New Names
Ben P’s 2008 Top Baby Names
26 all-star unique names - Ben Poggemiller, Staff
Just remember that these are baby names. You have to change them when they get older.
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People turn to consultants to help name their kids
Britney and Tiffany are out. Celtic names, like Logan, are in.
By Jacqui Goddard | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
Miami - He could have been an Ethelwulf, Ocumwhowurst, Hildebrand, or Xiuhcoatl. Or maybe we should call him Powder, Ruff, Mystery, or Money. The book of 100,001 “best baby names” that we had spent so much time working through over the past few months certainly could not be blamed for a lack of ideas.
But as our newborn son lay in his hospital cot, my husband needed only one look at his face to tell what his name should be. We had already drawn up a shortlist and decided to wait until he made his entrance into the world before determining which best suited him.
“He’s an Alfie,” my husband declared confidently after perusing our squirming pink offspring, and I concurred wholeheartedly. Neither of us could explain why, but he just looked like an Alfie. Besides, it sounded cute.
It was admittedly not the most scientific of methods, but considering the book contained lists of names under headings such as Muppets characters, pirate names, literary villains, mob names, rednecks, couch potatoes, and dorks, we believe we took a reasonably responsible path.
And we were mindful in choosing it that – hard as it is to believe at the moment – there will come a day when Alfie will no longer pass as “cute.” So as he strides down Wall Street in his pinstriped suit, peers down from the Supreme Court bench, or takes his first steps on Mars, he can abbreviate his name to Alf, should he feel it lends a little more gravitas.
It is the kind of consideration that increasing numbers of parents are making, with weeks now spent trawling lists of suggested names and mulling over how each sounds, how it looks on paper, how it is perceived, and, most important, whether it will be setting up its recipient for success, failure, or ridicule in later life. And the process of selection is something they are no longer necessarily doing alone and for free.
“Parents are branching out now, wanting to choose more unique names. They want names with solid meaning and some background,” she says. “The one thing we hear here over and over is, ‘I don’t want my child to be one of 10 of the same name in their class.’ ”
While many are making a return to traditional 20th century girls’ names such as Hannah, Olivia, and Isabella, and veering sharply away from the Chelseys, Ashleys – and, in particular, Britneys – of recent years, one of the latest trend in boys names is for those with Celtic and Irish origins, like Aidan and Logan.
But the 21st century has also spawned new creativity as parents groom their little cherubs for professional success.
Name of the week - Arneill
Name of the week - Arneill
From: Neilla
Comment: My name is neilla & my husband is arturo - its the combination of my husband ar and mine neill. ar+neill - (arturo means bear) neill not sure but it came from neil armstrong. Gender: Boy - Origin:
Milla Jovovich Has Baby Girl, Names Her ‘Ever’
Associated Press - LOS ANGELES — It’s a girl for Milla Jovovich and her fiance, Paul Anderson, the producer of her “Resident Evil” film franchise.
Jovovich gave birth to Ever Gabo Anderson on Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Jovovich’s publicist, Laura Bass, said Sunday. The couple met when he directed her in the 2002 action horror flick “Resident Evil.” She also starred in the film’s two sequels, which Anderson wrote and produced. Jovovich, 31, was previously married to actor Shawn Andrews and French filmmaker Luc Besson, who directed her in “The Fifth Element.”
Baby name roulette
by Lucky Tomaszek
“It’s nice to meet you, Samantha. I’m Lucky… Lucky… Yes, it’s my real name… Yes, it’s very unique… You feel ‘lucky’ to meet me? That’s a good one, I’ve never heard that before…”
The quote above is my side of a conversation I have almost daily. As an adult, the name Lucky isn’t so bad, but in seventh grade it was a nightmare. Back in 1972 my mom and dad desperately wanted puppies,
but instead they ended up with me. As a result, I’ve been making the same jokes and excuses for my name for as long as I can remember.
I’m not writing this to offend my parents (both of whom read my column loyally), but to entreat anyone who will be baby-naming in the future to think about the choice you’ll be making. Naming is a sacred thing, one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. It will affect the person your child becomes for his or her whole life.
The legal side of things
In Chihuahua, Mexico, they have recently passed a law insisting that parents give their children “an appropriate Spanish name.” Also, trying to fancy up a normal name with an unusual spelling will no longer be allowed. The government insists the purpose of this new law is to protect children “from a lifetime of ridicule and legal troubles.”
Here in Wisconsin, you won’t encounter anything like that. We have the right to name our babies anything we like. Additionally, you don’t need to give in to pressure from friends, family or well-meaning hospital staff to name your baby within 48 hours. By law, you have up to a year to name your baby. Your birth certificate can be filed without one and amended later. As an interesting point of fact, you can also change your baby’s name (for free) anytime in the first year if you realize you’ve made a terrible mistake.
So many names, so little time
If you type “baby names” into any Internet search engine, you will find hundreds of sites. Some are simply lists of names, while others focus on name meanings, traditional ethnic names and how astrology should play a role in your decision. It’s a little overwhelming. I recommend going to the library or book store and paging through actual books.
Linda Rozenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran have written two very good ones. The first, Beyond Jason and Jennifer, Madison and Montana, is a pretty weighty volume with more than 400 pages discussing name meanings, spiritual history and people’s perceptions of a name. Their other book, Cool Names for Baby, is a much smaller collection of lists of names, organized in categories like Literary Names, Old Lady Cool Names and Names No One May Be Cool Enough For.
