The letter is "t" and the gender is guys!
Here are my favorite masculine "t" names of the moment:
- Tobias (I love "Toby" for a nickname, even if it is a "dog" name! And "Tobias" is so distinguished!)
- Tate (Uncommon but not weird, simple and strong)
- Thatcher (Going along with the surname trend...)
- Thaddeus (Both "Tad" and "Thad" are nice nicknames)
- Trace (One of our favorite "Louis L'Amour-esque" names)
- Tanian (Short from "Dartanian-" I'd never be likely to use it myself, but I remember a baseball player named "Tanian" after the muskateer, and he totally pulled it off. It's been dear to me ever since.)
I'm probably forgetting some..."t" names tend to be more unusual, unless you stick with something really common like "Thomas." What are your favorite masculine "t" names?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
"K"
First off, my sister was gracious enough to comment on my post Premeditated Naming, so if you're interested in hearing how she ended up choosing a name, check out the comments.
Today: the gender is female and the letter is K. And C. and Q. Really anything that makes a "k" sound. Here are a few of my favorite "k" names for girls:
- Cora/Coral and many of its variations (I know a "Corabelle" and a "Coralee" and think they're so lovely)
- Kate (a true classic)
- Quinn (unique but simple and feminine)
- Kayla/Kaylee (they're too common for today, but maybe in a decade or two...they're such sweet names)
- Callie (I just love this name, and I really can't put my reasoning into words. It's just a terrific name!)
- Kendra (I've gotten flak for liking this name, which some classify as either "gangster" or "loose," but I stand by my longtime love of the name anyway )
I favor well-established "k" names, especially since there are so many made up ones these days. What are some of your favorite female "k" names?
Today: the gender is female and the letter is K. And C. and Q. Really anything that makes a "k" sound. Here are a few of my favorite "k" names for girls:
- Cora/Coral and many of its variations (I know a "Corabelle" and a "Coralee" and think they're so lovely)
- Kate (a true classic)
- Quinn (unique but simple and feminine)
- Kayla/Kaylee (they're too common for today, but maybe in a decade or two...they're such sweet names)
- Callie (I just love this name, and I really can't put my reasoning into words. It's just a terrific name!)
- Kendra (I've gotten flak for liking this name, which some classify as either "gangster" or "loose," but I stand by my longtime love of the name anyway )
I favor well-established "k" names, especially since there are so many made up ones these days. What are some of your favorite female "k" names?
Monday, July 18, 2011
Rainy Day Names
It is monsooning here in Flagstaff, and what better way to spend a rainy, thundery afternoon than musing about weather names?
Since I am a HUGE fan of rain in general, perhaps it is no surprise that I love the name "Raine." Now, I know that I am totally breaking one of my rules by adding an "e" to the end of the name, but I really think it makes it seem more complete, and less forecasty. I also like "Rainey;" it's sort of like an alternative to "Laney," which I also like, by the way. "Raine" makes a delightful middle name, if you or your husband are not quite enough committed to it to use it for a first name. "Zinnia Raine" is one of my favorite girl names (it's hippie enough for Flagstaff or Seattle), but since the spousey isn't a fan, one of you can use it! Zinnias are big, gorgeous, poofy flowers, by the way.
Other nice weather names? Well, "Sunny" is a little dated, though it's cheerful and sweet. More modern takes are "Sunshine" and anything with "Sol" in it, like "Solara." "Stormy" and "Gusty" are unusual, but you'd better hope your daughter isn't that tumultuous! "Snow," and it's Spanish equivalent "Nieve" are not too uncommon Blake informed me of a celebrity baby horrifically named "Reignbeau," and I'm sure there are a few little "Lightnings" out there.
Whatever your weather is right now, enjoy your afternoon! Happy naming!
Since I am a HUGE fan of rain in general, perhaps it is no surprise that I love the name "Raine." Now, I know that I am totally breaking one of my rules by adding an "e" to the end of the name, but I really think it makes it seem more complete, and less forecasty. I also like "Rainey;" it's sort of like an alternative to "Laney," which I also like, by the way. "Raine" makes a delightful middle name, if you or your husband are not quite enough committed to it to use it for a first name. "Zinnia Raine" is one of my favorite girl names (it's hippie enough for Flagstaff or Seattle), but since the spousey isn't a fan, one of you can use it! Zinnias are big, gorgeous, poofy flowers, by the way.
Other nice weather names? Well, "Sunny" is a little dated, though it's cheerful and sweet. More modern takes are "Sunshine" and anything with "Sol" in it, like "Solara." "Stormy" and "Gusty" are unusual, but you'd better hope your daughter isn't that tumultuous! "Snow," and it's Spanish equivalent "Nieve" are not too uncommon Blake informed me of a celebrity baby horrifically named "Reignbeau," and I'm sure there are a few little "Lightnings" out there.
Whatever your weather is right now, enjoy your afternoon! Happy naming!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
On Place Names
I like the idea of naming a child after a place of significance. This is an area for particular care, however...
