Baby Names Made Easy: The Complete Reverse-Dictionary of Baby Names | Amanda Barden

3 Reasons to Keep Your Baby Name a Secret

Amanda Barden — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:11:56 +0000

SECRETS CAN BE A GOOD THING

Secrets get a bad rap, but sometimes they’re a good idea. Here are three reasons why keeping the baby name you choose a secret until after the baby is born:

1) Everyone Has an Opinion

Everyone has an opinion and you might not like the ones you hear about the name you have picked out. Some people might be okay with choosing a name after a close friend or family member has said they hate it, but most people would feel awkward about it.

Take Away Advice:

If you think you might be swayed by someone’s snarky comment, keep your name choices to yourself. Only truly rude people will say they don’t like a name after it’s already been bestowed.

2) Change Your Mind Often?

If you tell everyone the top name on your list, it could “stick” and make it hard for you to change your mind later on. It’s not uncommon for parents to change their minds at the last minute.

Take Away Advice:

If you think there’s a chance you’ll change your mind, don’t share your name choice until you’re 100% positive what name you’re using.

3) Avoid Baby Name Theft

There are people out there who will steal your baby name. As soon as you say, “I love the name…,” a baby name stealer has added it to her list. If that person happens to give birth before you, you might have your favorite name snatched away by another eager parent.

Take Away Advice:

If you would be hesitant to use a name that a close friend or relative has already used, keep your name list to yourself.

AWESOME PHOTO

The awesome photo for this post is courtesy of my college buddy, Nathan Yang. He and his wife, Jojo, are expecting soon and they’re keeping their chosen baby name a secret (as you can see from the photo). They’re also keeping all their friends entertained with cute pictures like this with the help of their mobile photo studio. If you want one, check out his site Workit! Mobile Photo Studio.

TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL

Did you keep your name list a secret? If so, why? Was it the right decision or did you regret 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

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

Name Your Baby Like a Celebrity : DAVID & VICTORIA BECKHAM

Amanda Barden — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:11:37 +0000

THE BECKHAMS

Everyone (me especially!) is eagerly awaiting the birth of David and Victoria Beckham’s fourth child. They were very creative with the names of their first three — Brooklyn, Romeo & Cruz — so you know that whatever they choose will be unique! Reportedly, this fourth child is going to be their first girl and their top name choice is Atlanta. What I’ve heard is that Atlanta is a reference to the Atlantic Ocean, which connects the Beckham’s native England and their current home, the United States. Awww… J

NAME YOUR BABY LIKE A CELEBRITY

The name Atlanta may be a little more daring than you want to go, but you can choose a name with a special meaning for you and your family and be as daring or traditional as you want. Ideas are everywhere: · The name of the college where you met · A name that reflects your cultural heritage · The city you lived in when you conceived your baby · The name of the singer who sings “your song” · The name of the person who introduced you · The name on the month you met · The possibilities are endless!

CELEBRITY TRENDSETTERS

What celebs do you think about done the best job choosing baby names? 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

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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 @amandaebarden!

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 Names with Vintage Charm from 1911

Amanda Barden — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:11:58 +0000

VINTAGE CHARM

Do you like your baby names with a little vintage charm? I always think that looking back to what was popular 100 years ago is a fun source of cute picks. How about these from the Top 200 in 1911:

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

BEATRICE

CLARA

CLEO

CORA

DAISY

FRANCES

GENEVA

GENEVIEVE

GEORGIA

MAE

MINNIE

NAOMI

NORA

OLIVE

OPAL

PEARL

VERA

VIOLA

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

AMOS

ARCHIE

CALVIN

EVERETT

FELIX

GILBERT

GRADY

HENRY

LEO

LOUIS

MACK

OSCAR

OTIS

THEODORE

VINTAGE OR MODERN?

Do you prefer old-fashioned names or modern ones? 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

Top Names for Twins in 2010

Amanda Barden — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:00:18 +0000

TWO BUNDLES OF JOY

Are you expecting two bundles of joy? Then whether you like popular names or want to steer clear of them, you should know what the top names were for twin sets in 2010.

Here are the Top 5 pairings for each combination:

GIRL TWIN SETS

ELLA and EMMA
OLIVIA and SOPHIA
GABRIELLA and ISABELLA
FAITH and HOPE
AVA and EMMA

BOY TWIN SETS

JACOB and JOSHUA
ETHAN and EVAN
JAYDEN and JORDAN
DANIEL and DAVID
MATTHEW and MICHAEL

BOY /GIRL TWIN SETS

MADISON and MASON
EMMA and ETHAN
TAYLOR and TYLER
MADISON and MICHAEL
JAYDA and JAYDEN

It’s interesting that the top picks for boy twin sets and boy/girl twin sets all feature names with the same first letter. Only one of the top five for girl twin sets features names that start with the same letter. This goes along with the general rule that parents tend to be more creative when naming girls.

