Tag Archive for ‘unusual names’ at Baby Names Made Easy: The Complete Reverse-Dictionary of Baby Names

Tag Archive for 'unusual names'

Vintage-Cool Baby Names

Published

on June 2, 2009

. 3 Comments

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

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.

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.

San Diego Family Magazine Review!

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 23, 2009

in Book Reviews and Website Announcements

. 0 Comments

Eileen Cornish, a freelance writer for San Diego Family Magazine, wrote a nice review of Baby Names Made Easy for the magazine’s spring/summer edition.

“I have three sons but I never tire of reading baby name books. In Baby Names Made Easy($15, Simon and Schuster, 2009) author Amanda Elizabeth Barden organizes more than 20,000 traditional to trendy names into categories ranging from Nature to Numbers and Animals to Insects. With more than 40 chapters, the book organizes names by category with meanings or definitions listed after each. Perhaps more people would name their girls Agatha if they knew it meant good and honorable in Greek, or Alma, meaning nourishing and kind in Latin. How about Thaddeus, meaning beloved and adored in Arabic?”

You can check out the whole article here and the other books she reviewed!

♥ 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.

How Well do you Know your Celebrity Geography?

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 21, 2009

in Celebrity Baby Names

. 0 Comments

Who doesn’t love the National Geography Bee? The finals aired yesterday and congrats to the winner, Eric Yang!

This contest got me thinking about Celebrity Geography — celebrities and their kids with geography-inspired names. How well do you know your celebrity geography? Here’s my list:

GIRLS’ NAMES

ALABAMA (Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker’s daughter)

AMERICA Ferrera

ASHANTI

BRISTOL Palin

CHINA Phillips

DAKOTA Fanning

INDIA Arie

IRELAND Baldwin

ISLA Fisher

LOURDES (Madonna and Carlos Leon’s daughter)

PARIS Hilton

SAVANNAH (Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney’s daughter)

SHILOH (Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter)

BOYS’ NAMES

BRONX Mowgli (son of Ashley Simpson and Pete Wentz)

BROOKLYN (son of Victoria and David Beckham)

CHAD Lowe

CUBA Gooding Jr.

DALLAS Imbimbo

KINGSTON (Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale’s son)

ORLANDO Bloom

ORLANDO Jones

TENNESSEE Williams

JORDAN Knight

I’m sure there are more you can add to this list. Post your additions here!

♥ 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

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

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 19, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and Holiday Baby Names

. 0 Comments

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 73^rd 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.

Fun Character Names to Celebrate Children’s Book Week (…and maybe some inspiration, too)

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 17, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and Holiday Baby Names

. 2 Comments

Happy Children’s Book Week! I’m a huge fan of children’s books — just ask my friends. I’d take a picture of my bookshelf to prove it, but I haven’t figured out how to upload pictures to my blog yet.

One of the things I love about children’s books is the fun character names. I just finished reading Jinx by Meg Cabot. It’s a story about a girl named Jinx. Well, her real name is Jean, but everyone calls her Jinx. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.

Anyhow, in honor of Children’s Book Week, I decided to put together a list of children’s book characters with excellent names that might also give you some naming inspiration…here goes:

FEMALE CHARACTER NAMES

ALICE — Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

AMELIA — Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish

BLAIR — Gossip Girlseries by Cecily Von Ziegesar

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

CORALINE — Coralineby Neil Gaiman

GEORGIA — Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison

HERMIONE — Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

MADELINE — Madelineby Ludwig Bemelmans

RAMONA — Ramona Quimbyseries by Beverly Cleary

SERENA — Gossip Girlseries by Cecily Von Ziegesar

TRIXIE — Trixie Beldenseries by Julie Campbell Tatham (this one has a special place in my heart because Trixie is my cat’s name)

VIOLET — Series of Unfortunate Eventsseries by Lemony Snicket

WENDY — Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie

MALE CHARACTER NAMES

ARTEMIS — Artemis Fowlseries by Eoin Colfer

BO — The Thief Lordby Cornelia Funke

CHARLIE — Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryby Roald Dahl

CLIFFORD — Clifford the Big Red Dogseries by Norman Bridwell

FERDINAND — The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

HARRY — Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

HUGO — The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

JASPER — Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

MAX — Where the Wild Things Areby Maurice Sendak

MILO — The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

PERCY — Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan (Harry Potter, too)

Some of these authors have pretty fantastic names, too — CORNELIA, ROALD, LUDWIG, CECILY, MUNRO, NORTON!

