What Names Would You Pick for Mason’s Twin Siblings?

13 Saturday Feb 2016

Tags

choosing baby names, honouring, middle names, name combinations, nicknames, sibsets, twin sets

Rachel and Nicholas have a son called Mason. They absolutely love his name, and get compliments all the time on how strong and masculine it is. They like that his name is in keeping with the trends of his generation, but isn’t too popular, because Mason is the only one with his name in his class.

As baby namers, they’ve done a great job, but their skills are about to be put to the test, because they’ve just found out that they are going to be welcoming twins later this year!

It took Rae and Nick a long time to choose Mason’s name, so they are hard at work thinking of names for twins. They already have two girls’ names picked out that they love: Aurelia and Edeline. If they have a pair of twin sisters for Mason, everything’s golden.

However, they might be having two boys, or a boy and girl; in which case they still have some decisions to make.

Rae is is very firm that the twins’ names be individual and not matchy at all: they shouldn’t “go together” any more than siblings’ names usually do. She doesn’t want them to start with the same letter, or end with the same sound, or be linked by any sort of theme.

Rae and Nick really want the names to have a nickname for everyday use: for example, Mason is always called Mace. They don’t like names that are already nicknames, such as Harry.

Rae and Nick have a handsome surname that sounds slightly like Carfox. They don’t want a name starting with C, and they also don’t want any of the children sharing initials. That means no names starting with M, because that’s Mason’s initial.

Boys names they have considered so far:

Archer
Aston
Augustus
Bennett
Caleb – loves it, but clashes with surname
Camden – loves it, but clashes with surname
Fletcher
Hamish
Harvey
Hudson – loves it, but worry it’s too matchy with Mason as they end with the same sound
James
Leland
Lincoln
Linden
Llewellyn
Thomas
Saxon – Nick loves it; is it too matchy with Mason?

The front-runners are probably Archer, Bennett, Fletcher and Harvey, but so far nothing is standing out.

They don’t have any middle names picked out. If they have a girl, they would like to honour a beloved relative named Lorraine Maree. For boys, everything is open.

Another issue is that Nick works in the legal system, and has been put off many names because he associates them with criminals. He wants the names to sound normal and law-abiding!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I did smile to myself over the names that have been given the heave-ho because of criminal associations. You’ve chosen well by generally preferring names that have only begun to be popular or familiar recently, because most people with these names haven’t had a chance to do anything terribly wrong yet, still being very young.

It’s great to have your own “name rules” – everyone does it, and it’s a useful way to whittle down your name list. However, it bothers me when someone’s rules end up throwing out the names they love the most. In this case, names you love such as Caleb, Hudson and Saxon are on the chopping block, while you are left to choose between names you like, but with no real stand-outs.

I won’t try to talk you into Caleb and Camden (I admit Caleb Carfox is a terrible tongue-twister), and to me Saxon sounds unusual with your surname – perhaps too striking for a twin – but are you sure Hudson isn’t possible? I do think Aston has to be removed from the list, as according to your rules, it can’t be matched with either of your girls’ names, and really does sound quite a lot like Mason.

I probably wouldn’t use long-popular names like Thomas, James or Hamish to match with either Aurelia or Edeline, as they seem like a style mismatch. Although how reassuring that these common names weren’t associated with criminal activity – what a bunch of solid citizens they must be!

With the middle names, it seems as if the easiest thing to do if you have twin girls is to name them Aurelia Lorraine and Edeline Maree. Even if you only have one girl, you could still stick to these combinations, and feel that you had honoured your loved one.

With boys, as you have a fairly long list of names, and no middle name ideas, it seems sensible to pick unusued names from your name list for the middles. This could be a good way to include a name that is perhaps too problematic to have as a first name.

You already have your girl/girl combination sorted, so now it’s just two twin combinations to choose. And because you have such clear guidelines, it shouldn’t be too difficult to match up the possible names.

GIRL AND BOY

Aurelia and Bennett
Aurelia and Harvey
Aurelia and Hudson
Aurelia and Leland
Aurelia and Lincoln
Aurelia and Linden
Aurelia and Llewellyn

Edeline and Augustus
Edeline and Bennett
Edeline and Fletcher
Edeline and Harvey

Aurelia seemed to match up most easily with more possibilities, suggesting that if you only have one girl, this would be a good first choice. I think Aurelia and Bennett sound rather handsome together, and both have lovely meanings: “golden” and “blessed”. I also really like Aurelia and Hudson, and Aurelia and Linden, which sounds very soft and gentle.

TWO BOYS

There are a LOT of possible combinations for the boys’ names, so I stuck with combinations in which at least one of the names was a front-runner. That left about 25 possible combinations, and these were my favourite matches:

Archer and Bennett
Archer and Hudson
Archer and Lincoln
Bennett and Augustus
Bennett and Fletcher
Bennett and Harvey
Bennett and Hudson
Bennett and Lincoln
Bennett and Thomas
Fletcher and Hamish
Fletcher and Harvey
Fletcher and Hudson
Fletcher and Lincoln
Fletcher and Thomas
Harvey and Lincoln
Harvey and Thomas

I really liked Archer and Bennett, Archer and Hudson, Bennett and Fletcher, Bennett and Harvey, Bennett and Hudson, Fletcher and Harvey, Fletcher and Hudson, Fletcher and Lincoln, and Harvey and Lincoln.

Because your front-runners are all surnames, they match together very easily without sounding overly matchy, and they also sound like natural brothers to Mason, which is another surname. That suggests you won’t have any trouble putting possible names together.

With the middle names, it’s just a matter of trying possible combinations until you find something that pleases you. If the leftover names on your list aren’t working for you, then a go-to method is to look at classic names like James, John, Henry, William, Leo, George, Charles, Joseph, Louis, Robert, David, Peter, Oliver, and Samuel. These make a good balance for surname names – a reassuringly solid counterweight to contemporary style.

A few combinations which occurred to me:

Aurelia Lorraine and Edeline Maree
Aurelia Lorraine and Bennett Oliver
Edeline Maree and Augustus George
Archer Caleb and Hudson Samuel
Bennett Aston and Fletcher Camden
Fletcher Saxon and Harvey Lewellyn
Harvey James and Lincoln Thomas

I’m sure various other combinations will also occur to you, and please you better.

Rae and Nick, you are organised people who like structure and order. That tells me that you will work calmly and logically through all your options until you find the right combination of names. As with choosing Mason’s name, it might take you a long time, but you will get there in the end.

As far as not loving any of the names on your list just yet, I’ve found that 90% of the time, when a couple has several names they like, they discover that by the time of the birth one of those names is perfect for their baby. I think that when the right set of names click into place, you will love them just as much as Mason’s name, and they will receive plenty of compliments too.

UPDATE: The twins were a boy and a girl, and their names are Charlotte and Bennett!

(Painting is In Good Hands by K.M. Berggren)

What Name For Alfie’s Brother or Sister That’s Both British and Australian?

06 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, fictional namesakes, honouring, name combinations, name trends, nicknames, popular names, sibsets, UK name popularity

Samantha is originally from the UK, and is married to an Australian named James. Sammie and James are expecting their second child next month, a brother or sister for their son Alfie. They picked a name for their son which is popular in in the UK but not used as much in Australia, which has worked out well (once James’ family recovered).

Sammie would love another older-style name which sounds familiar to British ears, but isn’t too common in Australia. Sammie loves the names Ted and Reggie – however, they have friends with these names, and don’t fancy seeing them on their son as well. At one point they settled on Jude, but when they shared this with Alfie, he kept saying Judy, which put them off.

James is really keen on Clarence, with the nickname Clarry or Clary, but Sammie doesn’t like it at all. This has become something of a sore point, and James is now being very critical of any name Sammie comes up with. As a result, Clarence is still on their baby name list in order not to antagonise James.

Sammie quite likes the name Digby, but James doesn’t think you can have two sons with their names ending in an EE sound.

The middle name for a boy will be either Leonard or George, which are both family names. Sammie liked the idea of combining them as Lenny George, but James says Lenny is a “nerdy” name in Australia.

Girls names will be much easier. They had picked out the name Elsie if their first child was a girl, but now Alfie and Elsie seem a bit much together. Their favourite is Daisy, then Florence and Maisy. Sammie likes Nellie, Betsy and Nora, while James prefers Georgie and Rosie. The middle name will either be Sylvia or Norma, which are both family names.

(Sammie feels that this baby is a boy and hasn’t been too bothered about girls names, but she thought Alfie was a girl, so wasn’t well prepared with boys names last time).

