Archive for the 'Ask Amanda' Category

ASK AMANDA: “Watery” Irish Baby Names for Boys

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on October 16, 2009
in Ask Amanda, Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and International Baby Names
. 0 Comments
Share

 

 

na00087a 

 

 

 

Welcome back to ASK AMANDA. Today we have a question all the way from New Zealand!!!

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    I’m looking for a boys’ name with a watery meaning that is either Gaelic or Irish in origin. Do you have any suggestions?   EMMA, Auckland, NZ

 

A:    Glad to see you found my book and website all the way in New Zealand!

 

This is a great question because you’ve hit on two very popular things — Irish names and water meanings. Here’s what I found for you…these are all names that are Gaelic or Irish in origin with “watery” meanings:

 

BRENNAN — “moisture”

CALDER — “violent stream”

HURLEY — “sea tide”

KYLE — “narrow strait”

LOCH — “lake”

MERRIL — “bright sea”

RHINE — “to flow”

ROARKE — “heavy rain shower”

 

I think there are some really good choices here. I’ve always loved the name KYLE — a long time favorite. ROARKE has a cool Irish sound to it. I kind of love the name HURLEY, but it makes me think of the Lost character (which is probably why I kind of love it).

 

Another option is to use the name of an Irish body of water. Here are some cool options that I found for you:

 

ALLEN

BANE

CALLAN

CAREY

CONN

CULLIN

DAN

DUFF

FERGUS

FINN

FOYLE

GILL

GLEN

LEE

MELVIN

ROSS

RYNN

 

Thanks for writing me! I hope you find a name you love. Be sure to let me know what you pick. J

 

Happy naming,

♥  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: How to Avoid Using the Next Most Popular Name

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on August 22, 2009
in Ask Amanda, Celebrity Baby Names and Celebrity Names
. 8 Comments
Share

j0440614 

 

 

I’m back with another edition of ASK AMANDA. This is a topic that I know is on the mind of many soon-to-be-parents!

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    My top baby name list used to include Emma, Jacob and Zachary. All of those names have become really popular now. I still love those names, but I don’t want my baby to have a name that’s too common. How do I avoid picking a name that will end up on the top of the charts?

 

A:    You have really good taste in names. The trouble is that you share that good taste with a lot of other people. Emma, Jacob and Zachary are all great names!

 

Some parents want to pick popular names, some don’t mind one way or the other, but for those that do … how do you choose a cool baby name that you love while making sure it stays unique?

 

I don’t offer any guarantees, but here are some tip-offs that a name is on its way to becoming ultra-popular: 

 

 

1. CELEBRITY NAME

 

If there’s a new celebrity on the scene with an interesting or unusual name, it’s likely the name will increase in popularity.

 

Ex: MILEY Cyrus (MILEY wasn’t even on the charts before 2007) and ISLA Fisher (before 2008 ISLA hadn’t been in the Top 1000 since 1908)

 

It’s also possible that the name will become so closely associated with the celebrity that your baby’s name will always bring to mind that celebrity.

 

Some celebs are so closely associated with their unique first names that they don’t even need a last name to be recognizable — think PARIS, TIGER, OPRAH and BEYONCE.

 

 

2. CELEBRITY BABY NAME

 

Similar to #1 above, if a celebrity picks an interesting baby name, you can almost guarantee it will become more popular.

 

Ex: BROOKLYN Beckham created a wave of baby Brooklyns. Interestingly, more for girls than boys. Possibly because the name’s parts — BROOK and LYN — are each more associated with girls’ names.

 

Now, note that I said interesting baby name, not odd baby name.

 

Celebrity baby names like KAL-EL Cage and PILOT INSPEKTOR Lee haven’t had a similar impact on parents-to-be because these names are just too off-beat for the average parent — but you didn’t need me to tell you that.

 

 

3. CHECK THE NAME’S HISTORY ON THE SOCIAL SECURITY WEBSITE

 

The Social Security website is a great tool for soon-to-be-parents. You can search names to see how popular they’ve been over the years.

