Celebrity Baby Name Suggestions: Volume 2

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Celebrity baby naming is unpredictable, but that doesn't stop us from trying! Just as we're shocked when a famous parents chooses something way out of left field for their child (a la Jamie Oliver's Petal Blossom Rainbow or Gwyneth Paltrow's Apple), it's just as surprising to hear them pick a common name (like Michael Buble's Noah or Matt Damon's Isabella). That being said, there are some tricks to celebrity baby name predictions, so let's look into the crystal ball.

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Hazel
Hazel is super sweet and subtly vintage. I think they'll pick another on-trend name with retro roots.
Boy: August, Charlie, Felix, Finn, Julian, Louis, Oscar, Russell, Spencer, Toby, Walter
Girl: Ada, Cora, Fiona, Gemma, Georgia, Helena, Ivy, Phoebe, Poppy, Ruthie, Zara
*Update* Another color-nature name for the Krasinski clan--Violet!

Erica Hanson and Ike Barinholtz
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Foster (g)
The hilarious Ike Barinholtz (Morgan Tookers on The Mindy Project) and his wife Erica went the androgynous surname route for their little girl. I expect they'll choose something similar for baby #2, regardless of gender.
Boy: Coleman, Cormac, Fielding, Gardner, Hart, Holt, Huck, Shepherd, Sumner
Girl: Abbott, Campbell, Connelly, Hadley, Halsey, Hollis, Madden, Sheridan, Sloane
*Update* Another girl--Payton June!

Holly Madison and Pasquele Rotella
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Rainbow Aurora
Holly Madison surprised us all when it turned out she had secretly (and subtly) revealed the first name of her daughter via Twitter. In this article she reveals she likes word names as well as Disney inspired ones. Keeping that in mind, here are my predictions.
Boy: Anthem, Charming, Diesel, Dragon, Echo, Flynn, Hero, Spirit, Temple, Treasure, Valentine
Girl: Ariel, Chrysanthemum, Bliss, Bluebell, Fantasia, Forever, Holiday, Jubilee, Meadow, Pixie
*Update* She does love word names--baby boy is Forest Leonardo Antonio!

Alanis Morisette and Mario Treadway
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Ever Imre (b)
Imre, Alanis Morissette and Mario Treadway's son's middle name, is not one you hear often. It's actually a Hungarian name, which ties back to Morissette's heritage. Might we see another Hungarian choice? Or perhaps something from her French-Irish side of the family? More word names? I guess we'll wait and see.
Boy: Bence, Hawk, Judge. Justice, King, Laszlo, Maverick, Noble, Rogue, True
Girl: Emerald, Fable, Harbor, Haven, Ireland, Lyric, Mika, Rebel, Sailor, Story
*Update*  It's a girl for Alanis Morisette--Onyx Solace!

Lisa Ling and Paul Song
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Jett Ling (g)
Wow, we have a lot of word name-loving celebs this month! Lisa Ling named her daughter Jett back in 2013, and I'm curious to see if she chooses another unisex word name for baby number two.
Boy: Archer, Canyon, Cove, Dashiell, Dax, Fletcher, Fox, Kit, Park, Rex, Rocco
Girl: Bird, Domino, Grey, Indie, Liv, Max, Monroe, Poet, Scout, Sea, Sutton
*Update* It's a girl--Ray Ling Song!

Alexi Ashe and Seth Meyers
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Late Night host Seth Meyers' wife Alexi are pregnant with their first. It's hard to make predictions about name choice without an older sibling's name to look to (they do have a dog named Frisbee, not that that helps), but I have a feeling this couple isn't going to choose anything wild and crazy.
Boy: Bennett, Conrad, Eli, Emmett, Ford, Graham, Henry, Jay, Judson, Lawson, Reid
Girl: Amelie, Cecilia, Eleanor, Eve, Fiona, Ivy, Lily, Madeleine, Nadia, Nina, Rosie
*Update* It's a boy, and his name is Ashe Olson--the maiden names of Alexi and Seth's mother. How sweet!

Paige Mitchell and Eddie Murphy
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Eric, Christian, Bria, Myles, Shayne, Zola, Bella, and Angel (g)
It's baby number nine for Eddie Murphy! With this many kids, it's hard to keep sibsets super cohesive. But taking inspiration from his youngest ones, I would expect the baby to be named...
Boy: Ace, Cash, Chaz, Jax, Jayce, Lynx, Phoenix, Xander, Zaire, Zack
Girl: Asha, Asia, Faith, Jade, Jasmine, Jolie, Journey, Liberty, Nala, Skyla
*Update* Hello, Izzy Oona!

