Monthly Archive for June, 2009

BABY NAMES OF THE WEEK: “Famous” Names

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 14, 2009
in Baby Name of the Week and Celebrity Names
. 0 Comments
Share

 

This week I flew down to Los Angeles for a meeting. It was a good meeting and the plane ride gave me plenty of time to contemplate my favorite Hollywood names. It also got me thinking about names that mean “famous” or something similar. Turns out there are quite a few good picks in this category and I’ve narrowed it down to two for today.

 

The Baby Names of the Week feature names befitting a future Hollywood star!

 

Here are my picks:

 

 

GIRLS’ BABY NAME OF THE WEEK

 

CLARA — Latin name meaning “famous, bright”

 

 

 

BOYS’ BABY NAME OF THE WEEK

 

RUPERT — German version of Robert, meaning “renowned”

 

 

I picked CLARA because it is a pretty and simple name with a beautiful meaning. It also calls to mind the classic Hollywood star, Clara Bow. I chose RUPERT because it stands out from the crowd and has a distinguished feel to it — something a fledgling star might be looking for. Plus, it is an interesting alternative to the popular name Robert.

 

There are several names in the Glory & Praise chapter of BABY NAMES MADE EASY that have similar meanings you might like. Check it out!

 

Want to know what celebrity names I came up with? Tune back in later this week. Up first though, check back Tuesday for 24 ways to name your baby after a relative without naming your baby after a relative… you’ll have to read it for yourself to see what I mean…

 

Sign up for the RSS Feed for this blog so you don’t miss out on any future baby name posts!

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

 

 

 

Forbes’ Most Powerful Names in Hollywood (and a few other places)

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 13, 2009
in Baby Names in the News and Celebrity Names
. 0 Comments
Share

j0433876 

 

Last week, Forbes Magazine put out its annual ranking of the 100 most powerful celebrities. When most people looked at the list, the first thing they noticed was that Angelina Jolie had captured the #1 spot from Oprah.

 

What did I notice? The interesting names of the Top 5 celebrities on the list:

 

 

        « TOP 5 CELEBRITIES «

 

1.       ANGELINA Jolie

2.       OPRAH Winfrey

3.       MADONNA

4.       BEYONCE Knowles

5.       TIGER Woods

 

 

The least unique name on this list is Angelina, by a mile. But, arguably, much of the name’s current popularity is due to the influence of Angelina Jolie, herself.

 

The most unique name? I’m not sure. Madonna is quite unique and the singer is famous enough to be known by just one name — no last name needed for her. But she’s not the only famous Madonna in history. Tiger is actually a nickname. Tiger’s given name was really Eldrick — which is pretty unique itself. He’s since legally changed his name to Tiger. Then there’s Oprah and Beyonce. You probably haven’t met anyone else with either of these names. Which name do you think is most unique?  

 

Looking at this list got me wondering about whether having an unusual name can help a fledgling celebrity stand out from the crowd and achieve success.

 

Some of the other celebs with unique names who made the Forbes’ Celebrity 100 are:

 

 

UNIQUE FEMALE NAMES

 

DREW Barrymore (87)

GISELE Bundchen (72)

MARISKA Hargitay (98)

MILEY Cyrus (29)

REESE Witherspoon (71)

VENUS Williams (77)

 

 

UNIQUE MALE NAMES

 

BARACK Obama (49)

HARRISON Ford (17)

KANYE West (46)

KIMI Räikkönen (52)

KOBE Bryant (10)

LEBRON James (19)

RUSH Limbaugh (23)

WOLFGANG Puck (95)

 

SOURCE: Forbes website, http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/03/forbes-100-celebrity-09-jolie-oprah-madonna_land.html

 

 

 

Of course, there are plenty of celebs on the list with more ordinary names, too, like:

 

COMMON FEMALE NAMES

 

BRITNEY Spears

CARRIE Underwood

JENNIFER Aniston

KATHERINE Heigl

NICOLE Kidman

SARAH JESSICA Parker

TINA Fey

 

 

COMMON MALE NAMES

 

BRAD Pitt

CHRIS Rock

DANIEL Radcliffe

JEFF Gordon

TOM Hanks

TYLER Perry

WILL Smith

 

 

If you want to read the whole list for yourself, go here.