Blake and I spent part of our first date sitting on a bench in West Seattle, enjoying the city skyline at night across Elliott Bay. I've always been fond of the name "Elliott" for a boy, and I like the fact that the name has significance for Blake and me. Plus- two sets of double letters!! But...it's not too likely that little "Elliott" would appreciate the romance behind his name. Maybe it would be different were it a daughter, but it seems cruel to burden a boy with a name with sappy connotations. Plus, "Elliott" has no good male nicknames. And I'm concerned it may go the way of "Ashley," "Lindsey," and "Taylor" and become more of a girl name.
If there's a place that is deeply special to you (and always will be), choosing a name reminiscent of the place can be extremely meaningful. For example, if your beloved grandparents were from Italy, perhaps naming a child "Romey" or "Venice" would be a fond reminder of them. I'd stay away from "Pompeii" though, since more cataclysmic images tend to come to mind than warm thoughts of the motherland. Along with that, it's best to discard places that people tend to make fun of, like "Detroit."
As long as the location in consideration doesn't have romantic associations for the parents that would potentially horrify/humiliate their offspring, and as long as there is SOME significance to the name (I think it's silly to name a kid "Brooklyn" or "Dakota" or "London" just because they're popular options), go for a place name! Some ideas:
- Biblical place names: one of my favorite girl names (I'm hesitant to write it since it will likely be the name of our next daughter) is a Biblical place name. Also, "Belen" (Bethleham in Spanish), Magdalena, Eden, Berea (my friend Aimee chose this lovely, unique name!), and Israel.
- Bodies of water, mountains, and landmarks: I grew up near Lake Meridian, and I always thought "Meridia" would make a nice name. Or I could use "Lillian," since the first lake I ever backpacked to was Lake Lillian. "Rainier" is a name I'll always love, since Mt. Rainier is the quintessential mountain, and is so emblematic of my western Washington roots. Other mountains? McKinley, Shasta, or Baker, perhaps? As far as landmark names go, why not Zion (could be a biblical name or a nod to the national park)?
- City/Country names: Well, my hometown is "Kent." It's sort of in the hood though, not really a place to pay homage to. Common choices include: "Paris," "Kenya," the previously mentioned "London," "Dakota," and "Brooklyn," and "India." Again, I beseech you to only pick a city/country name for your baby if you have some sort of connection to the place, not just because you like the way it sounds. At the same time, you don't want a name that you have too much connection to (naming our next child "Flagstaff" would be pretty ridiculous).
In summary, a place name can be a terrific, unique, and meaningful moniker for your child. Just consider any weird connotations the name may evoke, and analyze your motive in using the name. After all, you want your child to love his name, and hopefully the place it honors as well.
Blake and I spent part of our first date sitting on a bench in West Seattle, enjoying the city skyline at night across Elliott Bay. I've always been fond of the name "Elliott" for a boy, and I like the fact that the name has significance for Blake and me. Plus- two sets of double letters!! But...it's not too likely that little "Elliott" would appreciate the romance behind his name. Maybe it would be different were it a daughter, but it seems cruel to burden a boy with a name with sappy connotations. Plus, "Elliott" has no good male nicknames. And I'm concerned it may go the way of "Ashley," "Lindsey," and "Taylor" and become more of a girl name.
If there's a place that is deeply special to you (and always will be), choosing a name reminiscent of the place can be extremely meaningful. For example, if your beloved grandparents were from Italy, perhaps naming a child "Romey" or "Venice" would be a fond reminder of them. I'd stay away from "Pompeii" though, since more cataclysmic images tend to come to mind than warm thoughts of the motherland. Along with that, it's best to discard places that people tend to make fun of, like "Detroit."
As long as the location in consideration doesn't have romantic associations for the parents that would potentially horrify/humiliate their offspring, and as long as there is SOME significance to the name (I think it's silly to name a kid "Brooklyn" or "Dakota" or "London" just because they're popular options), go for a place name! Some ideas:
- Biblical place names: one of my favorite girl names (I'm hesitant to write it since it will likely be the name of our next daughter) is a Biblical place name. Also, "Belen" (Bethleham in Spanish), Magdalena, Eden, Berea (my friend Aimee chose this lovely, unique name!), and Israel.
- Bodies of water, mountains, and landmarks: I grew up near Lake Meridian, and I always thought "Meridia" would make a nice name. Or I could use "Lillian," since the first lake I ever backpacked to was Lake Lillian. "Rainier" is a name I'll always love, since Mt. Rainier is the quintessential mountain, and is so emblematic of my western Washington roots. Other mountains? McKinley, Shasta, or Baker, perhaps? As far as landmark names go, why not Zion (could be a biblical name or a nod to the national park)?
- City/Country names: Well, my hometown is "Kent." It's sort of in the hood though, not really a place to pay homage to. Common choices include: "Paris," "Kenya," the previously mentioned "London," "Dakota," and "Brooklyn," and "India." Again, I beseech you to only pick a city/country name for your baby if you have some sort of connection to the place, not just because you like the way it sounds. At the same time, you don't want a name that you have too much connection to (naming our next child "Flagstaff" would be pretty ridiculous).
In summary, a place name can be a terrific, unique, and meaningful moniker for your child. Just consider any weird connotations the name may evoke, and analyze your motive in using the name. After all, you want your child to love his name, and hopefully the place it honors as well.
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