What are your favorite character names? 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.

Happy Mother’s Day (plus a few related baby names)

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 10, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and Holiday Baby Names

. 0 Comments

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms, soon-to-be-moms and most especially Happy Mother’s Day to my mom!

In celebration of motherhood, I’ve decided to highlight some of the names that mean “mother” or, in one case, something pretty similar (see Boys’ section below).

GIRLS’ NAMES

Amlika

Janikaa

Jarita

Maia, Maya

Neith

BOYS’ NAMES

Quigley

Quigley means “on the maternal side” — I was quite excited to find at least one boys’ name I could add to my list.

All these names, and many more, can be found in the Heritage & Family chapter in Baby Names Made Easy. Check it out!

I’m a little undecided about whether “mother” is an odd meaning for a baby’s name or whether it’s a charming tribute to motherhood. What do you think? Post a comment and let me know.

♥ 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

Amanda Barden

on May 2, 2009

in Baby Naming Tips

. 0 Comments

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:

Justin Case
Penelope Inez Garcia
Daphne Velma Jones
Isaiah Penn Daly
Ian Kent Reid
Renee Isabella Parker
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:

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

ARBOR DAY — A CELEBRATION OF BABY NAMES!

Published

Amanda Barden

on April 23, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists

. 0 Comments

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

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! AND LONG LIVE THE NAME “ELIZABETH,” TOO!

Published

Amanda Barden

on April 21, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists

. 0 Comments

Today is Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday, so I say — Long Live the Queen!

I also say Long Live “Elizabeth.” And I’m not just saying that because it’s my middle name. Few names have had as long and popular a life as Elizabeth. Over the last 120 years, it has consistently ranked in the Top 25 Most Popular Girls’ Names (except for 1945 where it ranked 26^th, which is pretty darn close).

Here’s the breakdown of Elizabeth’s popularity according to Social Security:

1888: 3rd
1898: 7th
1908: 7th
1918: 9th
1928: 14th
1938: 17th
1948: 25th
1958: 22nd
1968: 17th
1978: 14th
1988: 10th
1998: 10th
2007: 10th

Those are pretty impressive numbers when you think about it. Most names come in and out of vogue over time, especially girls’ names. Florence, Ethel and Bertha were all in the Top 10 with Elizabeth in the 1890s, but there probably aren’t too many expectant parents out there with any of those names on their short list. So, for one name to still sound attractive to our modern ears is pretty impressive.

Now, that’s all really interesting, but there’s something even more interesting about the name Elizabeth than its enduring popularity. I think what really sets Elizabeth apart from most other names is the staggering number of variations and nicknames it’s generated. Few other names even come close to the number of nicknames Elizabeths have to choose from. Many of these derivatives have even managed to escape pet name territory to become full-fledged names in their own right.

First, you have the obvious nicknames — Eliza, Liz, Beth, Liza — simple shortenings of the full name. Then you have a few slightly more creative shortenings that leave out a letter or so in between — Lizbet and Lizbeth. If you spell Elizabeth with an “s” (Elisabeth) you get Elisa, Lisa, Lisbet and Lisbeth.

Then you have my favorite category of Elizabeth nicknames. The ones you don’t see coming at all — Babette, Bess, Betsy, Bette, Buffy, Tetsie and Tibby. Tetsie’s a personal favorite of mine, but you would probably have needed to be a friend of mine in college to appreciate it yourself. (Hi Tetsie!)

Elizabeth has some really great International variations, too. Here are some of my favorite ones:

FRENCH: Elise
GERMAN: Bettina
ITALIAN: Elisabetta
LATVIAN: Lizina
RUSSIAN: Elsavetta
SCOTTISH: Elsbeth
SPANISH: Isabel, Isabella, Liseta

I’m the sort of person who really likes options in a name — a name that works for an adult or child and has great nickname possibilities. Elizabeth fits that to a tee. I suspect that’s why it’s remained so popular over the years.

Why do you think Elizabeth has been such a favorite for parents? Post a comment and let me know what you think of the name Elizabeth.

♥ Amanda