Deluxe Baby Names

K is for Keyara and Kieran

2010-10-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

K is for Keyara and Kieran

I know. I know. Where have I been? Why is it taking me so long to get to K? I don’t know. I’ve been busy with the Amish, how’s that for an answer? Actually, it’s quite true, but that’s another blog. At any rate, here I sit on a sunny Sunday afternoon, thinking I better get with K or else. And I’m in a baby naming kind of mood!

Best Bible Name: Keziah: When I wrote A is for Adam, the name Keziah had somehow escaped my attention. Then I started seeing it pop up in the “MB Herald,” the august magazine of the Mennonite Brethren Church, in the Births section. Leave it to the Mennonites to unearth a great Bible name. Keziah was one of Job’s daughters, his middle daughter, after Jemima (see “J”), born to him after his great sufferings. Wikipedia says: “The name has been taken to symbolize female equality, since all of Job's three daughters received an inheritance from their father, an unusual circumstance in a time period when women and men were not treated equally.” I’ve also heard of it being used in families after a time of suffering. Runner Up: Keturah. Keturah who? Unless you’ve recently read the Book of Genesis, you may be a little sketchy on who Keturah is. She’s actually Abraham’s second wife, whom he married after Sarah died. I think it’s really cool, and a million times more original than Sarah!

Best Lit Names: Katerina: I always marveled at the fact that my Opa had a sister named Katerina, although by the time I learned of her, no one knew what had happened to her. Likely, she died in Stalin’s Russia, like so many members of my dad’s family. Katerina, I wax in “Atticus,” is “as luxe and gilded as a Faberge egg.” I love this name, and it’s fantastic short form, Katya. Oh, Katerina is from The Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky. Runner Up: Kit. Okay, I have many friends who have Kates and Katies, and of course it’s a sensational name (notice there’s no overabundance of Olga or Hilda). But what about Kit as a short form of Katherine (and you know me. I always endorse using a long form like Katherine or Kathleen, so the child has options someday…). Kit is similar to Kate, sleek, spunky, and alternatively glamorous and sporty. Kit Tyler is the heroine at the heart of “The Witch of BlackBird Pond, Elizabeth George Spears’ 1959 Newberry winning classic.

Best International Names: Keyara: Africa especially brings us some sumptuous, exotic beauties, and flat gorgeous Keyara rolls off the tongue and means “Beautiful river;” Kamaria is Swahili for “Like the moon. Also: Karimah (Generous Girl), and Kesia (Earth bound Girl).

Best Name I’ve Always Liked With No Category: Kerensa. A friend of mine has a grown niece with this lovely, unusual name, and I love it. Pronounced Ker-REN-za, this one will be one-of-a-kind in your sphere.

BOYS

Best Bible Name: Kenan: According to Genesis 5:9-14, Kenan/Cainan was a son of Enos and an unnamed woman, and a grandson of Seth. He was one of those ultra-hearty fellows in the Bible who lived through almost a millennium (he was 910 when he died). I think Kenan is very of the moment, yet also fresh and new. There’s also an Irish saint named Keenan, and indeed it sounds frisky and Irish, doesn’t it?

Best Lit Name: Keats: This poetic namesake name means “kite,” which seems to fit Keats’ sunshiny vibe. My son has a classmate named Banks, and I think Keats works even better as a first name.

Best International Name: Kieran: Laura Wattenberg says “This snappy Irish saint’s name hits all of today’s fashion highlights.” She’s right. Kieran sounds vibrantly Irish and completely accessible, and is much less common than Aidan, Connor et al. Irish Runner Up: Keegan.

As usual, Africa is teeming with vivid, unheard choices. Kyan means “Little king boy.” You may not be a member of the royal family, but your baby boy is always your tiny prince anyway. More from Africa: Keon (Boy), Kojo (Born on a Monday), Kuron (Thanks).

G is for Green Mama

2010-06-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Bruised Apples and Local Character
Our local farmer's market is a hub of activity every week. Lettuce, jelly, strawberries, nuns who bake bread. The old Greek guy selling olives is definitely my favorite. He takes plump, oval, gorgeous olives and crams them with soft bleu cheese. I don't even like bleu cheese but his olives have made me a devotee.
The family that hauls heirloom apples up from the southern part of my state is another treasure. By late summer they truck in over two dozen varieties of apples. Brown Snout, Adina, Prairie Spy, Akane, Pink Pearl, Chisel Jersey. Did you know apples had these names?
My apple exposure comes from the pile at my local grocer. Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. Maybe on a daring day I dabble in a Jonathan Gold.
Grocery store apples are perfectly smooth, no bruises and quite hard. I arrive home and they don't taste as stellar as they looked. Mealy and lackluster. These apples come from fabulously far away places like Washington State or New Zealand. I find this odd given the multiple apple orchards near my home. None of the apples in our stores actually come from these orchards (a common occurrence in food life).
Commercial apples are often plucked from the trees long before they are ripe, stealing their sweetness and color. A green apple at your grocer might actually, if left on the tree, become a yellow apple! And sweeter than the one in your cart.
On a recent trip to the farmer’s market my two youngest children were running from bin to bin picking their apples by yanking whatever looked tasty from the heirloom varieties.
Then they scurried over the the stroller where a canvas bag received their selections. At first they gently set the apples into the bag. It was perfectly idyllic. I was the uber eco-mom with the gentle kids and the awesome apples. But the moment quickly changed as competition and adrenaline suddenly took over.
They began racing back and forth, grabbing armloads of apples and throwing them into my bag. Beautiful apples bouncing around and bruising one another. I managed to stop the chaos for a moment so my 2.5 year old said "okay mommy, then let's go buy our apples."
Before I could harness his ambition he darted over to the stroller, grabbed the handle on our bag and yanked it with such force that the bag tipped and apples flew then bounced across the market lot. "Oops. Mommy?"
As we tucked them back into the bag I noticed, beyond our bruises, that each apple had such character. Traits you don't see in stores. Odd colors, lumps, freckles and spots. Each had a story to tell. An heirloom apple's worth of history, seeds from France, family secrets from Germany, local color from Illinois. These apples were ripe with more than flavor.
We relaxed enough to pay the farmer (who smiled and kindly said "happens all the time") and I felt embarrassed of course. But, I also felt joy and history swelling through my little suburban veins. A small moment of triumph over the commercial food industry, victory for my kitchen.
I had a bag of odd shaped character and it felt a little bit like my life. Freckled, bruised and filled with stories. Like the lives of my children as well.
So I beg you to get in touch with your local growers this summer. Not as an act of hatred against grocery chains but a way learning and of growing. To put your hands on freckled apples is to realize that you are connected to the same bizarre, bruised world as our farmers and our food.
A way of living into the reality that we are all connected to our land, God’s land. Our food and ultimately to one another. May you find an odd shaped apple this summer that fills your heart and your stomach with a glimpse of God’s love and grace for this world and for your very soul.
Tracey Bianchi is the author of “Green Mama: The Guilt Free Guide to Helping You and Your Kids Save the Planet.” She is the mother of three and an author, speaker, and women’s ministry director. You can find more of her musings on life, faith and sustainability at http://traceybianchi.com. You can find her new book at here: http://tinyurl.com/3xzvpnx