MY FAVES
Some of my favorite pairings from farther down the lists are:
ZOE and ZACHARY

EMMA and JACK
LILLY and LOGAN
ELIZABETH and WILLIAM
BENJAMIN and WILLIAM
CHRISTOPHER and NICHOLAS
EMMA and RYAN
NAOMI and NOAH

DOUBLE TROUBLE
There are some pairings with a potential for trouble…If you call for one of these kids, both will come running because the names sound so similar:
JADA and JADE
OLIVIA and OLIVER
CHLOE and ZOE
KAYLA and KYLIE
MIA and MYA
AIDEN and ETHAN
JAYDEN and KAYDEN
TAYLOR and TYLER
JAYDA and JAYDEN & JADA and JADEN

SOURCE: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/babynames/twins.html

SHARE YOUR TWIN STORIES
Do you have any good twin name stories? 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

10 Up & Coming Names That Aren’t Trendy Yet

Amanda Barden — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:00:36 +0000

Rising Stars

Are you looking for cute and cool names that aren’t overly popular yet? Check out my list of names from the recently released Top 1000 from Social Security. These names are on the rise, but haven’t cracked the Top 250 yet.

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

GIA – #390

ARIA – #356

ELISA – #495

ADELAIDE – #434

GEMMA – #449

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

ENZO – #443

DEXTER – #454

GIDEON – #461

ORION – #466

WALKER – #424

What Do You Think?

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 @amandaebarden!

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

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

Does your name create your destiny?

Amanda Barden — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:30:51 +0000

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 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?

Amanda Barden — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:11:33 +0000

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! 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

Twins Born in Different Years – Twice!

Amanda Barden — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:00:55 +0000

One Twin Born in 2010 and One in 2011 – Twice!

I had to share these amazing New Year’s twin birth stories…

Twin Set #1

In Illinois, Ashley Fansler and Brandon Lewis became the proud parents of daughter Madisen Carin Lewis, born 12/31/10, and son Aiden Everette Lewis born 1/1/11. Apparently, when it looked like there was a chance this could happen, the doctor asked them if they wanted to try for separate year births and the parents said yes. I’m not sure what I would have done in their place…my love for the number eleven might have been enough to sway against separate year births.

NAME BONUS: If you read the whole article below, you learn that Madisen and Aiden’s great grandmother is named Dixie. I love finding cool retro names.

Twin Set #2

If that wasn’t enough, at the same time in North Carolina, something similar was happening. Christy and Marlin Alston welcomed Ashton Parker Alston on 12/31/10 and a couple minutes later daughter Alisha Rae Alston on 1/1/11.

TWIN NAME ANALYSIS
It’s not surprising that both sets of parents linked the twins by their names. Madisen and Aiden both have the -en ending, which isn’t the traditional way either name is spelled. Aiden is a very common spelling these days, but Aidan is the traditional spelling.

Christy and Marlin chose “A” names for their twins, Ashton and Alisha. I’ve written about “A” names before – they’re quite popular. I love “A” names myself- my name is Amanda, after all- but it’s interesting that we have such a love affair with these names.

LINK: Here’s a post I did about “A” Names if you’re looking for unique options.

What do you think about the twins’ names?

Are Separate Year Births Cool or Complicated?

Would you have agreed to a separate year birth? 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

Baby Shower Decorating Idea

Amanda Barden — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:00:33 +0000

Baby Name Decorations

A customer at my LetterLuxe store asked me to design a letter set for a baby shower she was hosting. The mom-to-be had already chosen the name EMILY, so the hostess decided to buy a letter set to match. She used the letters to decorate for the shower and then gave them as a gift to the mom-to-be!

Here’s how the letters turned out:

If you like the idea, but don’t know what name the parents have picked out, you could decorate the shower with a letter set in another word like LOVE or BABY.

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

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Amy Adams & Birthplace Baby Names

Amanda Barden — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:30:18 +0000

Aviano, Italy becomes Aviana

Apparently, Amy Adams was born in Italy. Aviano, Italy, to be exact. Which is how Amy came up with the sweet name Aviana for her daughter. Amy and partner Darren Le Gallo had originally been set on more traditional names, but kept coming back to the very unique name Aviana Olea.

Geography-inspired names have been trendy for awhile. There are several different geographical inspirations – fave vacation spot, honeymoon local, place of conception. Now we can add parent’s birthplace to the list.

What do you think about naming a baby after your birthplace? I would say it probably depends on where you were born. I was born in a little place called Walnut Creek. It’s a very cute name for a town, but I’m not sure that it has the makings of a good baby name. A little girl named Walnut? A baby boy named Creek? I don’t think so. If I’d been born in Aviano, Italy, it might be a different story though.

You can read more about Amy’s name choice here.

Birthplace Baby Names?

Would you name a baby after the city where you were born? 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