Grease. Joined the Top 50 in 1990, and Top 10 in 1998. Currently #1 again, correlating with a busy period for actress Olivia Wilde.

Chloe 2006 and 2011
Joined the charts in the 1970s at #674, the decade when French fashion house Chloé was at its peak. Joined the Top 100 in 1985 at #98, the same year that actress Candice Bergen welcomed a daughter named Chloe. Joined the Top 50 in 1986 – sudden rise in popularity correlates with the birth of Olivia Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi. Joined the Top 10 in 1996 and was #1 ten years later. Made #1 again in 2011, a key year for young actress Chloe Moretz. Currently #7.

Isabella 2007 and 2009-10
Has been on the charts since the 1900s, dropping off in the 1950s and the 1970s. Came back in the 1980s at #499, after actress Isabella Rossellini began her career in American films. Joined the Top 100 in 1993 at #78 and the Top 50 in 1994 – sudden surge in popularity correlates with actress Nicole Kidman welcoming a daughter named Isabella by adoption. Joined the Top 10 in 1998. Reaching #1 in 2007, it was back again in 2009, the year after the first Twilight film, with Kristen Stewart as Isabella “Bella” Swan. Currently #9.

Mia 2008
Joined the charts in the 1960s at #464 for the decade, the era when Maria “Mia” Farrow, daughter of Australian director John Farrow, began her career on soap opera Peyton Place. It joined the Top 100 in 1997 and the Top 50 in 2003 – sudden massive surge in popularity correlates with The Princess Diaries being released on DVD, with Anne Hathaway as Princess Mia. Joined the Top 10 in 2005, and was #1 for one year. Currently #2.

Ruby 2012
Was #21 in the 1900s and left the charts in the 1950s. Came back in the 1980s, at 548, the decade comedian Ruby Wax began her career on British TV. Joined the Top 100 in 1996 at #100, and the Top 50 in 1998 – sudden surge in popularity correlates with Ruby Wax getting her own interview show. Joined the Top 10 in 2010, just after the name Ruby was chosen for a baby on hit drama series, Packed to the Rafters. Two years later it was #1. Currently #8.

Charlotte 2013
Was #96 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1940s. Came back in the 1960s at #513, just as actress Charlotte Rampling began her career. Joined the Top 100 in 1989 at #86, and the Top 50 in 1998. Joined the Top 10 in 2003, and was #1 a decade later. Charlotte is currently #3.

What do the #1 names have in common? They include classics and retro names, but many had never appeared on the charts before they began their ascent to the top.

The amount of time it took to go from obscurity to popularity varied. Some leaped straight from nowhere into the Top 100, while others took decades – Mia had around 30 years between appearing on the charts and joining the Top 100. The average was 13 years.

One thing that nearly all the names had in common was the swiftness with which they went from the bottom half of the Top 100 into the Top 50: the average amount of time it took was just four years, and some managed it in a single year. The longest was Olivia, which took 12 years to get into the Top 50.

Once in the Top 10, the longest any names took to reach #1 was ten years. It took them at least two years before they reached the #1 spot, with the fastest being Jessica and Ruby. The average was six years.

Having made #1, names tended to stay in the Top 10 for a while, an average of twelve years. It took Kylie 17 years to finally leave the Top 10 for good, while Jessica was gone in just seven.

After they left the Top 10, most names were fairly quick to depart the Top 100, except Jennifer, which had 35 years of further popularity. Kylie had just three. Most of the names remained in reasonable use, so #1 names don’t usually become horribly dated, unless they become associated with something unpleasant or comical.

Can we draw any inferences for the future? It’s apparent that the nature of the #1 name has changed – the days of one name being at the top for several years are over. The change set in around the mid-2000s, which is when we all became a lot more conscious about name popularity. Since then, it seems as if being #1 is a job-sharing position, with several Top 10 names taking it in turns to wear the crown.

Could other current Top 10 names get to #1? Ava reached the Top 10 in 2008 and Amelia in 2009, so they still have until 2018 and 2019 to make the ten year deadline. However, Sophie joined in 2004, so time has run out – she should have been #1 last year if we accept a ten-year time-frame.

Speed of rising is a predictor of potential #1 success. If we look at names currently rising, Aria and Evelyn look like possibilities for the future, taking just 2 years to go from the bottom of the Top 100 to the Top 50. Harper, Isla and Ivy seem even more likely, as they took only one year.

