Tag Archives: Baby Name Pondering

Happy Third Birthday, Waltzing More Than Matilda!

13 Thursday Feb 2014

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The blog’s birthday sneaked up on me this year, and I only realised it turned three on February 13 today. Then I realised it was February 13 today! Then I realised it’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow, and I’m not prepared for that either! Another year seems to have just flown by, and I think it has been one of happy blogging for me.

An interesting new development is that names which are featured on the blog now have a poll attached to them, and so do celebrity baby names, and some other articles too. You can also nominate and vote on your favourite names from the birth announcements. As a result, we were able to find out which were people’s favourite names, and in some cases this will affect which names are covered in the future.

One of the most exciting things was the release of my first e-book, International Names for Australian Parents. Writing it was a very steep learning curve, and I’m now working on a longer book that’s slightly more daring.

What Was Popular on the Blog Last Year?

The most popular article I wrote was Upper Class Baby Names – there have been thousands of searches for this topic since it was published. I felt a bit uncomfortable about writing it, as it is a rather politically incorrect topic, but parents must feel a lot of status anxiety in regard to baby names.

The most popular celebrity baby article was for motivational speaker Nick Vujicic, and his American wife Kanae Miyahara, who welcomed a son named Kiyoshi James. The article was cited on the Italian language version of Wikipedia, which brought in more views. The most popular photo that people clicked on was one of Nick holding Kiyoshi, and the most popular news article clicked on was to a news story about Kiyoshi’s birth. Nick has legions of fans around the world, and many of them wanted to see his wife and baby, and wish him well.

The most popular document clicked on was the complete name data from Victora for 2012. A fantastic resource, and many thanks to Brooke from Baby Name Pondering for making it available.

The most popular searches for individual names were for Bambam and Asher. Interestingly, Asher was overwhelmingly searched for as a girl’s name rather than a boy’s.

I got my highest amount of views ever on December 2 last year, when thousands of people wanted to read all about James and Erica Packer. This was because James and Erica separated, and James was rumoured to be dating model Miranda Kerr, also recently separated from her spouse.

The month I got my highest number of views was May. Popular articles from this month included Asher and Hamish, and Finding Baby Names to Match Your Surname.

The busiest day for commenting was October 25, which was when birth announcement Endellion and Florabella was published, with 12 comments.

The most common time people leave comments on my blog is 6 pm – perhaps because I often post around then.

Nameberry was the most popular blog on my Blog Roll. Baby Name Pondering was the most popular Australian blog on my Blog Roll, and was #3 overall, only 3 views behind Appellation Mountain. Nice work Brooke!

I have nearly 900 000 views at present. I have just over 1000 posts, in 24 categories and with 904 tags. I’m not really sure how many names I’ve featured, as I’m currently re-organising them, but I estimate it’s over 800. I’ve tried to make it even between the genders, but apart from all the unisex names confusing matters, I think girls might be ahead at this stage.

Many Thanks

Thank to Pam and Linda at Nameberry for giving me the opportunity to write for Berryjuice on Nameberry. Most of my referrals this year have come from Nameberry – and that means a thank you to Abby as well, because some of them were from her Nameberry Nine series.

Thank you to Kate for inviting me to write an article for Matilda magazine. Called Beyond Liv and Zeke, it looked at some of the less common one syllable names for boys and girls.

Thank to Sophia, who was my busiest commenter. Sophia’s comments are thoughtful and humorous, and it’s a pleasure to hear from someone who is so candid without being unkind.

And of course thank you to YOU – all of you! Thank you to every reader, commenter, poll voter, subscriber, name consultation requester, Twitter follower, Facebook liker, blog roller, book buyer, and everyone who has made a contribution to Waltzing More Than Matilda in some way. It just wouldn’t happen without you, and you’ve helped make Waltzing More Than Matilda’s year.

The Nameberry Guide to the Best Baby Names for Girls

09 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by in Name Resources

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Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran have brought out a companion piece to their e-book The Nameberry Guide to the Best Baby Names for Boys, this time focusing on the best names for girls.

