Archive for the 'Baby Name Conversation' Category

Does your name create your destiny?

Published

on January 24, 2011

. 2 Comments

NATURE VS. NURTURE

Catherine Aurora Gray recently became the youngest person to discover a supernova. Catherine means “pure,” but Aurora is a Roman goddess and means “dawn.” The name is usually heard tied to the Aurora Borealis. Is it a coincidence that someone named Aurora spends a lot of time watching the sky and spotting astronomical events?

Catherine Aurora’s dad is an amateur astronomer, so that CB030627 may have factored into the name choice – and her penchant for searching the sky looking for supernovas – like father, like daughter? I don’t think we’ll settle the nature vs. nurture name debate with this one, but it’s always fun to consider. Read more about the young astronomer: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/04/girl-10-becomes-youngest-to-discover-supernova/?hpt=T2

NAMES THAT FORETELL PROFESSION

Do you know anyone with a name that’s eerily related to his or her profession? Dr. Blood. Judge Law. Teacher Read. Officer Doright. Please share! You can email me or leave a comment. When you leave your first comment, you’ll need to take a couple seconds to “register.” It’s a way to prevent spammers from clogging up comment sections with off-topic advertisements. Once you do register though, you won’t have to worry about it again and can leave all the comments you want.

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

Could Cabbage Patch Kids have influenced today’s parents?

Published

Amanda Barden

on January 19, 2011

in Baby Name Conversation and My Life

. 4 Comments

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR DOLLS’ NAMES?

For me, one of the most important factors in choosing the perfect Cabbage Patch Kid doll was choosing the name—which you could see on the adoption papers through the packaging. I spent as much time deciding which doll had the name I liked best as I did deciding which doll had the cutest outfit and hair. I even remember being a little jealous when my friend down the street got one with the name Bradley. I loved that name! CB050297 I’ve been fascinated with names my whole life. Obviously. But I can’t be the only one who factored the doll’s name into my choice. Any of you out there have a story to share?

THE XAVIER FACTOR

The doll’s adoption papers were signed by Xavier Roberts (one of the dolls’ inventors) – that was a pretty unique name in the 1980s. The name started to gain popularity around that time and I think this Xavier may have been one of the reasons why. Whenever a new, interesting name hits the scene, parents-to-be take notice – whether they realize it or not.

MY DREAM JOB

There’s some lucky person who gets to name all these Cabbage Patch Kids – whoever you are, if you ever need me to fill in, give me a call.

MY FIRST DOLLS?

My first dolls’ names? Adele and Teddy. Do you remember yours? Share! You can email me or leave a comment. When you leave your first comment, you’ll need to take a couple seconds to “register.” It’s a way to prevent spammers from clogging up comment sections with off-topic advertisements. Once you do register though, you won’t have to worry about it again and can leave all the comments you want. Happy naming, ♥ Amanda

5 Reason Why the Name Orion Should be More Popular

Published

Amanda Barden

on December 10, 2010

in Baby Name Conversation, Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and Celebrity Baby Names

. 5 Comments

I Love the Name Orion

I’ve always loved the name Orion and am constantly surprised that it isn’t more popular. I’ll admit that the cool kid in my elementary school named Orion may have colored my view of the name initially, but that was years ago…I have 5 timely reasons why more parents should consider the name:

723px-orion_constellation_hevelius

1. Orion has never been a trendy baby name

Parents I talk to are often looking for a name with that perfect balance of familiar, but not too common. Orion fits the bill. Everyone’s heard the name, but not everyone knows an Orion. In fact, the highest Orion has ever ranked on the Social Security charts is in the 500s.

2. Orion is similar to a longtime favorite, but with a twist

The name Ryan has been popular for ages. Orion has a very similar sound, but is a dash more interesting because it’s more unique. That’s saying a lot coming from me because Ryan has always been one of my favorite names—but it’s been the favorite of a lot of other people, too, which is why it might be time to give Orion a chance.

3. Orion has that cool “O” initial

Parents love names with cool initials. “J” and “A” are among the most popular initials these days, but a lot of cool names start with “O,” too. Granted, nowhere near as many names as either “J” or “A,” but there are a few popular ones – Olivia, Owen, Oliver, Oscar, Orlando and Olive. I really think Orion should be on that list.

