Tag Archive for 'odd names'

Vintage-Cool Baby Names

Published
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Amanda Barden
on June 2, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists
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Here is a list of baby names I put together that have an antique, vintage feel, but are still very useable today, and dare I say, cool:

Powerhouse Museum Collection

Powerhouse Museum Collection

There’s a magical kind of name that feels vintage and classic without sounding old-fashioned or dated. Parents search far and wide for names like these and with good reason. The names in this group are charming and stylish…at least that’s my opinion. What do you think?

 

 

 

 BABY GIRL NAMES

 ADELAIDE

AMELIA

ANNABELLE

AUDREY

CARMELA

CECILY

CHARLOTTE

CORA

CORDELIA

DAISY

ELIZA

ELLA

GENEVA

GOLDIE

HAZEL

IVY

LUCY

LYDIA

MADELINE

MILLIE

MINNIE

NAOMI

NORA

OCTAVIA

OLIVE

OPAL

RAMONA

SADIE

VIOLET

VIVIAN

WILLA

 

 

 

BABY BOY NAMES

 

AMOS

ARCHIBALD

ASA

BRUNO

CALEB

CALVIN

CONRAD

COSMO

DAVIS

EDGAR

ELIAS

ELIJAH

ELLIOT

EMMETT

EVERETT

FELIX

HENRY

HUGO

ISIAH

JASPER

JONAS

LEVI

MACK

MAXWELL

MILO

OTTO

REX

SAMSON

SILAS

SIMON

THEODORE

TOBIAS

 

 

 

What sounds “old-fashioned” is probably a matter of taste. What names would you add to or take off this list? Post a comment and let us know.

 

♥  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.

 

Gone with the Wind … a Name-Lover’s Paradise!

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on May 19, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and Holiday Baby Names
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Without a doubt, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind is one of the most beloved American novels. More importantly, it’s a name-lover’s paradise! Today marks the 73rd anniversary of Gone with the Wind, so I thought it was fitting to highlight some of the great names from this book.

 

 

 

FEMALE CHARACTER NAMES

 

BEATRICE Tarleton

 

BELLE Watling

 

BONNIE BLUE Butler

 

CARREEN O’Hara

 

DIMITY Munroe

 

DOLLY Merriwether

 

ELLA LORENA Kennedy

 

EMMIE Slattery

 

FANNY Elsing

 

HONEY Wilkes

 

INDIA Wilkes

 

MAYBELLE Merriwether  

 

MELANIE (MELLY) Hamilton  

 

SCARLETT O’Hara

 

SUELLEN O’Hara

 

 

 

 

MALE CHARACTER NAMES

 

ASHLEY Wilkes

 

BEAU Wilkes

 

BRENT Tarleton

 

CADE Calvert

 

CHARLES Hamilton

 

DARCY Meade

 

GERALD O’Hara

 

JOHN Wilkes

 

RENÉ Picard

 

RHETT Butler

 

STUART Tarleton

 

WADE Hamilton

 

WILL Benteen

 

 

 

With such a long book, it’s no surprise that it’s full of so many interesting names. But, I would say that the character’s first names aren’t the only source of name-inspiration. Here are some more possibilities from the locations and character’s last names.

 

 

GEORGIA

 

HAMILTON

 

O’HARA

 

TARA

 

WILKES

 

 

Gone with the Wind Name Trivia!

 

·         The name “Scarlett” was actually a last-minute change before publication. Scarlett was originally named Pansy.

 

·         Scarlett’s full given name is Katie Scarlett O’Hara.

 

·         Carreen and Suellen’s names are combined versions of their full given names:

 

Carreen = Caroline Irene

 

Suellen = Susan Elinor

 

·         Bonnie Blue’s given name is Eugenie Victoria Butler.

 

 

 

What is your favorite Gone with the Wind character name? Post a comment and let me know!

 

♥  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.

 

 

 

To Tell or Not to Tell? When to Share Your Unborn Baby’s Name and When to Keep it to Yourself (with bonus naming quiz—see how well you do!)

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on May 2, 2009
in Baby Naming Tips
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We’ve all heard this story a hundred times. Soon-to-be-parents have decided on the perfect name for their baby. They tell a relative or friend and the response they get back is lukewarm or even outright negative.

 

“I knew someone with that name growing up and really hated him!”

 

“You’re going to name her what?”

 

“That’s an OK name, but have you ever considered…”

 

It’s hard to know whether these people are mean, misguided or just lack social skills. Regardless, it puts you in a tough position. Even if you love the name, the negative comments might nag at the back of your mind and cause you to second guess yourself or even change your mind entirely. If you wait until your baby is born to reveal the name, people will be less likely to make a negative comment because they know it’s too late to change your mind. So, if you’re worried that another person’s negative opinions could bother you, it’s probably best to keep your picks to yourself until after the birth.

 

On the other hand, maybe you don’t have the creative mind of a fourth grader looking for a good joke. If you don’t, you might not be able to spot the pitfalls of some name choices. Read these names and see if you can spot the potential for teasing:

 

  1. Justin Case
  2. Penelope Inez Garcia
  3. Daphne Velma Jones
  4. Isaiah Penn Daly
  5. Ian Kent Reid
  6. Renee Isabella Parker
  7. Robin Banks

SCROLL DOWN FOR ANSWERS

 

 

If you only got one or two of those correct, there might be some benefits to sharing your name choices with someone who has a more juvenile sense of humor.