Maybe that’s making parents of Arias and Islas feel a little nervous, but there’s one thing to remember: out of all the names given to babies in New South Wales since 1900, most didn’t get to #1. In other words, whatever name you love, the odds are on your side that it will never become the most popular name of the year.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite #1 girl’s name was Charlotte, gaining 20% of the vote. The least favourite was Michelle, which nobody voted for.

Famous Name: Roxanne

20 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Famous Names

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tumblr_mdn8en8PGI1qa13pro1_1280Ebony at Babynameobsessed has a series called Names From My Childhood, and Abby recently had a post on girls names from 1980s television at Appellation Mountain. So I thought I would cover a 1980s name from my TV-watching childhood.

I was slightly hampered as a young television viewer, because I grew up in a rural area which only had one channel, and my family’s home was in some kind of TV black spot which meant we couldn’t get any television reception at all. However, I had friends and relatives within walking and cycling distance, so rather than get home from school and slump in front of the box, I got home from school, jumped on my bike, pedalled furiously, then slumped in front of the box.

Of course, I had to pretty much watch whatever other people had on, and my young cousins used to tune in to the long-running puppet show Mr Squiggle, where a cheery pencil-nosed man from the moon turned children’s squiggles into recognisable pictures. Mr Squiggle had a human assistant, and as it was on air for fifty years, you can tell someone’s age from the assistant they watched. Baby Boomers loved Miss Pat, Gen Xers were Miss Jane fans, while for my cousins it was Roxanne all the way.

Slightly embarrassing to admit, but while Abby was (apparently) watching Dallas and Dynasty, I was enjoying kiddie puppet shows!

Roxanne is a variant of Roxane, a French form of Roxana. Roxana is the Latinised form of the name Roshanak; a Bactrian name derived from the Avestan language of East Iran, meaning “bright, shining, radiant”. It can be understood as “luminous beauty”, “lovely flame”, or “shining star”, and this is one of the many names which have the meaning of “light” behind them. Roshanak is still a common girl’s name in Iran.

The name has become well known to us due to one woman – a Bactrian princess who became the wife of Alexander the Great. Roxana was from the ancient city of Balkh, now a small town in northern Afghanistan, and she met Alexander when he conquered the fort she was hiding in.

It is said that Alexander fell for Roxana on sight, and according to the Macedonians she was the one of the loveliest women they had seen in Asia. Despite strong opposition from his generals, Alexander married Roxana.

Instead of marrying purely for political ends, Alexander married for love, because he is said to have been infatuated with the beautiful Roxana. For her part, Roxana was pleased that her new husband didn’t force himself upon her at once, but actually made an effort to get to know her as a person (which tells you what marriage in the ancient world was generally like).

After Alexander died, Roxana bore him a posthumous son, also Alexander. To protect her position and that of her son, she murdered Alexander’s second wife Stateira, married for reasons of diplomacy, and probably his third wife as well, who was Stateira’s cousin. Roxana and her son were assassinated themselves in the power struggles following Alexander’s death.

Roxana’s romantic story was told in Nathaniel Lee’s 17th century tragedy, The Rival Queens, or the Death of Alexander the Great. The play was a huge hit right into the 19th century, and actresses who were jealous of each other were often cast in the lead roles, to add extra spice to the performance.

The name received a further boost from Daniel Defoe’s 18th century novel, Roxana, about a woman who falls into prostitution but gains freedom by marrying for money. Although a murderer and a prostitute/gold digger may not seem like appealing namesakes, they were strong, independent female characters, and Roxana became established as an English name in the 18th century.

The French form became well known through Edmond Rostand’s 19th century play Cyrano de Bergerac, where Roxane is the beautiful woman Cyrano longs for and woos for another, falsely believing she could never love an “ugly” man like himself.

Roxanne first ranked in the charts in the 1950s, after the 1950 film version of Cyrano de Bergerac, with Mala Powers in the role of Roxane; Roxanne debuted at #364 that decade. Roxanne was #282 in the 1960s, sank to #424 in the 1970s, and peaked in the 1980s at #272.

