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

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by A.O. in Blog Reviews

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Apartment Therapy, Appellation Mountain, Babble, baby name blogs, baby name books, Bravo TV, choosing baby names, Design Mom, Facebook, Linda Rosenkrantz, Making It Lovely, Nameberry, nicknames, Pamela Redmond Satran, Pinterest, popular names, Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine, Pregnant in Heels, The Itsy Factor, Twitter, US name popularity, Wordpress, You Can't Call It "It"!

mothersday

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

What is your name?

Elisabeth Wilborn

Have you ever wished you had a different name?

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

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

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

What inspired you to begin a name blog?

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

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

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

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

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

What other blogs do you have, or write for?

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have a pet naming peeve?

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

What are some of your favourite names?

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

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

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

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

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

What are your favourite names in the US Top 100?

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

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

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

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

Melisande. Shhh!

What are your children’s names?

Beatrix and Eulalie.

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

Currently loving Marguerite and Arthur.

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

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

What is something we don’t know about you?

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

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

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

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

Interview with Angela of Upswing Baby Names

07 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by A.O. in Blog Reviews

≈ Comments Off on Interview with Angela of Upswing Baby Names

Tags

baby name blogs, choosing baby names, Facebook, honouring, middle names, name combinations, popular names, Twitter, Upswing Baby Names, US name popularity, Wordpress

girl-on-a-swing.jpg!BlogAre you looking for a baby name that is a bit different to the rest, but not outrageously so? That’s uncommon, yet not odd or obscure; stylish, but unpretentious; and that stands out from the crowd for all the right reasons? Many parents seek out the golden mean in baby naming, and a good place to start is the beautifully presented Upswing Baby Names, which shows you the practical steps to finding the perfect baby name.

What is your name?

Angela Dawn Mastrodonato

Your blog focuses on finding names “on the upswing” – less common, but rising in popularity. But your own name was at its peak when you were born, so how does that make you feel about it?

I remember when I was a kid feeling glad I wasn’t yet another Jennifer, but also that my name was a bit boring. I used to wish my parents had gone with the other name on their list, Alana. My parents knew Jennifer and Amy were popular (Amy was nixed for that reason), but had no idea Angela was not far behind. I’m not sure knowing that would have made a difference – my parents didn’t want a name as popular as Jennifer, but other than that, they didn’t care.

Have you ever wished you had a different name?

Absolutely! I love imagining different names on myself; one day I’m Alana, the next I’m Gabrielle, the next I’m Felicity.

Would you ever consider legally changing your name?

I would never go to the trouble. My name may not be interesting, but it’s me; I would have a hard time remembering to answer to something else. And the upside of having a common name is that I’ve never had to explain it. I do appreciate my parents unimaginative choice for that reason.

How did your interest in names begin?

I always had a passing interest in names – like most girls, I picked different names for my dolls and imagined my future kids’ names. However, I didn’t become really passionate about names until I named my oldest child, and discovered my daughter’s name wasn’t as uncommon as I thought. After believing I had picked a unique name for her, I started hearing it everywhere. I feared her name would become as popular as Ava, a name I didn’t even realise was in the Top 5 until I had kids.

What inspired you to start a name blog?

The realisation that I couldn’t have ten kids just so I could name them! I had the idea for about two years before I finally had the guts to do it, and then decided on a “different but not too different” angle for my blog. The name, Upswing Baby Names, evolved from that.

Your blog looks very polished and professional – do you have any previous experience?

Thank you! I took web design classes a few years ago, and used to work as an online programme manager. But I didn’t have any experience with WordPress until I created Upswing Baby Names. After hemming and hawing, I took the plunge and purchased a premium WordPress theme; I have never regretted it.

Do you have a favourite blog entry on Upswing Baby Names?

My favourite is Warning: Your Baby’s Name Could Become #1.

Any other ways of staying in touch with Upswing Baby Names?

Twitter and Facebook.

Do you have a pet naming peeve?

I get frustrated by parents who prioritise style over function, such as calling their kid by their middle name just because it flows better.

I also get frustrated by these extremes:

  • Parents who know they are giving their kid a truly problematic name, but don’t care because they love it
  • Parents who second-guess every name on their list, find teasing potential in every name, and need reassurance from every friend and family member before picking a name.

What are your favourite names?

Girls: Cecily, Opal, Ione, Felicity, Cordelia, Verity.

Boys: Hugh, Thaddeus, Roscoe, Linus, Stuart, Ferdinand.

What names do you dislike?

If it hadn’t become so over-used, I would probably like Madison, but I can’t bring myself to like Addison. The M makes a difference.

I fail to see the appeal of Keegan, which is very popular in my New England small town. Brayden also doesn’t appeal to me.

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

Thaddeus and Ferdinand are problematic with my surname. For a real off-the-wall guilty pleasure, I kind of like Serendipity, but acknowledge it has practical problems – it’s five syllables, and doesn’t have many obvious nicknames.

What is your favourite name in the US Top 100?

Girl: Naomi (#93)

Boy: Adrian (#56)

What is your favourite name which has never been on the US Top 1000?

Girl: Oona

Boy: Fritz (it hasn’t been in the Top 1000 since 1970, and never reached the Top 350).

What are your children’s names?

Fiona Dawn and Paul Robert.

If you were pregnant right now, what names would you be considering using?

For a girl, I might bring up Nora, which was one of the names on our list if our second child had been a girl. My husband nixed it, but I think he could eventually come around. He also nixed Cecily, and I might see if he would agree to Celia instead.

A boy might be a little harder. I’ve always liked Leo, but didn’t like it with our surname, but now I sort of like Leo Mastrodonato.

For middle names, I would like to use one of my maternal grandparents names: Marshall and Winifred.

What things do you and your husband disagree about when it comes to choosing baby names?

I wanted names for our kids that I had never seen on anyone else, and I suspect he needed to know someone with the name before he could feel comfortable using it (he knew a Fiona growing up). While I could never bring myself to use a Top 10 name, I think he would have preferred that.

What is something we don’t know about you?

I love experimenting in the kitchen. Sometimes my experiments are flops (black bean brownies didn’t go over well); sometimes the results are mixed (I loved the garbanzo bean [chickpea] chocolate chip cookies, but my husband didn’t); and sometimes they are hits (we’ll make coffee jello again and again).

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

  • Say the first name and last name together
  • Say the first, middle and last name together
  • Write the first and last name together
  • Write the first, middle and last name together
  • Write down the initials
  • Call out the first name, and any nicknames
  • Call out the first and last names
  • Call out the first and middle names
  • Call out all three names

By doing this, most parents will spot any practical problems.

What’s the best way for parents to choose a name which has that elusive quality of being different, but not too different?

I think I just have a sixth sense for it, which is one reason why I started Upswing Baby Names. One thing I’ve noticed is that names which are scorned by the general public, but have some stylish qualities, will suddenly become celebrated by the general public in the space of 5-10 years.

I started suggesting Dexter in name forums around 2008, and the general response was that the name was “too geeky”. Now it is one of the fastest-rising names in the US (it was #384 in 2011).

I would encourage parents who really like a name, but are hesitant because their family and friends don’t “get it”, is to use the name they really love. You never know when you might be on to the next big name.

(Picture shows Girl on a Swing by Homer Winslow, 1897)

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