Baby Names Made Easy: The Complete Reverse-Dictionary of Baby Names

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Island Baby Naming

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 22, 2010

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists, Celebrity Baby Names and My Life

. 1 Comment

Tonight, I’m wrapped up in my thermals, a sweatshirt, a blanket and I have my cuddly cat next to me – I’m still freezing though. That’s summer in San Francisco for you. If you’re traveling here on vacation, come in the fall – that’s when we have warmer weather.

All this cold weather got me thinking about warmer locals, which led to island living, which eventually led to island naming. After a little research, I found that there are some interesting island names that could double as cool, unique baby names.

Here’s my list. I organized them into Girls’ and Boys’ lists, but that’s just one person’s opinion – mix and match as you see fit.

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

CORSICA

IRELAND

JAMAICA

JAVA

SICILY

SUMATRA

TRINIDAD

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

CYPRUS

DEVON

FALKLAND

KODIAK

MELVILLE

SAMAR

SOMERSET

Lost actor Josh Holloway and wife Yessica Kumala went the island route and named their daughter Java in 2009.

What’s your favorite island name? Anything I should add to the list?

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

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

Reading Recommendation: Chrysanthemum

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 21, 2010

in Book Reviews

. 2 Comments

A friend’s daughter just lent me her copy of CHRYSANTHEMUM by Kevin Henkes. Have you read it?

It’s a story about a young mouse named Chrysanthemum. She absolutely loves her name until she starts school. Her classmates have more traditional names and tease Chrysanthemum for having an unusual name. Chrysanthemum starts feeling bad about her name and even dreams about changing her name to Jane. Then she meets a teacher named Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle and everything turns around. I won’t give away the cute ending, but it’s worth a read.

It’s interesting to see how the author uses names to create identity – for example, one of the characters is proud to be named after her grandmother. The book also addresses how wanting to fit in at school comes into play even with a person’s name.

If you’re looking for a good children’s book about names, grab a copy of Chrysanthemum:

Big Book

Hardcover

Paperback

Know of any other books about names I should review? It could be a book like Chrysanthemum that’s all about a character’s name or it could be a book that heavily features names in the plot. I’d love to hear your suggestions!

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

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

Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsy, and Bess

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 20, 2010

in Hot Baby Name Alert

. 2 Comments

I came across this cute nursery rhyme and thought I’d share it. I see it as a tribute to the many variations of the name Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsy, and Bess,

They all went together to seek a bird’s nest;

They found a bird’s nest with five eggs in,

They all took one, and left four in.

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

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

15 Baby Naming Tips Article

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 16, 2010

in Baby Naming Tips, My Life and Website Announcements

. 0 Comments

A couple weeks ago, Melissa Chapman asked me to weigh in on an article she was writing for SheKnows.com about unique ways to find cool and interesting baby names. I put together a list of 15 ideas and Melissa’s article was posted today.

Here are two of my tips from the article:

Tip #2: Make a game of it

Make it a goal to meet three new people every day and get their names—the checker in the grocery store, the person sitting next to you on the bus, the barista blending your drink—you’re bound to hear something interesting. If mom and dad both do this, it will be something fun you can do together and you’ll double the number of names you add to your list.

Tip #10: Go back in time to popular names from 100 years ago

The Social Security website will tell you today’s most popular names, but it will also tell you what names were popular in the past. Some of the names parents liked for boys back in 1910 were Archie, Everett, Oscar, Otis and Henry.

Read the rest of my tips:

http://www.sheknows.com/articles/816274/15-ways-to-find-a-cool-baby-name-1

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

WANT MORE BABY NAME INFO?

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HAVE BABY NAME QUESTIONS?

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

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

DO YOU TWEET?

Follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across and so much more! I’m @babynameauthor!

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

Hot Baby Name Alert: MAKAYLA

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 12, 2010

in Hot Baby Name Alert

. 2 Comments

At one of my recent baby events, three separate moms-to-be told me they’d settled on the name Makayla. One was going with the traditional spelling Michaela.

The name has been popular for awhile now. The Makayla spelling has been in the Top 100 since 1998. The Michaela spelling started in the Top 1000 in 1967, though it hasn’t reached as high on the list as Makayla. Some of the other trendy spellings are Mckayla, Mikaela and Mikayla.

What do you think of the name? Has it become so popular and trendy that it’s passed over into unfashionable territory or is it a (new) classic that won’t go out of style?

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

WANT MORE BABY NAME INFO?

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HAVE BABY NAME QUESTIONS?

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

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

DO YOU TWEET?

Follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across and so much more! I’m @babynameauthor!

For more information on baby names and their meanings get your copy of

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

Offside, Red-card and Vuvuzela among baby names registered during 2010 World Cup

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 11, 2010

in Baby Names in the News

. 1 Comment

I just read an interesting article about baby naming in South Africa during the World Cup. Apparently, there have been a number of babies named after the historic event:

· Babies named after countries playing in the tournament, like FRANCE, BRAZIL, CAMEROON, ARGENTINA, ENGLAND and DENMARK

· Babies named after soccer terminology, including OFFSIDE, RED-CARD, JERSEY, SUBSTITUTE, KICK-OFF and HALF-TIME

· Babies named after soccer positions, such as STRIKER, MIDFIELDER, GOALKEEPER and COACH

· Babies named after things related to the event itself, like SOCCER CITY, 2010, TICKETS, STADIUM and BALL

· Babies named after players and coaches, including KAKA and PARREIRA

· And, perhaps the most noteworthy name of all, the item that typified this World Cup, a baby named…VUVUZELA

Offside, Red-card and Vuvuzela among baby names registered during 2010 World Cup

Romantic Baby Naming Ideas

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 9, 2010

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and Baby Naming Tips

. 0 Comments

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Looking for unique baby names? Turn your baby’s name into a romantic affair. Think about all the people, places and events that are important to you as a couple and you just may find the perfect name along the way.