J is for Josie and Jonah

2010-05-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

J is for Josie and Jonah

There are sooo many luscious J names—it’s hard to boil them down to just a few. However, I shall try.

Best Bible Names: Julia, Junia, Jerusha, and Jemima. Julia is probably my favorite girl’s classic—“a perennially stylish slam dunk” I gush in Atticus. Julia is one of Saint Paul’s many pals, mentioned in the Book of Romans.

Junia: Where were you when I was writing “A is for Adam”? Apparently, I was not reading the right translation, now was I? Not like the brilliant Laura Wattenberg, of “Baby Name Wizard” fame, whose squib about Junia got my attention fast:

“In Roman 16: 7, Junia was described as “of note among the apostles.” If you don’t find her in your Bible, it’s because scribes in the Middle Ages thought such a description of a woman must be wrong. They scratched Junia out and came up with the masculine Junias in its place. Translators today are reversing that decision.” Thank goodness for that!

Jerusha was a queen of Judah, the wife of King Uzziah and the the mother of the boy king Jotham. It just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? I love saying it, and this one’s a good option for those seeking a Bible name that’s not overused (Junia too!).

Jemima was one of Job’s daughters and is sorely overlooked in these parts, all due to imitation maple syrup. This drives me crazy, because it’s a pretty, quaint, and literary name that deserves a shot. In England they pronounce it “Je-MEE-ma,” which is lovely, too.

Best Lit Names: Jerusha (Daddy Long Legs) and Jemima (Vanity Fair, Chitty Bang Bang) work as lit names, but my favorite is still—despite the great movie, which kind of brings to mind a pregnant teenager—Juno. Very hip and energetic, Juno was the Roman queen of the Gods and appeared in Shakespeare and Virgil.

Best International Names: Sweet, peppy Julitta comes from our friends the Dutch, while romantic Jacinta blooms (it’s Spanish for hyacinth). Say these J names out loud. See, aren’t they gorgeous?

Best J name: Josephine. You could pay tribute to one of the most cherished heroines in fiction, Jo March of “Little Women,” plus this darling gem boasts two great short forms: Josie (too cute!) and Feeny (an antique nickname). Love it!

BOYS

Best Bible Names: Jonah, of course. At 148 on the Baby name popularity chart, Jonah is a “bargain.” It’s strong and masculine while cute on a little boy, plus it is a symbol of redemption and rebirth. In the 12 years since we picked it for our boy, we’ve grown more and more pleased with our choice. Runners up: Jude, Jotham, Jed (Jedidiah), Jadon (Nehemiah 3:7).

Best Lit Name: Jasper. “Cut from the same old-time-yet-newfangled cloth as Ezra, Leo, Emmett and Phineaus, Jasper is onward and upward,” I cooed in “Atticus.” And since Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, named their baby Jasper, the name has shot up 200 places to the 300’s as of 2009.

Best International Name: Justus. What a power-packed name! The Romans gave it to us, and the Germans are using it well. With this spelling, the in-your-face idea is softened enough to make it a little more accessible. Very strong and bold and stylish, too. Runner up: Joaquin (Spanish), Johan (German). (Johan, you say? Yes! Pronounced “YO-hawn,” “Jo (YO)” is a pretty slick little nickname. Heidi Klum and Seal thought so, and how fabulous are they?

I is for Ivy and Ian

2010-01-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

GIRLS

Best Lit Name: Iris. As I said in "Atticus," "This flower name in the bouquet zigs while the others zag. It's not for everyone, but that makes it a cool iconoclast. Iris sounds like the kind of girl who grows up to play bass in the hippest side-stage band." Iris appears as one of three otherworldly messengers in "The Tempest." She's represented by a rainbow. Runners up: India ("Gone with the Wind"), Imogene ("Cymbeline").

Best International Name: Isla. That's "Aisle-a," folks, not Iss-la. The flame-haired actress of "Shopaholic" fame, Isla Fisher, brought this uncommonly lovely Scotch import to our attention. An absolutely novel and gorgeous choice for anyone on the hunt for a Scottish name (Molly and Caitlin are no longer overtly Scottish, at any rate). Runners up: Ingrid (Scandinavia and Germany), and Ilsa (same).

Best Name, period: Ivy. Botanical names are so tasteful and elegant, with a splash of artistic flair. Ivy's also cute, strong, and antique, which means Ivy's got it all.

