Tis the Season. Or Tisn't it?

Season names are so tricky. I love them all: "Summer," "Autumn," "Winter," and "Spring" are all gorgeous. But is there ever an appropriate time to use them? It seems very silly to name a child "Summer" if she is born in any other season. But it's cheesy to name a baby born in the summer, "Summer!" How do we reconcile this?!

The same thing applies to month names. Just about any month can be a name, but why name a girl "April" if she's born anytime but then, but again: Naming an April baby "April" is borderline dumb, like naming her "Human" or "Born."

What are your thoughts on this conundrum?

Four lists of four, in honor of four!

My amazing husband and I celebrate four years of marriage today!
In honor of this specialish day, here are:

4 names beginning with the alphabet's 4th letter:
- Damon/Damien; I've always been partial to these, even though they're awfully close to demon.
- Doria; a girl from my elementary school had this name, and I think it's so Britishy and sweet.
- Dell; I like one syllable names, especially for boys. This is a nice less common one.
- Deidre; I don't adore it, but it sticks with you- something unique but not weird.

4 names connected to the traditional 4th anniversary gift of fruit or flowers:
- Flora/Fleur; they mean "flower," and they're wonderful; the first is sweet and the second's sophisticated.
- Plum; if I had to use a fruit name, it would probably be "Plum."
- Dahlia; my very favorite flower name
- Posy; just adorable, although she probably couldn't be a supreme court justice.

4 names connected to the modern 4th anniversary gift of appliances (hey, my husband got me an immersion blender for a gift- must be a coincidence because I'm sure he didn't know about the appliance thing!:
-  Luz; the lovely name/word for "light" in Spanish
- May; as in "Maytag," the appliance company.
This is a hard one!
- Miller; like a food mill
- Hoover; well, presidential names are in, so maybe this would be acceptable!

Finally, 4 names associated with the 4 places we have collectively lived since meeting:
- Elliott; from Elliott Bay in Seattle
- Penn; an obvious choice for Pennsylvania
- Eva; a controversial if apt Argentine name
- Juniper; a feisty Flagstaff moniker

Z-Names

There's a fine line one must walk with "z" names. Many are original, fresh, and very wearable. Others are unusual to the point of being unpleasant or just bizarre. Here are a few I like:
Girls:
- Zoe: Fairly common, but entirely lovely
- Zinnia: One of my favorite flower names!
- Zipporah: Exotic and fun, and biblical too, though I'd probably never use it myself!
- Zaylie: Kind of cutsey, but it's a more grown up version of the popular "Kaylie"

Boys:
- Zebedee: How awesome is this?!
- Zeke: Short and manly, and a great nickname for "Ezekiel"
- Zach/Zachary: Certainly common, but it's a more modern classic
- Zachariah: A more unusual take on the previous name
- Zane: I have a thing for wild west names

Do you have any additions?

Short and Sweet

I just adore one syllable sweet and strong names. You would think that the fancier, more syllable-ier names would be the most feminine, but there's something very soft and girly about the following names, even without all the frills. They stand out in their own understated way amongst the Isabellas and other elaborate classics that are so common today:

- Lane
- Tess
- Nell
- Quinn
- Faye
- Sloane
- Rae

Guys and Gals

There are very few names that I consider to be truly gender neutral. Out of those names, there are even fewer that I actually like for both genders. Here are a few:
-Morgan: While this name is probably better on a girl these days, I think quite a few boys can pull it off as well. The shortened form "Morg" is definitely better on a guy.
-Jordan: A strong name for a boy, it manages to be feminine for a girl. That takes skill.
- Nature names: River, Sage, Aspen, etc. A lot of word names work for both genders. I'm not that into word names, but I could see any of these three on a baby boy or girl.

Do you have any favorite interchangeable options?

My new favorite website (next to pinterest, that is!) is nameberry.com. It's a baby name lover's wonderland! Seriously, pay it a visit and you'll be overjoyed.
Name News and Such:
- Jessica Simpson had a baby GIRL and named her Maxwell Drew. Two boy names. I hate it. Couldn't she at least have used "Maxine?" Did she not care what gender her baby was? Good grief.
- I'm seeing a resurgence of the name "June," especially in middle names. It's sweet and unassuming; I like it.
- I love nicknames, but don't really like naming a kid a nickname. For example, if someone wants to call their kid "Eddie," I would name him "Edmund" or "Edwin." Naming with nicknames is becoming more common, which is a little unfortunate since it limits the options the child will have later in life (it's easier for them to shorten their name should they chose than lengthen it).
- What do you think about "Zephaniah?" I can imagine a squirmy little "Zeph" running around and delighting people. But will its resemblance to "Jeff" cause confusion?...

