Tag Archive for 'baby boy names'

Name Your Baby Like a Celebrity : DAVID & VICTORIA BECKHAM

Published

on June 27, 2011

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists, Baby Names in the News, Celebrity Baby Names, Celebrity Birth, Celebrity Pregnancy and baby name trends

. 0 Comments

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, Author: Vtornet 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?

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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.

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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!

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

Baby Names with Vintage Charm from 1911

Published

Amanda Barden

on June 14, 2011

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists

. 2 Comments

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?

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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.

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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

Top Names for Twins in 2010

Published

Amanda Barden

on June 7, 2011

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and baby name trends

. 0 Comments

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

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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

10 Up & Coming Names That Aren’t Trendy Yet

Published

Amanda Barden

on June 2, 2011

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and baby name trends

. 0 Comments

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

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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!

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

Hot Baby Name Alert: JAMESON

Published

Amanda Barden

on December 14, 2010

in Hot Baby Name Alert

. 1 Comment

SOON-TO-BE HOT BABY NAME

I wouldn’t call Jameson a hot baby name yet. It ranked #319 in 2009. It’s been on the rise for the last several years though, so watch for it in the future.

Photo Credit: Joe Shlabotnik

Jameson might be getting a celebrity boost, too. Pink recently announced that if she has a boy, she’s naming him Jameson. She said it’s a mix between her dad’s name, James, and her brother’s name, Jason. Jason is also hubby, Carey Hart’s, middle name. Pink also that said she and Carey like whiskey… If it turns out that Pink has a girl, they’ll have to put this name on the backburner.

You can read the whole story at people.com.

THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN?

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

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?

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 @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

Quirky Baby Names

Published

Amanda Barden

on December 8, 2010

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists

. 0 Comments

Stepping Outside the Baby Name Box

I was at the dentist the other day and one of the people scheduled after me was named Pepper. Pepper! I’m a name collector (obviously) so I absolutely love to come across real life quirky names like Pepper.

00438483

Curious names like Pepper certainly aren’t for everyone and I could come up with a long list of why off-beat names can pose a problem for kids. But that’s not what this blog post is about. This post is a celebration of unusual names! Plus, some people really love them. What’s more, some people really pull them off well. It might be a chicken and the egg thing. Regardless, I think they’re worth some serious consideration (at least every now and then).

I didn’t get a chance to learn the story behind Pepper’s name, but I do have a good name story for you. At a book signing not long ago, a couple told me they had the name Pippi picked out. As in Pippi Longstocking. It turns out that Pippi Longstocking was a childhood hero of one of the parents and when they needed a name for a daughter, Pippi was it. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’d venture to guess that some people will think it’s cute and fun. Plus, she’ll be the only Pippi in her class.

Quirky Baby Names

Here’s a list of some truly quirky baby names:

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

BABY

BEAUTY

BIRD / BIRDIE

CRICKET

CUPCAKE

DOLLY

FLICKA

KITTY

MERRY

PEPPER

PIPPI

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

BEAR

BUDDY

BUSTER

FOX

HAPPY

JUNIOR

LUCKY

SCORPIO

I have no idea why so many of these names start with the letter B…

What’s Your Favorite Unusual Baby Name?

I would love to collect a few more unique names. Email me your stories 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 J

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF BABY NAMES MADE EASY

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

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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

13 Names for Halloween

Published

Amanda Barden

on October 19, 2010

in Holiday Baby Names

. 4 Comments

SPIDERS, CHARMS & GREAT PUMPKINS

I’m not sure Halloween is the sort of holiday parents are inspired by when name-hunting, but then, why not? A friend of mine went to a wedding at a cemetery not too long ago. If there are couples who find love at a cemetery, there are probably couples who would love ideas inspired by October’s biggest holiday.

CB030098 For inspiration, I reached back into some of my favorite childhood memories and to a few key chapters in BABY NAMES MADE EASY – chiefly, Magic and Animals & Insects. A few of my picks are from the spookier side of Halloween and some of them are from the sweeter side of the day.

Here are my 13 Halloween-inspired names:

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

GOSSAMER

When I think Halloween, I think spiders. Gossamer means “light cobweb.” It’s more commonly known as a type of fabric, but for Halloween, consider it the sweeter, less spooky option to the next spider name on my list.

ARACHNE

Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. Arachnodactyly is a medical condition where a person has uncharacteristically long, spidery fingers. Arachne is a figure from Greek mythology and, perhaps, the inspiration behind your daughter’s name. It means “spider, spider’s web.” Perfectly spooky for Halloween.

LILITH

Lilith means “night monster; screech owl” and I don’t think there’s any explanation needed for why it made my list. The name Lilith may call to mind the character from Cheers and Frasier, but that works because I think she was kind of scary herself.

CHARM

I don’t know much about witches, but this name means “incantation” and seems like the perfect fit parents who really want to get into the holiday spirit. If you think it’s too whimsical as a first name, it could be a cute middle name.

ELLA

Ella means “fairy maiden” and is perfectly sweet. What little girl wasn’t a fairy maiden for Halloween at least once?

KENDA

Halloween is nothing without a little magic. Kenda means “magical power.” I actually had a few names with similar definitions to choose from in my Magic chapter. I chose Kenda because I thought it was unique and pretty.

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

RUNE

I had a “charm” for the girls and I have one for the boys, too – Rune. Rune means “magic charm; ancient alphabet.” Halloween and magic charms go hand in hand. If you like unisex names, Rune is a unique one to consider.

ICHABOD

Who can forget Ichabod Crane from the classic The Legend of Sleepy Hallow? I’m not sure if I can wholeheartedly recommend the name Ichabod, but it certainly makes a bold statement.

WEBB

In keeping with the spider theme, I chose Webb for my list. It means “weaver” and is an obvious reference to one of my favorite Halloween decorations – spider webs. It also fits into the cool last-name-first trend we’ve been seeing so much these days.

JACK

Jack Skellington is the King of Halloweentown and the lead character in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. The King of Halloweentown simply had to make the list. Plus, Jack is a great name and, at the risk of insulting my earlier pick, a more inspiring choice than Ichabod.

LINUS

As a kid, one of my favorite Halloween rituals was watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Linus is the adorable Peanut hoping to see the Great Pumpkin. That sort of youthful enthusiasm and hopefulness embodies the spirit of Halloween, so Linus made my list.

MAGUS

Magus is part Harry Potter and part Halloween, mostly because it means “magician, wizard.” Magus is definitely walking that fine line between unique and unusual. Which side it falls on is definitely a matter of taste.

DROGO

Where would Halloween be without an apparition or two? Drogo means “ghost, phantom.” You could also consider Casper…

TWITTER

Follow me on Twitter for my list of Halloween-inspired pet names. I always have the best time coming up with my pet name lists! Send me any names I should add. Here’s a preview…in honor of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Salem (Sabrina’s cat).

TRICK OR TREAT?

You can give me a great Halloween treat my leaving a comment J 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