Strollerderby : baby names

Parents Fight to Name Baby Q

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:14:00 GMT

Swedish parents are fighting the government for the right to name their baby one letter. The government claims that their child, who has been called simply Q since birth, has an illegal name since Swedish law prohibits names that consist of only one letter.

But the couple has argued before court that their son answers to the name Q, and besides, they say, “There are stranger names in the valley."

Q is an elegant letter with more a well-rounded sound than, say, a vowel, but it’s still not a name I would wish to see bestowed on any children dear to me. That said, should this really be a crime? Is it truly child endangerment to name your baby an unusual name?

If so, celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow (mother of Apple) to David Duchovny (father of Kyd) are no less guilty than the parents of Q.

To appease authorities, the couple has suggested changing the spelling of their baby’s name to Q:u. I say that if Sweden’s naming laws make it necessary to put a form of punctuation into the middle of a name, perhaps those laws are not exactly serving the interests of the children.

Image: Parent Dish

They Say: When It Comes to Baby Names, We Like 'Em Weird

Jen Chaney — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:32:00 GMT

A pair of psychologists recently did a study that confirms something most of us already know: today's parents like unusual baby names.

As USA Today explains, Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell analyzed the names on 325 million applications for Social Security numbers, each one filed between 1880 and 2007. Their findings? Fewer moms and dads these days are opting for common baby names; for example, in 1955, 32 percent of boys had a name that ranked among the top 10 most popular in America. In 2007, only nine percent of males had a "popular" name. The same trend held true for girls -- the 1955 popularity percentage was 22 for females, but 8 percent in 2007.

There are many reasons that could explain this. Twenge and Campbell have focused on the obsession with uniqueness in our culture, coupled with a desire to imitate celebrities (who love a weird baby name) and good old-fashioned Baby Boomer and Generation X narcissism. Perhaps coincidentally, Twenge and Campbell have co-authored a book called "The Narcissism Epidemic," a tome that explores the many ways that the rise of the Narcissist in America has impacted our society. I'd plan to read it, but I'm kinda busy these days, staring at my own reflection in a pool of water.

Seriously, Twenge and Campbell raise some good points, but I think they've neglected to acknowledge a factor that I'll call the Jennifer Syndrome. We Xers grew up in a world where every class, from pre-school to grad school, included at least seven girls named Jennifer. I know this because I was one of them. It's the reason I never took my husband's last name after we get married; I got very attached to Chaney because it was the only way my friends could distinguish me from the 875 other Jens, Jennys and Jennifers in their lives.

My point is, you meet enough Jens as a kid, you start to think that maybe you should name your daughter (or son) something that will stand out. Of course, as we parents know, duplication of kid names still exists. The many Jordans, Jacobs, Emmas and Ethans out there attest to that. But if the Twenge/Campbell study -- which will be presented Saturday at the Association for Psychological Science conference -- is valid, then our kids' names are more diverse than ever. Call me a narcissist, but I think that's a good thing.

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More Babies Named After Sports Figure than President

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:11:00 GMT

Unsurprisingly, Barack has moved way up the list of popular baby names this year, ranking as the 2,409th most common name, up from 12,535 in 2007. Perhaps also not surprisingly, the popular prez still has nothing on the world’s sexiest soccer star.

Unlike Barack, Beckham made the list of 1,000 most popular baby names this year, ranking 893. This does not have encouraging implications about our national priorities.

In general, naming kids after living celebrities—even very admirable celebrities—has never made a lot of sense to me. Why would you want perfect strangers to immediately associate your kid with someone they see on TV everyday? Even if the association is positive, I would never want my name to immediately bring to mind a fixed personality that has nothing to do with me.

Unfortunately, the rise of Hannah Montana has meant that I’m forced to have this experience to some extent—but at least I don’t blame my parents.

Photo: People.com

Move Over Emily – There’s a New Most Popular Baby Name

SunnyChanel — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:28:00 GMT

Emily had a long run. With her charm and her simplicity she was the most popular girls name for twelve years in a row. But Emily has had to remove her crown. According to the Social Security Administration the most popular baby girls name now is Emma. Yes, a close relative of Emily but in the last year it has overshadowed Emily forcing her to drop not just to number two but to number three.

Emma first hit the top ten list back in 2002 when Jennifer Aniston’s character on “Friends” gave her baby that name. Pop culture continuing to influence baby naming. For the boys, Jacob continued to be the top choice for a tenth year in Jacob.

The Top Choices for 2008 are:
Girls:
1 – Emma
2 – Isabella
3 – Emily
4 – Madison
5 – Ava
6 – Olivia
7 – Sophia
8 – Abigail
9 – Elizabeth
10- Chloe

Boys:
1 – Jacob
2 – Michael
3 – Ethan
4 – Joshua
5 – Daniel
6 – Alexander
7 – Anthony
8 – William
9 – Christopher
10 – Matthew

New additions to the top 1,000 list:

for the girls - Isla (623), Mareli (718), Milagros (731), Dayami (750) and Nylah (821).

for the boys were Aaden (343), Chace (655), Marley (764) Kash (779) and Kymani (836). Beckham (893)

For more info go here

Is your kid's on the list?

