Some more unusual names...

One activity I really enjoy is reading birth announcements. I like to keep a record of uncommon names and nice-sounding name combinations. Here is a list of the more unusual names from this week’s birth announcements:

Boys
Bodee James
Brock William (A fan of Peter Brock perhaps?)
Cadel Aidan
Chayse Benjamin
Haden George (Alternative spelling for Hayden, but you’d have to spell it for everyone)
Kael Jon
Nash Jay
Saba Alfredo (Yet another masculine name ending in 'a'!)

Girls
Avalon Jillian
Cejae Lily
Chelsea Reece (Included because the middle name is unusual)
Eliana (The only unusual name without a middle name this week!)
Giada Maria
Indra Maia (Perhaps a possible alternative for India?)
Kailey Fay
Norah Elizabeth (I prefer this spelt as Nora)
Oceah Vernyse May (I’m assuming this is a girl’s name. It didn’t actually say!)
Orah Jade
Piper Kate
Teigan Zoe (Again, you’d have to spell this one out)
Violet Anais (This makes me think of the perfume Anais Anais! Pretty!)
Zahlia May (I love names that start with the less-common letters Q, X and Z!)

Please let me know if any take your fancy, I love hearing from my readers!

Love,
The Name Dame

Hello, meet my new son Q!

While Googling names today, I came across the following article:
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/a-baby-boy-named-q/

While this article is a little old (it was published in May 2009), I still found it extremely fascinating. For those of you who don't have time to read it, the story is about a Swedish couple who wish to name their son 'Q'. That's right, a letter of the alphabet! They assure everyone it's not after the James Bond character, rather it's just what they've called their son since birth.

Perhaps a little ridiculous for most people, you can't help but admire this couple for trying to make this a name. Then again, if my name was simply a letter, I'd probably feel a little hard-done-by. So I have compiled a list of boys' names beginning with Q that this Swedish couple could have used. They can always call their son 'Q' as a nickname. Problem solved!

Qamar
Quentin
Quince (Peter Quince is a character from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Quincey
Quincy
Quinlan
Quinn
Quinten
Quintillus
Quintus
Quique
Quirijn
Quirino
Quirinus
Quy

There are certainly some unusual names here, but in today's society I don't think there is anything more unusual than naming your child after a letter of the alphabet! Perhaps this trend will take hold in years to come...

Love,
The Name Dame

A Word On Etymology and Onomastics...

For the purposes of this posting, I thought I would discuss the words behind the names - etymology and onomastics.

Etymology refers to the study of the origins of words. The etymology of names, therefore, is the study of the literal meanings of names. This means that every name you read on this blog has most probably been derived from ordinary words. For example, the name 'Phoebe' (pronounced FEE-bee) is said to come from the Ancient Greek word 'Phoibus' which means bright and pure.

Onomastics (or onomatology) takes this idea one step further. While looking at the etymology of given names, onomasticians also look at how names are used in various cultures, and try to answer why some names are chosen more often than others. Hence, onomasticians may argue that names are not necessarily chosen just for their meanings, but are also influenced by the social climate of a particular time in history. For example, the name 'Maureen' peaked in popularity in the 1950s but has since declined. Onomasticians may seek to explain why this is the case.

Hopefully as you peruse through many of the other name blogs and websites out there, you will now know the slight difference between etymology and onomastics!

Love,
The Name Dame

Names in Movie Titles

There are many names embedded in movie titles. Some may inspire you, while others may ensure you never call your son or daughter by that particular name! If you are about to intentionally (or unintentionally) name your child after a movie, remember they may have the movie title recited to them for the rest of their lives (key point being Dennis the Menace).

Anyhow, here are a few movie titles with name suggestions:

A Fish Called WANDA
ALICE in Wonderland
ANNIE Hall
BILLY ELLIOT
BILLY MADISON (because Madison is a girl's name!
Breakfast at TIFFANY's
CHARLIE and the Chocolate Factory
CORRINA, Corrina
DENNIS the Menace
ERIN Brockovich
JERRY Maguire
LAWRENCE of Arabia
MARY Poppins/There's Something About MARY
MATILDA
Nurse BETTY
OLIVER Twist
POLLYANNA
RICHIE Rich
SABRINA (either the teenage witch or Audrey Hepburn's character)
THELMA and LOUISE
WAYNE's World

Any more suggestions? Comment on this post or email me!