Here are 11 romantic baby name ideas:

1. The name of the street where you first lived as a couple

2. The name of the restaurant where you went on your first date

3. The city/state/country where you met

4. The name of the friend who introduced you

5. The place where you conceived the baby

6. The name of the singer who sings your song

7. The name of the place where you or your partner proposed

8. The name of the site you got married

9. The place where you went on your honeymoon

10. The name of the actor/actress who starred in the movie you saw on your first date

11. The name of the flower you used in your wedding bouquet

CB022172

Any other romantic ideas? Share them with me!

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

WANT MORE BABY NAME INFO?

●Join the free BABY NAMES MADE EASY newsletter list for the latest baby name news and tips from my website

●Subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss any future baby name posts

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF BABY NAMES MADE EASY

HAVE BABY NAME QUESTIONS?

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

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

DO YOU TWEET?

Follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across and so much more! I’m @babynameauthor!

For more information on baby names and their meanings get your copy of

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

Reality TV Names: Big Brother 2010

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 8, 2010

in Celebrity Names

. 0 Comments

Any Big Brother fans? Tonight is this summer’s premier and it’s always interesting to have a look at the names of the cast members. Previous seasons have brought us memorable names like Memphis, Hardy, Marcellas, Chima and Evil Dick. What does this season have in store?

FEMALE CONTESTANTS

ANNIE

BRITNEY

KATHY

KRISTEN

MONET

RACHEL

MALE CONTESTANTS

ANDREW

BRENDON

ENZO

HAYDEN

LANE

MATT

RAGAN

There are some interesting names here, to be sure – Monet and Ragan top the list. Lane and Enzo are interesting, too. Of course, there are plenty of common popular picks – Brendon, Andrew, Kristen and Matt.

I’ll be watching tonight and will be interested to learn how Ragan pronounces his name. Let me know what you think!

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

WANT MORE BABY NAME INFO?

●Join the free BABY NAMES MADE EASY newsletter list for the latest baby name news and tips from my website

●Subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss any future baby name posts

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF BABY NAMES MADE EASY

HAVE BABY NAME QUESTIONS?

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

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

DO YOU TWEET?

Follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across and so much more! I’m @babynameauthor!

For more information on baby names and their meanings get your copy of

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

ASK AMANDA: A Name Like Zane?

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 7, 2010

in Ask Amanda

. 2 Comments

Welcome to ASK AMANDA!!!

Ask Amanda

Q: I just wanted to start out by saying that I love your book! It makes searching for the perfect name fun and a lot less stressful!

My question is regarding the name Zane. I had never heard of that name until a friend of mine used it for her son. I’ve grown to really love that name, but because we’re so close to these friends, I don’t think I should use it.

I’ve tried to find similar names but so far have only come across -Shane, Caine or Payne- none of which are what we’re looking for. Do you know of any similar names or maybe even similar masculine, unique type names like Zane?

Thank you!

A: I’m so glad you found my book helpful! That’s always so nice to hear.

Zane is definitely a unique name. If you’re really close to the other Zane in your life, I can see why you don’t feel comfortable using it.

There are so many great names out there, I’m sure you’ll find something you love. Here are some ideas for you:

Names that sound like Zane

Here are a few names that sound like Zane:

Dane - my favorite on this list

Blaine

Lane - this is also used by girls, but it’s not “girly”

Maine - kind of quirky

I think you’re right to steer away from Payne — it sounds like “pain” and that might be a tough association. I do like Cain(e) and Shane though.

Names with the same meaning as Zane

Zane is a version of the name John and means “God is gracious.” Maybe another version of John might appeal to you:

Ivan

Sean

Gianni

Evan – my favorite

Names that start with “Z”

If you’re looking for other “Z” names you can consider:

Zachariah – a little more unique than Zachary

Zander

Zebedee

Zeke

Zeus

Zedekiah

Zephyr

Zev/Zevi

Use Zane as a middle name

It might be too much to use Zane as a first name, but you could probably get away with using it as a middle name.

I hope that helps! Good luck to you. Please let me know what you decide.

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

WANT MORE BABY NAME INFO?

●Join the free BABY NAMES MADE EASY newsletter list for the latest baby name news and tips from my website

●Subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss any future baby name posts

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF BABY NAMES MADE EASY

HAVE BABY NAME QUESTIONS?

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

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

DO YOU TWEET?

Follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across and so much more! I’m @babynameauthor!

For more information on baby names and their meanings get your copy of

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

Baby Naming Tip from Amanda Peet

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 6, 2010

in Baby Naming Tips, Celebrity Baby Names and Celebrity Birth

. 0 Comments

When you can’t decide between two different names, write both down on separate pieces of paper, put them in a bowl and choose one. Your gut reaction will tell you which name you like better. If you’re excited about your pick, you have your name. If you’re disappointed and want to choose again, the name you didn’t choose is the winner.

According to People.com, Amanda Peet and her husband, David Benioff, did a version of this when naming their daughter, Molly June. Amanda and David were torn between two names – Molly June and Maya June. They couldn’t leave the hospital without picking a name, so David wrote the names on pieces of paper and held them behind his back. Amanda chose the paper that said Maya June and was disappointed…so they decided to go with Molly June.

I think they made the right choice – Molly June flows a little more smoothly than Maya June. What do you think?

SOURCE: People.com

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

WANT MORE BABY NAME INFO?

●Join the free BABY NAMES MADE EASY newsletter list for the latest baby name news and tips from my website

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