For The Nameberry 9 this week, Appellation Mountain‘s Abby Sandel picks names that are both inside and out of the safety zone.

If you’re a long-time name nerd, I have a question for you.

Have you become more tolerant of names that fall outside your personal comfort zone?  Or are your convictions about certain topics – spelling, gender, nicknames – growing stronger?

This week’s most newsworthy baby names run the gamut, from the truly unusual to the just-a-little-different.  They remind me that I’ve become far more accepting over the years, appreciating the most common and the outlandish choices alike.  After all, there’s a fellow called Barack in the White House and a challenger called Mitt, making it tough to argue that only people called John and Elizabeth can attain lofty positions of power and influence.

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