Sammie and James have a surname which ends in -son, like Richardson, so they don’t want a name ending in N, such as Nathan or Hayden.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sammie I feel for you, because you have a natural desire to find a boys name similar to Alfie, and it doesn’t seem difficult to do – except all sorts of blocks keep being placed in your path.

The first thing to get out of the way is that the popular names in Australia and the UK aren’t that different, so looking for a name like Alfie, which is very popular in the UK yet not used that much in Australia, gives you a fairly short list of choices.

Other boys’ names which fit this pattern are Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Theo, Arthur, Harley, Reuben, Kian, Stanley, Jenson, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Ollie, Frederick, Albert, Leon, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Ellis, Sonny, and Joey.

James doesn’t like the idea of another name ending in EE, so that eliminates Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Harley, Stanley, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Ollie, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Sonny, and Joey.

Some of these names seem like such perfect matches with Alfie that I wonder if James could rethink his policy? Alfie and Freddie, Alfie and Sonny, Alfie and Rory, and Alfie and Stanley seem utterly adorable, and quite manly or laddish as well, rather than cutesy.

Both of you don’t want a name ending in N, which would eliminate Reuben, Kian, Jenson, and Leon.

That leaves you with a choice of Theo, Arthur, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Frederick, Albert, and Ellis. Albert and Arthur could leave you with Alby or Artie as nicknames, which seem uncomfortably close to Alfie, while Elliot and Ellis have such a similar sound to Alfie that they might even be confused with it (a bit like the Elsie issue).

You’re now down to Theo, Dexter, and Frederick, all of which seem like perfectly reasonable choices. Theo seems like a good choice for someone who liked Ted, but wasn’t able to use it, and Dexter a fair alternative for someone who liked Digby but had had it vetoed.

I’m pretty sure Frederick would be shortened to Fred or Freddie/Freddy, which I think is a lovely match with Alfie. Then again, both Alfie and Freddie are nicknames for Alfred, so you might feel as if you’d given your sons the same name! If so, you now have a choice of just two names that fit your hoped-for pattern.

The other trouble is that your dear old other half is being a bit difficult. I’m wondering if he was as keen on Alfie’s name as you were when you chose it, especially as you said his family had some trouble adjusting to it. As you didn’t discuss boys names too much last time, thinking Alfie was a girl, was it a rushed decision? Did James feel that his views didn’t get enough of an airing?

I just wonder if some lingering resentment is what’s making him rather unreasonable this time around – and let’s face it, he is being unreasonable. Vetoing all boys names ending with an EE sound is extremely restrictive, and doesn’t make any sense considering that you’ve already agreed upon Daisy and Maisy for girls. I just can’t see any logic to this at all, and Digby would be an awesome match with Alfie (although it might make having a Daisy later seem less easy).

He’s also wrong that Lenny is a nerdy name in Australia – it’s not far outside the Top 100, and is a fashionable name. I know a lot of Australians who consider it an unsophisticated choice though, probably because it’s strongly connected with sport. Some prefer it as a nickname for Lennox or something similar.

On the other hand, his championing of Clarence is slightly odd, as this really does seem quite nerdy, in that it’s a vintage name which hasn’t had a comeback as yet (James is ahead of the curve). I think Clarry is rather cute, and doesn’t seem too strange a match with Alfie, but the fact is that you just don’t like it. I think it might be a bit too vintage Australian for you rather than vintage British, and as a Brit, I wonder if Clary reminds you too much of comedian Julian Clary?

Maybe this is James’ point – that Alfie was a very British-style choice, and he is pushing for a more Australian-style choice this time. If so, this isn’t an unreasonable request; he might just be expressing it in an unreasonable way.

I think the two of you need to have a talk about what you both really want. Last year we had an Australian-born woman married to an American write in to the blog who wanted a name which worked in both Australia and the US. Their first son was named Felix, a name more popular in Australia than the US, but still fashionable and rising there. They ended up naming their second son Sage, which is better known in the US than here, so they got a nice mix-and-match.

Perhaps James would also prefer a situation like that, where Alfie’s brother has more of an Australian vibe to his name. James’ love of Clarence/Clarry makes me wonder how he feels about Clancy, which has a wonderful literary history in Australia, as he is a character from a poem by Banjo Paterson. The name is not unusual here, although not common either.

Even though James says he doesn’t want a name ending in EE, he has suggested the name Clarry as a nickname for Clarence. Not only could Clancy work as a nickname for Clarence, but this suggests that James might be one of those people who prefer having a long form of a name on the birth certificate, and a nickname for everyday use.

This means that you might be able to have a cute boyish name after all – just with a longer name attached for formal use. Again, I think this is something you need to have a chat about.

I also can’t see anything wrong with Jude, and wonder if you were put off too easily by Alfie’s attempts to pronounce it. Is it really that big a deal if Alfie calls him Judy for a short while, or are you worried that it’s an unwanted nickname that will stick? Jude is a name popular and rising in both the UK and Australia, so another name like that might be a choice that works well for you.

Names I would suggest you consider, or re-consider:

Clancy possibly nn for Clarence
Frederick nn Freddie, Freddy or Fred
Theodore nn Theo
Jude
Dexter
Digby
Lewis
Rafferty
Fletcher
Campbell
Lennox nn Lenny
Maxwell
Rex
Tobias nn Toby

As for girls, I think you are pretty well set. Daisy, Florence, and Maisy are all great choices that sound wonderful as a sister for Alfie. I especially like the combination Daisy Sylvia. It would be very useful if you were wrong again, and in line to have a baby girl!

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

POLL RESULTS: The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Clancy for a boy (18%), closely followed by Jude (16%), and Daisy for a girl (44%).

Baby, Where Did You Get That Name?

31 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by A.O. in Names in the News

≈ 1 Comment

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choosing baby names, Disney princesses, famous namesakes, French names, German names, honouring, Latin American names, middle names, name meanings, name trends, names of bands, nicknames, rare names, scandinavian names, sibsets, surname names, triplet sets

On January 6 Selene Garton and Brendan Winter, from southern Queensland, welcomed their son in alarming circumstances. He arrived unexpectedly at home with no time to get to a hospital, and was a breech birth, being born feet first. They rang 000, and during a 17 minute phone call, the emergency medical dispatcher gave them soothing instructions on how to deliver the baby until the paramedics arrived. Selene and Brendan have named their son Izaya Gnarly to indicate the “gnarly” start he had in life, but he will be called Gnarly. I think if you want to give your child a very unusual name, that’s a good way to do it – put it in the middle, and then call them by their middle name.

When Kylee and Robbie Wieczorek from central Queensland knew that they were expecting a baby boy, they involved their seven-year-old son Owen in the name choosing process. Owen suggested the fairly awesome Thor Captain America Ironman, but his parents just laughed in a “kids say the darnedest things” sort of way. However, the name stuck, and once the baby arrived, Thor seemed both strong and different, so Owen’s choice prevailed. They dispensed with the suggested middle names, and Thor’s middle name is Cecil, after his great-grandfather. Owen may not mind that his middle name suggestions were ignored, as he is adoring having a baby brother.

Parker Bowman, aged 4, also loves being a big brother to his baby sister, Lennon Adelaide [pictured]. Their mum Marette Kiernan heard someone call out to their child Lennon on a beach in Florida, and decided she liked the name, while Adelaide is after Marette’s grandmother (dad Andrew hated the name Lennon at first, but seems to have come around). Parker has given his sister a cute nickname: Lemonade.

Natalie and Samuel from Terrigal have a baby boy named Iver, named after their favourite band, Bon Iver. They looked the name up and read it was a Scandinavian boy’s name meaning “archer” (which is said AYV-er). However, the American band’s name is French for “good winter”, and the Iver (winter) part is said ee-VAIR. I’m not sure whether Iver’s name is said the Scandinavian way, the French way, or like Ivor.

More unexpected honouring: Sarah and Jarrad Cook from Geelong wanted to name their son after their favourite AFL footballer, Daniel Menzel. Daniel wasn’t distinctive enough, so their baby son is named Menzel, and he has already met his famous namesake. Menzel is a German surname which is a pet form of Menz, short for names such as Herman and Clemens. You might recall the difficulties John Travolta had with the name of the actress Idina Menzel, from Frozen. Let’s hope no one similarly mangles Menzel’s name.

And another name honouring a sporting hero: Cassie and Kris Pyper from Kurnell in Sydney named their son Maximus John John, after the Hawaiian surfer John John Florence, because Kris is a keen surfer himself. Florence’s name is actually just John, but his mother called him John John after John F. Kennedy Jr, the son of JFK. Aptly, John John Florence is renowned for surfing the huge waves of the Banzai Pipeline often just called the Pipe), so there’s a connection with the Pyper surname.

