Tag Archive for 'baby names made easy'

A couple weeks ago, Melissa Chapman asked me to weigh in on an article she was writing for SheKnows.com about unique ways to find cool and interesting baby names. I put together a list of 15 ideas and Melissa’s article was posted today.

Here are two of my tips from the article:

Tip #2: Make a game of it

Make it a goal to meet three new people every day and get their names—the checker in the grocery store, the person sitting next to you on the bus, the barista blending your drink—you’re bound to hear something interesting. If mom and dad both do this, it will be something fun you can do together and you’ll double the number of names you add to your list.

Tip #10: Go back in time to popular names from 100 years ago

The Social Security website will tell you today’s most popular names, but it will also tell you what names were popular in the past. Some of the names parents liked for boys back in 1910 were Archie, Everett, Oscar, Otis and Henry.

Read the rest of my tips:

http://www.sheknows.com/articles/816274/15-ways-to-find-a-cool-baby-name-1

Happy naming,

♥ 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

ASK AMANDA: A Name Like Zane?

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 7, 2010

in Ask Amanda

. 2 Comments

Welcome to ASK AMANDA!!!

Ask Amanda

Q: I just wanted to start out by saying that I love your book! It makes searching for the perfect name fun and a lot less stressful!

My question is regarding the name Zane. I had never heard of that name until a friend of mine used it for her son. I’ve grown to really love that name, but because we’re so close to these friends, I don’t think I should use it.

I’ve tried to find similar names but so far have only come across -Shane, Caine or Payne- none of which are what we’re looking for. Do you know of any similar names or maybe even similar masculine, unique type names like Zane?

Thank you!

A: I’m so glad you found my book helpful! That’s always so nice to hear.

Zane is definitely a unique name. If you’re really close to the other Zane in your life, I can see why you don’t feel comfortable using it.

There are so many great names out there, I’m sure you’ll find something you love. Here are some ideas for you:

Names that sound like Zane

Here are a few names that sound like Zane:

Dane - my favorite on this list

Blaine

Lane - this is also used by girls, but it’s not “girly”

Maine - kind of quirky

I think you’re right to steer away from Payne — it sounds like “pain” and that might be a tough association. I do like Cain(e) and Shane though.

Names with the same meaning as Zane

Zane is a version of the name John and means “God is gracious.” Maybe another version of John might appeal to you:

Ivan

Sean

Gianni

Evan – my favorite

Names that start with “Z”

If you’re looking for other “Z” names you can consider:

Zachariah – a little more unique than Zachary

Zander

Zebedee

Zeke

Zeus

Zedekiah

Zephyr

Zev/Zevi

Use Zane as a middle name

It might be too much to use Zane as a first name, but you could probably get away with using it as a middle name.

I hope that helps! Good luck to you. Please let me know what you decide.

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

Autographed Books: SF Birth & Baby Fair

Published

Amanda Barden

on June 5, 2010

in My Life and Website Announcements

. 0 Comments

San Francisco Bay Area Readers – Come meet me tomorrow!

Anyone who wants an autographed copy of BABY NAMES MADE EASY should stop by my table at the San Francisco Birth & Baby Fair– Sunday, June 6^th. Click here for more info about the fair—looks there will be lots of great stuff to do and see there. It’s going on between 10:00 – 5:00 at Fort Mason.

People who visit my booth can also enter to win a hand-crocheted baby blanket that I made myself! It’s very cute. J

I hope to see you there!

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

WANT MORE BABY NAME INFO?

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

ASK AMANDA: Baby Names with Religious Definitions

Published

Amanda Barden

on April 9, 2010

in Ask Amanda and Baby Name Suggestions & Lists

. 0 Comments

Welcome to ASK AMANDA. I have a question about baby names with religious meanings.

Ask Amanda

Q: We’re about to have a baby and have decided to use names with Biblical or religious definitions. One name we like is Nathan which means “given by God.” Do you have any other recommendations for boys or girls?

KATE, San Jose, CA

A: There are basically two kinds of religious names – the names of people featured in religious texts and names that have religious definitions. You said you like names with religious definitions, so you’ve come to the right place!

Here’s a list of baby names you can consider that have great meanings:

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

ANNALIESE – combination of the names Anna (God has favored me) and Liese (God is my oath)

ELIZABETH – God is my oath

EVANGELINE – gospel

GABRIELLA – God is my strength

HANNAH – God has favored me

JOSEPHINE – God shall add

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

CHRISTOPHER – Christ bearer

ELLIOT – the Lord is my God

GABRIEL – God is my strength

ISAIAH – God is my salvation

JEREMIAH – may God praise him

THEODORE – God’s gift

For more names, get a copy of my book BABY NAMES MADE EASY – there’s a whole chapter devoted to names with religious definitions.

You can also read my other posts about Biblical Baby Names.

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

Buy BABY NAMES MADE EASY on sale!

Published

Amanda Barden

on April 1, 2010

in Website Announcements

. 1 Comment

I have good news… You can buy BABY NAMES MADE EASY on sale!

Amazon.com has my book for $5.85 today. I don’t know how long the deal with last, so you should act quickly. At this price, it’s a good time to stock up on gifts for pregnant friends.

Click here to get your copy!

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

Follow me on TWITTER to get up-to-the-minute celebrity baby name news, interesting names I come across, baby name advice 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: 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

Knoxville News Sentinel Book Review

Published

Amanda Barden

on July 30, 2009

in Baby Names in the News and Book Reviews

. 0 Comments

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Mary Constantine wrote a fun article about food names for the Knoxville News Sentinel and featured Baby Names Made Easy:

“I recently became a great aunt.

My niece, Elizabeth, gave birth to an 8-pound, 4-ounce baby girl in late June.

The baby has chubby pink cheeks, a rosebud mouth and a head full of dark hair.

She’s definitely a keeper.

When I learned that Elizabeth and husband Curtis were expecting, I picked up the book “Baby Names Made Easy” (Simon and Schuster, $15) that had been laying on my desk.

News Sentinel editorial assistant Lisa Gentry had left it for me months earlier after noticing that it was organized by category, including one for food and drink.

Naming a child after a food item isn’t a new idea.

I’ve worked with women named Sherri and Cheri, and attended school with girls named Ginger and Pepper.

So there was a distinct possibility this book would include a name suitable for my great niece.

I loved the name Coco, but knew that Elizabeth and Curtis were too traditional to consider that.

I also liked the name Plum, but maybe that’s because it’s one of my favorite fruits.

Other female names that caught my eye included Cayenne, Brie, Mimosa, and, yes, even Apple, the name actress Gwyneth Paltrow chose for her daughter.

But everyone knows there are other considerations besides how the word rolls off the tongue when selecting a child’s name.

In this case, my great niece’s last name is Strange.

Knowing that, the names Coco Strange, Plum Strange and Apple Strange become totally unacceptable.

After all, children find ways to make fun of each other without handing them a gift.

In the end, Curtis and Elizabeth didn’t need my help naming their child.

One look at their precious girl and it’s apparent that Ava Claire Strange is the name she was meant to hold.

It’s a peach of a name.

Hmm, another one of my favorite fruits.”

I think Ava Claire is a peach of a name, too. Great choice! I’ve always secretly loved the name Pepper though…but, I’m not sure Pepper Strange really works. Though, it’s better than Berry Strange…

You can read the article online here.

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

♥ 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

. 1 Comment

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