I'm going to make this post simple and to the point. Do you really want to name a baby something that will always be associated with someone evil?
A good test for this, google the name. What's the first thing I get when I google Adolf: Adolf Hitler. Bad karma, man. Bad karma.
Same for Samara. Honestly, it's a pretty name. It would be a cute alternative to Samantha (which is actually still an adorable name anyway). But I won't be able to get the image of that little girl crawling out of the TV in "The Ring" out of my head. Frigging creepy.
Google and be careful folks. There's no need for your sweet baby to grow up in the shadow of an evil dictator/mass murderer or a creepy little girl who wants to kill everyone.
(PS: I actually wouldn't mind someone using Samara and changing my image of the name. Please. I'm sick of being unnerved by my TV and little girls with long black hair.)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Antinaming: So what do you call him?
There's one thing that is very hard to control once your child's name is chosen: nicknames.
For instance, my Arabella will always be Bella. Now, hopefully the Twilight stigma won't stick around for too long. In reality, she already doesn't get associated with Twilight when we introduce her as Bella (at least not out loud :) you never truly know what people are thinking). But, when is a nickname too much.
Things to consider about nicknames for your child. A boy's name can have a very girly nickname and the same goes for the other way around. Jude can easily become Judy, Michaela can easily become Mike. If gender association is a great point of contention for you, then this would be good to consider. Note that if you like a boy's name for a girl or, less likely, a girl's name for a boy, choosing a name with a gender appropriate nickname could be a great way to find the balance between genders.
Another point to consider is initials. Since my last name begins with a 'c', initials can be a bit of a challenge. For instance, a name like Charles Oliver Calder is a bad idea. If anyone considered using his initials for a nickname, he would be in a very unfortunate situation.
Also to consider is that some names have unfortunate nicknames by nature. Richard is often shortened to Dick. If that doesn't bother you, then by all means, use the name. However, if you fight hard enough and love the name Richard, you can keep people from calling him Dick. It isn't easy, but it can be done.
All in all, your child will most likely get an annoying or even mean nickname at some point in their life. It's almost completely unavoidable, BUT fueling the fire should not be your goal. Consider the names you like and assess the nickname possibilities. If you're worried your child is going to come out of grade school with the new name of COC...you might want to take another look at your options.
For instance, my Arabella will always be Bella. Now, hopefully the Twilight stigma won't stick around for too long. In reality, she already doesn't get associated with Twilight when we introduce her as Bella (at least not out loud :) you never truly know what people are thinking). But, when is a nickname too much.
Things to consider about nicknames for your child. A boy's name can have a very girly nickname and the same goes for the other way around. Jude can easily become Judy, Michaela can easily become Mike. If gender association is a great point of contention for you, then this would be good to consider. Note that if you like a boy's name for a girl or, less likely, a girl's name for a boy, choosing a name with a gender appropriate nickname could be a great way to find the balance between genders.
Another point to consider is initials. Since my last name begins with a 'c', initials can be a bit of a challenge. For instance, a name like Charles Oliver Calder is a bad idea. If anyone considered using his initials for a nickname, he would be in a very unfortunate situation.
Also to consider is that some names have unfortunate nicknames by nature. Richard is often shortened to Dick. If that doesn't bother you, then by all means, use the name. However, if you fight hard enough and love the name Richard, you can keep people from calling him Dick. It isn't easy, but it can be done.
All in all, your child will most likely get an annoying or even mean nickname at some point in their life. It's almost completely unavoidable, BUT fueling the fire should not be your goal. Consider the names you like and assess the nickname possibilities. If you're worried your child is going to come out of grade school with the new name of COC...you might want to take another look at your options.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Antinaming: How to spell
Bad spelling is an epidemic here in the US. We've gone so far as to create a texting language so that we don't have to spell out every word we use. We've all been guilty of bad spelling at least once in our lives (I know I have a ton! Thank you spell check, for being there for me in my times of need). Now let's consider bad spelling as it applies to names.
Can you spell a name incorrectly? My honest answer is yes. Although, I accept that some folks want to intentionally use a different spelling of a name for personal reasons. Sometimes, I don't find a different spelling odd and I almost always love any spelling of a name when it's attached to an adorable little kiddo (a sweet/fun/adorable/loving child can make most any name just as sweet/fun/adorable/etc). Overall, spelling is completely up to the parents and once that name is given, the spelling is correct to that child. BUT, when a name is not attached to a little kiddo, it is easier to assess it's positives and negatives, one of those being spelling.