The 1980s put the focus on the name Roxanne for a few reasons. The hit song Roxanne was recorded by The Police in 1978 and re-released in 1979; Sting was inspired to write the song by the prostitutes around the band’s hotel in Paris. An old poster for Cyrano de Bergerac was hanging in the hotel’s foyer, which is where the name Roxanne came from. Not only popular in the charts of 1979-80, the pop classic Roxanne has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and was remixed into El Tango de Roxanne in Moulin Rouge.

In the mid-1980s, the world of hip-hop went through The Roxanne Wars, where a series of “answer records” were released, inspired by UTFO’s Roxanne, Roxanne. Because of UTFO’s non-appearance at a show, teenager (Lolita) Roxanne Shante brought out Roxanne’s Revenge in answer. There were perhaps as many 100 answer records during the Roxanne Wars, and even a dance, as referenced in Do the Roxanne. So chances are you know at least one 1980s song with Roxanne in the title!

You might not think that a prostitute and a (rather silly and contrived) musical rivalry would be of much help to a name’s popularity, but as we’ve seen, a prostitute and a rather silly and contrived stage rivalry is exactly how Roxana became established in the 18th century. History repeats.

And keeps repeating. Towards the end of the 1980s, the movie Roxanne came out with Daryl Hannah in the title role: a clever rom-com remake of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, which gave the tragedy an upbeat ending. In the movie, Roxanne is a brainy astronomer.

After the 1980s, the name Roxanne plummeted, and left the charts completely in the early 2000s. You might say this name is dated, and could claim it as a trendy name, but as Roxanne never became popular, it still seems usable – in fact celebrity parents Toby Allen and Darren Weller chose it as their daughter’s name.

Roxanne has a fashionable X in it, while the -anne at the end makes it seem like one of the many Anne names. I have seen a couple of babies named Roxy, maybe influenced by celebrity mum Roxy Jacenko, and Rocky would make a cool tough-girl nickname.

POLL RESULTS
Roxanne received an approval rating of 51%. 16% of people saw Roxanne as too dated and 1980s, but 15% thought it was strong and sexy.

 

Gemma and Jewel

06 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by in Birth Announcements

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Twins
Luella Miette and Emmeline Maeve

Girls
Alina Dawn (Nicholas, Kiara)
Anika Josephine (Tane, Kieran)
Bonnie Lola
Camilla Elizabeth (Gus, Claudia)
Coco Zara
Doreen “Dora”
Eriana Jade
Essie Florence (Henry)
Gemma Catherine
Greta Geni
Halle Sofia (Rafael)
Isabelle Rosalie (Eva)
Ivy Meyer
Jewel Grace (Chanel)
Kora Mae
Luna Piper
Lydia Ashleigh (Kyra)
Matia Rose (Charli)
Orla McIntosh
Pia Joan (Lenny)

Boys
Ash Julian (Tori, Taj)
Axel William
Beau Francis
Billy McGuffie
Callan George (Hayden)
Chaz Isaac (Zoe, Ikaia, Levi)
Dominik Ivan (Abbey, Sammi, Luka, Hudson)
Ewan Jack (Milla)
Finnlay Karoly (Cailin, Riley)
Harry Lennox
Innes James (Leliyn, Maya)
Jack Dao (Frances)
Jase Leo (Thomas)
KC Robald
Kiah Aaron (Caitlin, Jacob, Sophia)
Kingsley Ryan
Miller Thomas (Charlotte)
Monty Carlin (Saylah, Maya, Elky)
Nash Kyle (Quinn, Archer)
Tanner Reid (Harry, Kaden, Jarran)

Note: Thank you to Abby Sandel from Appellation Mountain for contributing the twins’ names via Twitter.

(Photo of little girls having a tea party from Tiger Tribe toy company, from their Facebook page)

What I Know About Australian Names

09 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by in Naming Issues

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1000posts

This will be my 1000th blog post since I started blogging nearly three years ago in 2011 – something which fills me with a certain amount of awe, coupled with a strong feeling I may have posted too often!

When Abby from Appellation Mountain reached her 1000th blog post in 2010, she decided to share a few of the things she had learned about names as a blogger. I thought about doing that, then realised how embarrassing it would be to admit how little I knew to begin with. And I’ve learned so many things that I’d need another blog with 1000 blog posts to explain all that I’ve learned writing this blog.

So instead I will share a few things I have learned about Australian names.