More Babies Named After Sports Figure than President

How to Pick the Perfect Name for Siblings

Madeline Holler — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:28:00 GMT

Today is National Sibling Day and the Baby Name Guru wants to mark it by sending out tips on naming siblings. Before I get to a self-proclamed guru's advice, which he sent out in a press release last week, let me start with the strategy I recommend:

(1) Use each first name only once.

(2) Pick something you like.

Simple.

The guru has a more elaborate algorithm.

He thinks sibling names should somehow go together and has tips on how to make it so. Having been half of "the Holler girls" for my first 18 years of life, um, I would totally disagree. Be wildly disparate -- your kids come as a package no matter what.

Still, the Lansky strategy:

(1) Use names that start with the same letter. (Paging Mr. and Mrs. Duggar!)

(2) Use names that contain sound-alike elements.

Many people find rhyming names (like Jaden & Braden) off-putting. (Mmhmmm.) But giving siblings names that contain sound-alike elements can convey unity while promoting individuality. You can choose names that begin with the same sound (like Andrew & Anthony or Isaac & Isaiah). You can choose names that end with the same sound (like Gabriella & Isabella or Olivia & Sophia).

(3) Use names with the same origin. (Why?)

Jacob & Jessica have Hebrew origins and are important figures in the Old Testament. Kevin & Caitlin have Irish origins. Ramona & Carmen have Spanish origins. These names all pair well together because they share the same origins. Conversely, Jack, Mario, Gustave, and Jorge all have different origins. None of them seem to pair particularly well together.

(4) Use names with a similar theme.

Faith & Hope are inspirational names. Ava & Sophia have famous movie-star namesakes. Other thematically paired names include: Harry & Hermione, Jason & Juno , Lily & Holly, Sienna & Sydney, Derek & Alex (New York Yankees), Edward & Bella (Twilight characters). Pairing names based on themes is lots of fun, but watch out: It’s easy to get carried away and wind up with silly pairs like Ben & Jerry, Bonnie & Clyde, Jack & Jill, Dick & Jane, or Bert & Ernie.

(5) Use names with clear gender associations.
Janessa is a name clearly used for girls, but Jordan is used for both girls and boys. When people first hear the two siblings’ names together, many may wonder whether Jordan is a girl or a boy—a potentially awkward situation. (They wonder that anyway, right? Anyone named Chris want to weigh in?)

(6) Use names that are of the same vintage.*George, Walter, Ethel, and Dorothy were all popular in the first half of the twentieth century, so they don’t go well with contemporary names like Logan, Tyler, Madison, and Lindsay. ("Vintage"? Give me a break.)

How did you name your kids? Same letter, final syllable, vintage, or baseball league?

PS: Happy National Sibling Day to the older half of "the Holler girls."

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Photo: z.about.com

Parents Name Their Baby "World Crisis", “Circumcision”

Cole Gamble — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Perhaps trying to be uber-current, a couple in Mexico named their baby daughter Krisis Mundial, which translates to “World Crisis.” But even this is not the most unfortunate name out there.

Anyone want to try naming a kid Circumcision? How about Hitler?

Born in Ecuador during World War II was named Adolfo Hitler Flores de Valgas. I have no idea what nickname he might go by.

In many European countries, parents are required to get the government’s permission on baby names. In Germany Hitler and Osama Bin Laden are definite no-no’s. Up until the 18^th century, the French government only allowed names figuring on a calendar, or names of illustrious Frenchmen/women of the past. In 1993 French parents were finally afforded more freedom to choose their child’s name. Still if the birth registrar thinks that the chosen names (alone or in association with the last name) may be detrimental to the child's interests, or to the right of other families to protect their own family name, the registrar may refer the matter to the local prosecutor, who may choose to refer the matter to the local court. The court may then refuse the chosen names. Such refusals are rare and mostly concern given names that may expose the child to mockery. Nonetheless, French parents must choose baby names from an approved list. The laws are designed to prevent teasing.

Here is a list of some of the most bizarre baby names on record:

Alka Seltzer, Selva Alegre (Happy Jungle), Sostenes (Brassiere), Ángel Cristo (Angel Christ), Poderoso Melchor (Powerful Melchor), Semiencanto (Semi charming), Circuncisión (Circumcision), John Kennedy, Perfecta Heroína (Perfect Heroine), Usmail (as in USA Mail), Usnavy (as in USA Navy).

And of course you’ve probably heard of the American couple who named their boy Adolph. So here’s my question: is giving your child an outrageous name possibly child abuse?

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12 Baby Names That Really Won't Make a Comeback

Madeline Holler — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:29:00 GMT

About.com's editor for pregnancy and birth, Robin Elise Weiss, has posted 10 baby names she thinks are awful and won't ever make a comeback. Thing is, I think she's wrong, really wrong, and, for the most part, she listed names that will indeed come back. And soon!

For girls, she hates Deloris [sic], Eula, Gladys, Mildred and Norma. I've met a couple of very hip baby Mildreds, and what could be cuter than going on a playdate with a Millie? Norma, Weiss thinks, is just boring and blah. Me? I think it's sorta cute, simple and refreshing. (Alas, Marilyn Monroe didn't like it either.)

