What is it with me and book recommendations lately? Anyway, this is my absolute favorite baby name book. I've had it since Grant and I look through it periodically even when I'm not pregnant or having to think of any names. It's just a fun book to look through.
I wasn't interested in the other traditional name books - I didn't care that a particular name was Welsh or that it was old German for "bushel full of apples" (I just made that up). Who cares about that? What I like about this book is that it tells you what the popularity of the name has been over the past 100 years, how it ranks in popularity now, and gives a little blurb - something to think about if you are considering that name. Also, based on the style of the name the author gives recommendations for brother and sister names that are also of that similar style. Which I think is way more helpful than knowing that Landon is Old English for "grassy hill" (I didn't make that up).
The author used a database to figure the popularity and other technical information, but I don't care about that fancy stuff. It's just an interesting book. For instance, when I look up my mom's name - Linda - here's what it says:
"Linda is legendary in baby-naming lore as the first name to pass Mary into the number-one spot. Its heyday is now long past - chances are you're looking up Linda because it's your mom's name rather than a top choice for your baby. But it's still a very pretty name (in fact, it's Spanish for "pretty"), and to your child's generation, it will sound sweetly old-fashioned."
Cool, huh?
Having been a teacher, names are a big deal to me. Sadly there are names now that I can never consider because of the memory they generate, but that's a different story. I've come to the conclusion that no child of mine will have a name that:
1) is hard to pronounce or figure out - - poor kid will go through a lifetime of people butchering his name. It must be read and understood on sight. I think the name Apple is a bit weird, but at least Gwyenth Paltrow got it right by giving her kid a name that is instantly recognizable.
2) is spelled with crazy letters - a phenomenon witnessed when parents want to give their child a somewhat 'normal' name, but still want them to be unique. For instance, there was a gal at my college named Keighty. Yep, same name as yours truly, but do think anyone spelled her name correctly growing up without total assistance? Do you think she EVER could get one of those pens or license plate key chains at the store already personalized with her name? Tragic.
3) is given without any regard to popularity - I wouldn't let that totally deter from a name I loved. If you really like a name that bad, go for it. But it would be nice if my son or daughter didn't have the same name as 5 other kids in his classroom. No joke: during student-teaching, I taught a class with 3 Taylor's, my friend's class next door also had 3 Taylor's, and the class across the way had 2 - all girls and most were spelled differently from each other. I discovered there are many ways to spell Taylor (which also violates the Katy Rule #2).
Most importantly - and here I quote from the Baby Wizard - is what I believe is the most important consideration when naming a child: "Choose the name you would like to have yourself...use whatever criteria you like to narrow down your name choices, but before you fill in the birth certificate, stop and give the name this final test: If you were starting life today, knowing everything you know about the world, is this the name you would want to represent you?"
(Basically, it wouldn't have been too weird if you named your child Elmo some 50 years ago, but in this post-Sesame Street world, you can imagine what life on modern playgrounds would be like...)
Having been a teacher, names are a big deal to me. Sadly there are names now that I can never consider because of the memory they generate, but that's a different story. I've come to the conclusion that no child of mine will have a name that:
1) is hard to pronounce or figure out - - poor kid will go through a lifetime of people butchering his name. It must be read and understood on sight. I think the name Apple is a bit weird, but at least Gwyenth Paltrow got it right by giving her kid a name that is instantly recognizable.
2) is spelled with crazy letters - a phenomenon witnessed when parents want to give their child a somewhat 'normal' name, but still want them to be unique. For instance, there was a gal at my college named Keighty. Yep, same name as yours truly, but do think anyone spelled her name correctly growing up without total assistance? Do you think she EVER could get one of those pens or license plate key chains at the store already personalized with her name? Tragic.
3) is given without any regard to popularity - I wouldn't let that totally deter from a name I loved. If you really like a name that bad, go for it. But it would be nice if my son or daughter didn't have the same name as 5 other kids in his classroom. No joke: during student-teaching, I taught a class with 3 Taylor's, my friend's class next door also had 3 Taylor's, and the class across the way had 2 - all girls and most were spelled differently from each other. I discovered there are many ways to spell Taylor (which also violates the Katy Rule #2).
Most importantly - and here I quote from the Baby Wizard - is what I believe is the most important consideration when naming a child: "Choose the name you would like to have yourself...use whatever criteria you like to narrow down your name choices, but before you fill in the birth certificate, stop and give the name this final test: If you were starting life today, knowing everything you know about the world, is this the name you would want to represent you?"
(Basically, it wouldn't have been too weird if you named your child Elmo some 50 years ago, but in this post-Sesame Street world, you can imagine what life on modern playgrounds would be like...)
* * *
Speaking of babies, we get to see ours again tomorrow at the perinatalogist. I'm assuming he will tell us the exact date of NB's birth so that I can know exactly how long I have to get my "Before Baby" list completed. Then he'll tell us that NB will be the perfect size which will cause me little trouble during labor. Obviously, I should keep dreaming.
Posts
Ohhh we have the same name requirements! I like to look on namevoyager. Anything with a spike in the last decade or so is OUT. Have you noticed the trend toward "A" names lately? It seems like every person is naming their little girl something that starts with A!
ReplyDeleteSo glad I stopped by your blog, Your little family is so cute, and I love your baby naming rules! I have pretty much the same ones. Too bad we didn't know about the Aiden phenomenon, one time I said his name in Old Navy and THREE other Aidens came over. Three.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear what you pick!
Katy! I took your recommendation and got this book out from the library! It is great! I am really enjoying it! Thanks for recommending it!
ReplyDelete