Namespiration

Nothing major, just a little something to get us through the weekend the I fondly call namespiration! Here are some names I've been obsessing over, in no particular order. Just a fun little thing I made on the amazing Polyvore. I plan to do this more in the future, this one is mostly experimental and took approximately three minutes (no joke!) 

Click on the image to see it full-sized!

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend! Thanks for stopping by! XOXO, NG

Violet Isabel

Congratulations to ex-Dixie Chick Emily Robison, who welcomed daughter Violet Isabel yesterday. Violet has three older siblings, Charles Augustus (Gus), Juliana Tex, and Henry Benjamin. The name Violet is of Latin origin, and means, obviously, Violet. It's been on the rise in popularity in recent years, climbing more than 400 spots since 2004, and is now #101 for girls as of 2011. The traditional names she bestowed upon her three elder children make Violet a perfect match. Claire Danes, Adele, Adriana Lima, Holly Madison, Vanessa Lachey, Reese Witherspoon, and Marissa Miller are all expecting soon. Can't wait for even more naming fun! Stay tuned! XOXO

Blog Remodel!

Every couple of months, I get this urge to redo the blog. Recently, I tried out typing in a new font in this post (see the birth announcement at the bottom) and I realized how awesome it looked. Of course, I was overtaken with the urge to take The Name Goddess in a new direction. It became a matter of what colors, fonts, and styles I wanted for this current edition of The Name Goddess. I decided to go for a retro feel, with light pinks and mauves, accented by stormy grays, with a glittery pink background and some script-font infusion. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the remodel. I think, eventually, I will learn CSS or have someone customize my blog for me with a cooler header, etc, but for now, I'm just gussying it up using customizations offered by Blogger. It's not the most advanced thing ever, but you can get a lot of different looks for your blog in a very short amount of time. Other than that, this blog is the same as ever, nothing's changed. A couple new colors and fonts, but still the same 'ole Name Goddess. Send me your thoughts! XOXO, NameGoddess

Macy Names Baby

My friend Macy*, two days before the birth of her son, came to me in a panic and asked me to help me narrow down her list of possibilities. She's going to be a single mommy, which makes it the much harder, or easier, depending on own you look at it, to name your baby. On the one hand, she's got nobody to disagree with her or give her a hassle when it comes to her baby's name. On the other hand, she has no one to help give her perspective, to give her another opinion. And in baby naming, that is incredibly important. Important enough, I think, that I will be adding it to the Golden Rules of Naming pronto. As promised, I will now offer you the insider look into how Macy named her little baby (and, obviously, what he has been named!)

Macy first contacted me with a list of 14 names. She didn't know where to go from there, and found it painful eliminating even one. She said she'd already kicked 23 off the list, including Jackson and David
She could not eliminate even one. So I simply told her to make a list of pros and cons for each name. Three days later, she responded via email with her pros and cons.    

Emmett-a strong, handsome name. But it doesn't sound good with my last name. Shoot. 
Emmanuel-I'm worried people will call him Manny. I only like Emmanuel. But I like how this one is so classic and biblical but not overused like Jacob. 
Alexander-is it too popular? On the other hand, also very classic nd handsome. And I like Zander for a nickname. 
Jude-too simple? But at the same time, it's very nice, short and sweet. 
Jasper-I love this one. It's unique and still traditional. 
Micah-too much like Michael, the name of my father? Or is that a nice way to honor him? 
Luca-does it sound girly? It kind of reminds me of Lucia. But I still really like it.
Caiden/Kaiden/Caden- too trendy? And how would I spell it? Would people even recognize it as a name or would they think I said Jayden?   
Mason- I'm obsessed with this one, but my friends just named their baby Mason, and it's SO POPULAR.  
Charlie- does it sound too juvenile? But I don't really like Charles... 
Max- the more I think about this one compared to the others, the less I like it... 
Andrew- I always loved the name Andrew, especially with the nickname Drew. But I know a lot of Andrews. I don't think it's special enough for me. 
Flynn- is this too trendy? I love it though. 
Finn- I love it, but not as much as Flynn. 

The moment I saw her pros/cons (although they were more just her thoughts...), I knew exactly what name she would pick. But I wanted to see her decide for herself, without influencing the decision too much. I called her on the phone, and based on her pros/cons, asked her if she could eliminate any. She said she could take Max, Finn, Caiden/Caden/Kaiden, and Mason off the list, but that was it. Obviously, her baby couldn't have 10 names though, so I told her to recite each name to me, first name + her last name (Rhett). We could then cross off Emmett (Emmett Rhett really doesn't mesh well!). But what name to choose? 