Dual Approval

I am generally a bit wary of names that "work" for both genders; they often are more suitable for one gender or the other, and it means it's not clear on future job applications if the person is a guy or girl. Nonetheless, there are some names that I think are grand for just about any baby:

- Rory: Since this is the nickname of my own dear daughter, I'm obviously a "Rory" fan. I think it works for boys, and it is a nice, not as girly option for little "Auroras" like my daughter, or "Aurelias," and "Loreleis."
- Jamie: It's an adorable short for a young "James" for a boy, and is a nice standalone for a girl's name.
- Jordan: This name has been acceptable for both genders for long enough to make it a viable option for either a guy or a girl. It still has a strong enough sound for a boy (and I prefer it as a guy's name), but it is a far from unusual option for a girl too.
- Alex: A nickname for "Alexander," "Alexandra," and "Alexandria..." dare I call it a classic? This name works for anyone.


Do you have an addition for the list?

Horrific Auto Names

I always thought it would be fun to be the person who decides what to name a new car model. I think the Mercedes Brittany would be a top seller! Here's an article listing some truly AWFUL car names. Really, they should have consulted me first...

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/04/14/10-worst-car-names-all-time/

Man Names

Baby names don't tend to get very many men excited. While quick to reject names, most guys aren't quick to offer their own suggestions. It takes a very special name to generate an enthusiastic response, and these names vary man to man. In the case of my husband, strong, Nordic names like "Thane," wild west cowboy names like "Slate," and quirky fuddy duddy names like "Conrad" thrill him the most.
If you're struggling to come up with any names your man approves of, consider his interests and passions. Is he:
- Artistic? Offfer: "Claude" or "Vincent"
- Athletic? Offer: "Walker" or "Ryder"
- Aquatic? Offer: "Isla" or "Shell"
- Outdoorsy? Offer: "Hunter" or "Willow"
- Musical? Offer: "Cadence" or "Piper"
- Traditional? Offer: "Sarah" or "James"
- Indecisive? Offer: "Elizabeth" or "William" because they come with many nickname possibilities.
- Romantic? Offer: "Aurelia" or "Rodrigo"
- Hip? Offer: "Tate" or "Moe"
- Nerdy? Offer: "Euclid" or "Newton"
- Reformed? Offer: "Luther" or "Calvin"
- Geeky? Offer: "Han" or "Kirk"
- Heroic? Offer: "Wallace" or "Patton"
- Literary? Offer: "Hemmingway" or "Rudyard"
- Succinct? Offer: "Guy" or "Brynn"
- Sentimental? Offer: His grandma's name
- Nostalgic? Offer: His favorite childhood hero's name 
- Easygoing? Offer: Whatever you want!

Let these inspire you, and dream up a couple to toss at your man. Have a pen and paper ready, because they could be just the thing to cause a fount of names to well up inside him!

3 Syllables

Three syllable boy names have been on my mind. On a recent red eye flight from Phoenix to Anchorage, I had ample time to ponder names. In fact, I tried to name myself to sleep by starting at the end of the alphabet and thinking of all the boy names I could for each letter. I made it to A. The sad part was my husband was sleeping so I couldn't include him on my musing over certain names; I'm sure he's sorry to have missed it. From that episode, I learned that 3-syllable boy names are lacking. Granted, there are many traditional offerings, such as "Timothy" and "Jonathan," but pickings are slim for options not as mainstream
Here are a few uncommon ones that stood out to me:
-"Gulliver" I was oddly excited about this name, until I found out that it means "glutton." Not exactly something to aspire to.
-"Caspian" This name sounds both manly and kind of romantic to me, and it's also a place name. My husband was underwhelmed.
-"Tobias-" I'm such a fan of this one, and love the nickname "Toby," which unfortunately is a dog name.
-"Julian-" This one is growing in popularity (in 2010 it was number 53 of the top 100 boy names). It has an old feel to it, but doesn't sound out of place today.