BOYS

Best Lit Name: Ibsen. I know, you're like, 'Whaaat?' Work with me a minute. Ibsen is theatrical, Scandinavian, and utterly original. Of course, it belonged to Henrik Ibsen, the father of modern drama. "Fantastically creative and evocative," I say in "Atticus." Runner Up: Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond novels, and oddly enough, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

Best Bible Name: Isaiah. Breaking my own popularity rules, I would have to say Isaiah is, though quite common, a beautiful, strong, handsome and poetic name. Runner Up: Isaac (the nickname Ike is pretty slick, though few seem to use it.)

Best International Name: Ingo: I've always liked this German name, attached to actor Ingo Rademacher (he who named his own child Peanut). With an O on the end, it has zip, perhaps a more exotic Milo.

Best name, period: Ian. I used to know this guy from camp, Ian MacBeath (pronounced MacBeth), and I almost developed a crush on him for his name alone, not that he wasn't a nice fella. Scottish Ian is "light and swift," says Laura Wattenberg of The Baby Name Wizard. I concur. It goes with almost any surname, and somehow is so appealing despite the fact that it's no longer original.

H is for Harlow and Honor

2009-06-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

H is for Harlow and Honor

GIRLS

Best Lit Name: Harper. “If only the rarest treasures will do for your little girl, put Harper on your short list along with Southern tomboys Eliot and Flannery,” I raved in “A is for Atticus.” One journo-couple I know of named their baby Harper Maria, and that pairing, of the elegant-yet-quirky, ultra-literary-yet-tomboyish Harper with a strong, lushly feminine name (and recognizably so), just beat all. Harper Lee, of course, wrote one of the most popular and influential books of our time—“To Kill a Mockingbird.” Runners up: Harriet (the Spy, Beecher Stowe), and Hazel.

Best Celeb Name(s): Harlow and Honor. Maybe it’s because of my current Harper fixation, but I was really very impressed with Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden’s phenomenal choice of Harlow Winter Kate for their adorable daughter (although, two names would have sufficed. Harlow Winter or Harlow Kate would have been perfection. Yes, all my children have three names!) Commenting on his choice: "I really like Jean Harlow the actress, and [Nicole] likes Shalom Harlow the model," explains Joel to People.com. "Harlow's cool because it feels like a classic name. Winter [is] so serene and quiet and that's how [our daughter] is." Tied with Harlow is Honor, the first name of the darling cherub of Jessica Alba and her husband, Cash Allen. First of all, the meaning of Honor is unrivaled: respect, principle, distinction, tribute…all pop up in my thesaurus as meanings. And let’s face it, Grace is overused to the point of saturation. It’s time for a new virtue name that isn’t over-the-top (Chastity comes to mind). It’s simple, pretty, and people should know how to spell it. Of course, in Canada and other places where QE2 means something, “Honour” would be the way to go. Honor’s also an Irish Lit name: from Iris Murdoch’s “A Severed Head” and a play by J.M. Synge.

Miscellaneous H Hotties: Helen, Hollis, Hope, and Haven

BOYS

Best Lit Names: Stellar H names abound in the pages of great books. There’s “cool, adventuresome, earnest, and snappy” Harry of Harry Potter fame, ranked #11 in Victorian days and is experiencing a resurgence due to the wiz-bang Mr. Potter; there’s “Treasure Island’s” Hawkins, speaking of adventure; Bronte’s Heath(cliff); Salinger’s Holden, and “homey, quirky-cool” Homer of ancient days. Two standouts: Henry and Huckleberry. I know, not exactly twin names! Henry is a pure classic, a strong yet sweet name with a dash of the quirky. Henry James, Longfellow, Thoreau…the lit list is illustrious. Huckleberry is completely different, a renegade wearing a flannel shirt and floating down a river on a homemade raft. The Paisleys, Brad and Kimberly Williams, gave this to their firstborn, and they “matched” it perfectly with their second son’s name, Jasper.

Miscellaneous H Hotties: Hamish, Harrison, and Haskell.

G is for Georgiana

2009-03-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Best G Names: Girls

Lit Names: Georgiana. Decadent, I know. But Georgiana is one of the plushest, most richly textured names around, and the irresistible nickname Georgie is hard to beat. Georgiana was the much-loved little sister of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Runners up: Garnet (“Thimble Summer”) peaked 100 years ago when gemstone names—Pearl, Opal, and Ruby—were at their shiniest.

International Names: Ginevra: An “Atticus’ discovery, Ginevra is the Italian spin on Guinevere, King Arthur’s queen-consort. In my mind, it’s got all the lavish beauty of Gabrielle, #38/Gabriella #67, in a far more creative and original presentation.

Celeb Name: Just because she is my hero and all-time favorite actress, here’s a shout out to Emma Thompson (I refer to her as Queen Emma) and the name she gave her daughter, Gaia. As I burbled in “Atticus”: “This true iconoclast is well suited for a child who gobbles palak paneer as her hot dog munching playgroup stares in fascination.”

Ugly G Names: Grizelda, and Gunhilda. Thank you notes to, whom else? The Germans, my people. Double dog dare you to name some twins with these doozies. Everyone can call them Griz and Gun!

Best G Names: Boys

All Categories: George. People, did any of you know that George was 147 in 2007? That’s so cool. Just like Henry and Max, George is one of those old Grandpa names that is starting to sound hip again (Henry and Max have sounded hip for quite awhile now.) I just read that Julia Roberts wanted to name her baby George (she named him Henry). But that she was worried everyone would think she named him after her buddy, Mr. Clooney. Also, Geo is an old fashioned nickname that sounds futuristic to me. Gus: Gus is the new Max, a homespun, so fuddy duddy it’s funky little name. But you know me. My advice is always to give the baby a full name and use the fab nickname til the cows come home. Some names from which Gus can be extracted: August, Gustav, Angus, Gustavo.

Lit Name: Gulliver: Well, why not I ask you? It sounds like Oliver, has a bouncy Irish surname sound everyone is so nuts about, and heck, you simply can’t beat the rollicking literary evocations of Gulliver and his adventuresome travels.