I then had Macy read me her comments on each of the remaining names. After she finished, she said something along the lines of, "OMG, I know what I'm gonna name my baby!. She chose Jasper, a unique, traditional, and utterly gorgeous name. It was the only name she could not find one 'con' for. And now, for the final name... 

Jasper Jameson Rhett 

September 1, 2012 

6 lbs, 1 oz. 

I admit that I suggested Jameson. I think they truly sound splendid together. I'll be meeting little Jasper in about two weeks and I can't wait. To all you single moms/dads out there, please know that it's still possible to choose a perfect name, even without a partner. Macy did it, and so can you! Don't feel like you're all alone, ask friends, family, or even me for advice! We're all hear to help you! XOXO, NG 

P.S. I really like the way Georgia (the font for Jasper's birth announcement, and I one I'm typing in right now) looks. What'cha think, should it become NG's new font? Or is our current one good? I'm always up for some remodeling!

*I changed Macy's name to protect her privacy. Her last name is actually Rhett, though. 

Finn Davey

Another celebrity baby for you today! This weekend, I was away, and only had access to an iPad (with 4G). Suffice it to say, it was hard bringing you NameGoddess quality with the touch-screen keys and unreliability of the 4G network in a remote country setting. Thankfully, I'm back to civilization and pleased to announce the birth of Finn Davey McDermott to parents Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott. Older siblings are Stella Doreen (5) , Liam Aaron (4), and Hattie Margaret (10 months). Baby Finn is their fourth child. Finn, which ranked #597, and has only been in the Top 1000 since 2006. Finn means "fair" as is of Gaelic origin. Davey is Spelling's middle name, which explains baby Finn's middle name. A family tie, especially in a middle name, is always nice. While I honestly can say I'm not sure why Tori Spelling is famous, or what she does now (okay, did some research, she has a reality TV show on Oxygen, wrote a book on entertaining, and hosts the new show Craft Wars), she and hubby Dean have great tastes in names. While Stella and Liam were more conventional choices, but still lovely, Hattie and Finn are more unique. And yet they all blend together seamlessly. Congratulations to the Spelling clan!

A picture of Dean McDermott cradling baby Finn's head, courtesy of Twitter.

Coming Soon...

Happy September 1st! I can't believe how quickly the summer has flown by! I know that the 22nd or 21st is the "official" start of fall, but I can't help but feel that September 1st is the start of the autumn season, and of another year. Maybe it's the student in me, or maybe just the Harry Potter in me, but September 1st feels significant. So I'd like to take this moment to talk about what you can expect from The Name Goddess this fall...

• More celebrity baby names! Adriana Lima (Victoria's Secret model), Holly Madison, Adele, Megan Fox, and so many more! We like to post often about celeb baby names, like yesterday's post on news anchor and reality TV stars Bill and Guiliana Rancic's new little one, Edward Duke. 
• How to dress your baby for fall. It'll be All Things Baby, but even funner. Tutorials like these, made on the fantastic Polyvore, really get me going. 
• Fall in love with fall's awesome selection of baby names! We'll be doing a post entirely devoted to them, and don't just expect names like Autumn. Get ready for super creative ones as well.
• More articles on baby resources only. Think Project Nursery, Baby Name Genie, etc. We've covered those, but there's a lot more where that came from!  
• More from our internAtional series, including Spain, Ireland, Brazil, and Korea. We've already covered England, France, and Australia in June/July, and can't wait to get back to that project. We're branching out to all over the globe, so these names are really going to shock you! 
• A state-by-state comparison of the most popular names, seeing which names are most popular in which states.
• More alternates to popular names, including one for boys. Finally! 
• POSSIBLY, dependingon if our veiwership and reader numbers keep increasing, an AWESOME GIVEAWAY! We will have to get back to you on that one. Right now, things are looking up.  

Get ready! Fall is going to be so much fun! Have a relaxing Labor Day weekend, and happy new (school) year! XOXO, NG

Edward Duke

I returned from a glorious shopping trip at DSW to the amazing news of the birth of Edward Duke Rancic to proud parents Guiliana and Bill Rancic. the couple, whose infertility struggled were documented on their reality show Guiliana & Bill, welcomed their little one into the world via gestational surrogate. This is their first little baby, and at that, one they've waited on for a long time. Nothing makes me happier than a baby welcomed into the world, especially when the parents have waited so long and been through hell and back trying to have a baby. The Rancics, who previously noted that they wanted a name that was "traditional but not too common" named their little on Edward Duke, two incredibly traditional, but not overused names. Edward was #148 in the country in 2011, but has been decreasing in popularity for a while. The name is of old English origin and means "wealth protector". The baby's middle name, Duke, hasn't even been ranked in the Top 1000 since 1971! We're loving the names, and they sound amazing together. Good choice, Rancics, and congratulations!!!