Soleil Moon Frye and Jason Goldberg
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Poet Sienna Rose, Jagger Joseph Blue (g), and Lyric Sonny Roads (b)
After three babies, I think we have a pretty good handle on Soleil Moon Frye's naming style--artistic word names. She's a fan of gender-bending though, so I might as well have left off the boy and girl labels.
Boy: Crescent, Drummer, Freedom, Jazz, Journey, Ocean, Mystery, Rhapsody
Girl: Dancer, Dreamer, Fable, Galaxy, Pastel, Silhouette, Swan, Velvet, Whimsy
*Update* Soleil has welcomed a little boy named Story!

Nicky Hilton and James Rothschild
Gender: unknown
Siblings: none
Coming from such a high-profile family, the pressure's on Nicky Hilton Rothschild to choose a marvelous name for her son or daughter. Something tells me it's going to be a little bit dramatic and extravagant, but still wearable.
Boy: Alastair, Augustine, Bennington, Charleston, Maximilian, Reginald, Whittaker
Girl: Angeline, Aurelia, Calixta, Clarissa, Emmeline, Simone, Valentina, Veronique
*Update* Welcome Lily Grace Victoria!

Liv Tyler and David Gardner
Gender: unknown
Siblings: Milo and Sailor Gene
When both of Liv Tyler's sons were born, their names were on the cusp of cool. I suspect she will make a similar choice when it comes to her third child.
Boy: Asa, Cyrus, Dashiell, Finn, Jude, Nico, Otto, Phoenix, Reid, Royce
Girl: Carys, Delilah, Elodie, Ivy, Luna, Marnie, Matilda, Pearl, Tallulah
*Update* I was close with Luna and Tallulah--baby girl is Lula Rose!

Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky

Gender: unknown

Siblings: Charlotte

A new Clinton baby will be arriving in the midst of a busy summer for it's presidental candidate grandma, Hillary. First daughter Chelsea and her husband Marc chose the name Charlotte for their first child--ranked at #10 the year she was born. Charlotte is a soft, vintage-inspired name that feels very current right now. My guess is her sibling will have a similar name. 

Boy: Andrew, Graham, James, Jasper, Julian, Harrison, Levi, Paul, Spencer, Thomas, William

Girl: Alice, Annabel, Audrey, Eleanor, Elizabeth, Evelyn, Genevieve, Lucy, Madeleine, Nora
*Update* Welcome Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky!

Literary Namesake Names

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November is National Novel Writing Month, and seeing as the month is coming to close, it's only fitting that we take a look at literary namesake names today. There are so many wonderful authors that you could look to for naming inspiration. I've only coved a few in this post--mostly writers with distinctive names or ones who are heavily associated with their names. Which ones would you add?

Agatha--Agatha Christie
Alcott--Louisa May Alcott
Anais--Anais Nin
Angelou--Maya Angelou
Astrid--Astrid Lindgren
Austen--Jane Austen
Beatrix--Beatrix Potter
Bronte--the Bronte sisters
Carroll--Lewis Carroll
Eliot--T.S. Eliot
Ernest--Ernest Hemingway
Fitzgerald--F. Scott Fitzgerald
Flannery--Flannery O'Connor
Franz--Franz Kafka
Gertrude--Gertrude Stein
Hawthorne--Nathaniel Hawthorne
Joan--Joan Didion
Jules--Jules Verne
Oscar--Oscar Wilde
Roald--Roald Dahl
Salinger--J.D. Salinger
Sylvia--Sylvia Plath
Tennessee--Tennessee Williams
Truman--Truman Capote
Wharton--Edith Wharton
Wilder--Laura Ingalls Wilder
Woolf--Virginia Woolf
Zora--Zora Neale Hurston

Catalog Names: Mini Boden Summer 2014

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The Summer edition of Mini Boden has finally come out, and that only can mean one thing: new names. Hooray! I was really surprised with this season's crop; many of the children's names are ones I consider "mom names." I'm sure they sound normal to people in Britain, but tell me what you think.

Girls:
Alaka
Alessia
Amy
Aurora
Azraa
Christy Leigh
Clarise
Delia
Emily
Georgia
Hannah
Iminathi
Kate
Lily
Maria
Martina
Megan
Nicole
Rebecca

Boys:
Asha
Caleb
Ethan (x2)
Francis
Kayle
Kian (x2)
Lindo
Oscar
Toviyah
Uya

On Naming a Dog

Recently, my family got a puppy (that puppy). The number one stress inducer was this guy's name. I know, it shouldn't be so hard. I mean, we have a naming expert in the family! Alas, it was decided that all five of us would agree on the name. That's not what you want to here when your calling out names like Viggo and Fritz, while others are shouting Waffle, Brick, and Oscar. To be clear, the only reason why Oscar was a "no" was because it is in the top 50 for dogs. I would not stand for that. Anyways, as you can see everyone has very different naming styles. Some of us wanted a British name (he is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel after all), and others wanted a very masculine name. The short list ended up being:

Nigel
Chester (called Chet, maybe?)
Woody

This dog was about to be named Woody (which I disliked) when all of a sudden yours truly thought of the perfect name for this nugget. Harvey. Once I suggested Harvey, it was done. Everyone liked it (thank goodness) and we get compliments on his name every day. But you know how it goes, and he has many nicknames. I call him Harv or Harvey-man, and my mom is fond of Stinky, Stinkman, or Little Stink.

