This week, Appellation Mountain‘s Abby Sandel draws nine inventive names from the ever-widening and deepening pool of baby names.

Did our great-grandparents struggle to choose baby names?

Berries know that inventive baby naming has a surprisingly long history. Earlier generations may have had access to fewer resources – no baby name books, no internet, no nameberry.com – but our family trees are proof that parents still managed to come up with more creative baby names than just Mary and John.

As I look at baby name news every week, it is often overwhelming. Fictional characters, famous figures, obscure names featured on websites, newsworthy places and words that would just plain make great names – there are acres of great ideas, with new ones every week. Coupled with a greater awareness of the most popular names, no wonder we hear so many parents wondering if Sophia is too common, Seraphina too Hollywood, Sariah too hard to spell.

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