Her boys list reads like a real up-and-coming trendspotters piece, what with Ralph, Herman, Chester, Norman and Elbert. Sure, that last one belongs on the list, but Ralph? Cute! And Chester? I'm no trend-setter but that was a top boys name pick for my husband and me. Herman ... cute, cute, cute.

Also, I know an actual under-40 Norman and he has a self-esteem, trendy jeans and shirt pockets devoid of plastic protectors (though I should ask how, as a kid, he weathered the whole "Norman, you poop!" line from "On Golden Pond"). Why all the hate for the Norms/Normas, Robin Weiss?

Weiss doesn't get it, but Babble readers do. Let's crack our knuckles and come up with THE definitive list of names that will never, ever, ever catch on again. Here are the first 12. Please, add yours in comments.

Girls

Ina, Eunice, Cleta (for boys, Cletus), Lucretia, Hortense, Bertha

The first four sound so, so seriously medical/anatomical or something. Ina, Eunice and Cleta could easily be body parts, which, when injured, secrete a substance called Lucretia. Know what I mean? Hortense, well, not in mixed company. And Bertha has always been the go-to name for women of size and lack of class in my world.

Boys

Ennis, Dick, Eldrick, Lorraine, Skylar, Leslie

The last three have been taken over by girls, and apologies to the Woods re: Eldrick (but even Tiger doesn't use it). Ennis, Dick and other names which sound nether-body parts-ish, will, I predict, be forevermore passed up.

I've just scratched the surface and I could be totally wrong. Names that seem awful often become adorable once attached to a real, live human-baby-being (State's Exhibit A: my son Earl, pictured above ... tell me that name doesn't fit!).

In fact, just the right rosy-cheeked girl could pull off Eunice, I suppose. In the right (celebrity) hands, she might even start a trend.

Give us the worst of the worst baby names in comments.

Photo: Madeline Holler

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Earn Cash: Give the Kid a Normal Name

JeanneSager — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:30:00 GMT

A Croatian priest is putting up cash for parents who opt out of the wild baby naming trend and decide to go with something more traditional.

So we take it Bronx Mowgli and Pilot Inspektor are out?

Father Petar Mikic has put up the Croatian equivalent of $174 for every parent who walks into his church for a baptism with a "normal" name. He's even put together a list of suggestions, including Ante (remember, this is Croatia), Petar, Ana and Marija.

"Anything suspicious is out of the question," Father Petar Mikic told the daily Jutarnji List. "We have to prevent Croatia from becoming diluted and disappearing since it is through names that one can know to which nation he belongs. Our ancestors are being honoured by giving children national names."

I'm one of those "not common, but not strange" baby namers, myself. We didn't want every child on the playground turning her head when we called our daughter's name, but we didn't want her to end up in a class of fifteen Brittneys either. And since we all know money talks, I'd say the good friar's on to something. Although as a Catholic, I bet a teeny part of Father Petar's plan is to get parents in the door who have a saint's name lined up to make baptism easier (Catholic kids traditionally bear the moniker of a patron saint, which is why there used to be a lot of Marys and Josephs running around whose parents used their middle names to reference them).

Of course, Father Petar suggests parents name the baby after a saint . . . or a grandparent.

So you've got to wonder what's he going to say if Grandma's real name is Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa?

Image: FabFinance

Father of Tot "Adolf Hitler" Pleads to Get His Children Back

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Heath Campbell, the now infamous father of three children with Nazi-themed names, has violated a gag order to speak out about his children’s care in protective custody. Campbell recently visited his children--Adolf Hitler, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation, and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie--who have been removed from their parents' care for undisclosed reasons, and he was not happy with what he saw. He said that his daughter’s hair was all knotted and her diaper was leaking.

That does seem concerning, but I don’t think that violating a judge-ordered gag rule by speaking to Fox News is going to help Heath and Deborah Campbell’s case much. “I don’t care if I go to jail,” the father said. “These are my kids.” Seems to be a bit of faulty reasoning going on here. Because if you’re in jail….

Anyway, with all the secrecy around the case, it’s impossible to determine whether authorities were right to place the Campbell’s young children in protective custody. It’s clear that these parents are crazy, but that doesn’t necessarily make them unfit to parent. Unfortunately, many parents who love their children and keep them safe also teach them bigotry. We have to hope that these kids will be stable enough adults to reconsider some of the beliefs imparted to them by their parents.

Here's Heath Campbell speaking to Fox:

Name Your Baby Whatever You Want, for Heaven's Sake!

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Photo: Huffington Post

Did You Give Your Son a Criminal's Name?

Madeline Holler — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:26:00 GMT

I KNEW we should have gone with Michael!

My husband and I had protracted discussions on what we should name our new son. We went with Earl (shut up, it's cute!) for many reasons, including the fact that it wasn't super common. But according to the science, or maybe crazy science, we've predisposed the boy to criminal behavior.

A University of Pennsylvania study argues that boys with unpopular names may be more likely to break the law.