 

So what do you think? Does having a common or unique name have an impact on fame and fortune? Post a comment and share your opinion!

 

 

 

 

Subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss any future posts.

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

 

 

ASK AMANDA: Ava is too Popular…Help!

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 12, 2009
in Ask Amanda
. 0 Comments
Share

 

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for Ask Amanda! A lot of parents-to-be are wondering about name popularity and how it will affect their name choices…

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    My partner and I love the name Ava, but it’s way too popular. Any ideas for what we can do?

 

A:    Ava is a really pretty name and it’s no wonder you (and a lot of other parents) are drawn to it. If it’s gotten too popular for your taste though, here are some ideas for finding another name you like just as much, that isn’t already quite so popular.

 

First, figure out what it is you like about Ava — maybe you like the meaning (Ava’s origin is Latin and means “like a bird”), the cool “av” sound and letter combination, the “vintage” feel Ava has or maybe it’s a family name.  Once you figure out what why you’re drawn to Ava, you’ll be able to come up with alternatives.

 

For example:

 

1)      MEANING:  If you like “like a bird,” then you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of other names with bird-meanings.

 

Here are a few: ALOUETTE, AYA, COLUMBA, DAYA, DERYN, ELSA, JEMMA, KOKO, LARK, MAVIS, MIRRA, NIGHTENGALE, PALILA, PALOMA, PENELOPE, RAVEN, ROBIN, SORA, TORI, ZIPPORAH

 

 

2)      “AV” COMBINATION: Ava isn’t the only name to start with the “av” letter combination.

 

Here are some other options: AVALON, AVASA, AVERY, AVIS, AVIVA, AVRIL

 

 

3)      VINTAGE VIBE: Earlier this month I wrote a whole post about names that have a vintage feel without feeling out-of-date. Read it here for more ideas.

 

Some of my favorite “vintage” names are: ADELAIDE, CECILY, CORA, DAISY, ELIZA, HAZEL, IVY, LILA, LUCY, NORA, SADIE, VIOLET, WILLA

 

 

4)      FAMILY NAME: If Ava is a family name, you can head back to the family tree and look for other names you like. You could also use Ava as a middle name.

 

 

Good luck finding a name for your daughter. I’m sure you’ll find a name you both love.

 

Happy naming,

 

♥  Amanda

 

Do any of you have good Ava alternatives? Post your suggestions.

 

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com. Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

 

Opera Baby Names, Part 3: Opera Singers & Conductors

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 10, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists, Celebrity Names and International Baby Names
. 0 Comments
Share

Red Theater Curtain

 

Here is the final installment in my Opera Baby Names series — Part 3: Opera Singers and Conductors. Parents-to-be looking for uncommon baby names will definitely enjoy this list. There are quite a few International baby names, too. Enjoy!

 

 

FEMALE NAMES

 

ADELAIDA GRACIELA Negri

ALPHA Floyd

ANASTASIA Dimitrova

ANKA Sindik

ANNELIESE Rothenberger

ANTIGONE  Sgourda

ANTONIETTA Stella

ASTRID Schirmer

BIRGIT Finnila

BOZENA Ruk-Focic

BREDA Kalef

CELESTINA Casapietra-Kegel

CLARAMAE Turner

COLETTE Boky

DANICA Mastilovic

EMMY Gregor

GILDA Cruz-Romo

GILLIAN ROSEMARY Knight

GRACE MELZIA Bumbry

GRAZIELLA Sciutti

GUNILLA EVA Af Malmborg

INGRID Bjoner

JOSELLA Ligi

JOY Clements

KYOKO Hirata

LEONTYNE Price

LUCINE Amara

MARIELLA Adani

MARINA Krilovici

MATILDA Onofrei

MAYA Bazuky

MILLA EUGENIA Andrew

MIRELLA Freni

MIRKA Klaric

NASSRIN Azarmi

NELLY Romanella

NICOLETTA Panni

NOËLLE Rogers

PILAR Lorengar

RUZA Baldani

SONA Cervena

TAMARA Milashkina

TRUDELIESE Schmidt

VALENTINA Levko

VERA PEARL Little

VIORICA Cortez

YASUKO Hayashi

 