Bible name: Gideon: Fearless, brawny, fresh and bold, Gideon gives parents a pass from generic biblical baby naming. Runner up: Gabe

Other G names I like: Griffin, Gordon (a hockey tribute name?), Grayson.

DUTCH BABY NAMES

2009-03-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

When you think of Holland, what springs to mind? Windmills, wooden shoes, Delftware pottery? Me too, and also flowers; The Netherlands is a country of philosophers and painters, and a nation abloom with farms of lilies, Gerbera daisies, irises, and of course, tulips. It’s no surprise then, that the Dutch carry their love for flowers to baby names; the 2008 Dutch Top 20 features three flower names: Jasmijn (14), Fleur (15), and Iris (17). Can Tulip be far behind? Actually, that’s not so far fetched. Recently, actress Rebecca Romijn, the daughter of Dutch immigrants, gave birth to twins Dolly Rebecca Rose and Charlie Tamara Tulip.

Leave it to a Dutch person to till new soil in baby naming land. (I might add that Romijn didn’t just tiptoe through the well tread fields of Lilies and Violets, but she plucked an altogether new flower name for our consideration.)

Creativity, color, and chic abound in The Netherlands. Even their centuries-old baby welcoming traditions boast color and flair. In the 17th century, the “Muisjes” (Little Mice) tradition was born. When a baby was born, the new mother would receive sweets and food from the neighbors and family members who took care of her. As a thank-you to them, she and her husband would give the maternity visitors cookies iced with a buttery icing and sugar sprinkles, pink for a girl and white for a boy (today the boy sprinkles are blue). The sugary aniseed sprinkles are called Muisjes, as mice connote fertility.

Along with Romijn’s Tulip, other stars have gone Dutch with their children’s appellations. Matt Lauer and his Dutch wife, Annette Roque, named their third child Thijs (“Tice”), a variation of Matthew and a Top Ten baby name in The Netherlands. Marcia Gay Harden appointed her third child Julitta, a pretty, unusual Dutch spin on Julia. And Neve Campbell got her mother’s Dutch maiden name as a first name, and indeed the sleek sound makes it a winner.

One really nifty attribute of Dutch baby names is how you can makeover a common North American name—Christian, Luke, William—into a fresh ethnic tribute—Christiaan, Luuk, Willem—without a lot of fuss. Sure, the spellings are different, but not drastically so.

And for parents-to-be who want to go a bit more exotic, many Dutch names sound stylish and new to our ears but remain in that sweet spot of cool-and-novel without being out there. Some of my favorites in this category are Kees, Jander (a form of Alexander), and Hanson for boys, and Eliane, Sabine, and Schuyler for girls. Els (a form of Elizabeth), and Nel (a form of Helen) could hit two birds—ethnic and family tributes—with one stone, and also make wonderful short but sweet middle names.

Even some quintessential Dutch names are reasonably accessible, such as Sanne (“San-ah”), Saskia, and Tryne for girls, and Bastiaan, Klaas, and Bram.

More Dutch Baby Names:

Boys: Espen, Pim, Ruben, Milan, Marnix, Levin, Maxiaan, Ximon

Girls: Anneke, Amelie, Anouk, Mietta, Jonna (Jane), Sybella, Eveline, Madelief.

F is for Finn

2009-03-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

F is for Finn

Girls

Best Lit Name: Fern

I know, here’s where many of you are just going to shake your heads in mild, hopefully fond, disapproval. Fern, which comes from the beloved children’s chestnut Charlotte’s Web, has a “leafy green sensibility,” I write in “Atticus.” I see delicacy, botany, feathery fronds. A landscape architect dude I know of named his baby girl Fern, and that just gave it a green, now boost of (chlorophyll?) juice. It’s also quaint and old-fashioned, and utterly unused in the last 100 years, when it was in the Top 200.
Okay, it’s a tie: Frances is also a stupendous lit name, coming from Frances Hodgson Burnett, not to mention the winsome Francie from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Other marvelous F Lit names: Flannery, Flora (the goddess of flowers and springtime in Roman myths).

Best International Name: Francesca

Drop-dead gorgeous Francesca, Italian, of course, is swooningly beautiful. My spell check is insisting that “swooningly” is not a word, but it is the only word to describe Francesca. Runners up: Finola (Scottish), Fiona (Irish), Freya (Scandinavian, yet popular in England.)

Other F Names I Love:

Faith, Fenella, Felicity. I have a friend who named his daughter Felicity after something one of the founding fathers said. Yes, I have some deep friends. I must ask him that quote of his, so I can post it here for you all, and you can sigh deeply with happiness as I did when I heard it.

Celeb F: Finley. Good job, Lisa Marie Presley, who named one of her twin girls Finley, and the other one Harper. Of course, the aforementioned Harmon-Sehorns (see Emery), blazed this trail with their little Finley Faith. Love it.

BOYS

Best Lit Name: Finn
Best International Name: Also Finn
Best F Name, period: Finn! Finn! Finn!

Obviously, I’ve become carried away. But why not, when you have the perfect name? Finn is literary (Huck Finn), international (as Irish as a jig, and on the Dutch Top Ten!), is charming, energetic, simple, handsome. Recently, a preggers relative said she couldn’t use Finn because her in-laws thought the boy would be made fun of. I wanted to take her in-laws to the baby name woodshed, and show them the what for…! People with no imagination sorely test my sanctification. After all, Finn is rising slowly up the charts—it was 387 in 2007—so it’s not like, weird or anything. Sheesh.

Fergus and Felix are nice, too.

PS: Felicity has a big brother named…can you guess?...Is your heart pounding?...Fionn! Okay, so they added an O for a little more Irish authenticity. This is good stuff, folks.

2009-02-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

E is for Ezra

GIRLS

Best Lit Name: Esme is one of my favorite names, a French miniature of Esmerelda. Esme is literary (from the adorable Salinger short story, “For Esme with Love and Squalor”), exotic, cute, and elegant (it’s pretty hard to be cute and elegant at the same time!). Runners Up: Eliza (Doolittle), Emerson (Ralph Waldo), Evangeline (from the Longfellow poem of the same name).