From Live Science (via The Daily Beast):

Results show that, regardless of race, juveniles with unpopular names are more likely to engage in criminal activity. The least popular names were associated with juvenile delinquency among both blacks and whites. ...

While the names are likely not the cause of crime, the researchers argue that "they are connected to factors that increase the tendency to commit crime, such as a disadvantaged home environment, residence in a county with low socioeconomic status, and households run by one parent."

"Also, adolescents with unpopular names may be more prone to crime because they are treated differently by their peers, making it more difficult for them to form relationships," according to a statement released by the journal's publisher. "Juveniles with unpopular names may also act out because they consciously or unconsciously dislike their names."

Earl, despite your future life of crime, Mommy will always love you. And totally blame herself for your actions.

Photo: iohachi.com

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How to Know When Baby's Name is Too Long

Jen Chaney — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:32:00 GMT

How long is too long when it comes to a kid's name? Is it going overboard to give her two middle names if you want to honor, say, multiple relatives? If mom and dad have two different last names, is it okay to hyphenate?

The answers are subjective, obviously. But I can tell you this much: the name Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa is way too long. As Famecrawler recently reported, that's the name Lisa Bonet and boyfriend Jason Momoa gave their new son. They were very deliberate in their choices -- each word has a meaning that clearly mattered to them. Still, seems like they could have lost a word in there somewhere.

Of course, most people don't get quite that extreme. But if we're inspired to say a lot with our sweet child's moniker, it can be hard to hold back.

The biggest conundrum some of us face is the hyphenate one I mentioned earlier. When my son was born, my husband and I made the call to give him both of our last names as one, single hyphenated word . But no one -- from his pediatrician to his teachers at daycare -- refers to him by his full last name. They use the first part of it -- the initial two syllables instead of the full four -- and drop the rest. Sometimes I still wonder if it was a mistake to do that.

What is the longest name you've encountered (you know, that wasn't given to a child delivered by a Cosby kid)? Did you ever debate whether to hyphenate or place multiple names on that birth certificate? And like me, do you ever wonder if perhaps you should have opted for brevity instead?

Top Baby Names in 2008 Announced!

Cole Gamble — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Do you have a little Aiden or Isabella scampering about the house? Then congratulations, your kid has the most popular name for 2008 (and condolences for all those hate jumping on trends).

According to Parent.com, the top influencers for names in 2008 were President Elect Obama, Brittany Spears, television and the Twilight series. Oh, and the letter M.

The top 10 names for girls?

And for boys:

From the Parents.com press release:

Presidential Baby Names: Barack Obama won the presidency – but did he also start a name trend? Malia, Michelle and Barack -- which previously wasn't even in the top 500 -- all rose in popularity from 2007 to 2008 (although Sasha fell in popularity), and we see them continuing to climb the charts after the inauguration.

Ooops She Did It Again--The Britney Comeback Effect: Parents are embracing the first and middle name Spears chose for her second son, Jayden James. Jayden is #2 and James is #7.

The influence of TV: The boob tube can affect baby names – witness the popularity of Aidan (#1), Carrie's loveable boyfriend on Sex and the City, or Addison (#8), the name of the Grey's Anatomy doc who got her own spinoff, Private Practice, this year.

Last Names as First Names That Can Be Used For Boys and Girls: Avery, Logan, Riley and Peyton are all climbing the lists. Last names as first names suggest power, prestige and tradition.

First Timers Making the List: Aalyiah (#28) and Teagan (#44) made their debuts on the list for girl's names. On the boy's side, Micah (#41) and Tristan (#49) showed up on the list for the first time.

Book it: Twilight fever has hit the baby name world too, as Edward and Bella, the names of the star-crossed lovers in Stephanie Meyer's vampire series and now the feature film, both rose in popularity last year. Other names inspired by popular fiction are Madeline (#9) and Olivia (#10).

"M" Names: Girl names starting with "M" rank high on the list, like Madison (#6), Madeline (#9), Makayla (#19), Mia (#21), MacKenzie (#22) and Michelle (#31).

Did your kids make the grade with any of these names? Do you care? Do you prefer to have an out of the ordinary name for your child and isn’t it true if enough parents use out of the ordinary names those names eventually turn ordinary?

Check out Parent.com’s full article here: top baby names of 2008

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Tripp Palin's Name Explained

Brett Singer — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:15:00 GMT

Curious about the choice of Tripp for Bristol Palin's newborn son?

Laura Wattenberg ("The Baby Name Wizard"), told the Chicago Tribune that Bristol wanted to go with a "tr" name to go along with her brothers Track and Trig. That's speculation, of course, but it seems like as good a theory as any.

According to Wattenberg, adding the extra "p" is unusual – Trip with one p is "more traditional," and is a "preppy-style nickname for a 'third,' like the popular name Trey." The extra p usually makes it a surname, says Wattenberg, like Linda Tripp. Remember her? Wattenberg says that Bristol "is doubtless too young" to recall the woman who secretly taped her phone calls with Monica Lewinsky. I can't imagine anyone would name their child after Linda Tripp, especially making the choice to shift a last name to a first name. Although I guess if you really hated Bill Clinton, that might motivate someone to do it. I'd probably pick "Star", after Ken, but drop the extra R.