Dimity and Michael Hand from Sydney’s northern beaches have a baby girl named Zaelia. Dimity picked out the name Zaelia when she was a little girl, because her childhood best friend had a wonderful grandmother named Zaelia. Dimity thinks that Zaelia is derived from Azalea and means “little flower”, but it’s actually a Latin American pet form of Rosalia. However, that still gives it a flowery meaning. Dimity also believes Zaelia isn’t influenced by trends, although it’s right on trend because of Zali and Zalia.

Ina and Dave Mills from the Northern Beaches welcomed their third child late last year. They already had a daughter named Ruby and a son named Roki, and hadn’t picked out a name before the birth. However, there was a painting of a caravan called Ruby and Rosie just outside the delivery room, and they took that as a sign, so their daughter is named Rosie Bea. Why Bea? Because she was meant to be, of course!

Carmen and Adrian Longmuir from Gladstone welcomed their sixth child last year and named him Tyz, said to rhyme with rise. Adrian chose the name because Tyz will be their last child, and he “ties up” the family nicely. The meaning has special poignancy because Tyz’s brother Kash passed away a year before.

Quinn and Ivy Palmer from Adelaide may look like twins, but these baby girls are actually triplets – their sister, the smallest triplet, died while still in the womb. Parents Emma-May and Jim named the third triplet Aurora, because she is their “Sleeping Beauty”.

The 2015 Matilda Awards

20 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by A.O. in Blog News

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

celebrity baby names, created names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, German names, name combinations, names of cats, nicknames, popular names, Roman names, royal names, saints names, sibsets, Spanish names, triplet sets

Welcome to the third annual Matilda Awards, where we try to discover what names on the blog were the favourites of the public.

Waltzing With … Category

It was controversy corner in this category, with ANNA gaining a frankly unbelievable 100% rating from the public. I can only think that people were reluctant to say they didn’t like my name, and now wish I had covered Anna as a Famous Name, where people might have been more comfortable making negative comments.

Because of this I am scratching the name Anna, and declaring the winners of this category LUCINDA, which scored an approval rating of 96%, and FELIX, which was rated 93%.

Lucinda was created as a pen name by the 17th century Spanish poet Lope de Vega from the Latin for “light”, made famous by Miguel de Cervantes in Don Quixote. It quickly became a literary favourite, and was covered on the blog because of Peter Carey’s novel Oscar and Lucinda. It’s a modern classic which has never reached the Top 100 in Australia, but is vastly more popular here than anywhere else.

Felix was first given as a nickname which signified “luck” to the Roman general and statesman Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Common in Roman times, it became a favourite of early Christians and is well known as a saints name. Once in the Top 200, retro Felix is back on the charts and has reached the Top 100, being one of the fastest-rising names of 2014. The name was covered in relation to the cartoon character Felix the Cat.

Two “made up” names with Latin roots and extremely positive meanings, there was a lot of love for these light and lucky names with creative Australian associations. 40% of people loved the name Lucinda and nobody hated it, while 45% loved the name Felix and only 3% hated it. They were the overall top-rated names of the year, with Lucinda the favourite name overall.

Famous Name Category

The most popular names featured in the Famous Name Category were ELEANOR, which scored an approval rating of 91% and JASPER, which scored 89%.

Eleanor is a French name with a solid royal history, and a classic never out of the charts. It reached the Top 100 in 2014 as one of the fastest-rising names of the year. Eleanor was praised for being elegant and refined, dignified and intellectual, and beautiful or attractive. It was chosen for the birthday of author Eleanor Dark.

Jasper is a name with ties to the ancient Middle East. It originally honoured the legendary Saint Jasper, who was one of the three wise men to visit the baby Jesus. Jasper has been on the charts since the 1990s, and at the bottom of the Top 100 for several years. People saw the name Jasper as hip and quirky, handsome or cute, and cool and sophisticated. It was chosen to commemorate the Epiphany.

Two popular names dating from the Middle Ages, both with connections to royalty and aristocracy.

Names Themes and Lists

The most popular names which were featured in the Names Themes and Lists Category were THEA and ARLO, which both had very convincing wins.

Thea is a short form of Dorothea or Theodora with several famous Australian namesakes that has recently been boosted as a celebrity baby name. It was covered on a list of German names for girls.

Arlo is a possible surname variant and literary place name which originated in the United States. Made famous by folk singer Arlo Guthrie, and chosen as a celebrity baby name, it is rising so steeply that it was chosen for a list of fresh names for boys.

Two short names with little history, but tons of style. They’ve been rising steeply since being chosen for their children by celebrities.

Celebrity Baby Names

The most popular celebrity twins were WILLIAM DAVID “BILLY” AND ELIZABETH ANN “BETTY” CAMPBELL, son and daughter of singer David Campbell and his wife Lisa, a producer. The twins’ brother is named Leo. Although they were the only celebrity twins, they had an overwhelmingly favourable reception.

The most popular celebrity baby girl name was MATILDA VICTORIA WATSON. Matilda is the daughter of cricketer Shane Watson, and his wife Lee Furlong, a former sports reporter. Her brother is named Will.

The most popular celebrity baby boy name was JUDE DAL SANTO. Jude is the son of Australian rules footballer Nick Dal Santo from North Melbourne and his wife Julie.

Last year the favoured celebrity baby names were all about European style and elegance: this year readers have chosen popular baby names. It’s a big win for celebrities who picked “normal” names for their children.

Names from the Birth Announcements

The most popular names for multiples were triplets HENRY, RUFUS AND PEARL who were absolutely unbeatable. I saw the triplets in a news story as they had been born prematurely and managed to beat the odds for all three to survive. The Dunstan triplets have become online fan favourites, and their hip, beautifully matched names made them poll winners as well. They were nominated in July by Madelyn, CeeCee, and Prue.

In the girls section, LUELLA WINTER was the winner. This stylish portmanteau name with several nickname options was from a set in August, so she really was a winter baby.

For the boys, it was a severe case of deja vu as HUGO FREDERICK won for the second year in a row by a wide margin. This came from a set of announcements in November, and I was interested to see if it could win against a whole new batch of names. It could and did, so I am retiring this name combination.

It was a very tight race among the sibsets, but eventually ARCHIE, OLIVE AND IRIS won the day. This charming vintage vowel-starting sibset was nominated in March by Prue.

The Girls Called Max and Mason, or, Why are Celebrities Giving Their Daughters Masculine Names?

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by A.O. in Your Questions Answered

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

celebrity baby names, historical records, Name Candy, name meaning, name trends, nicknames, Roman names, unisex names

A blog reader has written in to say that she has heard of yet another celebrity couple giving their daughter a masculine name – Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, who call their baby girl Max. She is curious why parents choose obviously male names for their daughters when there are so many other options, and wants to know what I think.

Oh poor old celebrities and their baby names – if they aren’t using their psychic powers to steal our favourite baby names and make them popular, they’re either choosing crazy names for their children which will scar them for life, or giving their daughters boys’ names.

In this case, you will perhaps be relieved to know that the straw which has broken your particular camel’s back is not quite accurate. Mark Zuckerberg’s daughter is named Maxima, the feminine form of the Roman name Maximus, meaning, “greatest”. They call her Max, which is the most obvious nickname. My aunt has a former colleague, now retired, named Maxine, and she is also called Max or Maxie as an affectionate nickname, so it’s not a new idea.

Although it must seem that tons of celebrities are giving their daughters boyish or unisex names, this isn’t really correct. If you look through the celebrity baby names at Name Candy, there are plenty of girls with names like Elsie, Georgia, Jane, Mia, and Scarlett.

In fact, celebrity baby names don’t look that much different from anyone else’s. There are popular names, vintage names, nature names, modern names, created names, unisex names, and the occasional very unusual name – much like any suburban daycare centre with a reasonably diverse clientele.

I think one of the things that concerns parents is the idea that if a big enough celebrity chooses a “masculine” name for their daughter, the name will “go girl” and become unusable for boys – hence goodbye Max and James as possible choices for their future sons.

I am happy to say that there is little evidence that this takes place in any significant way. In 2013, Kristen Bell named her daughter Lincoln. In that same year, there were 61 baby girls named Lincoln and 4024 boys. Last year, there was a “Kristen effect” with 127 girls named Lincoln compared to 4785 boys.

