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Tag Archive for 'baby name advice'

ASK AMANDA: A Name that Flows with “Vo”

Published

Amanda Barden

on March 1, 2010

in Ask Amanda

. 0 Comments

Welcome to ASK AMANDA. Today’s question comes from a future-mom who wants to be prepared when the time is right.

Ask Amanda

Q: Hi Amanda,

I just came upon your site and I love it! I’ve been really interested in baby names for a few years now but I’m having the hardest time coming up with any boys names I really like.

My husband and I are not pregnant yet, but I love to think of names.

The girls’ names we love are Lydia and Evelyn. Our last name is Vo. I’ve been thinking I like Lydia Noelle Vo and I’m not sure about a middle name for Evelyn yet. Does Evie Vo sound like too much alliteration?

My problem with boys’ names are many. First, I don’t want anything too common that there might be 5 others in his class with the same name. Second, I’m really unsure of what names flow well with our last name. With such a short last name, I would like it to sound good in the full form and any nicknames or shortened names. I don’t want a super common or boring name, maybe an under-used gem.

Names I like recently (that my husband has nixed) are Elliot, Wesley, Elijah, Caleb, Dominic. My husband likes Ethan, and while I like it too, it’s too common. He also mentioned Maddox a few years ago, but I think everyone will always associate the name w/Angelina Jolie AND our future children will be 1/2 Vietnamese.

My question is, could you help us think of boys’ names that flow well with our last name (Vo) and the potential sibling names of Lydia and Evelyn? I think I would like to use Thomas as a middle name (as long as it flows).

Thanks so much for your help in advance!

MARY, Ohio

A: Your first question is about alliteration and “Evie Vo.” You like Evelyn Vo, but aren’t sure whether the double “v” sound in the shortened “Evie Vo” is too much. I like “Evie Vo” and don’t think there’s too much alliteration at all. I think the “e” in front softens the double “v.” The alliteration would be stronger in a name like “Vanessa Vo.” But I don’t mind that either.

DISCLAIMER: I’m a fan of alliteration.

On to your second question about boys’ names. I like the names you mentioned and they all have a similar feel to them. I pulled out my book and found some other names you might like that have the same feel and go well with the middle name Thomas. Most of these are unique enough that you won’t have five other kids with the same name in your son’s class—though some are more popular than others, so take that into account when making your final pick. These names also have a similar feel to Lydia and Evelyn, which make them nice sibling matches.

Here you go:

ARCHIBALD

BENJAMIN

CLAYTON

CONRAD

DASHIELL

DONOVAN

DUNCAN

EVERETT

FELIX

GABRIEL

GIDEON

GRAYSON

HUGO

ISAAC

JEREMIAH

JOSIAH

JULIAN

LEVI

NATHANIEL

OLIVER

SAMSON

XAVIER

My favorites from this list are BENJAMIN, EVERETT (similar to Evelyn), GIDEON, JULIAN and OLIVER.

Before you make any final decisions, I recommend checking the definitions of the names in BABY NAMES MADE EASY to make sure the name you choose has a meaning you like.

If you and your husband still can’t agree, try to figure out what it is you like about the names you like and what he likes about the names he likes and see if you can find some overlap.

Good luck and let me know what your favorites are. J

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

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!

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

Baby Names Soaring in Popularity

Published

Amanda Barden

on December 5, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists, Baby Naming Tips, Celebrity Baby Names and Celebrity Names

. 0 Comments

: kashyap_hc

A topic that comes up over and over again with readers is how to choose names that aren’t going to be too common. I’ve blogged in the past about ways to prevent choosing a name that will be popular in the future.

Here’s another great tool from Social Security to help parents. They’ve put out a handy ranking of the names that moved up the chart the most in the previous year. The 2009 stats aren’t due out for another couple months, but here is the data from 2008.

These are the names that showed the biggest increase in popularity from the previous year. What can this information tell you? In the post I mentioned earlier about predicting what names are going to be popular, one of my tips is to avoid names that are quickly rising on the popularity chart. This list helps you figure out what those names are!

So, if you’re looking for a name that will be unique, avoid the names on this list because they might be destined for even greater popularity in the years to come. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a trendy or stylish name, you might want to use one of these names.

No matter your goal, this is a list you need to know about.

