Just as the billows of white smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City signal the election of a new pope, so does the name he chooses for himself signal his aspirations for his papacy.  Pope Francis broke precedent by picking one that had never been used before, but which has deep meaning for him and projects a strong symbolic resonance to the outside world.

The new Pope revealed that the inspiration for his chosen name was St. Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni), the venerated patron saint of animals and the environment, known for his humility.  He also stated that in the cardinals’ name discussions some of the papal appellations put forth were Adrian, and Clement, while others were hoping for Leo, who had been a beacon of social justice.

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This week, Appellation Mountain’s Abby Sandel finds boys’ names that are anything but traditional, and wonders if nickname-free is the new priority when naming a son.

Flip through on an old high school yearbook, and you’ll probably find pictures of William “Billy” Jones and Mary “Mimi” Smith.

For generations, there was the name your parents chose, and then there was the name you actually used.

Some names were outgrown, of course.  Others held on long after you’d expect them to fade.  My great-uncle Flash was once a high school track star, but even as a portly gentleman in his 60s, he still answered to his nickname.

Of course, Billy and Mimi and Flash grew up in an era when lots of kids shared the same names, sometimes in the same family.  Flash was really Anthony, as were a few of his cousins.  Mimi is one of three Marys on her yearbook page alone.

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And now we come to the 2012 final quarter round-up of the names that Berries have actually chosen after all their various options were considered and discussed, on our forums and in the outside world.  And once again, it’s a gorgeous group, with many great first and middle combos and equally intriguing sibsets.

The most popular choices reported on the Birth Announcement forums between October 1^st and December 31^st were: Violet (3), Audrey (2), Beatrix (2), Eleanor (2), Eva (2), Matilda (2), Archer (2), Felix (2), Henry (2), and Jonah (2).

Tomorrow we’ll be taking a look at the whole year’s results—the most widely used first and middle names, as well as all the triplet and twin name choices.

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