So Lincoln rose much more steeply for girls, but there were overall many more boys given the name than the previous year. Although the name has increased feminine usage, there is no evidence that the name has become “feminine”, as Lincoln is a Top 100 boys name in the US, and has been rising every year for the past five years. Kristen Bell’s daughter did not stop it rising again.

And if we go further back in time to see what happens on a longer-term basis, Kelsey Grammer named a daughter Spencer in 1983, and another of his daughters Mason in 2001. Both Spencer and Mason continued rising for boys, Spencer reaching the US Top 100 in the 1990s and Mason reaching the Top 10 in 2011.

In fact I can’t find even one example of a celebrity changing the usage of a name from masculine to feminine through their particular name choice. Maxwell, Arlo, Owen, and Casper have been given as names to celebrity baby girls, and Maxwell, Arlo, Owen, and Casper continue to be overwhelmingly more common for boys.

It’s nice to know that parents of boys are not so foolish and easily panicked that they will immediately abandon all their name plans based on the actions of one celebrity. I’m not sure why we have the belief that they will, as nobody seems to think that parents of daughters will abandon a more “feminine” name choice once a celebrity chooses it for their son.

It’s a very strange phenomenon, but once Ryan Reynolds calls his daughter James, or Mila Kunis chooses the name Wyatt for her little girl, hand-wringing articles appear saying that this will create serious issues for parents expecting a baby boy, as the name James or Wyatt will now be “ruined” for boys by even ONE well-known girl with the name (and not well-known for her own achievements, but just for having famous parents).

Yet Liv Tyler can name her son Sailor (198 girls 23 boys), both Chris Hemsworth and Shakira can name their sons Sasha (535 girls, 20 boys), and Alicia Keys can have a little boy named Genesis (4144 girls, 63 boys), and nobody seems too concerned at all. There is no widespread fear that Sailor, Genesis, and Sasha will “go boy” , or cause undue angst among parents of girls.

It’s telling, and rather horrible, that we believe just one girl can taint a name with her hideous femininity, like the proverbial bad apple in a barrel, while boys can be named safely and with impunity whatever we desire, and the name will remain clean and fresh. Like so many myths of female impurity (such as menstruating women making food spoil), this one is simply not true.

It might seem like a new trend for girls to be given “masculine” names, but if you look through the records, there are tens of thousands of women named James. In the 18th century, there were many girls named Maxwell, especially in Scotland and on the Scottish border. In the 19th century, there were women named Arlo. None of this caused civilisation to fall, nor has it stopped these names being predominalty masculine today.

Of course sometimes names do swap gender – Lauren and Piper were once masculine names, while Christian and Emmett were once female. I guess that begs the question: just what exactly makes a name feminine or masculine, when gender usage can be fluid and changing?

Maybe the answer is that each of us, whether rich and famous or poor and obscure, is free to decide for ourselves. Perhaps even more shocking, our decision might not even make very much difference.

Thank you to Clare for asking for this issue to be covered on Waltzing More Than Matilda.

POLL RESULTS
34% of people were strongly against celebrities giving their daughters “masculine” names, with 2% feeling seriously angered, worried, or stressed about it. 23% of people were in favour of it, with 21% thinking it was fantastic, and believing we should all be allowed to choose whatever names we liked. 42% of people weren’t concerned about it, with 22% not caring since it was none of their business, and 20% believing the issue had been blown out of proportion. One person said that they were not aware of this issue.

The poll was very even on whether people would change their mind about a potential baby name if a celebrity chose it for a child of the opposite sex. 51% of people said no, while 16% said yes, and 33% said maybe. That means around half of all people would at least think about changing their minds about a name on their name list if a celebrity chose it for an opposite sex child. That’s despite more than 40% of people not being concerned about the names that celebrities choose, so the numbers don’t quite add up there!

(Photo shows the Zuckerberg family with some light bedtime reading for their daughter Max)

Famous Name: Ariel

16 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 1 Comment

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angel names, Biblical names, Christmas names, Disney names, Disney princesses, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, hebrew names, international name popularity, locational names, name history, name meaning, name trends, names of horses, nicknames, Shakespearean names, UK name popularity, unisex names, US name popularity

As we head towards Christmas holidays and hot weather, you might be planning to put The Little Mermaid on for the kids, or take them to the beach so they can swim like fish. I know lots of people (big and small) who love the spirited redhead Ariel from the Disney film, so I am covering the name as a summery choice.

Name Information
Ariel is a Hebrew name that means “lion of God”. Although it mentioned in the Old Testament as the name of several men, it is best known as a designation for the city of Jerusalem, and was also used in reference to the altar of the city’s temple (in this context, perhaps best understand as “hearth of God”).

In Jewish, Christian and Gnostic mysticism, Ariel is also the name of an angel. It is something of a mystery where the name came from, but it may be influenced by the archangel Uriel, or the Zoroastrian destructive spirit Ahriman. In several sources, Ariel is shown as an angel with power over Hell, and for this reason John Milton makes him one of the rebel angels who fight on Satan’s side in Paradise Lost.

Another image of Ariel is that it is the name for the Creator God, and in mysticism was often depicted as a lion-headed deity with power over the Earth. Others call him the Spirit of Air, the Angel of the Waters, or Wielder of Fire.

You can see the attraction of Ariel for writers: he is morally ambiguous, and has enormous yet extremely vague powers. In Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, Ariel is a spirit of the air under the control of the magician Prospero. It is not clear whether he is a good sprite, but because he refused to work for an evil sorceress, he is at least not demonic. The angel Ariel may have been as inspiration, or perhaps Shakespeare chose the name because it is similar to the word aerial, meaning “of the air”.

It is through Ariel’s magical agency, by the command of Prospero, that the action of the play progresses and reaches its conclusion. Because of this, it is very easy to see him as a metaphor for creativity – artists are all Prosperos, who work magic by bringing under their control that elusive and puckish spirit of inspiration.

In Alexander Pope’s poem The Rape of the Lock, Ariel is the guardian sylph of the heroine: a spirit of air who watches over young maidens. Pope edited the works of Shakespeare, and must have taken the name from The Tempest. Percy Bysshe Shelley identified Ariel as a symbol of the poet, and his songs with poetry. Poor poets – enslaved by the Prospero of their own creative genius!

T.S. Eliot published The Ariel Poems, and Sylvia Plath has a collection titled Ariel. In Plath’s case, although Ariel was literally a horse she rode, the poem Ariel is about her identity as a poet, and she takes the Shelley-approved “tortured soul oppressed by own genius” line. Although the Ariel of the poem is a stallion, Plath refers to herself as “God’s lioness”, feminising the meaning of the name.

The name of the mermaid Ariel in the Disney film is inspired by the ending of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. Although it does not form part of the movie’s plot, the original little mermaid becomes one of the Daughters of Air who may gain a human soul after 300 years of good deeds, and gain entrance to heaven. Like Ariel in The Tempest, the mermaid becomes a spirit of the air – but one whose goodness is quite obvious.

In the Old Testament, Ariel is a man’s name, with its feminine form transliterated as Ariela, Ariella, or Arielle. However, you can see quite a bit of gender ambiguity in the name. Even in the Old Testament, it was used to denote the city of Jerusalem and the temple altar, which already begins to disassociate it from its original context.

Then as the name of an angel it begins to seem further removed from being strictly male, since angels cannot have gender, and once Shakespeare used it for a spirit of the air, this trend continued.

The role of Ariel in The Tempest was almost always taken by female actors from the 1600s until the 1930s; since then it has been played by both men and women, but often with an androgynous slant. This must have made a difference to how people saw the name, and the connection with poetry heightens its feminine image.

Famous men named Ariel include former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon; Brazilian model Ariel Donida; writer and activist Ariel Dorfman; American music-producer Ariel Rechtshaid who has worked with big names like Adele and Madonna; and American film-maker Ariel “Rel” Schulman, best known for the Catfish documentary and TV series.

Famous women named Ariel include American actress Ariel Winter, from Modern Family; American model Ariel Meredith, and Australian actress Ariel Kaplan, who is on Neighbours. Russian-born American historian Ariel Durant, the wife and writing partner of historian Will Durant, was born Chaya Kaufman (Ada or Ida her English name), but was called Ariel as a pet name, and eventually she changed it legally.

Ariel has been used as a male name in Europe since at least the 16th century. It didn’t come into common use in the English-speaking world until the 18th century, when The Tempest became a theatre staple: it was used for both sexes, but much more often given to boys. By the 19th century, it was fairly evenly unisex.