Best of the Month

After much consideration, here are August's best. Enjoy!

Archer 

• Gender: boy 
• Meaning: bowman 
• Origin: English  

A name more popular overseas, this one has been catching our eye lately. It's a little bit vintage, a lot bit cute. Plus, with a nickname like Archie, who can say no? Celeb connection: Amy Poehler and Will Arnett have a little one named Archie. Currently #447 in US births. Love it!   

Willa

• Gender: girl 
• Meaning: will, desire, protection 
• Origin: German 

Interestingly enough, both Willa and Mina (once featured in this segment) both have the same meaning, as they both derive from the name Wilhelmina. Willa is like the less-loved twin sister to Willow. It's got that same ethereal uniqueness to it without being in the limelight. Once upon a time, (think, early 20th century) it was actually popular, now, it's hanging on at #991 (in 2010, it was 954, but I guess it lost its grip!). 

It's never easy choosing 4 a week, so imagine choosing two per month! Oh, how it pained me to reject those I rejected. But these are my favorites for the month of August. Keep checking back for new names every week! XOXO, NG

Team1/Team4 (And The Inbetweeners)

I'm starting to realize how nonsensical my blog titles have become. Sorry if I've become unintelligible. It's not for lack of trying, I swear. What I was trying, and failing, to say in the above blog title is that there's been a long-standing rift in the naming community along the lines of: how many syllables is "just right"? There are those that say one syllable is enough, others who prefer four, and then the wild ones who want five. And then, there are the inbetweeners, the people who stick with 2 or 3 syllables names, as are the most common. So what camp do you fall into? Pick your side, folks, this one's a battle.

Team 1: One syllable paradise, folks. Names like Jack, James, Joe, Elle, Quinn, Brynn, and Hope are all major contenders in this category. A lot of people say that one-syllable names are short and sweet or strong and masculine without being overbearing, as longer names can often be. They're easy to say (picture your baby trying to pronounce the name Eliana, for instance), easy to write and spell, and they're gorgeous at the same time. I've been seeing lots of Team 1 inspiration, like this blog, where all children (okay, except the youngest), have one-syllable names. That's Max, Grace, Elle, Claire (and Lucy...). When only a couple of letters and one single breath is needed to give your baby the perfect name, why add more syllables?

A couple months ago (circa June), I was obsessed with one syllable names and totally had joined Team 1. Previously, I'd definitely been a Team 4 girl. I did some research, and found some great online lists like this one, this one and this one, which had a plethora of one-syllable names to suit your fancy. Team 1, folks, is a good place to be.

Team 4: Four syllable glory, folks. Names like Isabella, Amelia, Juliana, Jeremiah, and Arabella are currently dominating the Top 1000. They're graceful, elegant, long, and stately. What more can you need? They offer the potential for nicknames (Eliana can be Ellie) as a child, but when the child becomes an adult, they can resume with their more professional name. Team 4 is ahead of Team 1 at the moment, with a name like Isabella #2 in the country in 2011, down from the most popular name in the country in 2010. It all goes to show you, sometimes, more is more.

I've also gone through total Team 4 obsessions, where I figured, the longer the better. A name like Aviana- my obsession for many months, which can be chronicled here, here and here, made my heart swoon.  Team 4 offers a certainly grace and elegance often not found with Team 1, but on the other hand, they can be quite the mouthful. Need some Team 4 inspiration? Try here for boys and here for girls.

Inbetweeners: Most of us fall somewhere in the middle, with 2 or 3 syllable names. Names like Ava, Jacob, Ethan and Mason are incredibly popular right now, and rightfully so. Many people consider this length to be ideal. Most popular names fall into the inbetweeners category.

My question is: where do you stand? What's the ideal length of a baby name? Are you Team 1, Team 4, and inbetweener, or a weirdo like me who switches from 1 to 4 in 2/3 in twelve and half seconds? Let me know, loyal readers. And remember-keep on eating your Wheaties and keep checking back each day here at the Name Goddess for more fun in baby naming, etc. Love you lots, kiddos! XOXO, NG

Let the Multiples Mayhem Commence!