I have also enjoyed the books that spoof traditional baby name books. One of the all-time classics, Don’t Name Your Baby (What’s Wrong With Every Name in the Book) by David Narter, tells it like it is while making an excellent piece of reference material as you’re narrowing down your choices. Think perhaps you’ve finally found the prefect name? Think again.
“Josie: You say Josie, the world thinks hot pants and pussy cats,”
“Oliver: Insurance rates run higher for Olivers since they are more likely to get beat up.”
Sometimes even with the aid of the Internet and several good books, a name is hard to find and harder to agree on. A good friend of mine told me how she and her husband picked the names for all six of their children. They divided a piece of paper into a boy’s side and a girl’s side. Both had the right to add any name they liked, and both had the right to cross any name that simply couldn’t be tolerated. No fuss, no muss, no questions asked. At the end of nine months, they had a small collection of names they both liked. They would spend a few days getting to know their new baby and then agree on a name.
Will they like it? Who counts and who doesn’t
You and your partner have poured over the books, looked through magazines, made the list and checked it twice. You’ve found THE name. It might be the best name EVER. Don’t tell other people until you’ve put it in writing! Because here’s the thing, your friends and family (especially your family) are going to have very strong feelings about it. And they’re going to share those opinions with you. With brutal honesty. Take this actual conversation (July 1995):
“I think we’ve finally picked a name for the baby.”
“It’s about time. She’s two days old. Who is she going to be, then?”
“We’re thinking of calling her Laura Rose for Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder. This name really speaks to me. I really like it.”
“Laura Rose? Really? Laura Rose?”
“Yes, really. Why, Mom? What’s wrong with it?”
“Sounds like a country and western singer. I think you could do better for my first grandchild.”
We didn’t call her Laura Rose. We chose Lena Anne instead. It’s a good name and it suits her. But it wasn’t my first choice. As I said, keep it to yourself until it’s been inked on to the birth certificate.
In the end…
The most important thing to remember is that the name should suit your baby, but not be a cause of future pain. Try rhyming it with a few other words to make sure it’s safe (hint: Lucky Ducky Plucky *ucky – Oops!). If it’s a moniker you and your partner agree on, and one that won’t hinder your baby as the years pass, you’ve done well.
What’s in a baby name? Plenty of “y’s”
The Wall Street Journal had one of those so-weird-it-can’t-be-real stories a week ago: It’s about how some parents are now paying hundreds of dollars to “name consultants” to help them name their babies.
I am thisclose to thinking the story is a late April Fool’s Day hoax, because…what? How hard is it to come up with a baby name? It’s actually one of the most fun tasks of the whole pregnancy process — far above choosing a daycare center or buying a car seat.
If you have Internet access, you can read through thousands of possible names for free. If you have library access or $10 for a book, you can pore over list after list of names. (And, need I point out, if you’re old enough to have a baby, you’re old enough to have come in contact with thousands of names on your own…this should not be a new concept.)
Yet that didn’t stop one mother from paying $475 to have someone test the “numerology” of her baby’s name to see…I don’t know, if the baby would win at craps with that name? She could have given me $475 and I’d have told her anything she wanted to hear about the name.
Another couple hired a consultant to give them an 11-page list of names (again, Internet, library books…free!). The name they picked? Jackson. They needed a consultant to do this? Never heard of Jackson Pollock, or Andrew Jackson? Or Willis and Arnold Jackson from “Diff’rent Strokes”?
The names in this country have been swinging on a three-pronged trend lately, if you ask me. Don’t get me wrong, some of the names are still great, but it’s funny to watch the trends. Here are the three main groupings I see:
One: Old-fashioned names, aka Grandma names: Hannah, Violet, Henry, Charlotte, Emma. Some of these names you haven’t seen since they were calligraphied in ink in the family bible from the 1800s. But except for that show-wrecking baby from “Mad About You,” the name “Mabel” has yet to make a comeback.
Two: Last names and city names. I had a friend who dubbed her child’s grade-school group “the airport class” since so many of them (Madison, Logan, Austin) had names that were also airport names. My own last name, Cooper, has been snatched up as a baby name, and McKenzies and Kennedys crowd the local playgrounds. (Only they sometimes spell them “Mykynzyeee” and “Kynnydey.”)
Three: Wacky names. We’ve moved on from Rainbow and Sunshine, but just check out our new Celebrity Baby Names application to see what Hollywood types are calling the little ones these days. River. Dezi. Cayden. Magnus. William Huckleberry. Gable. Heaven Rain. Milan Hayat. Speaking as someone who’s had to spell her first name every single day for her entire life, you kids have my sympathies.
by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
MSNBC - USA
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Salt Lake couple delivers their baby off I-80 on way to hospital
Story by: Annie Cutler - abc4
A Salt Lake couple cuddles a delivery of a lifetime Monday night. Their baby boy came into this world in the back seat of their Subaru station wagon. David and Suzanne Stewart ended up self-delivering him off the shoulder of I-80 just before 7 a.m. It’s all over now and the whole family says they’re just happy that mom and baby are fine with no complications. As for a name, the nurses think Carson would be appropriate. Get it car-son.
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The most popular baby names for 2005
The Health Department also released a complete list of most popular baby names for 2005 - i.e., those with a frequency of 10 or more - broken down by race/ethnicity and sex.
To find out if your baby’s name made the list, or if you want some inspiration or guidance in naming your new baby download the PDF here:
www.nyc.gov