Best Bible Name: Eden: This lovely biblical place name takes us back to the garden where our story as humans started. Runner Up: Eve. Can someone please tell me why Adam is so popular, and Eve is ten times (literally) less so? According to www.babynamewizard.com/voyager, Adam was in the Top 65 last year, and Eve was in the top…600! Anyway, I don’t get it, because Eve to me is sleek and pretty. So she got Adam to eat the apple—he ate it of his own free will, didn’t he? Well, all that to say, Eve has a great meaning—“life-life giving”—and deserves more usage.

Best Celeb E: Emery: Angie Harmon and her mister, football commentator Jason Sehorn, have contributed a nifty E name to the pantheon: Emery. Their third daughter, Emery Hope, recently joined big sisters Finley Faith and Avery Grace—a trifecta of virtue for the Harmon-Sehorns!

Best International E: Ellitta, pronounced El-EE-ta, a delicate and beautiful Dutch name I came across recently in my community: Runners Up: Elara (Greek), Electra (Greek), and Emiliana (The Italian form of Emily, also Shakespearean).

Best E Name with No Category: Ella: Welcome to the world Ella Christina Mary Finlayson!

Boys

Best Lit Name: Emerson: Cool, funky, laid back Emerson has sturdy literary underpinnings due to Ralph Waldo, of course.

Best Bible Name: Ezra: Any name with a Z in it is zesty, and Ezra, with the hipster nickname Ez, is full of energy and creativity. The biblical namesake, the scribe Ezra, is worthy, and there are a bookshelf full of lit namesakes, too (think Ezra Pound, Ezra Jack Keats, Ezra Baxter from “The Yearling.” Our Ezra is eight now, and we think his quirky, handsome, old-fashioned name suits him perfectly. Runner Up: Eli

Best International Name: Enzo: Romantic, Italian Enzo packs a punch with a roll-off-the tongue sound that can’t be beat. Elias is another favorite of mine, and I’m hearing it a bit more often now among creative types. It’s the Greek form of Elijah; so handsome!

What are your favorite E names? What do you think of Ellitta, my latest “discovery”? Tell!

African Baby Names

2009-01-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

From the tip of Tunisia to the beaches of South Africa, African baby naming is a highly tuned, culturally rich process, one steeped in significance and mystique. Africans, who believe that the choice of the name influences the life of the child and the family, would never dream of plucking a pleasant name off a popularity chart and rolling with it. That would be an unspeakably shallow way to name your child, as if you were naming a guinea pig or a Volkswagon. Often, African parents select a name with deep meaning to them, in terms of attributes they hope their child possesses, or the family’s tribal “totem,” religious views, or the circumstances surrounding the birth.

In many African cultures, there are elaborate naming ceremonies that take place, followed by joyful celebrations with food and drink and music. In Nigeria, for example, there is a two-part soiree that precipitates naming a baby. The first part I really like (how do I snag an invite to a Nigerian naming party?). Guests get to throw out the name they would have named the child, if given the option to do so. And then, after you divulge your choice, the rest of the partygoers respond, "Ogha gue dia. Ise," meaning "May he or she live long, Amen." Honey beer and goat cheese pizza follow (often, some sort of goat-derived edible follows, anyway). Part two unfolds later in the evening, when the main naming ceremony takes place. Prayers are accompanied by eating such exotic morsels as alligator pepper (to energize the child's speech); honey, sugar, and bitter kola nuts, which symbolize life's sweet and sour experiences; native chalk and salt, to symbolize happiness; water, because it has no enemy; and palm oil, seen as a mitigator of life's problems.

During the ceremony, the eldest female member of the family repeatedly asks the mother what she calls the child. To the first six questions, the mother replies with a crazy, unthinkable name (“Gekko!” “Conehead”), which the women reject amid jocularity, traditional songs and music. When the question is asked for the seventh time, though, the father of the child whispers the actual name to his wife, who then announces it publicly.

I’m not sure about eating alligator pepper and chalk, but the rest sounds like fun. One thing is sure, Africans take baby naming very seriously. They also have some breathtaking, sumptuous names full of rhythm and strength. Beyonce (“beyond others”), Lateefah (“gentle, pleasant girl”), Mandisa (“sweet girl”) and Akon are all familiar to us through their famous bearers.

Halle Berry chose the peaceful African/Arabic Nahla (“honeybee”) for her little honey, making this obscure name a sweet new option. Angelina Jolie dubbed her Ethiopian daughter Zahara, a name that should always link her to her African roots.

There are many more gorgeous, meaningful names where those came from. Keyara rolls off the tongue and means “Beautiful river;” Kamaria is Swahili for “Like the moon.” For boys, Jayvyn (“light spirit”) walks in step with the Aiden/Jadon/Cadon pandemonium, yet just enough off the beaten path to make it interesting. Like so many African boys’ names, Jabari, meaning “brave, fearless,” connotes passion and might. Kyan, another fresh yet accessible name, means “Little king boy.” You may not be a member of the royal family, but your baby boy is always your tiny prince anyway.

More African names:

Girls: Iman (Faith Girl), Karimah (Generous Girl), Kesia (Earth bound Girl), Layla (Born at Night), Mariama (Gift of God), Nailah (Succeeding Girl), Taniel (Feminine of Daniel), Zarina (Golden Girl).

Boys: Jamar (Handsome Boy), Keon (Boy), Haben (Pride), Jelani (Mighty), Kojo (Born on a Monday), Kuron (Thanks), Naeem (Benevolent), Nalo (Loveable).

As you can see, I've just touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of Africa's lovely and mighty names. Which ones do you like? I'm sure I've left out thousands. What's your favorite African name?