And so it begins! This isn't as easy as you'd think, talking about multiples. But here are my general thoughts. I hope you take them to heart, enjoy them, etc. To see the page-long preamble to this post, scroll down a bit to yesterday, or be lazy and click here. I'm always spoiling you guys :)

When it comes to naming twins, you want cohesion. That should be your big word for the naming process. COHESION. Yes, capslocking and bolding was necessary. I'm even going to underline that for good measure. Because cohesion is really what it's all about. It's the only rule of multiple-naming. It's like sibling's names, except cohesion is even more important because these are all coming outta one womb. It seems people have gotten the cohesion thing down pretty well. Names like Ella and Emma and Jayda and Jayden certainly showcase the desire for cohesion, except on a whole new level. You don't have to achieve cohesion in that way, there are a ton of ways to do it. But you've gotta have it.

In order of importance (#1 being something everyone must consider, #2 being something you can consider, #3 being optional, #4 being 'cohesion on steroids', as I like to call it, and it goes on from there):

1. Length & Type:
I think it's important for names for twins to have similar lengths and be from a similar category. By length, I mean both syllables and actual letters. And by type, I mean: popular, semi-popular, classic/traditional, artsy, unusual, foreign, etc. I'm not a fan of multiples with really short names and really long names (ex: Leigh and Juliana). I think it's pretty if they're both one syllable, or both four. Or, they can be 2 and 3, or even 1 and 3 or 2 and 4, but 1 and 4 is not my favorite. Same can be said of type. If you're going to go popular, go all the way. One child (and you never know which one it's going to be) is going to hate their name and wish they could trade with the other.

2. Equal Value:
Okay, maybe this one should be #1, but on the other hand, the above rule can help you find another name(s) to fit the one(s) you already love. Back to the story, make sure you love all the names equally. Don't name one baby Chloe and obsess over Chloe's name, and name the other one Ava because you just wanted something that sounded okay with it but you didn't really like it. Search hard and low until you find Chloe's perfect match. It's important due to the Golden Rules of Baby Naming, (see #1), and for self-esteem reasons for your little Ava. Basically, it's important.

3. Family Ties:
Lots of people like having family names for all their babies, or a special connection with each name. I know one couple that named each baby after a special event/moment in the couple's history (they got married in Charlotte, NC, so they named their first baby Charlotte, thereby starting the tradition). I've also seen couples use the same middle name for each child (see here), the same initials, or name each child after the same relative. I've also seen each baby named after a different family member, which is always cute. Whatever you choose, if you love family ties, this is a great way to create cohesion.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the quintessential twins. 

4. Alliteration Nation:
Alliteration, despite the fact that some consider if kinda cheesy, is aesthetically pleasing, and no one can deny it. So if you want your little ones to rock major cohesion, alliteration is the way to go. As you can see here, America is more than happy to oblige with this rule, and in terms of multiples, alliteration is ruling at the moment. That being said, if you love a name that doesn't fit with your pattern, don't pick it. Do not allow yourself to be confined to the pattern. Alliteration is nice, but it's not everything. For example, if you love the name Julian, you don't have to pick Jeremy and Joseph just to match Julian. You should name them Spencer and Oliver or Wesley and Jackson or whatever the names are that your really love.

5. Pattern Making:
Some people love patterns. And let's be honest, maybe they're on the tackier side, but they're fun. And when you've got multiples (and especially if you have other children), patterns can be amazing. Patterns include: nature names, color names, location names, that variety (ex: Scarlett. Violet, Ruby, Hazel). Or, equally fun, spelling out a word! This is tricky, but if you can do this without compromising the aforementioned Rule #1, go for it. Examples include Lily, Owen, Victor and Ellis. Love. Cute, right? Other examples I've seen are hope and faith. I even saw a couple who had the last name Dove, and their children were Dylan, Olive, Vivienne, and Ethan. Or something like that, I might be mixing up some of the names, but point is, their first name initials spell out their last name. Also cute. But those are pretty subtle, like, most people wouldn't pick up on that right away, so if you want an obvious pattern, this might not be for you.  

6. Rhyming:
I think this one is a bit too much. Fact is, the farther along you get into this list, the more tackiness comes with your choices. So when you consider twins named Jessa and Tessa or even Emma and Ella, you know you're in for a lot of sister-mix-ups and 'wait, do they have the same name?'. It's cute when they're young, but as they age...maybe not. I recommend saving this one for the twin puppies that'll come along when your little ones are all grow up.

Hope you enjoyed! XOXO, NameGoddess