So, what is correct? Well, even that can be subjective, as some names have multiple traditional spellings (i.e. Catherine vs. Katharine). Let's take a look at my own name, Kristi. This is a name that can be spelled a ton of different ways, but there are traditional ways of spelling it. Really, my name is a variant of a variant of a variant. Christian is the original, next is Christina, then Kristy, then Kristi. So, how do you traditionally spell my name? I would say that there isn't just one way as it is a nickname of a longer name. However, the typical ways to spell my name are:
Christi(e)
Christy
Kristy
Kristi(e)
These are the most common ways. There are far more variations of this name that parents invent to make the name more creative. For instance, there's:
Chrysty
Chrysti(e)
Crysty
Crysti(e)
Khristi(e)
Khristy
Krysti(e)
Krysty
The biggest difference: the 'y'. For whatever reason, placing a 'y' for an 'i' is thought to make a name more creative. My name is already close enough to crusty. Using something like Crysty is just begging for grief! And no, spelling a name differently does not make it more creative. It just makes it confusing. Stick with the originals and save yourself the grief.
If you'd like to explore some different spellings and what the traditional spelling is, check out this website: http://www.behindthename.com/. If the name you type in doesn't come up or is a variant of something else, then it is most likely not the traditional spelling.
Note: Some names have non-traditional spellings but have been used for so long that they are now part of the spectrum of typical spellings for that name (like Steven instead of Stephen).
Can you spell a name incorrectly? My honest answer is yes. Although, I accept that some folks want to intentionally use a different spelling of a name for personal reasons. Sometimes, I don't find a different spelling odd and I almost always love any spelling of a name when it's attached to an adorable little kiddo (a sweet/fun/adorable/loving child can make most any name just as sweet/fun/adorable/etc). Overall, spelling is completely up to the parents and once that name is given, the spelling is correct to that child. BUT, when a name is not attached to a little kiddo, it is easier to assess it's positives and negatives, one of those being spelling.
So, what is correct? Well, even that can be subjective, as some names have multiple traditional spellings (i.e. Catherine vs. Katharine). Let's take a look at my own name, Kristi. This is a name that can be spelled a ton of different ways, but there are traditional ways of spelling it. Really, my name is a variant of a variant of a variant. Christian is the original, next is Christina, then Kristy, then Kristi. So, how do you traditionally spell my name? I would say that there isn't just one way as it is a nickname of a longer name. However, the typical ways to spell my name are:
Christi(e)
Christy
Kristy
Kristi(e)
These are the most common ways. There are far more variations of this name that parents invent to make the name more creative. For instance, there's:
Chrysty
Chrysti(e)
Crysty
Crysti(e)
Khristi(e)
Khristy
Krysti(e)
Krysty
The biggest difference: the 'y'. For whatever reason, placing a 'y' for an 'i' is thought to make a name more creative. My name is already close enough to crusty. Using something like Crysty is just begging for grief! And no, spelling a name differently does not make it more creative. It just makes it confusing. Stick with the originals and save yourself the grief.
If you'd like to explore some different spellings and what the traditional spelling is, check out this website: http://www.behindthename.com/. If the name you type in doesn't come up or is a variant of something else, then it is most likely not the traditional spelling.
Note: Some names have non-traditional spellings but have been used for so long that they are now part of the spectrum of typical spellings for that name (like Steven instead of Stephen).
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Anti Naming
I have just purchased a book that discusses the art of anti-naming (ok, it's not really an art). This is the idea that you assess all of the things you don't want in a name and narrow down your choices that way. I'm going to comb through the book and use it for some good old blog discussion. So, some upcoming topics to look for:
- Bad nicknames
- unfortunate namesakes
- creative (and difficult) spellings
Monday, May 9, 2011
My 20 Kids
There was a post on one of my favorite name sites about using a website called nymbler.com to come up with a Duggar-sized family. You put in a name or two that you already used or that you know you plan on using and then allow Nymbler to suggest names for you (you can pick and chose the ones you like)! So I did it! And these are my 20 children :).