 

MALE NAMES

 

AGOSTINO Ferrin

ALDO Protti

ANGELO Mori

ANSELMO Colzani

ANSON WILLIAM Austin

ARLEY Reece

BORIS Carmeli

BRUNO Pola

CAMILLO Meghor

CLIFFORD Grant

CORNELL MacNeil

CURTIS Rayam

FELIX Popper

FORBES Robinson

GABOR Ötvös

GABRIEL Bacquier

GENNARO de Sica

GIOVANNI Gusmeroli

GÜNTER Reich

HANS Zanotelli

HARLAN Foss

IMRE Pálos

IVO Zidek

JOHN-DAVID Anello

JOSHUA Hecht

JULIUS Rudel

JUSTINO Díaz

KLAUS Pawassar

LEIF Roar

LUCIANO Pavarotti

MICHELANGELO Veltri

NICO Castel

OKKO Kamu

OTTO KARL Edelmann

POMPEI Harasteanu

RODERIC Keating

ROMANO Emili

RUGGERO Raimondi

RYLAND Davies

SANTIAGO Guerra

SIXTEN Ehrling

SPIRO Malas

SUMITO Tachikawa

TAIJIRO Iimori

TAPANI HEIKKI Valtasaari

TULLIO Pane

UGO Benelli

ULRICH Weder

UMBERTO Cattini

VERIANO Luchetti

VOLKER Renicke

ZACCARIA Marques

ZOLTÁN Peskó

ZORAN Aleksandric

 

 

Looking over these names, I find myself really drawn to the name MIRELLA. It’s a unique baby name and very sweet. It has good nickname potential and has a great meaning. It’s a French name that means “to admire.” Is it just me or do you see the potential in Mirella, too?

 

Hands down, I would say that the most unusual name on either list is SIXTEN. I don’t remember ever hearing of someone with that name before. Do you know a Sixten?

 

What’s your favorite opera name? Which name do you think is most unusual? Post your thoughts!

 

Check back in on Friday for another edition of ASK AMANDA. Go ahead and subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss any future posts.

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

 

 

Opera Baby Names, Part 2: Boys’ Names

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 9, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and International Baby Names
. 0 Comments
Share

j0432654

 

 

 

As promised, here is Part 2 of the Opera Names List. Yesterday you read about girls’ names and today I’m featuring names for boys. These are names for parents looking for baby names that stand out from the crowd.

 

 

 

BABY BOY NAMES

 

ALFREDO

ANDRONICO

ANTONIO

ARMANDO

AROLDO

ASHBY

BALTHAZAR

BARTLEY

BERNARDO

BORIS

BRIANO

CADMUS

CANIO

CARLINO

CASSIO

CLAUDIO

ADRIANO

CYRIL

DANIELLO

DEMETRIUS

DIMITRI

DUKE

EDGARDO

ELMIRO

ELVINO

ENRICO

ENZO

ERIK

ERNESTO

FERNAND

FIDELIO

FINN

FORD

FREDERIC

FRITZ

GIANNETTO

GIORGIO

GREGOR

GUNTHER

HECTOR

HENRI

HUGO

ISACCO

JULIEN

KILIAN

LEANDRO

LÉONATO

LÉOPOLD

LIDIO

LODOVICO

LORENZO

LUIGI

MASETTO

MATTEO

MAURIZIO

MONTANO

OLIVIER

ORMINDO

OSCAR

OTELLO

PAOLO

PARSIFAL

PEDRILLO

RAMIRO

RAOUL

RICCARDO

RINALDO

ROBERTO

ROCCO

RODERIGO

SAMSON

SEBASTIANO

SILVIO

STÉPHANO

TADDEO

THADDEUS

TOMMASO

TONIO

TRISTAN

URBAIN

VALENTIN

WOLFRAM

 

 

Like the girls’ names from yesterday, most of the baby name suggestions on this list are very unique. What are your favorites? Come back tomorrow for a list of opera stars and conductors with interesting names.