1. Australia, like other countries, has its own unique name trends

Matilda, Lachlan and Banjo mean more to us than in other countries. Darcy is a boy’s name here, Asher is unisex, and Avery is only for girls. We have a special connection with Talia, but prefer to spell it Tahlia.

Adrian was popular here for much longer than in other countries; Mitchell and Chelsea are still popular here while they have disappeared from the Top 100s of other places; Mervyn and Dulcie were only ever popular in Australia, while Derek and Gillian never became popular here.

Because of our relatively small population size, name trends often show up earlier in Australia than elsewhere, so that names such as Isabella and Jayden were Top 100 here long before anywhere else. Does that mean that current Australian favourites like Amity and Braxton will become popular elsewhere? Only time will tell!

Although Australia’s name trends are heavily influenced by both the UK and US, and sometimes by Europe, only one country can claim to be our baby name twin, and that is New Zealand. It’s seldom acknowledged, but we share more than 70% of our popular names with our Trans-Tasman cousins.

2. Every state and territory is a little different when it comes to names

Queensland is crazy for royal baby names – any name chosen by royalty will invariably rise in popularity this state. New South Wales is the only state with Arabic names in the Top 100 – Muhammad would be in the Top 30 there if all spellings were combined. Tasmanians adore vintage names, Western Australians tend to shun the classics for the contemporary, the Northern Territory has many names of Indigenous significance, and South Australians love a quirky middle name. The ACT has the strictest naming laws, and are therefore the most conservative at choosing baby names. Victorians are the name nerds of Australia – they are deeply interested in name trends, worry about popularity, and are the most likely to announce their baby’s name in the newspapers. I probably couldn’t function (as a blogger) without them.

3. Rural and regional Australians are the best at choosing interesting names

I love name stories and birth notices from country Australia, because they always have the most diverse selection of names, and the most unusual names and colourful name combinations. If it wasn’t for local newspapers, I don’t think I could keep doing the Birth Announcements each week.

4. Australians are patriotic namers

When I first started Waltzing More Than Matilda, I couldn’t help wondering if anyone would be interested in a blog about Australian names, and more importantly, I wasn’t sure if Australians would be interested!

Happily, my doubts have been proven wrong, because every day people come to the blog searching for Indigenous Australian names, names of Australian plants, names of Australian towns and cities, names of famous Australians, and asking for “patriotic Australian names” to use for their son or daughter.

It seems that there are many people at least considering a name with an Australian “flavour” for their children.

5. Australian parents are AWESOME namers!

There’s a vocal, mean-spirited and ignorant group of people who think it’s fun (or funny) to insist that Australians are too stupid or tasteless to be allowed to name their own children. According to this mob, who often seem to work in the media, you only have to read a few birth notices to see that Australian babies are given increasingly bizarre “made up names” with a bewildering range of spellings and punctuation that render them barely comprehensible.

Well, I read birth notices every day, and have done for years, and I can tell you that that is absolute tripe. Most babies are given fairly common names like Emily and Liam, and even less common names are usually traditional like Walter and Patricia, familiar like Axel and Clementine, or are from other cultures, like Malini and Ngemba. Variant spellings are generally low-key and easily coped with, such as Scarlette or Jaxson – out of the thousands of babies’ names I read each year, perhaps four or five have given me real difficulties in understanding them.

Australian parents, let me tell you that you are doing a great job! A brilliant job! An outstanding job at naming your babies! You make reading birth announcements a joy and an adventure!

Whether you chose the name Audrey or Behati. Whether you preferred Thomas or Zephyr. If you picked Felix or Kylen or Huckleberry or Lenny or Percival or Diamond. Opted for Eloise or Mietta or Taiyah or Rafferty or Storm or Xanthe. If your heart told you that the perfect name was Acacia or Digger or Lawson. Or you knew straight away that only Jack or Charlotte or Hamish would do. You all did the right thing, and you all did very well.

You impress and amaze me every day. Thank you.

Interview with Clare from Name News

03 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Blog Reviews

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Clare has a wonderful Name News page on the Scoop.it website, which collects interesting blog posts and stories in the news about names. Her collection includes posts in languages other than English, so if you want to know what they think about names in Portugal or The Netherlands, click the “Google translate” button and read on! One of the most useful functions is the “Find” key, where you can search for topics which interest you. Name News is so handy for keeping up to date with what’s going on around the blogosphere that I consult it every day – it’s easier than subscribing to hundreds of sites, or getting dozens of e-mail alerts. Attractive and user-friendly, Name News is an invaluable contribution to the naming community.