Naming a dog is different from naming a human, but still very difficult. Here are some suggestions for naming your puppy (or any animal).
1. Agree. It's best if everybody likes the name, so keep that in mind while choosing.
2. Come up with a lot of names. I must have suggested hundreds.
3. Keep trying. I didn't think of Harvey till the very end, so I'm glad I kept going at it.
4. Don't settle. If I had done that, this dog would have been named Woody.
5. Keep it fun (try). The naming process was one of the least enjoyable for me, which is too bad because it should be the most fun. Naming an animal is stressful, but don't get too upset over it. It's more fun if you keep the conversations light.

Names from Arrested Development

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To celebrate Arrested Development coming back to television, I thought I'd do a post on the names of the characters and actors.

Alia- Alia Shawkat plays Maeby Funke. Alia is currently ranked at 763, and is considered a variation of Aaliyah.
Buster- Buster Bluth's name is more popular for pets than it is human. He is currently not in the top 1000, but peaked in 1909 at 238.
Byron- Buster's full name is Byron Bluth. Byron is currently at the lowest point he's ever been in the top 1000, coming in at 540. He was consistently popular until the 1990s.
David- David Cross plays Tobias Funke. His name has always been extremely popular, and currently sits at 18.
George- George Bluth, the patriarch of the show is played by Jeffrey Tambor. His name has been in a slow decline since the 1940s, and is at its lowest point in history, number 165.
George Michael- Michael Bluth's son goes by both his father and grandfather's names. This double-barrel name has never been in the top 1000, but is probably a pretty popular combination for men of all ages.
Gob- The character Gob got his name from his initials (George Oscar Bluth). Neither this spelling, nor the more popular, biblical Job have ever been in the top 1000.
Jason- Jason Bateman plays main character Michael Bluth. His name was a staple in the 1980s, and currently is ranked at 71.
Jeffrey- The name Jeffrey made an incredible climb in the 1930s and 40s. He jumped more than 900 spots in five years. He's not unheard of today, sitting at 238.
Jessica- Jessica Walter plays Lucille Bluth. Her name was very popular in the 70s and 80s, and currently is at 120.
Lindsay- The self-centered Lindsay Bluth Funke is played by Portia de Rossi. Lindsay was popular throughout the ages, but has had a steady decline, leaving her at 524.
Lucille- Lucille is currently on her way up, coming in at 394. She's a great update on the popular Lucy.
Maeby- The name Maeby was made up by the show's creator. She has never been in the top 1000, but was given to six baby girls in 2006, and eight baby girls in 2011. All years in between there were less than five.
Michael- Michael Bluth is the main character in Arrested Development. His name has been popular forever, and currently is at number 6.
Oscar- Oscar Bluth is George's twin brother, also played by Jeffery Tambor. His name is going down in popularity, and is ranked at 177.
Portia- Portia dropped of the top 1000 in 1991, and hasn't been back since. She's a beautiful Shakespearean name, but Lindsay actress Portia de Rossi was born Amanda and called Mandy.
Tobias- Tobias Funke is arguably the strangest character on Arrested Development. His name is currently going up in popularity, coming in at 516.
Tony- Tony Hale plays Byron "Buster" Bluth. His name is a nickname for Anthony, and stand-alone it is way down in popularity, at 409.
Will- Will Arnett plays biggest brother Gob Bluth. His name is commonly seen as a nickname for William, but by itself it has been declining, ranked at 666.

Dog Names

I have a bluetick coonhound named Lucy. I always knew that Lucy was a popular name for dogs, but I wanted to know what the most popular were. Petbabynames.com has the list of the top 50 most popular names for female and male dogs. I will share the top ten of each, and then tell you my favorites.

Girls:
Bella
Daisy
Molly
Lucy
Sadie
Maggie
Bailey
Chloe
Sophie
Lola

Boys:
Max
Charlie
Jack
Buddy
Jake
Tucker
Duke
Toby
Bear
Oscar

My top ten- Girls:
Lucy
Roxy
Missy
Penny
Lady
Stella
Sophie
Lexi
Zoe
Ruby

My top ten- Boys
Oscar
Louie
Buster
Chico
Henry
Rusty
Milo
Murphy
Scout
Bentley