I didn't really think about how my kids' name would go together, although many families do. Melvin Van Peebles gave all of his children names that started with M, that way the initials would always be MVP. And George Foreman named all of his kids… George.

Anyway, here's the deal with the name, according a naming expert:

- Bristol probably wanted to continue with names that started with "tr".
- the extra P is unusual.
- it's a preppy name
- it means "third", like Trey.
- the name was probably not chosen to honor Linda Tripp.

I really wonder if these baby name gurus are just making stuff up as they go along. But hey, it's a tight economy, and work is work.

So there you have it!

Source: Chicago Tribune

Image: Babble Via Reuters Via ParentDish

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Baby Name Trends for 2009

Amy Kuras — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:01:00 GMT

They’re baaacck....

The ladies who write nameberry.com and a bunch of baby naming books have now graced us with the 15 hottest baby name trends of 2009. The biggest big-picture trend (their words, not mine)? Depression era names – not inspired by the current economic climate but by Mad Men. Yes, we’re supposedly going to start seeing names like Don, Betty, Joan and Peggy be trendy again.

But oh it gets better. “Plus stylish new occupational names - Gardener, Ranger, Miller - are likely to gain in appeal for both boys and girls as actual jobs become more scarce.”

Give your kid a job name because you don’t have one? So I suppose around here we can expect to see lots of little “Autoworker,” “Newspaper Reporter” and “Scandal-Plagued Ex-Mayor”s?

And the, no lie “trendiest trend-related trend”? Names that are rejected by trendy parents before they even get popular, because of their similarity to other popular names or association with high-profile celebrities. ‘Kay. People not wanting their kid to be the fifth Ava in first grade is somehow a trend, now?

And supposedly using nicknames is a trend that will cross the pond from England. Good news for my kids, both of whom go by cute nicknames of very, very traditional names. Which, again, trend? Or just about every baby I have ever known ever?

I will give them this though — they named the Boy Name ready to jump the shark as the “aden” names – Braden, Hayden, Caden, etc. I thought Jaden was the coolest name ever when my college roommate gave it to one of her sons – ELEVEN YEARS AGO. Now? It’s the Rachel haircut of names.

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Name Guru Picks Eight Worst Celeb Kid Names of 2008 (Part 2)

Brett Singer — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT

The Final Four! No, it's not March yet. This is the Final Four Celebrity Kid Names of 2008. Less exciting than college basketball, but hey, it's only December.

Here you go:

(You can read Part 1, with numbers eight through five, here.)

4. Ignatius Martin Upton
(son of Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton)
This one isn't in the "that's not even a name" category, but it definitely isn't a great choice. The name "Ignatius" reminds me of Ignatius J. Reilly, the lead character of A Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius (the character) is kind of a putz, to put it mildly. Still, not EVERYONE has read that book (although many people have) and there are probably other folks who were named Ignatius who were not putzy. And again, the middle name is good – Martin Upton actually sounds pleasantly British.

3. Bronx Mowgli Wentz
(son of Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz)
OK, this one is bad. And no middle name to fall back on. The only hope for little Bronx (sheesh! Poor kid) is if Ashlee and Pete come to their senses and change his name to something else. If that doesn't happen, Zowie Bowie (son of David) no longer goes by his given name; he's now Duncan Jones, although at age 12 he asked people to call him Joe. (His full birth name was Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones.) So lil' Bronxy can change his own name when he gets older. I'm sure Zowie Bowie sounded funny to ol' Dave in 1971, but he came to his senses later in life – his daughter with current wife Iman is named Alexandria. Lansky puts this one at #3, if I were making a list like this, Bronx Mowgli Wentz would be #1 with a bullet.

2. Jagger Joseph Blue Goldberg
(daughter of Soleil Moon Frye and Jason Goldberg)
This one is bad, although I think Bronx Mowgli is worse. Again, at least the kid can go with Joseph. And while Jagger isn't exactly a great name, at least it's pretty easy to figure out who the kid was named after. Lansky really goes off on the former Punky Brewster this time: he says that he "had no idea that Jagger Joseph Blue was a girl" until he read the press release twice (twice! What nonsense. Bruce Lansky is a very busy man). Then he attacks the now-elderly Mick Jagger, saying that he does not provide an adequate role model "for a baby girl." (Bruce? Try decaf.) Then he says that "Soleil and Jason picked three names and couldn’t find one that’s likely to make their little girl happy," and caps off his mini-tirade by saying the following: "I find it surprising that a woman with two strange names…would pick three strange names for her daughter." I actually don't find it terribly surprising, especially if you consider the fact that Soleil's childhood had to be at least a little bit weird since she grew up on TV, and on a sub-par show at that ("Punky Brewster" isn't exactly "The Odd Couple"). Lansky does offer some useful info: "Soleil means 'sun' in French, so translated into English her name reads 'Sun Moon Frye'." Perhaps somebody's parents were smoking a little something when it was baby-naming time.

1. Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale
(son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale)
This is bad. Very bad. I think Bronx Mowgli is worse, but this one is really not good at all. Lansky focuses on what I think are pointless facts: that no one will know that, "Zuma is a beach in Malibu and that Nesta is Bob Marley’s middle name." If they did, would that make it better? However, Gwen Stefani is making big, big money – music, that fashion line, and endorsements, to name a few. So "I'm Gavin and Gwen's son" will probably go a long way towards dismissing the obvious name lameness. Maybe he can hang out with Knox Jolie-Pitt. They can console each other, each sitting on their own enormous pile of money, trying to decide how many women they should take home tonight.

Final comment: Obviously this is meant to be amusing. Having money and fame does not mean that a kid can't grow up screwy. But having money probably doesn't hurt, and let's face it – while a lot of these names are awful, most really aren't Pilot Inspektor-level awful. Not that it isn't fun to make fun of them. And let's not forget that having a funny name didn't stop a certain guy from becoming President of the United States. Perhaps one day we'll see the Bronx Mowgli Wentz / Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale ticket. Yes… we… can…

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Name Guru Picks Eight Worst Celeb Kid Names of 2008 (Part 1)

Brett Singer — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

I want Bruce Lansky's job. I mean, the guy just sits around all day and talks about names. Not even deep etymological studies, although sometimes he goes there. It's really just baby names. As near as I can tell, this is a way to make a living. America is a wonderful country.

Anyway, Mr. Lansky has weighed in with a list of the Eight Worst Celebrity Baby Names of 2008. So from the home office in my, um, home, here we go:

8. Sunday Rose Kidman Urban
(daughter of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban)

This one doesn't seem that bad to me. At least not compared to some of the others. Maybe the kid starts going by Rose. Rose is a nice name. Sunday, not so much. Lansky says, "Apparently the name was chosen to honor a patron of the arts in Australia, but most people who hear or read the name will find it an odd choice for an American girl born on a Monday." Whatever, dude.

7. Honor Marie Warren
(daughter of Jessica Alba and Cash Warren)

Again, not that bad. Kid could use the middle name. Dad's name is "Cash." That's much worse. (Unless you happen to be a rapper. Then it's OK.) Lansky says that Alba and her beau will probably start using their daughter's middle name themselves at some point, saying "that’s why it’s so important to pick a “high-odds” middle name when parents pick a risky first name." Not a bad strategy I suppose.

6. Emme Anthony
(daughter of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony)

This time Lansky takes issue with potential pronunciation problems (say THAT phrase ten times fast), as well as spelling: "it’ll be misspelled ninety-nine times out of a hundred." Then he wags his virtual finger at the Lopez's (I say "Lopez's" because let's face it, Jen is in charge in that house): "That’s what happens when you pick an obscure variation of one of the five most popular girls’ names in the U.S. Emma would have been a much smarter choice." Except that this particular girl's name belongs to the daughter of someone who has made an enormous pile of money and is world-renowned. (Hint: she's married to some guy named Marc.) I tend to agree with Lansky that, when in doubt about a name for your offspring, go with the easier choice. That said, people get my name wrong all the time – one T, Bert, etc. Note to Emme: you'll get over it. I did.

5. Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt
(son of Three Guesses, The First Two Don't Count)

This name is odd. Lansky says that this poor lad will have trouble in school and will be forced to explain his name as, "Knox. As in Fort Knox." Yes. As in "my parents have more money than Fort Knox." Then he'll select one of the thousands of girls that want to date him and head over to the Viper Room in his chauffeur driven limo. Now I realize that money isn't everything. But it does make a dopey name a little bit easier deal with.

For the remaining four names, including what Lansky thinks is the worst Celeb Name of 2008, click here.

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Top Baby Names of 2008? Really?

Amy Kuras — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:02:00 GMT

I’m a name snob, or more accurately, a name know-it-all. Names should be classic, not trendy, reasonably easy to spell or at least have a spelling that matches its sound, and for the love of Pete your innocent baby’s name is not something to have fun or make a statement with (hear that, Ashlee??).

Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, authors of the Baby Name Bible and tons of other baby naming guides along with baby naming site nameberry.com, seem to disagree with their list of the “Top 10 Baby Names of 2008.”

While they don’t seem to be going for popularity but the impact the names had on pop culture (like Barack), there are some interesting choices on here.

One’s another Obama name – Sasha, which I have to agree is adorable and seems to really suit its equally cute bearer. But there’s two other politically influenced names on there: Trig, as in Palin, (turns out it wasn’t just made-up goofiness – Trig is the Norse god of strength), and Joe, as in The Plumber.

They also note movie- and TV-influenced names (“Twilight” star Edward and January for actress January Jones, Betty Draper on “Mad Men”), and new hipster-parent names like Ruby.

And there’s the “are you KIDDING ME?” names – the ultimate celebrity WTF name Bronx, and Cash, which the authors state is an important name because of the credit crunch. To which I say the same thing I thought when a beloved family member announced her son would be named that – are they trying to be funny? Eeesh.

Last-Minute Baby Namers

Madeline Holler — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:07:00 GMT

I'll admit, I've never had an appreciation for parents who wait "to meet" their child before figuring out the kid's name.