Here goes…the top 20:

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

KHLOE

MARLEE

MARELY

AUDRINA

MARLEY

DANNA

JASLENE

LILAH

PAISLEY

MILEY

LYLA

HARPER

DAYANA

VALENTINA

LONDON

MYLEE

JIMENA

LYRIC

KAYDEN

EMERY

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

JACOBY

KANE

BECKETT

PAXTON

KALE

AUGUST

BRAYLON

RYKER

KINGSTON

KOLTON

ZAYDEN

BRYCEN

RIVER

MILO

LANDYN

ALIJAH

CASH

ALVIN

JUDE

BYRON

What jumps out at me the most is that on the girl’s list there are three spelling variations of the name MARLEY and two variations of MILEY. These are names to avoid (no matter how you spell it) if you want to avoid popular names.

There’s some celebrity inspiration on this list — obviously MILEY Cyrus. We also have AUDRINA — it’s a beautiful name brought into the spotlight by Audrina Patridge of The Hills fame. No surprise that it caught the attention of parents. PAISLEY may be inspired by Brad Paisley (quite a creative baby namer himself with sons Huckleberry and Jasper).

On the boy’s side we have CASH — the snazzy name of Jessica Alba’s husband, Cash Warren. KINGSTON is the name of Gwen Stephani’s oldest son and it’s probably no accident that his name made it onto this list.

Follow the trends… the –en/-on sound at the end of boys’ names is quite hot and this list shows that loud and clear. There’s PAXTON, BRAYLON, KINGSTON, KOLTON, ZAYDEN, BRYCEN and LANDYN. That’s a little more than a third of all the names on the list.

Another trend we see represented here is the popularity of location names with LONDON on the girl’s list. Ditto for KINGSTON on the boy’s list.

Other names that made the list that may increase in popularity next year:

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

AUDREY

CORA

DELILAH

FIONA

LILA

MALIA

PENELOPE

PEYTON

STELLA

VIOLET

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

EASTON

ELI

ELLIOT

FINN

GRADY

GRAYSON/GREYSON

HOLDEN

HUDSON

JASPER

KELLEN

LEVI

MADDOX

WESTON

WYATT

What names dropped in popularity? Here are the 20 names that took the biggest slide:

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

ANGELIQUE

YOSELIN

JADEN

KIRSTEN

ANAHI

ALISSA

JULISSA

ASHLEE

MEREDITH

PAULINA

DAYANARA

DIAMOND

JAIDEN

RACHAEL

JOSELYN

ABRIL

PARIS

MEGHAN

JADYN

RYAN

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

ALDO

BRANDEN

OSVALDO

LELAND

BILLY

NOE

RODNEY

JAYLIN

FELIPE

TOBIAS

CAMRON

NATHANAEL

ORLANDO

TERRANCE

JALEN

JADON

CYRUS

SCOTT

JESSIE

CARL

We see some celebrity backlash here (which always happens eventually) — ORLANDO, CYRUS, PARIS, ASHLEE, JADEN/JAIDEN/JADYN.

Now it’s your turn! What do you think?

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

You can also follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, name trivia, interesting names I come across and so much more…don’t miss out! I’m @babynameauthor!

♥ 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

Interview with Kojii Helnwein about baby names…and her pain-free birth!

Published

Amanda Barden

on November 18, 2009

in Baby Names in the News, Baby Naming Tips, International Baby Names and Website Announcements

. 0 Comments

I’ve launched my first Notable Names feature - an interview with Kojii Helnwein of Project Runway and Models of the Runway. Kojii told me about how she got her unique name and how she chose her daughter’s name. Plus, she had great tips for soon-to-be-parents. Read it for yourself and leave comments here.

More name interviews to come…Stay tuned!

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

You can also 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!

♥ 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: Mom and Dad Disagree on Name for Son

Published

Amanda Barden

on November 6, 2009

in Ask Amanda

. 1 Comment

Welcome back to ASK AMANDA. Today I’m answering a question for a soon-to-be mom (for the third time) in Canada!