D is for Dashiell

2009-01-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

D is for Dashiell

Girls

Best Lit Name: Daisy, from “The Great Gatsby,” is as bright and cheerful a name as any, short of Sunny (Adam Sandler’s baby daughter). It’s a warm and wonderful name, popular in England and just waiting to be plucked here. Meg Ryan’s little girl from China is Daisy True. Runners Up: Delia, Doone, and Dorothy (same era as Violet, and due for a comeback).

Best Bible Name: Delilah: I know, she was a bit of a fast and loose lady, with no redeeming story, ala Rahab or Tamar. But as a name, Delilah is romantic, old/new school, and fabulous. Interesting story: When my dad ran his bookstore, he had a longtime employee named Lydia who became our dear family friend. She died around 20 years ago now—hard to believe. Anyway, good old Lydia was raised on a honey farm in Blumenort, Manitoba, with sisters all bearing Bible names. I can only remember two others, Sarah and Delilah. It struck me even then that these super conservative Mennonite farmers had named their daughter after Samson’s temptress. If it’s wholesome enough for a Mennonite bee farmer girl, it may be wholesome enough for anyone. Runners Up: Dinah (although she is my dog!).

Other D Names of Note: Delaney, Delancey, Dabny, Delphine

Boys

Lit Name: Dashiell: I know I blithered on about several names (okay, like, 100 names), in “Atticus,” but the one that may take the cake in terms of my gushing is Dashiell. It’s so singular, so fresh and bold and zippy and handsome…here I go again. Why don’t I just recount what I wrote in the book? “So let’s tally up the pros here—art deco panache, celebrity pick, fabulous animated movie tie-in—and we’re talking name perfection.” I’m referring, of course, to the 1930’s detective novels by Dashiell Hammett, Cate Blanchett’s little boy, and Dashiell “Dash” Parr from “The Incredibles.” And folks, this name hasn’t even cracked the top 1,000 yet, as of 2007. Runner up: Dexter.

Bible Name: Darius: One of my journalistic heroes, Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international correspondent, named her son Darius a few years ago. She’s Iranian, so I thought her choice of this Persian king’s name was particularly apt. Darius the Mede, by the way, had the good conscience to feel terrible when jealous staff members tricked him into throwing Daniel into the lion’s den (Daniel 6). Darius means “He who upholds the good.” Runner up: Daniel!

Irish Names: Darby, Declan and Dermot all sound super fresh and vividly Irish, if that’s your aim.

C is for Clementine

2008-11-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

C is for Clementine

We interrupt our regularly patterned blog format to break into song:

Recently, a friend of a friend gave birth to the divinely named Clementine Violet. I could break into song! And I’m not just talking “Oh my darling…” Clementine is fresh, adorable, out of the box, old fashioned, quaint…I could go on. Ethan Hawke just dubbed his baby daughter Clementine, too, which means we could be seeing some darling Clementines populating playgroups in the near future. Why? Because he’s an actor, hip, edgy—all that jazz. People will read his daughter’s name in magazines, and suddenly it won’t be so foreign or undoable anymore. They’ll think, ‘Huh. Clementine. That’s kinda cute,’ and thus the name is re-launched. It’s very ripe for the plucking, especially since it hasn’t been a Top 500 name in 100 years (www.babynamewizard.com).

And now, back to our regular programming, er, blog format:

Girls

Best Literary Name: Charlotte. Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte Bronte, and Charlotte Lucas from “Pride and Prejudice” are just a few literary connections to the romantic and graceful Charlotte. It’s a strong and lovely classic just about to puncture the top 100. Runners up: Carson, Clio, Celia.

Best Celebrity Name: Carys. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones named their baby girl this Welsh name a few years ago, and I liked it immediately. Zeta Jones is Welsh, and so is Carys, making this a pretty name with an cool ethnic twist. Runners Up: Coco (Courteney Cox/David Arquette), Cosima (Nigella Lawson), and Clara (Ewan McGregor).

Best International Name: Catriona. Here’s a windblown, plaid-kilt-wearing name perfect for someone searching for a tie to their Scottish ancestry. According to gold medalist speedskater Catriona LeMay Doan, her name is pronounced “Ca-TRAIN-a” or phonetically—your choice. Runners Up: Cressida (British), Catalina (Spanish).

Boys:

Best Lit Name: Curran. There’s a kid on my son’s hockey team with this fab find, and the more I say it, the more I like it. Curran (a Shakespearean name, from King Lear) has the spice that Connor and Liam may be losing, at least in terms of Irish vivacity. And folks, don’t miss the meaning: “Hero, champion.” Runners up: Conan, Cormac, Caspian.

Best Bible Name: Cyrus. I know, he sounds like an old coot smoking a corncob pipe on the front porch—isn’t it snappy? Cyrus has a case of reverse cool, or nerdy/hot, whatever term you’d like to use to describe a name that sounds so outmoded that somehow it has flipped over to be hip. Cyrus was a king in the Bible, and Cy is a sporty short form. Runner Up: Caleb.

Best International Name: Carlo. So handsome, and if you’re looking for a strong yet uncomplicated Spanish name, this one’s a winner. Runners Up: Caspar (German/Dutch) Who cares about the ghost? He is friendly, after all. Callum (Scottish).

Just Because it’s My Blog: Chester. Rosenkrantz and Satran rave that Chester is a “comfortable, little-used teddy bear of a name that suddenly sounds quirky and cuddly.” I concur. Plus, the nickname Chet is a slick (guitar) pick. Should Brad Paisley and his lovely wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, stumble onto this blog, I would recommend Chet as a perfect companion brother name for Huck. I'm just saying...in case...

B is for Bella

2008-11-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

B is for Bella

The Best of B: Girls

Lit Name: Beatrix: How many girls’ names end in an x? Yeah, not too many. But we do have Beatrix, and I for one love the saucy, personality-loaded import from England. The Potter books and movies are so adorable as well. Me and Phoebe watch “Jemima Puddleduck” all the time. Runners up: Barrett (a romantic yet strong tribute to Elizabeth Barrett Browning); Beatrice (see below), Bronte…Okay Bronte deserves the full treatment here.