Ariel has been on the US Top 1000 for boys since the late 1960s, shortly after the posthumous publication of Sylvia Plath’s Ariel. It has been on the US Top 100 for girls since the late 1970s, just after Ariel Durant and her husband won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It made the Top 100 for girls in 1990, a year after The Little Mermaid, and peaked for both sexes in 1991, a year after The Little Mermaid was released on video. It reached #361 for boys, and #66 for girls. Currently it is #133 for girls and #738 for boys, and last year made small gains for both sexes.

In the UK, Ariel shows up in the data as a name for both boys and girls, although it has performed more consistently as a male name. Last year there were 32 girls and 20 boys named Ariel, and the name is rising for both sexes, but more steeply as a boy’s name. Ariel is popular for boys in Israel and Latin America.

In Victoria in 2012, Ariel was almost equally given to both sexes – 11 girls and 12 boys. However that may not be typical, because in South Australia in 2013 there were 2 girls named Ariel and no boys, and in Tasmania in 2010, 1 girl Ariel and no boys.

In Australia, the spelling Arielle seems more common for girls, in contrast to the UK, where numbers of female Ariels and Arielles are roughly even, and the US, where Ariel is a much more common girl’s name than Arielle. It’s possible that some Australian parents feel that Ariel, even if not strictly a boy’s name, does not seem quite feminine either.

Strong and attractive, with a wonderful meaning, Ariel is on trend for names with a strong AR sound, and you would think should be rising, along with fashionable choices like Arlo and Aria. Although suitable for both sexes, some parents may prefer the feminised spelling Arielle for a girl, which helps disassociate it from its mermaid namesake. Pronunciation is an issue, as people say this name AR-ee-el, AH-ree-el, and AIR-ee-el (the third one makes me think of TV antennas). Possible nicknames include Ari, Arik, Elle, Ellie, and Rel/Relle.

You might be wondering why I’m covering Ariel at the end of the year – shouldn’t I be doing Noel, or Joy, or something equally festive? The reason is because of the poet T.S. Eliot, who I mentioned as the author of the Ariel Poems.

Ariel was a series of illustrated poetry pamphlets from Faber and Faber, named after the airy sprite from The Tempest (perhaps they were suggesting they were putting their poets to work, as Prospero made the enslaved Ariel toil for him). Put out at the end of the year, they were sold as fancy Christmas cards.

In line with the theme, Eliot wrote poems for Ariel on the subject of Christmas, including The Journey of the Magi. Later they were collected as The Ariel Poems, and another added: The Cultivation of Christmas Trees.

So I’m suggesting Ariel as an unexpected name for the Christmas season, tied to its literary namesake, and connected to the beauty and magic of poetry – didn’t someone once say that every baby is a poem? They are certainly our most wondrous creations.

POLL RESULTS
As a girl’s name, Ariel received an approval rating of 46%. 30% of people were put off the name because of the connection to the Disney movie, but 28% thought Ariel was either pretty or beautiful. Only one person thought Ariel was too masculine for a girl.

As a boy’s name, Ariel received a lower approval rating of 28%. 35% of people thought the Disney film made the name seem too feminine for a boy, and 22% preferred the name Ari. 9% of people thought Ariel was only suitable for Jewish and Hispanic boys. However, 8% of people thought Ariel was a handsome name for a boy.

69% of people thought Ariel was more suitable as a name for girls, and 18% said it was equally suitable for both sexes. 13% saw it as more suitable for boys.

(Picture shows Ariel from The Little Mermaid)

Uncommon Vocabulary Names For Boys

13 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 1 Comment

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animal names, celebrity baby names, dog names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, imperial titles, Japanese names, locational names, modern names, musical names, name history, name meaning, name trends, names of animals, names of rivers, nature names, nicknames, philosophical terms, plant names, rare names, slang terms, surname names, title names, virtue names, vocabulary names, weapon names

Just as with the girls names, these are ten names I saw given to real life baby boys in 2015 – but only once.

Bear
Bears have been important to humans since prehistoric times, hunted for their meat and fur, and sometimes worshipped as a totem animal or deity. Bears have a starring role in our subconscious: there are legends of saints taming bears, and they feature in folk and fairy tales. One of the best known is Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Winnie-the-Pooh and Yogi Bear show that bears continue to appeal to us. There are bear-related names, such as Bernard, Ursula and Orson, so that Bear as a name does not seem out of place. Bear has been used as an English name since around the 17th century, in some cases possibly from the surname, or used to translate bear names from other countries such as Ber and Bjorn. It has often been used as a nickname, a famous example being British adventurer Edward “Bear” Grylls. The boys’ name Bear showed up in UK and US name data after Grylls’ popular TV series Born Survivor (Man vs Wild elsewhere), and is rising in both countries, on trend with other animal names. It has been chosen as a baby name by celebrities such as Kate Winslet and Alicia Silverstone, while Jamie Oliver’s son has Bear as one of his middle names. Bear is strong and masculine in a shaggy, rough-and-tumble way, yet also sweet and cuddly – like a bear hug!

Courage
Courage is another word for bravery or fortitude; it comes from French, and is ultimately derived from the Latin for “heart”. It is not mere fearlessness, but having the moral strength to perservere and keep going under difficult circumstances. Courage was regarded as one of the highest virtues by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and in some Christian traditions is seen as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is also given high praise in Islam, Hinduism, and Eastern philosophies, while we think of people of courage as the true heroes. Unlike some other virtue names, Courage has only been used as a name since the 19th century and has always been rare, more often given to boys. A good choice for a baby facing an uphill battle, or for families in crisis.

Edge
An edge is the extreme of a margin, or the cutting side of a blade. To have the edge on someone means to be at an advantage, while if you are straight edge, you are a hardcore punk living a clean life. The word edge comes from an ancient root meaning “sharp”. There are names related to the word edge, such as Egbert, and Edge- is part of several English surnames, such as Edgely and Edgeworth. As a personal name, Edge originated in Cheshire in the 17th century – edge is a local term for an escarpment, and there are villages in Cheshire called Edge, or known as The Edge. The name Edge has never been common and is sometimes used as a nickname or professional name. A famous example is the musician named The Edge from U2 (apparently the nickname comes from his sharp features and mind). The name Edge might make you feel a bit edgy, or perhaps you’ll think that it’s right at the cutting edge of fashion.

Kaiser
Kaiser is the German word for “emperor”, derived from the Roman title of Caesar. This comes straight from the surname of Julius Caesar, believed to simply mean “hairy” (perhaps the first Caesar had lovely locks, or it could be a joke name for someone bald). The Holy Roman Emperors were the first to use the title Kaiser, in the belief that they were continuing the role of the Roman Empire. Even after the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, the title of Kaiser continued to be used by the House of Hapsburg. Thanks to high school history class, we tend to connect the title with Kaiser Wilhelm II, head of the German Empire during World War I. Kaiser has been used as a personal name since perhaps the 19th century, although it some cases it may have been a nickname given to a German immigrant. Kaiser was chosen as a baby name last year on the reality TV show Teen Mom 2, and since then the name has been rising in both the US and UK. One possible inspiration is British band the Kaiser Chiefs. Title names are on trend, and this one can be shortened to popular Kai.

Pilot
The word pilot originally referred only to someone who steered a ship, and even now a pilot is one who knows a harbour or coastline well, and is hired to help navigate a vessel: it is one of the world’s oldest professions. More generally, a pilot can be any sort of guide through an unknown area, and pilots are used in road transport as well. However, most people connect the word with airline pilots, air travel having overtaken sea travel in importance. The word is from French, and may ultimately be from the ancient Greek for “oar”. Pilot has been in rare use as a personal name since the 19th century, and was probably once best known as a dog name – in Jane Eyre, Mr Rochester has a magnificent Landseer Newfoundland named Pilot. Actor Jason Lee named his son Pilot in 2003, and since then the name has been occasionally used for boys in the US, but with no sign of growth. Occupational names like Mason and Cooper are common for boys, but this one is still an attention-grabber.

Reef
A reef is a sandbar, or a chain of rocks or coral lying near the surface of the water. In Australia, a reef also means a vein of gold-bearing quartz, so it is connected with mining, while sailors will know it as the part of the sail which is rolled up. The word comes ultimately from an ancient root meaning “arch, ceiling”. Reef has been used as a boys’ name since the 19th century, although never very common. In Australia, the name is often connected with the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, the world’s largest coral reef system. Not only important to Indigenous Australians, the Great Barrier Reef is a major tourist attraction. It has recently been in the limelight as it is the subject of a documentary by David Attenborough funded by Tourism Australia. He warns that the reef is in imminent danger from climate change, although pollution is also a major threat. A masculine counterpoint to Coral, and favourite choice of the surfer crowd, Reef has strong conservation credentials. A possible issue is that it is also slang for marijuana.