I've also had less than charitable thoughts about those parents so convinced they were having a boy that they didn't have a girl's name for back up, or vice versa. Just in case. Especially if the only thing confirming the baby's gender was some kind of wedding-ring-dangled-over-a-belly trick and not, you know, a DNA sample or an ultrasound.

Of course, all my judginess has come back to bite me. I'm hours/days/a couple of weeks (?) away from giving birth for a third time. And if it's a boy (we don't know, but apparently I'm "carrying low"), we're totally screwed.

I thought we had it all figured out until last night and, indeed, if it's a girl, we're set. But I had been wavering on our chosen boy middle name and thought I'd go over it one last time with the husband. I rattled off the name.

"Sure, it's fine," my husband said.

"Fine? The middle name ... or the first name?" I asked.

"Both. They're both OK," he said.

Just OK?

"They're OK," he repeated."The names are fiiiiiine."

My husband is content with giving his son an "OK" name, a "fine" name?

"But you picked that name ... and now you're just fine with it?" I accused/clarified. "Is 'fine' good enough for our son?"

"Sure."

Sure?

We hunkered down at his laptop and started the search, again. Hadn't we already done this months ago?

In hour two of the frantic search, I made the unfortunate mistake of suggesting we draw from his Polish heritage. Maybe we'd get some better-than-fine ideas.

So we Googled a Polish baby names site. Suddenly, he's doing that kind of jazz hands/name-in-lights gesture saying, "Vlodek! We'll name him Vlodek!"

On second thought, "fine" is good enough for me. Or what the hell: let's wait to meet the baby. Because surely you don't look at a newborn and think, "Vlodek, my son, my beautiful baby Vlodek."

Right?

Were you a last-minute baby namer? (Got any leftovers?) And what's the deal with naming the third child? The first two were sooooo easy!

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Barack Obama Becomes Popular Baby Name in Kenya

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:35:00 GMT

The election of the first African-American president in the U.S. will have a lasting impact in Kenya for years to come—not only because this historical moment has been ingrained in the people’s memories, but because “Barack Obama” will be a popular name amongst the next generation of schoolchildren.

Several mothers at a hospital in Kenya proudly told Reuters that they were christening their newborns “Barack Obama,” and that they hoped their little Baracks would grow up to possess the same qualities of success, intelligence, and perseverance that they see in America’s 44^th president.

"I would like that by the time he is in his 40s he becomes the president of this country," one mother said, indicating that not only is the American Dream live and well in the U.S., but it is being exported to other countries as well.

The Obama naming trend may also catch on in the U.S. A Florida couple named their child, who was born shortly after the election, “Obama Hall.” Obama was the first name of the president-elect’s Kenyan great-grandfather, so using it as a first name is actually makes sense.

The name Barack means blessed.

Photo: Reuters

Which Candidate Has The Best Name?

Brett Singer — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Bruce Lansky, described as “North America’s #1 author of baby name books,” has weighed in on the candidates' names. The heck with their policies. Bruce is all about NAMES. And he wants to know: “Whose name is more presidential?”

Here are some of Bruce's insights:

First of all: “The contrast between the candidates’ first names could hardly be greater.” What? Really? I hadn't noticed. “I think Senator Obama’s name is a mixed blessing—on one hand, it’s a hard name to forget; on the other, it may come across as too 'foreign' to many Americans.” Wow. Deep.

Anyway, while he doesn't really answer the question of which name is more presidential (at least not in the press release I received), Lansky does point out that John is a popular name (who knew?) and that there have been four American Presidents named John. Despite being a popular name, it is somewhat nondescript; “John is such a common name that the image isn’t associated with any individual.” Senator McCain, according to Bruce, has “a first name that makes a solid first impression.”

Finally Lansky gets to the origins of the candidates' first names:

“Ironically, the names Barack and John share the same origin: Hebrew. Barack is a variation of Barak, which means 'lightning bolt.' John means 'God is gracious.'”

Here's where I think Bruce Lansky, baby name expert, author of the recent book “5-Star Baby Name Advisor”, might be, um, wrong.

I did find one source online that agrees with Lansky, sort of. A commenter going by the handle “meme” says that Barack means “flash of lightning.” But babynames.com says that, “The meaning of the name Barack is Blessed,” that the name is African in origin, and that it is a form of the Hebrew name Baruch. And some lunatic posting on the loony Debbie Schlussel's website says, “Barack Obama was originally named 'Baraka.' It is not an African name. It's an Arabic word meaning “blessed” and comes directly from the Koran.” Which, in this person's mind, makes him eeeevil. Anyway, that's three conflicting definitions. (Admittedly, the third one is kinda nutty.) That's not enough to make a firm determination, but it does sound like Mr. Lanksy might be off the mark this time.

So what's in a name? Honestly, when it started to look like Obama would be the Democratic nominee for President, my first thought about his name was, “Oh crap. It sounds like 'Osama.' Repugnicans are going to have a field day with this.” And I was sort of correct: right-wing bloggers and radio hosts constantly refer to him as “Barack HUSSEIN Obama,” emphasizing his middle name with as much venom as possible. For me, I don't think much about either candidates' name, although I realize that for some people Obama's name projects a certain “image”.

