It’s one of our longest-running forums, at 200+ pages and counting: Name a sibset you know.

On the forums it’s a game where one person names a sibset they know and the next person takes one of the names from that sibset and uses it in a different sibset they know.  Go ahead and play it, it’s fun.

So for this question of the week, we’re going to spin the challenge a bit differently and ask, What’s the best sibset — as in group of sibling names — you know?

Read More

It’s a name nerd’s fantasy: Naming twin girls.

You want two girls’ names that are compatible yet distinct, that are consistent in style and image and gender identity yet sound no more alike than the names of sisters.

The most popular names for girl twins range from the top of the charts Olivia and Sophia to cutesy pairs such as Faith and Hope or Heaven and Neveah to sound-alikes Ella and Emma.  But we know you can do better than that.

Read More

It’s another morning with British baby names in the London Telegraph here, and this time I thought I’d focus on charming sibsets from the recent birth announcements.

I always love the slightly off-kilter (from the American perspective) British baby names plus the eccentric string of middle names. But including the names of brothers and sisters adds an extra dimension of style interest.

Counting first children not mentioned here too, trend watchers will want to note the names Elodie, Emilia, Florence, Isla, and Jemima for girls, and Barnaby, Frederick, Hugo, Montgomery, and Willoughby for boys. Also, diminutives such as Jack and Annie as not only full first names but middle names.

Recent British baby names and their siblings include:

girls

Alannah Anthea, a sister for Eloise

Alice Milly Elsa, a sister for Edward

Annabel Clementine May, a sister for Henrietta

Aurelia Mary Susan, a sister to Beatrice

Christabel Maris Tessa Crossley, a sister for John

Read More

Remember Kristen, the mom who was suffering from Baby Name Desensitization Disorder and just couldn’t settle on a name for the little brother she was expecting for Colette and Weston?  Well, her problem turned out not to be BNDD or even Boy Name Ambivalence but something much more dramatic.  We’ll let her tell the story:

With four weeks left till my due date, my midwife sent me for a series of ultrasounds. The baby is very healthy, but there is  one detail that now has my head spinning, eyes crossing, and hair standing on end. During the ultrasound they informed us we were having a GIRL! Yes, a girl! A GIRL!

We are thrilled and excited and can’t wait to meet this little girl who has played an awesome practical joke on us! Man, she will fit into this family just great! But after years of ignoring all things having to do with girls’ names, Jeff and I have no clue where to start.

What is popular? What is trendy? What is classy?  What is just weird? What is wayyy overused? Right now we are calling her lil Shocka Khan, Shocka for short, but hopefully we can replace that soon!

Read More

This week’s Berry Question of the Week comes from a Kansas mom named Amy, who is excitedly awaiting the arrival of a daughter to add to her trio of well named boys. Problem is, she’s waited so long to have a little girl that she feels the name she’s looking for can be nothing short of perfect. She writes:

My husband and I are having our first daughter after three boys and several years of trying for another without any luck. So this baby girl feels sooo special and I want her to have a name that’s perfect as she’ll definitely be our last.

The problem is that my husband and I just can’t agree on what we want. I have looked at SO many names and I feel like I’m running out of ideas- and I can’t even seem to stick with one style.

I like sweet and feminine, modern and spunky, hip and vintage, and word names. I can say I want something that’s not too common and that I’m not a fan of hybrid or invented names. My husband’s style just seems to lean to “no”. Aargh.

Read More