 

It’s obvious that a name is popular if it’s already in the Top 25 most popular names, but what if it’s not? Are you parents seeking unique names safe then? Not necessarily…

 

If the name you’re considering wasn’t in the Top 500 list 5years ago, but then debuted at 300, moved up to 100 within a few years and this year is at 60, it’s a good bet that it might be even more popular next year.  

 

Watch out for these fast risers! If a name has been increasing in popularity quickly, even though it hasn’t reached the top of the charts yet, there’s a good chance it will before long.

 

 

4. CHECK NAMES FROM POPULAR TV SHOWS, MOVIES AND BOOKS

 

Remember that scene from Splash starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah where Tom’s character tells Daryl’s character than she needs to pick a human name because no one can pronounce her mermaid name? He suggests a few names, including Jennifer, Joanie and Linda. Then she sees the street sign for Madison Avenue and says she wants her name to be Madison. It’s a funny moment in the movie because at that time in our history Madison wasn’t a first name and Tom’s character tells her so!

 

I suspect a lot of people who saw that movie in 1984 fell in love with the name Madison because it was different and interesting. Now 25 years later the name that wasn’t a name has become quite popular — it hit the Top 10 in 1997 and hasn’t looked back since.

 

So before you choose a name, have a look and see whether it’s the name of a character in a popular TV show, movie or book.

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if the name CULLEN grows in popularity now that Stephenie Meyer has used it as the surname for her popular vampire family and the dreamy Edward Cullen in her mega-popular Twilight series.

 

Is anyone else out there on Team Jacob or is it just me…?

 

 

All that said, you can’t completely safeguard yourself from all future popular names.

 

You could choose the perfect, unique name for your baby this year, but if the rumors are true and the next Sex and the City movie features Carrie and Mr. Big having a baby that they just happen to name the exact same perfect, unique name you chose this year, there isn’t a whole lot you can do — you will be ahead of the curve though for having chosen it first.

 

Good luck!

 

♥  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: “Ocean” Baby Names

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 26, 2009
in Ask Amanda and Baby Name Suggestions & Lists
. 1 Comment
Share

 

Happy Friday!!! Here’s your weekly ASK AMANDA:

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    I love the ocean and am looking for some good baby names that are related to water. Do you have any recommendations?

 

A:    You’re in luck because a lot of interesting baby names are related to water one way or another.

 

I think you could go a few different ways with this. You could choose a name that says “water,” you could choose a name that has a water-related meaning or you could choose the name of a watery location you like.

 

Here are some suggestions:

 

 

OBVIOUS WATER NAMES

 

 

GIRL BABY NAMES

 

BAY

BROOKE

LAKE

OCEAN / OCEANA / OCÉANE

 

 

 

BOY BABY NAMES

 

BAY

BAYOU

LOCH

OCEAN / OCEANUS

RIVER

 

 

I especially like OCEAN and its variations for boys or girls. It’s somehow more sophisticated than nature names like RAINBOW and SUNSHINE, which tend to feel more like nicknames. I think BAY is a great middle name pick because it’s short and can easily be matched with other names.

 

 

BABY NAMES WITH WATER MEANINGS

 

 

GIRL BABY NAMES

 

ATHENA — Greek name meaning “from the sea”

GALIA —Hebrew name meaning “wave”

JORDANA — Hebrew name meaning “flowing down”

KYLA — Gaelic name meaning “narrow strait”

MARINA — Latin name meaning “sea”

MIHO — Japanese name meaning “beautiful bay”

RILLA — German name meaning “small stream”

SARITA — Hindi name meaning “river”

 

 

 

BOY BABY NAMES

 

BECK — English name meaning “stream”

DYLAN — Welsh name meaning “sea”

HURLEY — Irish name meaning “sea tide”

KAI —Hawaiian name meaning “sea”

MARINO — Latin name meaning “of the sea; sailor”

PHILMORE — Greek and Welsh name meaning “lover of the sea”

RIO — Spanish name meaning “river”

TAO — Chinese name meaning “wig waves”

YUKON — Native American name meaning “big river”

ZALE — Greek name meaning “strong sea”

 

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as names with water-meanings are concerned. If you want more choices, read the NATURE chapter of BABY NAMES MADE EASY.

