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?
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
I is for Ivy and Ian
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.
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.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
H is for Harlow and Honor
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.
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.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
G is for Georgiana
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
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.
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.
Monday, March 16, 2009
F is for Finn
F is for Finn
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.
Girls
Best Lit Name: FernI 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.
Monday, February 16, 2009
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!
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!
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