I put in:
Arabella
Jude
Nymbler suggested:
Catherine (female)
Bennett (male)
Graham (male)
Everett (male)
Cecelia (female)
Nathaniel (male)
Alice (female)
Emilia (female)
Harper (female)
Rose (female)
Asher (male)
Peter (male)
Violet (female)
Noah (male)
Juliet (female)
Lucy (female)
Oliver (male)
Charlotte (female)
My favorites of the suggestions I chose: Cecelia and Bennett. It was not easy to pick and stick to 18 additional names!
I put in:
Arabella
Jude
Nymbler suggested:
Catherine (female)
Bennett (male)
Graham (male)
Everett (male)
Cecelia (female)
Nathaniel (male)
Alice (female)
Emilia (female)
Harper (female)
Rose (female)
Asher (male)
Peter (male)
Violet (female)
Noah (male)
Juliet (female)
Lucy (female)
Oliver (male)
Charlotte (female)
My favorites of the suggestions I chose: Cecelia and Bennett. It was not easy to pick and stick to 18 additional names!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Goodbye girls
Here's a look at the girl's names that fell out of the top 1000 in 2010.
Alaya
Ashleigh
Ashly
Caleigh
Calleigh
Cambria
Cassie (This is an adorable name, but at least Cassandra is still around)
Cayla
Charlize (I'm a bit surprised at this one)
Cristal (future AAer?)
Dayanara
Deja (Is her middle name Vu?)
Destiney (ouy.....can't you take Destiny with you? One of the cheesiest of the virtue names)
Frida
Gretchen (I really like Gretchen. I'm surprised its off the list now)
Jacey
Janice (peace Chandler's annoying gf)
Jaslyn
Jordin
Kamari
Kamya
Karley
Kayley
Keely
Magdalena (I LOVE this name! Sad to see it go)
Marely
Maribel
Mariela
Marleigh
Marlie
Maryjane (I guess there are less pot smokers out there? Or they just have the sense to split the name into its 2 parts)
Mireya (sounds like Mirena. I wouldn't want to be named after a brand of birth control)
Miya
Monserrat
Rebeca
Reece
Rory
Samiyah
Sanai
Tamara (twin of the 90s #1)
Taniya
Taniyah
Tanya
Taya
Tia (twin of the 90s #2. It's interesting that they fell off of the list together)
Tiara (really? I'm totally ok with seeing this one go)
Unique (again, really?)
Valery
Yadira
Yasmine
Yuliana (pretty sure we can just stick with Juliana)
Many of these are just other ways of spelling a name that's still in the top 1000. I'm all for spelling names the traditional way, so I'm ok with the non-traditional spellings falling out of fashion. It makes life easier when you don't have a group of people with the same name but spelled 5 different ways. Others are just trendy names that have finally fallen out of favor or names that didn't see that much popularity to begin with. And then there are a beautiful few that I'm both sad and happy to see fall out of the top 1000. I'm sad that not as many people seem to like these gems, but also glad that it will be that much more special when I meet a little girl with that name.
Anyway, when more info becomes available, I'm sure I'll find time to talk about that too! Until then friends.
Alaya
Ashleigh
Ashly
Caleigh
Calleigh
Cambria
Cassie (This is an adorable name, but at least Cassandra is still around)
Cayla
Charlize (I'm a bit surprised at this one)
Cristal (future AAer?)
Dayanara
Deja (Is her middle name Vu?)
Destiney (ouy.....can't you take Destiny with you? One of the cheesiest of the virtue names)
Frida
Gretchen (I really like Gretchen. I'm surprised its off the list now)
Jacey
Janice (peace Chandler's annoying gf)
Jaslyn
Jordin
Kamari
Kamya
Karley
Kayley
Keely
Magdalena (I LOVE this name! Sad to see it go)
Marely
Maribel
Mariela
Marleigh
Marlie
Maryjane (I guess there are less pot smokers out there? Or they just have the sense to split the name into its 2 parts)
Mireya (sounds like Mirena. I wouldn't want to be named after a brand of birth control)
Miya
Monserrat
Rebeca
Reece
Rory
Samiyah
Sanai
Tamara (twin of the 90s #1)
Taniya
Taniyah
Tanya
Taya
Tia (twin of the 90s #2. It's interesting that they fell off of the list together)
Tiara (really? I'm totally ok with seeing this one go)
Unique (again, really?)