4. Orion has a cool history

I love that Orion is the name of a popular constellation. Even if you’re not an astronomy buff, this is pretty cool. Plus, it’s one of the few constellations that most people can identify on sight. Names with cool histories are interesting.

5. Mr. Big named his son Orion

In 2009, Chris Noth used Orion for his son. Like it or not, there’s nothing like a celebrity endorsement to add some swagger to a name.

So why isn’t the name Orion more popular? You tell me.

What do you think about Orion?

You can email me or leave a comment. When you leave your first comment, you’ll need to take a couple seconds to “register.” It’s a way to prevent spammers from clogging up comment sections with off-topic advertisements. Once you do register though, you won’t have to worry about it again and can leave all the comments you want.

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

Cool Kids Go By Nate…?

Published

Amanda Barden

on December 1, 2010

in Baby Name Conversation and My Life

. 9 Comments

Two Friends Disagree on Baby Names

Over the holiday weekend, I was hanging out with a friend and the merits of the name Nathaniel came up. I said I thought it was a cute name and my friend said she didn’t like it. She liked the names Nate or Nathan, but thought Nathaniel was too stuffy. We discussed whether someone who insisted on being called Nathaniel instead of Nate was 42-15495160 taking himself too seriously. I didn’t think so, but my friend thought maybe he was.

In reflection, I see her point. Nathaniel is certainly more formal than Nate. Nate is easy. It rolls off the tongue. Nathaniel is a bit of a mouthful. Plus, Nate is a perfectly cute name. However, I think there are a lot of good reasons to prefer going by a full name instead of a nickname. Maybe you know a bunch of other Nates and using Nathaniel sets you apart. Maybe you really like being formal. Maybe a distinguished name suits your career—Nathaniel would certainly look nice on a business card. I know plenty of people with commonly nicknamed names who prefer to go by the full name—Katherine, Elizabeth, Benjamin instead of Liz, Kate or Ben.

There’s no right answer here, of course, but discussing the merits of particular baby names is always fun. And the debate still rages…when I texted my friend to let her know that our conversation was making my blog, she responded with, “Remember, cool kids go by Nate.”

WARNING: Consider this fair warning to all my family and friends – if you engage me in a baby name debate, it might end up in my blog J I got permission to use the quote though.

Do You Like Formal Names or Casual Names?

Do you prefer to go by a full name instead of a nickname? Are you looking for baby names with cute nicknames? Maybe you’re even bypassing the full name and using the nickname as the given name, like Beth or Charlie. Tell me all about it. You can email me or leave a comment. When you leave your first comment, you’ll need to take a couple seconds to “register.” It’s a way to prevent spammers from clogging up comment sections with off-topic advertisements. Once you do register though, you won’t have to worry about it again and can leave all the comments you want.

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF BABY NAMES MADE EASY

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

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

Is it Easier to Choose Names for Boys or Girls?

Published

Amanda Barden

on November 4, 2010

in Baby Name Conversation

. 0 Comments

ROCK STEADY OR CONFUSED?

A bunch of soon-to-be moms I’ve talked to have said things like, “I have a bunch of names picked out for girls, but no ideas for boys” or “Boys’ names are easy, but there are too many choices for girls!” Is this you?

I’ve talked to parents who fall on both sides of gender debate, so it’s not universal that girls’ names are harder to choose than boys’ names or vice versa.

Let me know whether it was harder for you to pick names for boys or girls and why.

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

Family Drama: Deliberately Using the Wrong Name?!

Published

Amanda Barden

on October 28, 2010

in Baby Name Conversation

. 3 Comments

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Not all names are created equal apparently. Recently, I had a conversation with a couple friends who started talking about family name drama. I swear I didn’t bring up the topic, but my ears did perk up immediately. 00386292

One friend told me that a relative didn’t like how she spelled her daughter’s name and years later still refuses to spell the name correctly. The other friend shared that her grandmother didn’t like her first name and had always called her by her middle name, which greatly annoyed her parents.

I’ve talked with a number of people over the years with similar stories. I suspect that more than a few readers have stories to share, too. If this has happened to you, let me know! Maybe you were the one who hates the name? Maybe you were the child caught in the middle of the name drama? How did you handle it? Did relatives eventually come around or has the drama extended for years? No matter what part of the drama you played, I’d love to hear from you!

TELL ME YOUR STORY!

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