Love,
The Name Dame

Brownlow Names

Last night, instead of watching the Brownlow Medal count for the beautiful (and sometimes disgusting) dresses, I decided to make a list of the unusual names among the AFL football players.It was interesting to see that most AFL clubs had one or two original names appearing on their team's list. I think this shows just how diverse names are!

Here are some of the names I listed (in no particular order):

Alwyn
Bernie (a possible modern-day alternative for Bernard)
Bradd (this version of Brad would mean your son would have to spell it out to everyone!)
Brady
Brock
Bryce
Chance
Cyril
Dane
Danyle (alternative spelling for Daniel. Again, you'd have to spell this out to everyone)
Dayne
Farren
Jade
Jobe
Jude
Kade
Kepler
Lenny
Mitch
Rhyce
Setanta (although as outlined in my previous post, I'm not a fan of boys' names ending in 'A'!)
Tarkyn

Or you may be inspired to name your son after his father, just like this year's Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett Jnr. However, this naming method is more common in places such as America rather than Australia.

Love,
The Name Dame

When boys' names = girls' names

A fan of traditional language conventions, I believe a name ending in 'a' should always be a girl's name. Similarly, when a name ends in 'o', it should pronounce a boy's name. So in the birthing notices the other day, I was horrified to see the name 'Tevita' used for a boy. Luckily there was massive lettering to announce "It's a boy!", or I would have just assumed it was a girl...

Curious at the thought of calling a boy Tevita, I decided to Google the name. Wikipedia showed there is a famous (male) Tongan rugby player named Tevita Vaikona. Perhaps the parents of the newborn boy were paying the ultimate tribute to their favourite sports star!

Still unsatisfied, I typed Tevita into the search engine on nameberry.com. Aha! This website stated Tevita is a female name and another version of 'Taffy' (a Welsh name meaning candy).

So what can be learned from all this? Choosing a name ending in 'a', (or anything else traditionally used for girls) for a boy may not be a wise idea. Unless the poor child's gender is written next to his name, everyone is going to think he is a girl! While it may sound like a good idea to name your son after your favourite sports star, remember it's YOUR SON who has to live with his name, not you.

Maybe Tevito would have been a better option...

Love,
The Name Dame

Names from "Madeline"

Sometimes inspiration for names comes from the most unlikely places. I was at my local library yesterday when I stumbled across one of the books from Ludwig Bemelmans' series Madeline. Set in France in the late 1930s, it describes the story of a young girl called Madeline who, along with her 11 friends living in a boarding school (not an orphanage, as some people seem to think because the movie portrays it in this way). For those who remember the books, and perhaps the television series in the early 1990s, Madeline is forever brave and optimistic, even in times of adversity. Bemelmans' idea that children always look on the bright side of life was highlight by a young girl who was recuperating from an appendectomy and was still smiling. Hence, she provided the inspiration for the Madeline books.

If you love names with a French flavour as I do, why not scroll through the following names given to the 12 girls in Madeline? Please note, these are the names from the television show!

Madeline - the English version of Magdalen, it means high tower. An appropriate name for Bemelmans' little character!

Chloe - I saw this spelt as Clhoe the other day, I kid you not!
Nicole
Danielle
Yvette
Nona
Anne
Juliette
Monique
Lulu
Sylvie
Ellie - this name was changed to Simone in one episode.

Love,
The Name Dame

Top Baby Names for 2008

Here is a brief list of the most popular baby names for 2008 in each Australian State and Territory, according to their Government's birth registry. You may choose to follow these baby naming trends, or go totally against the flow and choose something unique. It will be interesting to compare these names State by State and with the most popular names of 2009.

Victoria

Male - William

Female - Mia

New South Wales

Male - Jack

Female - Mia

South Australia

Male - Jack

Female - Emily

Tasmania

Male - Jack

Female - Ella

Queensland

Male - Jack

Female - Ella

Western Australia

Male - Jack

Female - Ella

Northern Territory

Male - William

Female - Isabella

Australian Capital Territory (only 2007 information was available)

Male - Lachlan

Female - Emily

It is interesting to see that Jack, originally just a nickname for John, is not only now a stand-alone name, but is also by far the most popular male baby name in Australia. According to these trends, female names are a little more diverse in popularity. Emily usually rates in the top few baby names each year. Ella is also common, with Mia increasing in popularity. Could this be because celebrities, such as Bec and Lleyton Hewitt, are naming their little girls Mia? Let's hope not!