 

 

WATERY LOCATION BABY NAMES

 

GIRL BABY NAMES

 

CORAL

NYASA

OCEANIA

PACIFICA

RIVIERA

VENICE

 

 

 

BOY BABY NAMES

 

CASPIAN

HUDSON

JORDAN

NILE

ONTARIO

RHINE

TIGRIS

 

 

These are the names of just a few bodies of water and places known for water. You can make a list of your favorite water spots and see if any of them will make a good baby name. There’s a world of possibilities out there!

 

Good luck finding that perfect baby name!

 

 

Happy naming,

 

♥  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: Baby Names that Mean “Miracle”

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on June 19, 2009
in Ask Amanda, Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and Baby Naming Tips
. 2 Comments
Share

j0440406 

 

I think a lot of parents-to-be will identify with this week’s Ask Amanda question…

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    I want the definition of the baby name I choose to be really meaningful. I’d like to find a girls’ name that means “miracle.” Do you know of any?

 

A:    There are definitely a few names out there that mean “miracle,” but not a lot. Baby Names Made Easy is organized by what the names mean, so it’s easy to find names with specific definitions. Here are a couple options:

 

HARIKA — Turkish name meaning “miracle”

 

MILAGROS — Filipino name meaning “miracles”

 

 

If neither of these work for you, consider MIRACLE itself. It ranks as the 484th most popular name for girls in 2008, according to Social Security. This means that other people are using it, but it’s not overly common. If MIRACLE is too off-beat as a first name for you, it might be a middle name contender.

 

 

Another option is using a name with a similar meaning to “miracle.” This opens up your choices quite a bit. Here are a few ideas from the Religion & Faith chapter:

 

DOROTHY — English name meaning “God’s gift.” There are tons of interesting variations for this name, like DOROTHEA, DORA, DORALICE, DOLLY, THEA and THEADORA.

 

NATANIA — Hebrew name meaning “given by God.” This is the female version of Nathan.

 

OHANNA — Hebrew name meaning “God’s gift”

 

THEODOSIA — Greek name meaning “giving God”

 

 

There’s also an entire chapter full of names with meanings related to Blessings & Gifts. Some names with meanings you might like are:

 

 

BEATRIX — Latin name meaning “blessed, bringer of joy”

 

DIARRA — African name meaning “gift”

 

ERI — Japanese name meaning “blessed reward”

 

EUDORA — Greek name meaning “good gift”

 

HALLA — African name meaning “surprise gift”

 

MITSUKO — Japanese name meaning “child full of blessings”

NILLA — African name meaning “blessing”

 

 

I hope this gives you some ideas for how to find names with specific meanings—and how to be creative when you’re not finding exactly what you want.

 

Good luck finding a name you love with a meaning you love, too!

 

 

Happy naming,

 

♥  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.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

ASK AMANDA: Scottish Boys’ Names

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on May 29, 2009
in Ask Amanda
. 0 Comments
Share

 

Welcome to my new Ask Amanda feature. As you might guess, I get a lot of questions about baby names from soon-to-be-parents. I’ve decided to start posting some of the questions and answers here on my blog for you all to read.

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    I’m having a baby boy and am looking for a Scottish name. I want to find a name that other kids in his class won’t have, but a name that everyone will know and be able to spell. Any ideas?

 

A:     Congratulations on your baby boy! A lot of parents are looking for that perfect balance of well-known, but not too common, name. And on top of that, you want the name to be Scottish. No problem! Here’s a list of options for you:

 

 


ANGUS

CALUM

*CAMERON

CAMPBELL

CONALL

CRAIG

DONALD

DOUGAL

DOUGLAS

DUFF

DUNCAN

*EVAN

EVANDER

EWAN

FERGUS

FINLEY

FRASER

GREGOR

IAN

KEITH

KENNETH

*KYLE

LACHLAN

*LOGAN

LYLE

MAGNUS

MALCOLM

MURRAY

MYLES

NEIL

REID

RODERICK

RORY

ROSS

SCOTT

SHAW

SINCLAIR

SORLEY

STUART


 * Names that appeared in the Top 40 between 2000-2008

 

There are quite a few options here. I hope you find something you like! Readers with suggestions or comments can post a comment!

 

Happy naming,

 

♥  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.