What is your name?

Yvonne Clare.

Have you ever changed your name?

I went by my first name until I was four, when I decided to use my middle name instead. Now my first name only appears in official situations, and on the odd family Christmas card – and in messages from a friend called Yvonne, who is tickled that we have a hidden name connection. I don’t dislike the name, but it feels like an old toy or a piece of baby clothing: it was great when I was little, and I’m still attached to it, but it no longer fits for everyday use. I’m happy as a Clare and I like the fact it’s more typical for someone my age.

How did you start getting interested in names?

When I was about six, I was visiting a relative who was clearing out some books, and someone handed me The Pan Book of Boys’ Names and The Pan Book of Girls’ Names. I took them home and have been dipping into them ever since. They are particularly strong on literary and legendary figures and references to names in poetry. I’m sure that they contributed to my love of languages, as they gave me a first taste of Latin, Greek, Old English, Welsh, and many others. Each book has a wonderful appendix of names considered unusual by the authors. A couple of decades on I have dozens of name books, but those two are still among my favourites.

What inspired you to sign up with Scoop.it in order to share name stories with the wider community?

At the beginning of this year I became aware of the many name blogs that are out there. I wanted to read everything, but was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of posts. I wanted to contribute in some way, but didn’t feel inspired to write a blog. I’m not so good at regular research and writing; I prefer reading, organising and making accessible the work of others. (That’s why I’m a librarian in real life.)

An acquaintance started a Scoop.it page gathering stories about rare books and manuscripts, and I decided to try something similar for name stories. It’s straightforward to create a Scoop.it account and set up a page, and to add “scoops” – I normally use a button on my browser. It’s pretty much as simple as reading name stories that come up on my feeds and alerts, and adding them.

I would do it just for personal interest, which sounds rather nerdy, but it’s very encouraging that others are looking at the site too. I know there’s been a huge leap in the number of views whenever the site has been mentioned by other bloggers, especially in Appellation Mountain’s Sunday Summaries, so many thanks to you all for getting the momentum going!

I know I’m a bit of a vulture, existing on other people’s hard work, but I hope the site achieves two things: providing a one-stop feed of name stories for people who don’t want to follow lots of different sites, and enabling people to easily search the archives of all the name blogs and articles.

Any other way to connect with you online?

Name News has a Facebook page, although at the moment I’m using it for following news and the odd “like”, rather than anything more dynamic. I also keep a list of my name books on LibraryThing. If anyone uses that site, feel free to connect! I doubt the list is of much use to anyone else, but it’s quite handy for me, as my collection is currently scattered between two houses.

What is it about a name story that makes you interested to know more?

I always get excited when I see one of my favourite names in the title. For example, the very first scoop I made was Appellation Mountain’s post Edith, Everild, and Eden: Getting to Edie. Everild was the catalyst – I just couldn’t resist sharing it! I also enjoy birth announcements, clever data analysis, gems from historical records, personal stories … pretty much anything that’s informative, positive, and open-minded.

Do you have a pet peeve when it comes to names?

My peeves are with writing about names, rather than the names themselves. I’m sure I’m not alone in disliking:

  • proscriptive advice and “rules” that will make precious little difference to naming habits as a whole
  • unhelpful criticism and negativity about parents’ name choices
  • false claims about the “meaning” of names – and false information in general
  • overuse of the word “unique” (I know: now who’s being proscriptive?!)

What are some of your favourite names?

Girls: Annest/Annice, Everil/Everild, Freda/Frida, Hilda, Miriam, Naomi, Tamsin, Tess

Boys: Arthur, David, Edward, Henry, Hugh/Huw, Robin

What names do you dislike?

I’m not so keen on names with excess “frilly” syllables. I usually prefer the streamlined option, so Isabel over Isabella, Mark over Marcus. Maybe even Em over Emma, or is that going a bit far? By that logic, I should prefer Hild to Hilda, and in some ways I do, but sadly it crosses the threshold of being a bit too much to inflict on an unsuspecting British child.

Are there are names you love, but could never use?