The Nameberry Guide to the Best Baby Names for Girls is just as good as the boys’ name edition, and in fact you get 650 girls names – fifty more than the boys. To me it seems as if the girls names are slightly more daring than the boys overall, and also more in tune with what’s on trend here. Because of this, I would probably recommend the girl’s name guide even more highly.

The biggest brow-raiser for an Australian reader is the occasional suggestion of names for girls that have only charted for boys here, such as Campbell, Riley and Elliot – although this may well appeal to certain parents as something a bit out of the ordinary.

To give you a taste of what’s inside, I will share some of my favourite names from the guide that have never been common in Australia. (Brooke at Baby Name Pondering also shared some of her favourites, so I will make a conscious effort not to duplicate what she says, even though I love nearly all her suggestions).

  • Amabel
  • Anais
  • Arden
  • Blythe
  • Carys
  • Clea
  • Damaris
  • Elodie
  • Fiorella
  • Guinevere
  • Hermione
  • Isadora
  • Jessamine
  • Juno
  • Kerensa
  • Lilou
  • Melisande
  • Orla
  • Paloma
  • Posy
  • Romy
  • Saskia
  • Seren
  • Tallulah
  • Thisbe
  • Vesper
  • Viveca
  • Winnie
  • Zelda
  • Zenobia

You can buy The Nameberry Guide to the Best Baby Names for Girls from the Nameberry store, or from Amazon.

Famous Name: Declan

11 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Famous Names

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September 8 marked the 74th birthday of folk singer Declan Affley, who was born in Wales to parents of Irish descent. He joined the British navy at 16, and travelled to Japan and Australia; he jumped ship in Australia and based himself in Sydney. At a harbourside pub called the Royal George (now The Slip Inn), he discovered the libertarian movement known as the Sydney Push, and joined its folksinging scene.

He became a regular performer in the folk clubs of Sydney and Melbourne, and appeared at folk festivals. He also busked on the streets, and was occasionally censored for singing left-wing political material, but this encouraged rather than deterred him. He was invited to sing some of his political songs on ABC radio, and also appeared in the 1966 award-winning ABC documentary, The Restless Years, presenting Australian history through poems, stories and songs. He also contributed to films, including the 1970 version of Ned Kelly.

Declan regarded himself as a socialist with anarchist leanings, and was an active supporter of the New South Wales Builders Labourers’ Green Bans, Irish hunger strikers, and Aboriginal land rights. He taught music at the Eora Centre in Redfern as his contribution to the advancement of Australian Indigenous people. Irish people are often thought of as having the gift of the gab, and Declan loved to talk for hours about history, music, politics and sport over a beer.

He died unexpectedly at the age of 45 – a very great loss to the folk community. The Declan Affley Memorial Award for excellence in a young performer is awarded each year at the National Folk Festival.

Declan is an Anglicisation of the Irish name Declán or Deaglán; it is usually translated as coming from the Old Irish for “full of goodness”. The name is known because of Saint Declán of Ardmore, a 4th or 5th century Irish bishop credited with the Christianisation of southern Ireland before the arrival of Saint Patrick.

The village of Ardmore in County Waterford is believed to be the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland, and by tradition, Saint Declán built a monastry here. He has been steadily popular in Waterford, with many churches dedicated to him, and each year on his feast day of July 24, devotions are held in his honour. This year, a five-day pilgrimage walk was held in late July, on a 100 km path between Cashel in Tipperary and Ardmore, which Saint Declán is said to have taken.

There is a long tradition of Christians taking new names, or being given new names, to mark their new lives, and in particular many of the Irish saints have created descriptive names. Declan looks to be one of them, for the meaning “filled with goodness” seems to have Christian significance.

I can first find Declan in Irish records from the late 18th century, and they were all born in southern Ireland; in Munster, where Declan is the patron saint, and in Waterford, near his centre of Ardmore. That suggests very strongly that the name was given in honour of the saint, and that it had an element of local pride as well.