Ask Amanda

Q: I am pregnant with a boy and due in 4-5 weeks…….HELP PLEASE!! I already have two kids and have named them Marcus and Marina. My husband is Italian and we are not agreeing on any names. Our daughter was born and nameless for days because we didn’t agree!! I do not want to repeat this. Our name choice does not have to be an Italian or start with the letter “M,” but I do want it to sound OK when mentioning my other kids names. I tend to prefer short names that are not tongue twisters. I like Darius, Xavier, Jordon, Sidney, Daniel. My husband says NO to all of them. His list is Leonardo (over my dead body!), Alexis, Roman.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. BONNIE, Montreal, Canada

A: Thanks for writing, Bonnie. I understand why you don’t want a repeat of the “nameless baby” saga you went through with your daughter. Sounds stressful!

Since you and your husband aren’t agreeing on any of the names either of you have come up with so far, I think going back to the drawing board is a good idea. It’s important that you both love the name you choose.

So what’s my advice? Stop looking for baby names and start looking for common ground. I studied the names you told me you both liked and the names you picked for your first two children. Here’s the common ground I see so far:

1. You chose names with Latin origins for your first two children — Marcus and Marina. Maybe you can agree to choose a name with a Latin origin for this baby, too. This is nice because it creates a connection between all their names without being too matchy-matchy.

2. For your first two children you chose a masculine name for your son and a feminine name for your daughter. Maybe you can agree to cross unisex names off your list. That way all your children’s names will have the same “style,” which you said is important to you.

3. You told me that you like short names and all your picks have six letters. Two of your husband’s three choices have six or fewer letters, too. It looks like you can also agree to cross names with more than six letters off your list.

Once you agree on some parameters, then you can make a list of names that match your agreed terms.

Here’s a list of names that meet the three criteria above — they have Latin roots, they’re masculine (you said you’re having a boy) and they’re six letters or less:

BARNEY

CASH

DRAKE

FELIX

GUS

JUSTIN

LUCAS

LUCIUS

MILES

MILO

OLIVER

REX

SILAS

TYRONE

VICTOR

VITO

This isn’t an exhaustive list, so if none of these work for you, you can find other names that fall within these three parameters.

If you still can’t find a name, start looking for other things you agree on. For example, the meaning of the name or the letter the name will start with. Any place you have common ground is an opportunity to gather new ideas and cross others off the list.

I hope this helps! Thanks for writing me. I’m sure you’ll find a name you both love. It says a lot that you’re working so hard to choose a name you both agree on — your son will appreciate that someday.

Let me know what you pick. J

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

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!

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

Amanda Barden

on August 22, 2009

in Ask Amanda, Celebrity Baby Names and Celebrity Names

. 6 Comments

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

Amanda Barden

on June 26, 2009

in Ask Amanda and Baby Name Suggestions & Lists

. 0 Comments

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

24 Ways to Name Your Baby After Your Relative Without Naming Your Baby After Your Relative

Published

Amanda Barden

on June 16, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists, Baby Naming Tips, Celebrity Names, Holiday Baby Names and International Baby Names

. 0 Comments

You love your Aunt Dorcas and your Grandpa Egbert more than words can say. Unfortunately, their names don’t resonate well to our modern ears. So how do you pay tribute to your favorite relative without using his or her name for your new baby?

Here are 24 creative alternatives that will help you choose a name you love in honor of a relative you love:

1. FAVORITE FLOWER: Do you always bring your relative a bouquet of flowers when you visit because they’re her favorite? If so, her favorite flower might make a perfect name. Stylish examples include:

DAISY, LILY, ROSE

2. NAME WITH THE SAME MEANING: Choose a name with the same meaning as your relative’s name. Dorcas means “gazelle” and so does:

AYELET, TABITHA, ZEVI

3. PLACE WHERE RELATIVE GREW UP: Does your relative have ties to a particular spot on the map? If so, maybe you can turn it into a great name. Consider examples like:

CAROLINA, IRELAND, SIENA

4. FAVORITE ACTOR/ACTRESS: If your favorite relative has a favorite actor or actress with a name you like, it might work for your baby. These examples have first and last names you could consider:

JAMES DEAN, CLARK GABLE, VIVIAN LEIGH

5. FAVORITE GEM: If your relative loves a particular precious stone, it might make for a beautiful name. There are a lot of pretty options from this category, including:

JADE, OPAL, RUBY

6. RELATIVE’S TALENT: Is your relative famous for a particular talent? If so, it could provide you with some name inspiration. For example, if your relative is a wonderful cook known for a particular dish, you might find a name with a related meaning, such as:

Cherry pie: CERISE

Strawberry jam: FRASER

Apricot jam: MORELA

Apple pie: MILOS

7. FAVORITE COLOR: Does your relative have a favorite color? If so, you’re in luck because there are some charming color-names, including:

INDIGO, SCARLETT, VIOLET

8. FAVORITE HOBBY: Is your relative known for a particular hobby? Hobbies can make for interesting and off-beat names, like:

FISHER, PAINTER, POET

9. FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Does your relative have a favorite vacation spot? There are a lot of names that have great “location” meanings, including:

KAI — “sea”

NEVE— “snow”

RIA — “small river”

10. FAVORITE ARTIST: Does your relative have a favorite artist? Consider options like:

GEORGIA O’Keeffe, HENRI Matisse, VINCENT van Gogh

11. MONTH RELATIVE WAS BORN: Some months make great names. Maybe the month your favorite relative was born is one of them:

APRIL, JUNE, MARCH

12. OCCUPATION: What does your favorite relative do for a living? Maybe your child could follow in his or her footsteps. There are many names that have occupation meanings, such as:

ASA — “physician”

BAXTER — “baker”

MARINO — “sailor”

13. FAVORITE ANIMAL: There are tons of great names with “animal” meanings. For example, if your relative is a birdwatcher, in addition to obvious choices like LARK and ROBIN, there are names like:

MARLON — “little hawk”

MERLE — “blackbird”

TORI — “bird”

14. FAVORITE HOLIDAY: Your relative’s favorite holiday might make for a unique name. Consider names like:

EASTER, NOELLE, VALENTINE

15. NAME FROM RELATIVE’S CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Honor your relative’s cultural background (and yours, too) by choosing a name from that culture. For example, if your family has Russian roots, you could consider names like:

LILIA, NATALIA, PAVEL

16. FAVORITE SEASON: Similar to months, seasons make great names, too. Consider:

AUTUMN, SUMMER, WINTER

17. FAVORITE SINGER: If your relative has a favorite singer, he or she might have a name you’d like. Some names that would work are (consider first and last names):

DEAN MARTIN, ETTA JAMES, JOHNNY CASH

18. FAVORITE RELIGIOUS FIGURE: Does your relative have a special connection to a particular religious figure? If your relative is Catholic, some good saint name options are:

CELIA, JUDE, PAUL

19. PATRIOTIC NAMES FOR VETERANS: If your relative is a veteran, there are several patriotic name choices you can consider, including:

QUINN — “leader”

SHAMARA — “battle ready”

WYATT — “strength in battle”

20. COMMON TRAIT: Does your relative share a common trait with your new baby (or do you think they will)? Interesting options include:

CALLIOPE — “beautiful voice”

CASSIDY — “with curly hair”

ROWAN — “redhead”

21. QUALITY YOU’D LIKE YOUR BABY TO INHERIT: You love your favorite relative for a reason and would probably love to see your baby inherit his or her great qualities. What do you love most?

CHARITY, FAITH, HOPE

22. FAVORITE CHARACTER: What about your relative’s favorite fictional character? If your relative is a Jane Austen fan, you might like:

DARCY, ELLIOT, ELIZABETH, EMMA

23. FAMILY RELATIONSHIP: Consider naming your baby after the relationship he or she shares with your favorite relative. For example:

OLA — “ancestor”

TIA — “aunt”

ZAIDA — “grandfather”

24. FAVORITE CAUSE: Is there a particular cause close to your relative’s heart? If world peace is your relative’s greatest wish, consider names with “peaceful” meanings, like:

FREDA, GARETH, HARMONY

This is a long list of baby name ideas for you to consider, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can get as creative as you want while looking for ways to honor your relatives.

Do you have good suggestions for other readers? Post a comment and share your idea!

♥ 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

Amanda Barden

on June 12, 2009

in Ask Amanda

. 0 Comments

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

Amanda Barden

on June 5, 2009

in Ask Amanda

. 0 Comments

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 29^th.

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

Amanda Barden

on May 29, 2009

in Ask Amanda

. 0 Comments

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.