Names that would be hard to spell and pronounce, culturally unsuitable, and more about me showing off than the child’s best interests. For example, Ælfric (“Alf-rich”), Buddug (“Biðig“, the Modern Welsh form of Boudicca), and Elestren, which I’ve loved since I saw it in a book of Cornish names years ago. I’ll save them for pets and inanimate objects! I’d also be wary of names that sound similar to mine or my partner’s, like Cleo and Robin.

What are your favourite names in the England/Wales Top 100?

Amy (#62) and Arthur (#52).

What are your favourite names which have never been in the England/Wales Top 1000 (since 1996)?

Hilda and Clem.

Do you have any names picked out for your future children?

I have an ongoing list of favourites, but don’t really have a clue how my partner and I will feel if/when the time comes. I expect that choosing a name for a real person will bring out sides of us that we never knew existed.

What is something we don’t know about you?

I’ve recently taken up morris dancing, a traditional English dance style with props such as sticks, bells and handkerchiefs. It’s great fun, but a challenge as I’m not very co-ordinated!

What advice would you give someone who was choosing a name for their baby?

I’ve tried and failed to come up with a wise, snappy, universal answer to this question. Every time I think I’ve got it, I think Oh, but there could be exceptions, or But that might not work for everyone. Maybe that’s a cop-out, but it’s a personal, sometimes complicated decision, with no clear right or wrong way to do it. Plus it’s not something I’ve had experience of yet. I think I’d have to ask for a few more specifics before feeling qualified to give advice. Or, true to form, I could point people towards helpful books and websites.

(Clare’s profile photo of her favourite name books supplied by interviewee)

Interview with Elisabeth from You Can’t Call It “It”!

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in Blog Reviews

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mothersday

Elisabeth Wilborn is the stylish blogger at long-time favourite amongst name nerds, You Can’t Call it “It”! Elisabeth’s blog is very popular (I bet you’ve been there already!), and I think it’s because she not only has great taste in names, she has a wonderful sense of fun. After years of blogging, Elisabeth has tons of name information to draw upon, all neatly catalogued, and a very lively following who are eager to discuss, debate, suggest, and furiously disagree with each other on the subject of names. This is a blog you will absolutely love if you are passionate about name trends but don’t take yourself too seriously.

What is your name?

Elisabeth Wilborn

Have you ever wished you had a different name?

I used to want to be Olivia, when the name was rarely heard. I thought my parents really missed the boat on Olivia Wilborn, doesn’t that have a nice rhythm? I also tried to go by Libby and Betsy at various points – but they never stuck. It’s funny, because one of the reason my parents chose Elisabeth was because it has so many nicknames.

At what age did you first begin getting interested in names?

From the time I could read I think I was interested in names. They always painted their own portrait to me, and I was astounded, even as a little girl, how certain names seemed to “go together.” Even as a child I could be found in the baby name books section, sandwiched between the preggos. My parents also encouraged a love of language and etymology, which naturally translates to names.

What inspired you to begin a name blog?

After having my first child and doing so much research on names, I felt I could have named a village. I was so overflowing with information at that point, a blog seemed like a natural progression. Abby Sandel’s wonderful Appellation Mountain, which began a few months before YCCII, definitely helped light a fire to create my own space.

You have been successfully blogging for several years now. How have your ideas about names changed during that time?

I just celebrated my fifth blogging anniversary! I can hardly believe it. My tastes have definitely grown to include more genres, and now that my children are school-aged, I’m less likely to come down so harsh on certain names.

You Can’t Call It “It” has its own website now, which looks really stylish. How difficult was it to do that?

Why thank you! Getting off WordPress was a bit of a challenge, and I hired help to transfer data and find hosting. The design I did myself using a template program.

What other blogs do you have, or write for?

I have a child style blog called The Itsy Factor (get it?), which is a little sleepy at the moment. I am also a regular contributor to Apartment Therapy and Nameberry. The blog has been featured online at Babble, Making It Lovely, Design Mom, in print at Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine, and I was even on television as the baby name consultant for Bravo TV’s Pregnant in Heels. I do the Facebook and Twitter thing, and I also have a very active Pinterest following. I’m kind of an addict.

Do you have a favourite blog entry on You Can’t Call It “It”!?

7 Deadly Trends is probably what I’m best known for. It was written in 2008, and I can think of a few that I’d like to add! One of the most fun entries ever was when I asked people their children’s names, and then I would tell them my first instincts about their family, soothsayer style. What shocked all of us is that it was pretty dead-on.