Brontë: This is a name with some steel in its spine, a lit tribute that evokes the three sisters Brontë—Anne, Charlotte and Emily—dipping pens into inkwells as they concoct tales of gothic romance. Also, this name has currency in Australia, where it is a place name as well.

International Name: Beatrice
Just as I suspected, Beatrice got a bump from being born to a Beatle (yes, I do overindulge in alliteration!), and is now climbing slowly up the top 1000 chart (ref: Baby Name Voyager says it was 866 in 2007). People just have to get used to a name, attached to a baby or child, before rethinking it and possibly appropriating it for themselves. This antique restoration (a top 40 name in 1910) is ripe for renewal, and would make a perfect sister name for Violet, Lillian, and Charlotte. It’s international in two ways: not only did it originate as the French form of Beatrix, but now the English use it often and well. Bea is a cute nickname. Runners up: Bronwen and Bridget.

Bella: A gorgeous, roll off the tongue kind of name, made more romantic by the Bella from the Stephanie Meyer books (indeed, the first Meyer book came out in 2005; by 2006, Bella was a top 200 name, and it continues to climb.) I think the biggest boost for Bella, though, was Isabella, which people just stone-cold love, but which is reaching the point of saturation. Bella somehow still sounds ravishing and new.

The Best of A: Boys

Lit Name: Beckett: Naming your child after an Irish playwright might be the hippest thing you ever do. What, not a fan of “Waiting for Godot”? Well, stay tuned, because Beckett is for every creative, edgy baby namer out there. The short form Beck packs a punch, and is also imbued with rock n roll ambience thanks to, well, Beck. Runners up: Blake, Bram, and Booker.

Bible name: Boaz. It takes moxie to dub your tiny man Boaz, the kind of moxie my friend Margaret has (she, mother of Zion, Judah, Boaz, and Siloam!), but what a payoff. Boaz has all the verve and clout and zip in the world, and in an age where it’s possible (I saw it with my own eyes today) to have a 10-12 hockey team with Isaiah and Jonah zipping around the ice, why not? Plow new ground with this zesty number! Runners Up: Barnabas and Benjamin.

International Name: Bruno: Any baby name of Nigella Lawson’s has got to be smokin', and that O ending pops. Besides, no one’s gonna mess with a kid named Bruno! Runner up: Bastiaan (Dutch).

Just because it’s my blog: Baxter

I used to hang out with this cool guy from Snowflake, Manitoba, whom we called Dexter for some intangible reason. Dexter looked like Shaggy from Scooby Doo, actually. He was legitimately named the (much) blander Brent, but guess what he dubbed his Dexter Junior? Baxter. Any name with an x in it has the X factor—funky, offbeat, nerdy-yet-hot—and Bax is a nifty nickname.

Okay, you Bonkers-for-Baby Names people. Give me the buzz on your favorite B’s...!

A is for Araminta: A Baby Names

2008-10-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

I’ve been really high on this one girl's name I heard recently, a name that I once dismissed as being too out there, too zippy somehow. But upon hearing it attached to the daughter of a lovely writer acquaintance, and hearing the adorable nickname, I suddenly loved it with a passion. What is this name which has me so zealous? I’ll tell you in a minute, after we discuss the opposite end of the alphabet for awhile. Since I have this blog (sorely neglected for seven weeks! I am ashamed…), it occurred to me that I could drum up some doozy discussions about baby names if only I blogged about them.
So, henceforth, I’m going to pop by the old blogger’s block way more often and I’ll be taking myself (and hopefully a few other baby name freaks) through a tour of the alphabet, discussing, letter by letter, what’s yum-O these days in the world of monikers.

The Best of A: Girls

Lit Name:
Auden: Pair this poetical tribute with a definitively feminine name—say Maria or Rose—and you’ve got a soft yet strong presentation at the height of style. Elegant! Runners Up: Antonia and Arabella.

Bible Name: Abra: After my dad, Abe, died, I realized that I would be brave enough to use this feminization of Abraham, should I somehow find a baby on my doorstop. It’s so creative, gorgeous-sounding, and gutsy all at the same time. Most folks would be stopped cold by “Abra Cadabra” and/or “a bra.” But then again, the late, great Abe wasn’t like most folks. Runner up: Acacia

International Name: Anastasia
The lost Romanov princess’s name, steeped in almost 90 years of legend and stories, has the luster and exquisite detailing of a Faberge egg. Tasie and Tasia are sweet short forms. Runner up: Anya

British Name: Araminta. It’s a stretch on this side of the pond, but to me, Araminta sounds so quintessentially British and silver-spoon-y. Mint is a quirky nickname that might fit the right little sassy pants. Ok, so it does kind of make me want to dig through my purse for gum…Runner up: Anabelle and Arabella.

Cardigan cool: Alice: My hero Tina Fey could flip this Great Aunt name upside down and make it a hipster hottie. Super lit Alice is the perfect name for a book freak, too. Or a Sarah Palin impersonator.

The Best of A: Boys

Lit Name:
Atticus: What else? It’s not for the faint of heart, but Atticus suggests justice, compassion, humanity…I could go on. And all because of the worthy character Atticus Finch. I’ve heard of at least three baby Attici in the last month or so, so I seem to have a few like-minded souls out there in Baby Naming Land. Runners up: Anton (Chekhov), August (Strindburg).

Bible name: Abram. Yes, I have a deep personal connection to Abram—it belonged to my dad—but other than that, it’s beautiful, earthy, strong, and provides a stellar hero of the faith role model, too. Though my dad was Abe, I kind of prefer the more rootsy, organic-milk-and-local-produce-type nickname Bram. Runners Up: Asher and Amos.

International Name: Anton: As I blithered in “Atticus”… “Anton is the exchange student from the Baltic Sea who makes all the girls go weak in the knees because he’s enigmatic yet sweet…” I concur. Still. Runner Up: Angus, Aris (I miss Aris’ Disc Shop! Can I get a witness?)