Rhythm
Rhythm refers to the beat or tempo of music, and more generally to the flow and regular variations in any task or situation. The word has been in use since the 16th century, and is derived from the ancient Greek meaning “flow, run, stream, gush”. Rhythm is a very modern name, dating only to the 20th century, and has been given to both boys and girls, although currently more common as a boys name (and only a boys name in the UK). A rare musical name that recalls natural life cycles as well. One issue is that it may remind people of the rhythm method of birth control, perhaps ironically.

Rye
Rye is a type of grass related to wheat which has been grown domestically since the Stone Age. Native to Turkey and surrounding areas, it has been a staple crop in Central and Eastern Europe since the Middle Ages. One of the most valuable things about it is that it will grow in even poor soil, and during very cold weather. The English word dates to the 8th century, and the surname Rye may be after the grain, or from places such as Rye in East Sussex, its name meaning “at the island”, or the River Rye in Yorkshire, from the Celtic meaning “river”. (Rye in Melbourne is named after the Sussex town). The word may remind you of the Robert Burns ballad Comin’ Thro’ the Rye; as a misremembered quotation, it forms the title of the classic novel Catcher in the Rye. Rye has been used as a personal name since at least the 16th century, and is more often a boys name. Although rare, it fits in well with familiar names such as Riley, Ryan and Ryder, and seems like a short form for these names (such as the guitarist Ryland “Ry” Cooder).

Warrior
A warrior is one involved in combat; the word is from Anglo-Norman, and is derived from the Latin guerra, meaning “war” (related to guerilla). We tend to connect the word to tribal or ancient societies, and professional military forces formed the basis for warrior castes or classes, such as knights in medieval Europe, or the samurai of feudal Japan. Such castes generally had an idealistic moral code, stressing bravery, loyalty, and service to others, so that a warrior is not just a thug for hire, but has an element of nobility. We might also call anyone fighting for a cause a warrior, as Steve Irwin was the Wildlife Warrior, while using the word in a sneering way towards trolling keyboard warriors who are very brave as long as nobody knows who they are. Warrior has been used as a boy’s since the 19th century, and is very rare. It sounds a little like names such as Warren and Warwick, giving it some familiarity, although its similarity to the word worrier isn’t a help.

Zen
Zen is a school of Buddhism which originated in China during the 7th century, and spread to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. It emphasises rigorous meditation practices, and favours direct personal understanding rather than knowledge of doctrine. The word is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán, which is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, meaning “absorption, meditative state”. Such meditation is a way to gain liberation through calmness and awareness. Zen became known in the West in the late 19th century, and it flowered during the 1950s and ’60s – not only because of philosophers such as Alan Watts, but through the writings of beat poets such as Allen Ginsberg. That makes Zen seem cool on several different levels. Zen does have a history as a name in Japan, and has been used as an English name since the end of the 19th century. It is not very common, but the name is increasing in use. Simple yet meaningful, with a quirky letter Z to add interest, there is much to appreciate about tranquil Zen.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Bear, Rye and Reef, and their least favourite were Kaiser, Rhythm and Warrior.

(Photo shows wilderness warrior Bear Grylls having a quiet Zen moment as he contemplates whether to eat bugs or climb inside an animal carcase for the night)

Can You Help a Fellow Name Nerd Out with her Baby Name List?

12 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 4 Comments

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choosing baby names, fictional namesakes, honouring, middle names, name combinations, name meaning, name teasing, names from television, nicknames, saints names, surname names

Do you remember Catherine? She wrote in about six weeks ago for opinions on Lucia, a name on her current list, and must have found it helpful enough to give us another shot.

Catherine and her husband Daniel are expecting their first baby next year. Catherine is a dyed-in-the-wool name nerd, and has always loved making name lists, but is finding doing it for a real baby a much more difficult task! There are so many things to consider, and even her favourite names seem fraught with potential problems.

This is her name list, complete with all the possible issues. Catherine and Daniel have an unusual and rather aristocratic sounding surname that’s vaguely similar to Barntread.

GIRLS

Margaret (nn Mattie, Maggie, Meta, or Greta)
A name from the family tree that seems to hit the sweet spot. It’s got plenty of nickname options, and it’s familiar but not common. Catherine has been very taken with the idea of a daughter named Mattie since reading Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, which has a character named Miss Matty (short for Matilda). As Matilda can’t be used by Catherine, Margaret seems like a possible formal name for Mattie instead. However, is it strange to have a daughter named Mattie when there is a close family member named Matthew (never Matt or Matty)? Catherine thinks it is a nice shared link, but wonders if other people will just think it’s strange. Catherine loves the idea of calling her daughter Magpie as a pet name – is that weird? Catherine is concerned her family will think Margaret is old-fashioned and frumpy, although she can see it fitting in quite well with her husband’s family.

Lucia (pronounced LOO-sha)
Loves the name Lucia, and loves the meaning (“light”), but has ongoing concerns in regard to pronunciation. Would be okay with others shortening it to Lucy, although wouldn’t do so herself. Strongly dislikes Lucinda and Luciana as alternatives.

Henrietta (nn Hattie, Etta, Harry, or Harry-O)
A name that Daniel suggested. Catherine doesn’t it love yet as much as Margaret, but it is growing on her, and it could be a compromise choice if they decide not to go with Margaret. Her favourite thing about it is that it is a name from the family tree, and she likes the nickname Hattie.

Genevieve (possibly nn Evie)
A name Catherine has always loved, but it seems frillier than their other choices. Would consider Evie as a nickname, but it is very popular.

Martha
Another way to get Mattie as a nickname.

Mary (possibly as a nickname for Margaret)
A pretty, underused classic name from the family tree. Catherine loves it, but something makes her hesitate. Perhaps it is because she has trouble reconciling the nerdy Mary from Pride and Prejudice with the glamorous Lady Mary from Downton Abbey. She also worries about “Virgin Mary” as a tease name.

Georgiana
A name Catherine has always loved, and it reminds her of the pioneer Georgiana McCrae, and Miss Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. She dislikes the idea of people using Georgie as a nickname, and would consider George, even though that seems quite masculine. She thinks Georgiana might work better as a middle name, if the first name was a family name.

Her clear front runners so far are Margaret, Henrietta, Mary, and Lucia. Daniel hasn’t indicated any preference as yet, but Catherine isn’t worried by this as there is still plenty of time for him to decide.

BOYS

Benedict (nn Ben)
Catherine and Daniel love the nickname Ben, but would like something more substantial on his birth certificate, and aren’t so keen on Benjamin. Catherine has some concerns about “bendy dick” as a tease name, and isn’t sold on the alliteration of Benedict Barntread. An attraction is that Saint Benedict is the patron of beer, and Daniel is a professional brewer, so it seems very fitting.

Thomas
A long time love, but is highly popular. The association with Thomas the Tank Engine (a favourite of the children in the family) makes her hesitate.

Edward
A family name, with Ted used as the nickname before, but not Ned, as far as Catherine knows. The only thing putting her off is the association with Twilight, although she likes the connection with Edward from Sense and Sensibility. Also, does it sound weird with their surname – is ED-ward Barn-TREAD one too many Ed sounds?

Fionn

Henry

Luke
A name she has just started to love, and reminds her a bit of Lucia. However, she can’t have a Luke and Lucia, so she’s aware that choosing one will automatically cancel the other. Unlike Lucia, there are no spelling or pronunciation issues with familiar Luke, but there are so many babies called Lucas now ….

John (possibly nicknamed Johnno or Johnny)
A new name on the list, which Daniel and Catherine both thought of independently, which seems like a good sign. It’s a family name, and is very familiar without being highly popular. However, they know tons of Johns, and don’t want them thinking the baby is named after them!

Arthur
A name that appeals as something nice and different. Catherine is concerned that the name is too “soft”, while Daniel thinks it is the opposite!

Catherine is finding it harder to connect with boys’ names. She wants something traditional, but not too common, which seems to put names like Thomas, Fionn, and Henry in doubt. She wants something strong, solid, and manly – nothing too “nerdy” sounding (which makes her most nervous about Margaret and Mary).