Declan was quite a popular name in Ireland during the mid-twentieth century, and as well as Declan Affley, is borne by several musicians. These include Declan de Barra, an Irish-born Australian punk-folk singer, English pop singer Declan Galbraith who covers traditional Irish tunes amongst his own work, Declan Nerney, an Irish country singer, and Declan Sinnot, an Irish folk-rock singer. You may also have heard of Declan MacManus, who performs under the name Elvis Costello.

Declan has charted in Australia since the 1980s, and ranked since the 1990s, when it debuted at #145. It has been Top 100 since the early 2000s, and last year it was in the top ten fastest rising boys names in Australia, when it rose 12 places on the national chart. Currently it is #84 nationally, #74 in Victoria, #60 in Queensland, #50 in Western Australia, #71 in Tasmania and #56 in the Australian Capital Territory.

Unusually for a name in the national Top 100, Declan hasn’t been Top 100 in New South Wales since 2010. We seem to be caught between international trends, with New South Wales following the lead of England/Wales, where Declan has left the Top 100 and is declining in popularity, and Victoria and other states, who appear to be following the United States, where Declan is still rising towards the Top 100. Declan has a similar popularity to us in Scotland, but isn’t Top 100 in either Ireland or Northern Ireland.

If you love the name Declan, you won’t find yourself alone in your preference, but it’s still a good Irish heritage choice. It’s a handsome name, with an attractive, lilting sound to it, and it’s not wildly popular. Brooke from Baby Name Pondering chose it as her favourite boys name in the Victorian Top 100, and tells me that she finds it really charming – great recommendation!

POLL RESULT: Declan received an approval rating of 70%. People saw the name Declan as a good Irish heritage choice (25%), handsome or attractive (23%), and sweet and charming (11%). However, 11% thought the name was too trendy, and destined to be the next Aidan or Liam.

(Photo is of Ardmore in Ireland, where Saint Declan is supposed to have lived and preached)

Interview with Brooke from Baby Name Pondering

12 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in Blog Reviews

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cool-baby-thinkingBrooke is a fellow Aussie name blogger, and she has a fantastic name blog called Baby Name Pondering. Here she ponders all manner of baby names, and specialises in names that are a bit different. Brooke finds name inspiration all over the place, especially in popular culture, so she covers names from your favourite TV shows, such as Khaleesi, and favourite movies, such as Argo. However, there are also popular favourites, such as Charlotte and Hunter. There are also specifically Australian names, such as Tempany. I highly recommend this blog to name nerds and anyone drawn to imaginative baby names.

What is your name?

Brooke Olivia

Have you ever wished you had a different name?

When I was younger, I sometimes wished my first name was more “exotic”, which  simply meant more than one syllable! I remember thinking at one point I’d like to change my name to Bianca. Somehow I felt that if I had a different name it should still start with B :). I’m very happy with my name now though.

What was the inspiration behind your user name Blue Juniper?

I read a book in my early teens where the main character was named Juniper, and I fell in love with it. I’d often have it as a user name online, and one day when Juniper wasn’t available, I put my favourite colour in front and that wasn’t taken. It felt right so it kind of stuck. I used it on Nameberry, and when I started a name blog I figured that’s how other Nameberries would recognise me.

When did you first begin getting interested in names?

It was around the age of ten. I found a pull-out booklet of names in one of my Grandma’s Woman’s Day magazines. After years of not being able to find any personalised products with Brooke on it, this booklet had both Brooke and Olivia! It also had cool names I’d never heard before, like Xanthe. I was hooked.

What inspired you to begin a name blog?

I spent a fair bit of time on Nameberry forums and Yahoo Answers, but the nature of those is that you’re either giving a quick answer on a name someone else likes, or asking for feedback. And I like names – especially different ones – so much that I  I felt I had more to say. I was encouraged by some of the other great blogs out there and thought to myself I could do that. The blog name sums up what my blog is about – names that inspire me and get me pondering.