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

 

 

Opera baby names for your diva-in-training

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 8, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and International Baby Names
. 0 Comments
Share

j0441798

 

I had such good luck finding picks for interesting baby names while learning about the opera that I need a couple posts to share everything with you. Today, I have the list of female names and tomorrow I’ll post the list of male names. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Baby name ideas for your diva:

 

 

BABY GIRL NAMES

 

ADINA

ALCINA

ALISA

ANGELINA

ANNINA

ARABELLA

ARMINDA

ASTERIA

BÉATRICE

BELINDA

BIANCA

BUTTERFLY

CAMILLE

CARLOTTA

CARMEN

CAROLINA

CASILDA

CELIA

CORNELIA

DORABELLA

DORINDA

DRUSILLA

DULCINÉE

ELETTRA

ELISABETTA

ELISETTA

ELVIRA

EMILIA

FIORILLA

FLORA

FORTUNA

GINEVRA

GIOVANNA

MAGNOLIA

HELENA

IDA

IMOGENE

JOSEPHINE

JULIETTA

LARINA

LAURETTA

LEDA

LEÏLA

LEONORE

LINA

LINETTA

LISETTE

LOLA

LUCETTE

LULU

MABEL

MÁLINKA

MARCELLINA

MARGUERITE

MARIETTA

MARINA

MARZELLINE

MÉLISANDE

MIGNON

MIMI

MINETTE

MUSETTA

NERINA

NICOLETTA

NINETTA

NORINA

OCTAVIA

OLYMPIA

OTTAVIA

PENELOPE

RENATA

ROSALINDE

ROSETTE

ROSINA

ROXANA

SANDRINA

STELLA

TAMARA

URSULA

VIOLETTA

VITELLIA

XANTHE

XENIA

ZAIDA

ZERLINA

ZIA

 

 

Most of these names are pretty unique and befitting of a diva-in-training. What are your favorite opera names? Post your comment. Tune back in tomorrow for the boys’ names and Wednesday for opera star and conductor names!

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

 

 

 

BABY NAMES OF THE WEEK: A trip to the opera

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 7, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists, Baby Name of the Week, Celebrity Names, International Baby Names and My Life
. 0 Comments
Share

 

This Friday night, I went to AT&T Park in San Francisco for free opera. Every summer they do a live simulcast of an opera being performed at the SF Opera House and show it at the park on the big screen (with English subtitles!) for everyone to see. They let people sit on the field and did I mention it was free? It’s not every day that you can watch Tosca and eat nachos at the same time.

 

Needless to say, the Baby Names of the Week are opera-themed!  

 

Here are my selections:

 

 

GIRLS’ BABY NAME OF THE WEEK

 

CARMEN — title character in Bizet’s Carmen. Appropriately, it is a Latin name that means “song.”

 

 

 

BOYS’ BABY NAME OF THE WEEK

 

MARCELLO —a character in Puccini’s La Bohème. It is an Italian name meaning “warlike.”

 

 

I chose the name Carmen because it’s a quintessential opera name with such a perfect meaning for our theme! Also, I think it’s cute. Marcello is a strong baby name and a daring alternative to its more common related names, Mark and Marcus.