What has been the highlight of your name-blogging career so far?

The people I’ve been able to connect with through blogging. Getting an email from Pamela Redmond Satran out of the blue complimenting me on the blog, and subsequently having lunch and becoming friends with her was pretty cool. She and Linda Rosenkrantz wrote the first books on baby names that really honed in on style, and definitely help shape some perspective for me as a young girl. It was also pretty thrilling to be on television!

Do you have a pet naming peeve?

Tacking unnecessary endings onto a normal name is one of my current annoyances.

What are some of your favourite names?

I love so many! I tend to like underused names with a lot of history – Cecily, Leopold. Things like that.

What names do you dislike, despite your best efforts at being broad minded?

I have an irrational dislike for the etch sound. Gretchen and Fletcher are perfectly respectable names, but all I hear is wretch.

Are there any names you love, but could never use?

Most of my favourites have been vetoed. It’s tragic, really. But the art of naming is also inextricably intertwined with the art of compromise. I feel lucky that I got to use two names that I find exciting and meaningful.

What are your favourite names in the US Top 100?

Charlotte (#19) is a true-love name for me, and one that my other half obsesses over, but my own vanity couldn’t get over its popularity. Sebastian (#64) is also gorgeous, I’m glad to see people pick up on it.

What are your favourite names in the rest of the US Top 1000?

There are so many! People are discovering some great names, and using them. There’s Rosemary (#603), Theodore (#197), Adelaide (#343). Do Australians call their daughters Adelaide? Answer: Yes! Adelaide is #232 in New South Wales and #598 in Victoria.

What is your favourite name that has never charted in the US?

Melisande. Shhh!

What are your children’s names?

Beatrix and Eulalie.

If you found out you were pregnant right now, what would be the first names you would think about using for the baby?

Currently loving Marguerite and Arthur.

Have you and your husband ever disagreed while choosing baby names together? How compatible are your tastes in names?

When haven’t we disagreed? He loves names like Domino and Alabama. I want names that would wear well on a queen.

What is something we don’t know about you?

When I was born, my fourth toe was longer than my middle toe. They look pretty normal now, but I still get teased about it.

What advice would you give to someone who was choosing a baby name?

Envision your 16-year-old asking one day why you chose their name. What will you answer?

(The photo is of Elisabeth with her girls, from You Can’t Call It “It”!)

Article in New Issue of Matilda Magazine

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

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Cover of Matilda Magazine 2nd IssueKate and Sarah have a new issue of Matilda magazine out. They are having a few problems with their website at present, but the second issue of Matilda looks great. There’s sage advice from Abby at Appellation Mountain, some wonderful surname names from Brooke at Baby Name Pondering, name interviews, names from Jane Austen from Kelli at The Name Freak, Easter ideas, and more.

I have an article in it titled Beyond Liv and Zeke: One Syllable Names. It looks at some of the one syllable names that don’t make the Top 1000 in the United States, such as Bo, Nox, Haze and Jinx. I had a lot of fun scouring the US data to find some gems … and some curiosities.

Thanks Kate and Sarah for another fantastic issue!

Happy Second Birthday, Waltzing More Than Matilda!

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

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2nd-birthdayMy blog turns two years old today. I have to admit, I didn’t think very deeply about what I was doing when I started the blog, and didn’t know any more about blogging than what I’d read in a few articles with titles like Any Idiot Can Blog, or Get Blogging, Stupid! I had finished one part of my life and hadn’t started on the next bit, so a blog seemed like a good idea at the time.

When my account came up for renewal at the end of the first twelve months, I didn’t think twice about it. Of course I had to continue the blog; I’d only been doing it for a year, and felt I had barely started. When I received my second renewal notice at the end of last year, for the first time I actually sat down and asked myself if I wanted to keep going. I pondered deeply for over a month, and some days I seriously considered cancelling my account.

At last I decided that the blog was still growing, and I still had a lot to learn, so for the first time I made a conscious choice to continue Waltzing More Than Matilda. It’s taken me two years, but I have finally begun to think about what I’m doing. It will be interesting to see if this makes any difference!

Thank You, Thank You, to You and You and You

No blogger is an island, and many thanks go to these people for their help and support.