Valery
Yadira
Yasmine
Yuliana (pretty sure we can just stick with Juliana)
Many of these are just other ways of spelling a name that's still in the top 1000. I'm all for spelling names the traditional way, so I'm ok with the non-traditional spellings falling out of fashion. It makes life easier when you don't have a group of people with the same name but spelled 5 different ways. Others are just trendy names that have finally fallen out of favor or names that didn't see that much popularity to begin with. And then there are a beautiful few that I'm both sad and happy to see fall out of the top 1000. I'm sad that not as many people seem to like these gems, but also glad that it will be that much more special when I meet a little girl with that name.
Anyway, when more info becomes available, I'm sure I'll find time to talk about that too! Until then friends.
The list is in!
Alright, we have our top 1000 list for 2010. Really, there aren't any big surprises in the top 10. Let's take a look and compare 2009 to 2010. I'll start with the girls.
1. In 2009, Isabella topped the charts for the first time thanks to the popularity of the Twilight films (yes, I say films because Isabella was already top 10 when the book first released).
In 2010, guess what. Isabella is still #1. Not surprised at all.
2. In 2009, Emma held the #2 spot. In 2010, Sophia made a 2 spot leap to take Emma's place.
3. In 2009, Olivia came in the third spot. In 2010, Emma slipped a spot to #3.
4. In 2009, Sophia was in this spot. Now, Olivia has stepped back to #4.
5. In 2009, Ava was #5. In 2010, she retained her spot in the top 10.
6. Emily also retained her spot from 2009 to 2010.
7. 2009 was all about Madison in the #7 spot. In 2010, she switched with Abigail.
8. 2009=Abigail. 2010=Madison.
9. Chloe stuck it out from 2009 to 2010.
10. Mia stayed in place, as well, from 2009 to 2010.
So for girls, not one name entered the top 10, or fell out of it for that matter. Sophia knocked Emma and Olivia down a notch and Madison and Abigail switched places, but that was it. Now, for the boys.
1. Jacob stayed put in the #1 spot.
2. Ethan also stayed put in the #2 spot.
3. Michael stayed true to #3.
4. In 2009, Alexander held the #4 spot. In 2010, Jayden made a 4 place leap to take #4. Thank you Will Smith's younger son.
5. William didn't move an inch from 2009 to 2010.
6. In 2009, Joshua was in the #6 spot. In 2010, Alexander dropped a couple spots to fill in the #6 slot.
7. In 2009, Daniel came in at #7. In 2010, Noah jumped 2 spots to take #7.
8. In 2009, Jayden filled the #8 spot, but he had better things to do. In 2010, Daniel slipped into this spot instead.
9. In 2009, Noah resided here. In 2010, Aiden entered the top 10, taking the #9 spot.
10. In 2009, Christopher held this spot. In 2010, Anthony ousted Chirstopher to take a spot in the top 10.
To sum up for the boys, there were a couple of hellos and goodbyes. Aiden entered the top 10 for the first time (which surprised me a bit, I thought it'd already been in the top 10) and Anthony reentered the top 10 after a couple of years just below. We also said goodbye to Joshua and Christopher, both of which fell just outside the top 10. The top 3 stayed exactly the same (as well as #5). Alexander and Daniel dropped while Jayden and Noah gained. More exciting than the girl's list, but nothing too crazy happened here either.
That's the news on the top 10. And just for fun.....here are the two names that came in just inside the listed number of names. At #1000 for girls: Dania. At #1000 for boys: Crew.
1. In 2009, Isabella topped the charts for the first time thanks to the popularity of the Twilight films (yes, I say films because Isabella was already top 10 when the book first released).
In 2010, guess what. Isabella is still #1. Not surprised at all.
2. In 2009, Emma held the #2 spot. In 2010, Sophia made a 2 spot leap to take Emma's place.
3. In 2009, Olivia came in the third spot. In 2010, Emma slipped a spot to #3.
4. In 2009, Sophia was in this spot. Now, Olivia has stepped back to #4.
5. In 2009, Ava was #5. In 2010, she retained her spot in the top 10.
6. Emily also retained her spot from 2009 to 2010.
7. 2009 was all about Madison in the #7 spot. In 2010, she switched with Abigail.