 

 

CELEBRITY PICKS

 

Some of the famous opera singers have some great names, too:

 

 

FEMALE NAMES

 

ANNE-SOFIE von Otter

CECILIA Bartoli

GWYNETH Jones

JUNE Anderson

KARITA Mattila

KATIA Ricciarelli

LUCIA Popp

MAGDALENA Kozena

MARILYN Horne

MIRELLA Freni

MONTSERRAT Caballé

RENATA Scotto

TATIANA Troyanos

 

 

MALE NAMES

 

ANDREAS Scholl

CARLO Bergonzi

ENRICO Caruso

FRITZ Wunderlich

GUISEPPE di Stefano

JOSE Carrera

LUCIANO Pavarotti

PLACIDO Domingo

SAMUEL Raney

 

 

If you’re an opera buff, there’s a world of baby name inspiration for you out there. I found so many unusual and interesting names while researching these opera characters that I’m putting together a list for you and will post it later this week. Stay tuned!

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 .  

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

 

ASK AMANDA: Too Many Chloes?

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 5, 2009
in Ask Amanda
. 0 Comments
Share

Ask Amanda: Too Many Chloes?

 

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for Ask Amanda and a little baby name advice! There’s a good question today that I’m sure a lot of you have thought about…

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    I really like the name Chloe, but I just found out that it’s now one of the Top 10 names for girls. I haven’t heard of any babies named Chloe in my area though. Is it safe to use the name?

 

A:    The Social Security Administration posts national numbers. So it’s possible that your little corner of the world has escaped the Chloe trend. Here’s what you can do— check out the Social Security feature that lets you search name popularity by state and see how popular Chloe is in your state. You might be disappointed if you live in Hawaii because Chloe is actually the number 1 name for 2008 there. But you’re in luck if you live in Connecticut because Chloe is only 29th.

 

You can also check Chloe’s popularity more locally — many cities and regions compile their own name popularity statistics. Try your local newspapers, hospitals and Assessor-Records Office for this information. Here’s an example from California’s San Mateo County. The county put out a press release about the most name popular baby names in the county. Chloe came in at #7 in San Mateo County, but it’s #16 statewide, according to Social Security.

 

What if you do all that research and find out that Chloe isn’t in the top 10 where you live? If it’s really important to you that your daughter have a name that isn’t too common, Chloe might not be the right pick for you. Even if Chloe is not ultra-popular where you live right now, it doesn’t mean it won’t be next year or the year after. Also, what happens if you move or your daughter goes away to college? Being in a new area may increase the chances of her running into other Chloes.

 

On the other hand, maybe Chloe is your absolute favorite name of all-time ever and you’d be disappointed forever if you didn’t use it — even if it means your daughter may not be the only Chloe in her class. That’s probably not the worst thing in the world.

 

Still not sure? Consider taking the middle-of-the-road approach and use Chloe as a middle name. It doesn’t really matter how popular your daughter’s middle name is and you’ll get to use your favorite name. Good luck!

 

 

Happy naming,

 

♥  Amanda

 

When is a name too popular to use? Post a comment and let me know what you think!

 

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

CELEBRITY BABY NAME ALERT: Alex Lloyd (IndyCar Racer)

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 5, 2009
in Celebrity Baby Names
. 0 Comments
Share

 

Samantha and Alex Lloyd (IndyCar racer) welcomed baby girl BETHANY AMELIA on June 2, 2009. Congrats!  

 

BETHANY AMELIA is a very pretty name, in my opinion. Bethany reached it’s peak of popularity in the 1980s, but the name Amelia has been steadily rising in popularity for the last 10 years, jumping a few spots every year. In 2008 Amelia ranked as the 68th most popular baby name for girls, according to Social Security. Sixty-eight is the highest Amelia has ever ranked and I wouldn’t be surprised if it continues to head up the list. Amelia has a classic feel to it without feeling too trendy. It is German in origin and means “energetic, hardingworking; rival.”

 

Do you think Amelia will become more popular or has it peaked? Post your prediction!

 

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com. Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

 

CELEBRITY BABY NAME ALERT: Bobby Brown

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 5, 2009
in Celebrity Baby Names and Celebrity Names
. 0 Comments
Share

 

Alicia Etheridge and Bobby Brown welcomed baby boy CASSIUS. Congratulations!

 

Cassius is a very unique name! It’s probably most famous for being the given name of Muhammad Ali — who was born, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.

 

What do you think about Cassius? Post your comments!

 

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com. Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.