British name: Alistair
We have a marvelous friend who plays the blues outside the Dog Pit on Monroe Mall in GR. And for that, amongst other reasons—it’s handsome, debonair, plaid—I think Alistair is a smooth customer. Runner Up: Archie.

Just because it’s my blog: Ajax
I know. Grandma will have a cow. But hear me out: Ajax was a hero of the Trojan War, a brawny, brave warrior-king. The original slogan for Ajax cleanser was “Stronger than Dirt,” a reference to the manly man of the myths. Had Angelina and Brad called me for suggestions, I would have suggested this (they picked Knox instead, a family name. Solid. But you know these two. They can’t stop at just six children. Perhaps an Ajax is in their future.)

So, A is done. 25 letters to go! And it’s time for me to reveal the identity of the baby name that has me burbling like Bruno on “Dancing with the Stars:” Zinnia! Lily, Violet, and Rose are all hot (Daisy’s heating up too), and here most of us have overlooked this spunky sparkler of a name. My new acquaintance, a writer, also has an Oskar. When I heard her two kids’ names, I think I told her I loved her. Get this: They call the wee Z “Zinnie” or “Zinny,” which strikes me as about the cutest name I have heard in ages. It’s going to be awhile before I get to Z, and I couldn’t wait to blither and burble about Zinnia.

What’s your favorite A name, by the way? Any treasures I should be alerted about? Do tell!

Loyal, much?

2008-09-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm a loyal creature, to be sure. This quality was refined in the fire of Winnipeg Jets fanhood, circa 1979-1982. I WAS of course a fan after 1982, but those were the ferocious years of fanhood, when I fell asleep routinely with the sounds of play by play and color commentary wafting from CJOB on the radio by my pillow.
The Jets, bless their red, white and blue hearts, had a time of it trying to win games once they entered the NHL. But I loved them anyway, because they were my team, my beloved, irreplaceable, live-and-die-with-them team. On my thirteenth birthday, my parents had given me two ice-level seats, which was fantastically closer than the nosebleed/rafter/$7/ 7/11 seats we usually sat in. I was thrilled to feel an ice chip melt on my newly teenaged cheek as the Jets skated to and fro, trying to beat whoever it was they were trying to beat (oh, wait a minute..upon googling it I find this tidbit: "The Canucks hit double-digits against the Jets on March 27, 1981, winning 10-2 ... ")
So now you know the score, 10-2. Double digits, as the scribe recorded for posterity. It was crushing, yet nothing in me wavered as to whose fan I would be at the final buzzer. After the game, as my friend and I tried to comfort the comprehensively dejected goalie, as only a thirteen-year-old girl could ("You were great! Seriously! Don't worry about it! Hey, it's my birthday..can I get your autograph?"), I was sad yet excited. I was 13, and I had seen a Jets game from the first row!
10-2? They were my team, end of story.
That loyalty, forged in the 1980-1981 season, is still steely, irrational, and the cause of my current inner rantings, which I will share with you all in my first blog.
Lately, I have come to wonder, is loyalty a lost trait?
Recently, my loyal little soul has been shocked--shocked I tell you!--at the defection of various people from both my son's hockey program and our kid's wonderful school. First, I learned that some of my favorite hockey families would not be returning to the charming old barn, the Jolly Roger Ice Arena, our home away from home from September to March. In fact, they not only left the EGRAHA hockey program, they left in a snit, or so the story goes. Now, don't be deceived; I like to get whipped up in a good snit as much as the next girl. I guess I just don't get the rationale behind their alleged snits, or why their rationale would ever constitute leaving not only a building, which is the least of it, but a real family of players, moms, dads, coaches, Zamboni drivers, rink rat siblings etc, so their children could don the jerseys of teams we all used to cheer mightily AGAINST. Yes, some teams had lost a ton of games, and some coaches were not competitive enough, or so the story goes. I hate to see my son lose a game, because he works so hard, and it makes him hang his head and feel sad. I want to see the blue and gold do their very best and win, win, win. But never did it occur to me that leaving our close-knit hockey community would be the answer. I can't fathom cheering against some of the boys and girls my son used to play with, the same boys and girls we all got so attached to, and whose first goals and fab saves were a thrill for us just as they were a thrill to their parents. I can't fathom looking across a crowded rink lobby, to see my friends having a cuppa hot chocolate with strangers--to me. I guess I never thought about it before this exodus from East, but I had really kind of hoped to see those boys and girls grow up with my son.
We don't even live in East Grand Rapids; these people do, which makes their leaving even more puzzling. I will probably see these families again--I hope I do!--and we'll be happy to see each other. We'll chat a little before the game, about how the kids are doing and what's going on in their families--but it won't be the same.
I feel even more flummoxed about the abrupt departure of some families from our amazing, diverse, caring, one-of-a-kind school. Again, it's not just a building, although our building is cool-old, distinguished, and has a peaceful vibe that not even the upheaval of the past year could destroy. I think of our school community as being like-minded people who care about sky-high standards in education, devoted, loving teachers, and a diverse and vibrant student body committed to being formed in the likeness of Jesus.
This community I love has lost at least 16 children over the summer. Of course, I don't really know why these people have left. Maybe they couldn't afford it anymore (that would be completely understandable), or wanted to revolt against the MAN (the future consolodation plans of the school consortium, etc). Maybe they didn't leave because they were in a snit over the upheaval at Oakdale, but if they did...What happened to loyalty?
Happily, at the Oakdale open house the other night, I saw many familiar faces, the faces of the parents, children, and teachers who make up the mosaic of the school we love. And I saw a bunch of new faces too, which made me even happier. Enrollment, I hear, is just peachy, thank you very much.
Loyalty may not win hockey games, but Go Jets! anyway, forever. It may not mean that my child wins most of his games this year, or that the future of his school (and that of his brother and sister) is not in some question. But it means that we as a family are sticking by our various "teams," standing with them, win or lose, no matter what.