8. 2009=Abigail. 2010=Madison.
9. Chloe stuck it out from 2009 to 2010.
10. Mia stayed in place, as well, from 2009 to 2010.
So for girls, not one name entered the top 10, or fell out of it for that matter. Sophia knocked Emma and Olivia down a notch and Madison and Abigail switched places, but that was it. Now, for the boys.
1. Jacob stayed put in the #1 spot.
2. Ethan also stayed put in the #2 spot.
3. Michael stayed true to #3.
4. In 2009, Alexander held the #4 spot. In 2010, Jayden made a 4 place leap to take #4. Thank you Will Smith's younger son.
5. William didn't move an inch from 2009 to 2010.
6. In 2009, Joshua was in the #6 spot. In 2010, Alexander dropped a couple spots to fill in the #6 slot.
7. In 2009, Daniel came in at #7. In 2010, Noah jumped 2 spots to take #7.
8. In 2009, Jayden filled the #8 spot, but he had better things to do. In 2010, Daniel slipped into this spot instead.
9. In 2009, Noah resided here. In 2010, Aiden entered the top 10, taking the #9 spot.
10. In 2009, Christopher held this spot. In 2010, Anthony ousted Chirstopher to take a spot in the top 10.
To sum up for the boys, there were a couple of hellos and goodbyes. Aiden entered the top 10 for the first time (which surprised me a bit, I thought it'd already been in the top 10) and Anthony reentered the top 10 after a couple of years just below. We also said goodbye to Joshua and Christopher, both of which fell just outside the top 10. The top 3 stayed exactly the same (as well as #5). Alexander and Daniel dropped while Jayden and Noah gained. More exciting than the girl's list, but nothing too crazy happened here either.
That's the news on the top 10. And just for fun.....here are the two names that came in just inside the listed number of names. At #1000 for girls: Dania. At #1000 for boys: Crew.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My head might just explode!
It's May! What does that mean? No, I'm not talking about Mother's day. Or my anniversary. Or my birthday.
This is the month that many name nerds look forward to every year. At the end of this week the Social Security Administration will release the list of the top 1000 most popular names of 2010. AHHHHHHHHHHH! So excited! Many of us wonder if our favorite names rose or fell, if the top 10 changed any, what names fell off the list completely, the new additions, etc. To gear up for Friday (hopefully they release it Friday), here's a reminder of the top 10 boys and girls names of 2009:
Girls (1-10)
Isabella
Emma
Olivia
Sophia
Ava
Emily
Madison
Abigail
Chloe
Mia
Boys (1-10)
Jacob
Ethan
Michael
Alexander
William
Joshua
Daniel
Jayden
Noah
Anthony
There are many names listed that I've always loved. These really are great names, popular or not. Chances are that there won't be any major changes to the top 10, but sometimes we get a surprise and things get interesting again :). Stay tuned to find out!
This is the month that many name nerds look forward to every year. At the end of this week the Social Security Administration will release the list of the top 1000 most popular names of 2010. AHHHHHHHHHHH! So excited! Many of us wonder if our favorite names rose or fell, if the top 10 changed any, what names fell off the list completely, the new additions, etc. To gear up for Friday (hopefully they release it Friday), here's a reminder of the top 10 boys and girls names of 2009:
Girls (1-10)
Isabella
Emma
Olivia
Sophia
Ava
Emily
Madison
Abigail
Chloe
Mia
Boys (1-10)
Jacob
Ethan
Michael
Alexander
William
Joshua
Daniel
Jayden
Noah
Anthony
There are many names listed that I've always loved. These really are great names, popular or not. Chances are that there won't be any major changes to the top 10, but sometimes we get a surprise and things get interesting again :). Stay tuned to find out!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Day 15-All time favorite Name
Last post of the series kiddos! This is hard because I have so many names that I am madly in love with. These two names are the names I would have chosen if Steve had given me free reign :).
Boy’s Name: Dashiell Arthur
Girl’s Name: Lyra Hermione
Boy’s Name: Dashiell Arthur
Girl’s Name: Lyra Hermione
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Day 14-Name based on meaning
Boy’s Name: Asher Jude (happy and praise)
Girl’s Name: Alice Bella (noble and beautiful)
Girl’s Name: Alice Bella (noble and beautiful)
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