Love,
The Name Dame

Pet names

For something a little different, I thought I would list a few popular pet names. Scientific research suggests that our furry friends help to reduce stress, depression, and encourage us to exercise. You also often see animals, dogs in particular, visit nursing homes to comfort residents and keep them smiling. Nothing beats coming home from a long stressful day and having your loyal dog go bananas because he is so excited to see you! The following list consists of both dog and cat names for males and females. Some are human names, while others are for pets only

Dogs
Bessie

Buffy
Buster
Charlie
Geoffrey

Harley
Jessie/Jessy/Jesse
Lady
Lucky
Max (Bondi Vet, Dr Chris Brown, once stated on his show that Max was the most popular dog name in Australia.)
Misty
Patch
Ralph
Rex
Rusty
Sally

It may be best to restrict your dog's name to one or two syllables, so they will easily recognise it!

Cats
Coco/Cocoa
Ebony
Felix
Fluffy
Garfield
Ginger

Holly

Kitty
Marmalade
Midnight
Monty

Oscar
Puss In Boots
Salem
Simba
Sooty
Tiger/Tigger

The key is to name your dog or cat something that reflects his or her looks or personality.

Love,
The Name Dame

Naming your little gem

Your baby will always be your little gem, so why not give him or her a name that fits literally? Traditional gem names include Pearl and Opal, however you may be inspired to name your little one after the birthstone of the month in which he or she is born (this is not applicable for all months and really only applies to girls!). Here are a few more dazzling names that you may also like. Please note they are mostly girls' names:

Amber - Arabic in origin, its alternative is Ambra.

Cordelia - Celtic in origin, it means 'jewel of the sea'. It can also be spelt as Cordella, Cordelie (French), and Kodelia.

Crystal - a gemstone that is as transparent as ice. Alternative spellings include Christel, Chrtistelle (French spelling), Chrystal, Cristal, Kristal, Krystal, and Krystle.

Diamond - Not for the faint hearted, but many baby name websites state it is increasing in popularity, particularly in America. The pretty diamond is the birthstone for April.

Emerald - The birthstone for May, this green gem has many alternative spellings, including Emeraude (French), Emmarald, and Esmeralda (Spanish).

Gemma - An Italian name, it literally means gem! It can also be spelled with a J.

Jade - Spanish in origin, it can also be spelled as Jaide or Jayde.

Jasper - the only boys' name to make the list, it means the treasurer. Persian in origin, Jaspar and Jesper (Danish) are the only alternatives.

Opal - A precious stone, with alternatives such as Opalina and Opaline (French).

Pearl - A little sphere and a precious gem, this name is English in origin. Other spellings include Pearla, Pearle, Pearline, Perla (Italian), Perle, Perlette (French), and Perlina. Alternatively, you may like to call your daughter Margaret or Megan, which both mean 'a pearl'.

Ruby - The red birthstone of July, this name is Latin. Alternatives for Ruby include Rubie, Rubetta, Rubette, Rubia, and Rubina.

Sapphire - Greek in origin and dark-blue in colour, it is the birthstone for September. Saphira and Sapphira are common alternatives.

I hope these have inspired you to sparkle in your naming decisions!

Love,

The Name Dame

Names ending in -een

One dying trend in the Western world today is the use of names ending in the sound -een. Common among women born in the 1950s and 1960s, -een names have steadily declined in popularity over the last thirty to forty years. Unlikely to make a sudden resurgance, naming a girl with an -een name will ensure individuality with a touch of nostalgia. Most -een names are also Irish in origin. Here are a few suggestions:

Maureen - meaning 'sea of bitterness', perhaps it would be good for a screaming baby!

Kathleen - this name means pure. It could be used as a full name for Kate.

Doreen - meaning gift, it could be a good name for a first-born because it's your first gift!

Noreen - a possible variation for Nora, it means honour.

Aileen - a form of Evelyn and Avelyn.

Irene - not ending in the traditional -een, this name is Greek in Origin and means peace.

I hope this has given you some suggestions for less-conventional names!

Love,
The Name Dame