 

Whether you decide to tell or not to tell, remember that it’s your baby and you get to choose the name. Don’t be bullied into making a decision you won’t be happy with!

 

Do you think it’s better to tell or not to tell? Post a comment and let me know!

 

 

♥  Amanda

 

 

 

ANSWERS:

 

  1. Sounds like “just in case”
  2. Initials spell PIG
  3. Daphne and Velma are characters in Scooby Doo
  4. Initials are I.P. Daly or “I pee daily”
  5. Sounds like “Ian can’t read” or “I can’t read”
  6. Initials are R.I.P.
  7. Sounds like “robbing banks”

 

 

 

 

ARBOR DAY — A CELEBRATION OF BABY NAMES!

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on April 23, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists
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Arbor Day is the day we celebrate babies named after trees. Not officially, of course, but unofficially here on my blog.

There are some celebrities out there named after trees:

Ashton Kutcher
Sylvester Stallone
Estée Lauder
Björk
Burl Ives
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorne Green
Axel Rose
Lief Garrett
Yves Saint Laurent

 

There’s also a few celebrity babies whose names have tree-meanings:

Hazel, daughter of Julia Roberts & Danny Moder

Evalyne, daughter of Cassidy Black & Dierks Bentley

Oliver, son of Jennifer Lynn Stone & Fred Savage

Oliver, son of Allison & Taylor Hawkins

Olivia, daughter of Joely Fisher & Christopher Duddy

Willow, daughter of Michelle Monaghan & Peter White

 

If you like the idea of nature names, there are some really great tree names to consider on this Arbor Day. Here is a list of some names whose meanings are related to trees:

 

GIRL NAMES

Alani, Aspen, Ayla, Chan, Elana, Estée, Geneva, Hazel, Holly, Idra, Kaya, Laurel, Lina, Matsuko, Olivia, Samara, Verena, Willow

 

BOY NAMES

Ashton, Axel, Barker, Cormac, Derry, Elan, Ellery, Ewan, Hollis, Lennox, Lorenzo, Oakley, Oleander, Oliver, Palmer, Rowan, Silas, Vernon, York

 

All of these names (and many more!) can be found in the Flowers, Trees & Living Things chapter in my book. Check it out!

Post a comment and let me know about your favorite Arbor Day name! Also, if you can, plant a tree and celebrate Arbor Day the way it was truly intended. Click here for the official Arbor Day website.

 

♥  Amanda

 

 

Celebrity Baby Name Alert: Petal Blossom Rainbow (Jamie Oliver)

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on April 3, 2009
in Celebrity Baby Names
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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and wife Jools continued their floral naming tradition with third daughter PETAL BLOSSOM RAINBOW. Petal was born very early this morning at 2:46 am. She has two big sisters, Poppy Honey (7) and Daisy Boo (5). You can read more at The Sun website.
 
I’ve read criticism in the past over the Oliver’s naming choices. I think it’s due more to the middle names than first names alone — there’s nothing too unusual about Poppy, Daisy and Petal, but when you throw in Honey, Boo and Blossom Rainbow the result is a little more off-beat. I’m OK with that though. I think it’s fun to be a little more creative with middle names. Plus, flower names are very trendy now and, personally, I’m a big fan. I’ve always found flower names sweet and ultra-feminine. What do you think? I’ve put together a list of some other celebrities who used flower names for their newborns.
 


CELEBRITY BABY FLOWER NAMES:

 

Bluebell Madonna (Geri Halliwell)

 

Charlie Tamara Tulip (Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O’Connell)

 

Daisy True (Meg Ryan)

 

Iris Sura (Renee O’Connor)

 

Jasmine Innes (Cristen Chin & Nigel Barker)

 

Kadence Clover (Lhotse Merriam & Tony Hawk)

 

Lily Aerin (Jennifer Stone & Fred Savage)

 

Lily Aster (Dara Kravitz & Gilbert Gottfried)

 

Lotus Marie (Rain Pryor & Yale Partlow)

 

Violet Maye (Jordyn Blum & Dave Grohl)

 

Violet Anne (Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck)

 

Lily-Rose Melody (Vanessa Paradis & Johnny Depp)
 
 


AND THEN THERE ARE THE ROSES, WHO DESERVE A LIST ALL THEIR OWN (note all these Roses — and one Rosie – are middle names):

 

Alabama Gypsy Rose (Drea de Matteo & Shooter Jennings)

 

Matilda Rose (Michelle Williams & Heath Ledger)

 

Brighton Rose (Joya Tillem & Jon Favreau)

 

Dolly Rebecca Rose (Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O’Connell)

 

Harper Rosie (Martie & Gareth Maguire)

 

Johnnie Rose (Melissa Etheridge & Tammy Lynn Michaels)

 

Leal Rose (Tamia & Grand Hill)

 

Maggie Rose (Tracey & Jon Stewart)

 

Seraphina Rose Elizabeth (Jennifer Garner & Ben AfflecK)

Emerson Rose (Teri Hatcher & Jon Tenney)

 

What I really want to know is what Jamie and Jools would have named the baby if it was a boy! Do you have any suggestions for them? If so, let me know!
 
♥  Amanda