MIDDLES
Amelia
Jessie
Melva
Melba (tribute to Melbourne)
Henrietta
Jennifer (honouring family member)
Dianne
Louise
Winifred
Victoria (tribute to home state)

Olaf
Holmquest (family surname)
Daniel
Matthew
Christopher
Alastair
Alexander
James (honouring family member)
Patrick
Felix (tribute to home state)

POSSIBLE COMBINATIONS
Henrietta Louise
Henrietta Rose
Lucia Margaret
Margaret Felix (likes this as something fresh and modern, but worried people will think it is strange)
Margaret Jessie (is Mattie Jessie too much?)
Margaret Louise
Margaret Melva
Margaret Rose
Margaret Victoria
Mary Georgiana
Mary Victoria

Benedict Matthew James
John Patrick
Luke Alexander
Thomas Holmquest

Jessie would be in tribute to a relative who has passed away, but she hated her name Jessie, saying it was a cow name. Problem?

Holmquest would be in tribute to a family maiden surname, although Catherine has discovered that there was someone on the family tree actually called Tom Holmquest. An issue?

NAMES CROSSED OFF FOR VARIOUS REASONS
Girls: Beatrix, Bonnie, Claire, Daisy, Elizabeth, Emma, Helen, Ivy, Julia, Katharine, Matilda, Rosie, Violet
Boys: Charlie, Cody, Douglas, Hamish, Hugo, Lachlan, Max, Nicholas, Noah, Oscar, Victor (so vexed an issue it even makes Victoria a bit difficult to use), William

Catherine and Daniel’s families and friends have very wisely refused to make suggestions or take part in any name debates, saying that they are looking forward to the name being a lovely surprise.

Even though this gives them a big gold Baby Name Etiquette Star, Catherine is frustrated at not being able to bounce all her ideas and concerns off everyone she knows. She would be extremely grateful to hear what other people think.

* * * * * * * * * *

Catherine, I do sympathise with your realisation that there can be such a difference between planning a list of names for a completely imaginary maybe-one-day baby, and an utterly real due-in-a-few-months one.

What I took away from your name list is that you are very sensitive to names and words, and form an intense emotional response to them. Then the intellectual side of your brain chimes in and picks them completely to pieces. Of course it’s necessary to think logically about the names you love, but you are second-guessing yourself to the nth degree.

I think you are worrying far too much about what people might think of your choices. I wonder where this comes from, because it seems as if your friends and family, far from being harsh critics, have been studiously hands-off.

I would say that at least 99% of things you are worried about other people thinking goes under the heading of None of Their Business. If people think it’s strange to have a Mattie and a Matthew in the same family – who cares? If they think it’s weird to call your daughter the sweet little pet name of Magpie – to heck with them!

I’m sure your family chose their own children’s names because they liked them, and not to please you, so why should you worry if your child’s name isn’t completely to their taste? It doesn’t sound as if you are surrounded by mean, judgmental people, so even if they don’t love the name Margaret as much as you do, most likely they will be fine with it and say all the right things.

As for the teasing worries, I don’t dispute that some names are sure fire tease-targets. If you name your child Firkhead or Boobialla, at some point they are likely to get some unwanted comments. But you can’t avoid completely normal names like Mary and John just on the off chance that someone might come up with a silly tease for them.

For what it’s worth, all the names you are considering seem perfectly lovely, and suit your preference for something solid, traditional, familiar, yet not highly popular. There isn’t one name that I would say needs to be crossed off the list, or has too many problems.

What comes through very strongly is your preference for Margaret. You wrote much more about that name, and you’ve considered many more name combinations for Margaret. I wonder if that is the name that deep down you have already chosen if you have a girl? It does seem to tick all your boxes, and gives you the option of having a little Mattie and/or a little Magpie. I love the idea of Margaret Felix – it does seem fresh and unexpected. If you and Daniel like it, then I wouldn’t worry about what other people might think.

With the boys, I don’t think there is a name which you are ready to choose yet. I would say if I had to pick one name which ticked all your boxes the best, it would probably be John. I wouldn’t worry about all the other Johns in your life thinking they are the inspiration – if you pick a classic name that’s been common for over a century, of course there will be many others with the name.

I’m not usually a fan of alliterative names either, but Benedict Barnstead does have a nice ring to it, and the saintly connection is pretty cool. And to me, Edward Barnstead is maybe a bit too ED-heavy, but the more I say it the more I like it; it sounds so definite. Edward from Twilight was partly named after Edward from Sense and Sensibility anyway, so perhaps the connection isn’t as ghastly as you fear.

Daniel hasn’t expressed any preference yet, and it would be very convenient if he could develop a favourite boy’s name, as that might make the decision a lot easier for you!

I think you are doing just great, and have nothing to worry about, despite your concerns. I hope all the over-thinking and worrying is something that you are secretly rather enjoying as part of the name choosing process!

UPDATE: The baby was a girl, and her name is Margaret!

POLL RESULTS: The public’s choices for the baby’s name were Margaret for a girl, and Benedict for a boy, with both gaining one third of all votes.

Uncommon Vocabulary Names For Girls

06 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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Some vocabulary names are popular, like Poppy and Summer, while others are familiar, like Faith and Melody. Then there’s the vocabulary names which are more unexpected. These are ten names I have seen on Australian babies this year – but only once. They are real names, but comparative rarities.

Breeze
A breeze is a light gentle wind, pleasantly cooling and appreciated on a warm day. We say that anything easy or effortless is a breeze. The word came into use around the early 16th century, borrowed from the Dutch bries. By the following century it was in occasional use as a name. It has always been rare, and overall evenly given to both sexes, but in both the US and UK is more common now for girls. That might be because it’s similar to Bree, and sometimes girls with names like Brianna have Breeze or Breezy as their nickname. The name has a literary namesake, as H.E. Bates wrote a novella called Breeze Anstey; Breeze is a young woman and it’s a love triangle story. The name was chosen for the daughter of Levi Johnston, former fiance to Bristol Palin and father of her son Tripp, in 2012, and Vanilla Ice’s daughter has Breeze as her middle name. For a rare name, cool Breeze seems easy to wear.

Chilli
Chillies are spicy fruit from Central and South America, commonly used in cooking. The word comes from Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs, and doesn’t have any connection with the name of the country Chile, despite sounding exactly alike. Amusingly for Anglophones, a chilli is exactly the opposite of chilly! Chillies were introduced to Europe and Asia in the 15th century, but Chilli and Chili (the US spelling) have only been used very occasionally as names since the 19th century. It’s easier to find it as a nickname or stage name, such as vintage British actress Chili Bouchier (real name Dorothy). The name has gained some interest as a girl’s name since restaurateur Pete Evans, later TV host and cooking judge, and now Paleo Diet advocate, chose it for his eldest daughter around 2005. I see Chilli every now and again, and this hot name certainly packs a punch.

Halo
A halo is a ring of light; the word comes from the Greek, meaning “disc”. It can be used in science to refer to bands of coloured light around the sun or moon, and to clouds of gas surrounding galaxies. However, it’s probably best known from religious art, where saints and angels are depicted as having an aura of bright light around their heads, called a halo. It was a common artistic device in ancient Greece and Rome for heroes and rulers, and followed in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. The word has been used in English since the 16th century, and in the sacred sense since the 17th; it replaced glory, which was the older term for divine light. Being a modern word, it didn’t become used as a name until around the 19th century. Halo is now mostly given to girls, and has become more common since the Halo video game series was released in 2001. In the games, Halo rings are huge structures used as weapons, but do have a religious connection. A space age virtue name and possible honour name for Gloria.

Harvest
Harvest comes the Old English haerfest, which was used for the name of the month we call August, and referred to the season when harvesting took place, in late summer/early autumn. From the 18th century, people began calling the season autumn or fall, and then harvest specifically meant the process of gathering crops. However, if you come from a farming background, you will know that country people still often use the word harvest to mean the time of year when crops are gathered, as in “We can’t make any plans until after harvest”. Harvest has been occasionally used as a name since the 18th century, and shows up as originally evenly unisex. Overall Harvest has been mostly given to boys, but in the US data for last year, still looks fairly evenly unisex, given to 9 girls and 5 boys. It doesn’t appear in UK data at all. Harvest can be seen as pleasantly archaic, referring to the ancient cycles of rural life; it also has Christian and pagan connotations, celebrating harvest festivals of thanksgiving. Rich and ripe, Harvest fits in with popular names like Harper and Harvey, and is a fresh take on names like Autumn and August.