  • To Abby at Appellation Mountain, who for another year has sent me more views than any other blog. Abby’s generosity to others is inspiring, and it’s wonderful to see her go from strength to strength.
  • To Linda at Nameberry for giving me the opportunity to contribute my article, Aussie Names – Big there, not here. Thanks also to Angie at Upswing Baby Names, who was kind enough to provide an American perspective on the names I selected.
  • To Kate at Matilda magazine for inviting me to write an article on The Best Baby Name Blogs. Matilda magazine has been a very exciting innovation in the world of baby names.
  • To Michelle Horton from parenting website Babble for including Waltzing More Than Matilda in her article 20 Favorite Blogs for Baby Names. It came as a genuine, but very welcome, surprise to be mentioned alongside such great name blogs.
  • To Cristina at Once Upon a Time Baby Names for interviewing me about my name. Cristina has recently given her blog a complete reboot, and it looks amazing.
  • To Ebony at Babynameobsessed for being my most loyal commenter, and also reblogging several of my blog entries. Ebony is another Aussie name blogger.
  • To Lou at Mer de Noms for reblogging Boys Names of Australian Aboriginal Origin. Even after a big lifestyle change, Lou’s blog is still going strong.
  • To Brooke at Baby Name Ponderings for turning the 2012 Victorian name data into a fantastic spreadsheet. Brooke is another Australian name blogger, with very creative name ideas.
  • To my 140-odd subscribers, and my 50-odd Twitter followers, and to everyone who reads and comments and sends nice e-mails, and just all round makes blogging worth it!

Nerdy Number-Crunching

  • I have almost half a million views. The country which sent me the most views was Australia, which is good – it would be embarrassing to have a blog on Australian baby names that Australians didn’t read!
  • The most views I ever got were on June 21, when thousands of people suddenly all wanted to read about Jude Bolton’s daughter Siarra at the same time for some reason. As a result, this article was my most popular for the year.
  • The article which has gained the most comments is Girls Names of Australian Aboriginal Origin.
  • The most common search term was waltzing more than matilda, so I guess by now people do know about the blog.
  • The name most often searched for was Ruby, which reflects this name’s high popularity.
  • By posting this, I will have brought my number of posts up to 764. I have 23 categories and 618 tags. The most popular category was Name Themes and Lists.
  • There are 196 featured boys names, 192 featured girls names, and 119 featured unisex names, making over 500 names in total. About a hundred additions to the name database were made based on web searches people made to the blog, looking for baby names as familiar as Rose or Archer, and as unexpected as Australia or Zephyr.
  • The photo which was clicked on the most was the christening of Lauren Newton’s baby daughter Lola, which showed the entire Newton family together.
  • The most popular newspaper article linked to was the one announcing the birth of Addison, the son of ABC presenter Virginia Trioli.
  • The most popular website link was to ABC presenter Leigh Sales’ blog, Well Redhead, at The Punch.
  • The most popular document accessed was Australian Celebrity Baby Names 2011.
  • The most popular YouTube video was this one – basically my version of Rickrolling!
  • The blog on my Blog Roll most often clicked is Upswing Baby Names. Angie has a very professional-looking and practical name blog, and I’m glad to see it gaining such well-deserved interest.

Birthday Present

My present to Waltzing More Than Matilda is her own Facebook page. There are two main reasons I got one: (1) I promised myself I would once I got over 100 subscribers and (2) despite having a Twitter account, I get more views via Facebook than Twitter, so it makes sense. It seems much more complicated and scary than Twitter, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it in time.

Many happy returns, Waltzing More Than Matilda, and here’s to another year blogging together!

Matilda Magazine: Naming the Next Generation

25 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in Name Resources

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Kate from Name Soiree and Sarah from For Real Baby Names have teamed up together to produce an online magazine for baby names, called Matilda. What a brilliant idea, and what a great name for it!

The first issue has just been released, and it looks fantastic. As well as articles about baby names, there’s also name consultations, name stories, personal stories and recipes. Abby from Appellation Mountain and Lou from Mer de Noms have contributed to the first issue, and I got to review some baby name blogs (read it to find out which ones).

The magazine’s website also has a blog, databases of girl and boy names, a name of the day, and polls. You should definitely go check it out, and if you like what you see, subscribe to the magazine to get updates, and also connect on Facebook.