Do you have a favourite blog entry on Baby Name Pondering?

I really like the series of Halloween posts I did last October – I wanted to profile some names that hadn’t been included on other Halloween lists. I also like my recent post on ’80s fantasy movie names. I grew up with those movies and still think that a lot of those names are really cool.

What differences do you see between Australian name trends and those overseas?

When you look at the top ten in each country you can see some definite similarities, but also some differences. I think we’re probably a little closer to the UK in that our tastes are slightly more conservative than the US. In the US there are a lot more variations in names, which I think is due to their larger population. With more people, there is perhaps more of a need to differentiate your child’s name, to make it stand out or feel more individual. It’s easier to stand out here where there are fewer people and the population is more widely spread.

Do you have a pet naming peeve?

Mangling name spelling. I understand a small tweak to differentiate a name, or make it easier to spell or pronounce, but I hate it when a name is twisted so much that you have to stop and think before you can tell what it was originally meant to be. It just looks ugly and is unnecessary. Recent examples I’ve seen include Jayceon (Jason), Zy’Cari (Zachary), Khynedi (Kennedy), Mattelyn (Madeline), and Kharmyn (Carmen). Changes should enhance a name, not detract from it.

What are some of your favourite names?

If I had to name my style I’d say eccentric preppy. Some of my girl favourites include Saffron, Sage, Imogen, Sutton, Rissa, Bay, Petra, Adria and Tamsin. My boys list includes Bram, Lorcan, Caspian, Dresden, Zared and Theon.

What names do you dislike?

Nevaeh. I get it, but I’m not a fan of how it looks or sounds. And I feel like people use it because they think it makes them look clever, which is one of my problems with so-called “kre8tiv” names. I also have to admit that I don’t get Atticus, which is a name enthusiast favourite at the moment. But I suspect that’s because I haven’t read To Kill a Mockingbird yet. One of my goals this year is to read it so I can see what everyone else sees.

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

I recently fell in love with Cassia, but I have serious doubts it would work with our surname, which is very similar to Cousins.

One of my guilty pleasure names is Winchester because I’m a big fan of the TV show Supernatural and I think it sounds cool, but don’t think I can bring myself to give a child a name so closely associated with a type of gun.

I also love Eddard, but our best friend’s and one of my cousin’s sons are called Edward, so it’s too similar for my liking.

What are your favourite names in the Victorian Top 100?

Imogen (#48) and Declan (#74).

What are your favourite names that have never charted in Australia?

Rissa and Caspian.

Do you have names picked out for your future children?

No, but I have a nice long list of ideas!

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

I like the idea of using all nature related names, as my husband and I both have first and middle names with nature related meanings.

Have you and your husband ever disagreed over baby names?

We’re not too bad, although I did have a few ideas that he vetoed due to people he knew that he didn’t like. He also used to joke about wanting to name a boy Agamemnon, after the Greek Commander in the Trojan war, which I feel is a bit of a heavy name! If I ask him which names he likes, he’ll just pluck some random name out of the air that he knows I won’t like to tease me. But since I started the blog he’s noticing names more, so if he sees a name he likes enough to mention, and I like it too, I add it to the list. When the time comes I’ll probably just hand him the list and we’ll negotiate a top pick.

What is something we don’t know about you?

My latest decorating obsession has been wall clocks. I have a feature wall in our living room with just clocks. So far there’s only (?) seven of them, but I’m often looking for interesting ones to add to the collection. But no cuckoo clocks as I think that would drive me a little batty!

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

Remember that the most important people who have a stake in the name are the parents and the child. Sure, it can be a good idea to get feedback from friends or family, but ultimately as long as the parents like it, and they feel that it won’t be a burden on the child, it’s probably a good choice.

It’s a good idea to do some research. And if, after you’ve looked through multiple name books (or blogs), you still have your heart set on your childhood favourite, then that’s fine. It’s okay to take all nine months of the pregnancy to be sure it’s a name that will work for a lifetime. And if popularity matters to you, check the top name charts!

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!