Ivory
Ivory is a costly substance made from the tusks and teeth of animals. The word comes from abu, the ancient Egyptian word for “elephant”, and although we usually think of ivory as coming from elephants, ivory has also been taken from animals such as hippopotamus, walrus, sperm whale, narwhal, elk, and warthog. Ivory has been used since ancient times to make expensive decorative objects, and at the height of its popularity in the 19th century, thousands of elephants were slaughtered every year for their tusks. Although the sale of ivory is now banned or restricted, poaching of elephants for their ivory is increasing, and wild elephant populations are threatened; in many Asian countries, they are almost extinct. That makes Ivory quite a controversial name, even though it’s been in use since the 17th century. Because it fits in with current name trends and is similar to popular Ivy, use of the name Ivory is increasing in both the US and UK (it was #753 in the US last year). Enjoying the name means forgetting what ivory actually is: something I am unable to do.

Magnolia
Magnolias are beautiful fragrant flowering trees native to south-east Asia and the Americas, with a strong association with the southern states of the US. Magnolias are ancient plants, and despite their rather delicate appearance are quite tough (Steel Magnolias was chosen to depict Southern women as both strong and beautiful, but they could have just gone with Magnolias!). They are named in honour of French botanist Pierre Magnol; his surname is most likely a pet form of the name Magne, French form of Magnus, meaning “great”. Magnolia has been used as a name since the 19th century, when flower names were fashionable, and was most common in the American south. The name Magnolia made the US Top 1000 until 1940, and returned in 2013, although almost unknown in the UK. A lovely exotic name with Maggie as the obvious short form.

Ochre
Ochre is a naturally coloured clay, ranging in tone through yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown; it is iron oxide in the clay which gives it its colour. The word ochre is from ancient Greek, and literally means “pale yellow”. Ochre has been used for art since prehistoric times, and Australian Aborigines have used ochre for painting and body decoration. The very earliest human remains in Australia, many tens of thousands of years old, were buried with ochre. Ochre is an exceedingly rare name, found only a few times since the 19th century, and not showing up in any current data. Yet it means much the same thing as popular Sienna (another clay coloured with iron oxide) and sounds similar to fashionable Oakley. A strong earthy nature name that is both unusual and evocative.

Temperance
Temperance is moderation and restraint; it comes from the Latin meaning “moderation, sobriety”. A temperate person avoids excess of negative emotion, such as anger or grief, and is prudent in their habits, never over-indulging. Temperance was one of the cardinal virtues of the Greek philosophers, and was adopted by Christian thinkers; it is also an essential element of the spiritual path in Buddhism and Hinduism. Modern psychology views the calmness and self-control of temperance as a hallmark of maturity and psychological health. The classic image for Temperance is a woman mixing water with wine, and this is the standard picture on the Temperance tarot card (number XIV). The word is often connected with the temperance movement, which advocated limiting alcohol consumption or abstaining from it altogether. Temperance has been used as a girl’s name since at least the 16th century, and was especially connected with the Puritans. Temperance joined the US Top 1000 in 2011, the name rising since comedy-drama crime show Bones, which stars Emily Deschanel as chic geek Dr Temperance “Bones” Brennan. It showed up in UK data after the TV series began in 2005, and is occasionally seen here too. Virtue names are back on trend, and this one is attracting many fans.

Vogue
Vogue means the fashion or style of the time, or of a particular era. The word came into use in the 16th century, from the French meaning “wave, course of success” – it’s from voguer, meaning “to travel through water, to swim, sail or row”. You can see how what’s in vogue is at the crest of the wave, and how those who follow it are in the swim of things. Ultimately it’s from ancient Germanic meaning “to sway, to fluctuate”, a reminder of fashion’s fickleness. It’s famous as the name of iconic fashion magazine Vogue, and the magazine has inspired a dance called the vogue, brought into the mainstream with Madonna’s song Vogue. Vogue has been in rare use as a personal name, mostly since the 20th century. It doesn’t show up in current US data, but has been rising in the UK since 2013. It’s influenced by Irish model Vogue Williams, briefly married to pop singer Brian McFadden, Australian popstar Delta Goodrem‘s ex-boyfriend: Vogue’s grandmother suggested her name after an encounter with someone named Vogue. I see this name occasionally (Vogue Williams lived here at one point), and vaguely wonder how for long it will be in vogue.

Zinnia
Zinnias are ornamental daisies related to the sunflower and native to the Americas; the best known species are from Mexico. Introduced to Europe at the end of the 18th century, they are named after German botanist Johann Zinn; his surname is an occupational one for someone who worked with pewter. Zinnia has been used as a girl’s name since the 19th century, favoured by that era’s trend for flower names, but has never been common. Nevertheless it has several fictional namesakes, including grieving Zinnia Taylor from young adult novel Chasing Redbird, mischievous Zinnia Larkin (twin sister to Petunia) from the Larkin family books by H.E. Bates, and neglectful mother Zinnia Wormwood from the film Matilda. It’s also a bit of a favourite for animal characters. Last year there were 89 girls in the US named Zinnia, and 12 in the UK, the name rising in both countries. A bright, quirky flower name that seems both aristocratic and exuberant.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Magnolia, Zinnia and Temperance, and their least favourite were Ochre, Chilli and Vogue.

(Photo shows Emily Deschanel as Dr Temperance Brennan on Bones)

Is it a Crime for Sisters’ Names to Rhyme?

05 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, middle names, nicknames, rhyming names, sibsets

Christine and Sam are expecting their second child next year. If it’s a boy – no problems, they have easily agreed on a choice of two, and selected the middle name. If it’s a girl, things aren’t so straightforward.

Christine would adore either Isobel, Evie, Charlotte, or Emerson. However, Sam absolutely loves the name Matilda. On the face of it, this seems fine, because Christine also likes the name Matilda. And Sam really wanted to name their eldest child Avery, but Christine’s choice of Amelia won the day, so Christine wants him to have his turn at choosing a baby name.

Amelia and Matilda seem no drama as sisters, but they always call Amelia “Millie”, and this is the source of Christine’s dilemma. She worries that the sisters will end up being called Millie and Tilly, and this will make them the butt of jokes. She’s tried to convince herself that they could call Matilda “Tilda“, but she doesn’t really love the idea.

Christine wants to know how Amelia and Matilda sound as sisters, and if people will snigger as they call them Millie and Tilly.

Christine wants to stress that Sam also likes all her choices for a girl: he just has his heart set on a little Matilda. The middle name will either be Audrey or Carter, which are both family names.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christine, I get why you’re torn over the name Matilda, as there is a widespread belief that it is stupid and tasteless for your childrens’ names to rhyme. There is even a sterotyped sibset of 1970s siblings named Sharon, Karen and Darren, as a warning to us how we will be mocked if we dare to give our children names that rhyme (today I guess it’s Jayden, Kayden and Hayden).

Except – Amelia and Matilda don’t rhyme. It’s just the nicknames, or the potential nicknames they could be given.

I can imagine that someone might decide to call a Matilda “Tilly” as a tease to match her with her sister called Millie. It sounds annoying, but not really devastating. I would hope that these people would be an irritating minority, rather than the rule.

Or would you want to call Matilda by the nickname Tilly yourself …. except that you already have a Millie? Would you feel able to boldly call them Millie and Tilly, and stare down anyone who giggled?

Even in this case, I don’t think it will be as big a problem as you probably imagine. I went to high school with a girl named Penelope (always known as Penny), and she had an older sister named Jennifer (usually called Jen or Jenny). It did register with me that their nicknames rhymed, but I never commented on it, and certainly never did a finger-pointing laugh over it.

Why not? Well, for a start I was fifteen, not five! And Jenny was already a young adult at university, so it’s not as if I saw them together a lot, or even heard their names said together very often. It might have been different if I’d seen them both in primary school wearing matching uniforms and identical ponytails.

Even the closest sisters will have separate interests and friendship groups. And they will eventually grow up and have their own homes and careers (perhaps live in different cities or even different countries), and their names will barely be an issue. Besides, either one of them might decide they don’t want to be called by a nickname, or prefer a different nickname, such as Amy or Tilda.

I tend to trust your instinct that this time it’s Sam’s turn to have his favourite name, especially as it’s a name which you like as well and makes a nice match with Amelia. It may not be a completely issue-free choice, but I don’t think there are enough problems with it for it to be vetoed.

If I met someone with daughters named Millie and Tilly, I might be slightly amused, but I would think it was very cute. However, I do have to say no to having a son named William later and calling him Billy! You can have too much of a good thing.

Readers, what do you think of Amelia and Matilda as sisters? And are the nicknames Millie and Tilly something to worry about?

(Picture shows a scene from the Disney film Cinderella II: Dreams Come True)

	waltzingmorethanmati… on Zarah Zaynab and Wolfgang…
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Waltzing More Than Matilda

~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

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