Presidents don't always have an affect on what people name their kids – I've yet to meet a Woodrow, a Ulysses or a Lyndon (three “unusual” Presidential names that Bruce Lansky cites in the press release). Still, I wonder if we'll see a bunch of babies named Barack in the years to come.

Does anyone care what the name of their candidate is? Aren't their policies more important?

image: Amazon.com

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Lisa Marie Presley Reveals Her Twins' Names

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:00:00 GMT

Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Lockwood, the parents of healthy newborn twins, have jumped on the unusual baby names bandwagon. But in this case, I find their choices prettily creative (as opposed to say, Flutenoy and Bakusy, or LeDryer and LeWasher).

Presley and Lockwood have revealed that their twin girls will go by Finley and Harper. They will keep the King’s last name.

Elvis himself had a twin named Jesse, who died at birth.

Photo: Getty Images

The 10 Craziest--er, Most Creative--Baby Names

Couple Asks Internet to Name their Baby

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Jason and Ann Morrison have far more faith in their fellow humans than I do. The couple is expecting a baby and have turned to an unlikely group of people to decide the name of their first child: complete strangers. Jason is a Google engineer who has set up an online poll with 17 name choices—plus, and here’s where it gets scary, a write-in option.

The Morrisons are aware of the margin of error inherent in this naming technique. As Jason writes on his blog, “This is a difficult decision that will have a huge impact on the life of an innocent human being. Naturally, we are turning to random Internet strangers for help.” So far, more than 4,500 random Internet strangers have opted to weigh in. (If you want to join the unknown, opinionated masses, vote here.)

Let’s hope these random strangers have a bit more discriminating tastes than the 150,000 people who voted to name a baby whale on the Greenpeace site last year. The winner, by an overwhelming margin, was Mister Splashy Pants.

Photo: The Sydney Morning Herald

Father Names Newborn Sarah McCain Palin

SunnyChanel — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:33:00 GMT

Tennessee resident and die-hard republican, Mark Ciptak, has decided to name his newborn daughter Sarah McCain Palin. Why, oh why, would he do this to his third born child? It is his way to “get the word out” on his support of the McCain Palin ticket. He states that he “took one for the cause, I can’t give a lot of financial support for the campaign. I do have a sign up in my yard”.

The kicker? He ignored the name his wife gave the baby, Ava Grace, a name the couple had previously agreed on. In filling out the birth certificate paperwork, he inserted his own choice of names, he says that his wife “I don’t think she believes me yet”, “it’s going to take some more convincing.

Wonder if there will be any Barack Joe Obamas born anytime soon.

(via Jezebel.com - photo via Baltimore Sun)

The 10 Craziest—er, Most Creative—Twin Names

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:54:00 GMT

As Jeanne Sager recently pointed out in her essay, “Baby Names Gone Wild,” naming children after fruit, dance moves, and positive adjectives is all the rage these days. And with multiples births on the rise due to fertility treatments, I got to thinking about twins with, shall we say, unusual names.

I put out the call to my family and friends for the most interestingly christened twins they’d ever encountered. Here I present the winners. (Tyler and Tiara--pictured--did not make the cut, and no, I don't know why they're wearing shoulder pads.)

1.) Felton and Belton. Representing the great Southern tradition of rhyming names, these boys are my grandmother’s brothers from Alabama. (I also have a cousin named Jimmy Ray, after his parents, Ray and Jim. But I digress.)

2.) Unique and Uniqua. Each is a pretty enough name on its own. But put them together, and you kind of negate the merits of both.

3.) Otto and Gotto. Gotto clearly got the rough end of that deal.

4.) Dawun and Daottawun. Read them out loud phonetically and cringe.

5.) Dee and Zee. These names are cute when the babies are getting pushed around in a double stroller, wearing matching onesies. Now picture Zee alone at a job interview twenty years later.

6.) Twina and Twinba. Apparently, an indecisive mother liked the simplicity of the “Twin A” and “Twin B” on her babies’ hospital cribs a little too much….

7.) Lemon and Orange. Words fail.

8.) Duck and Chick. I can't decide which of these girls hates her parents more....

9.) LeWasher and LeDryer. French people are hilarious.

10.) Flutenoy and Bakusy. Naming ingenuity begins and ends with these boys’ parents. Sorry, creative namers, but it's time to throw in the towel. You'll never compete with a name like Flutenoy.

Photo: personalbaby.com

What was your fake baby name?

Brett Singer — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMT

The most recent Babble List features 33 of the dumbest celebrity baby names.

This reminded me of something my wife and I had some fun with before our kids were born: fake baby names to torture the grandparents.

While she was pregnant, the wife and I came up with ridiculous choices for names and tried to convince our parents that said names were under consideration for our offspring. Some examples are Butch Huskey Singer, Wade Boggs Singer, and Pincus Tyrone Singer (the latter only if we had a girl, of course). Other not serious choices were Roc Singer or Oprah Singer. (Rock? Opera? Get it? Anyway…)

I'm curious – does anyone else do this? Or are we alone in our attempt to amuse ourselves?

image: checkoutmycards.com