Baby Name News of the Week
Summer is just around the corner! If you’re looking for name inspiration for a summer baby, what about these sun-drenched names, or names inspired by the zodiac at this time of year?
Tennis fans will know that that season has just begun. To name-lovers, tournaments like the French Open and Wimbledon are a great opportunity for namespotting. Among the names of tennis players from around the world, the standout this year is Tennys Sandgren.
His name is mostly a happy coincidence. According to an interview with Tennys the Tennessean tennis player, it’s a family name with Swedish roots – although his parents also like the game. He has a sense of humor about it, but admits that he gives fake names in coffee shops to keep things simple.
It’s not the first time I’ve heard of people’s names being oddly appropriate for their occupation. The idea that names influence people’s choice of job – or place of living, or spouse – is probably a myth, but it’s fun to find coincidences like this. What do you think – have you ever made a decision based on your name?
If you like the sound of Tennys but feel it might be a bit much, possible alternatives include Tennyson, Dennis, and Tenley.
Can a name make you more popular?
Your name may not affect your life choices, but it can influence how others see you.
What would you think of a man called Guy? According to this article, being called Guy helped two public figures get elected, despite their chequered past, because it made them seem like reassuringly regular, well, guys.
Despite the public appeal, Guy isn’t very popular now – it was given to 139 boys in 2016. But this tiny name is full of history and only a small step away from rising star Kai, so maybe it’s worth another look.
Twins, triplets and more
Whether you’re naming real twins or hypothetical future sextuplets, it’s always interesting to see how other parents tackle the challenge. There have been lots of multiple births on the radar this week.
Two British soap actors announced the names of their twins. Hollyoaks’ Kieron Richardson welcomed Chase and Phoebe Rae, and Lucy Pargeter of Emmerdale revealed that her daughters, born in April, are called Missy Mabel and Betsey Maggie.
If you like this British nickname-as-full-name style, here’s another example from England: triplets called Maggie, Nancy and Bobby.
Back in the States, I’ve recently come across the Baudinet quintuplets from Virginia. The six-month-old siblings are Ava, Clara, Millie (Camille), Luke and Izzy (Isabelle). This mixture of vintage revivals, elegant French names, and short-and-sweet names feels like it would work anywhere in the English-speaking world.
Of course, we can’t talk about multiples without mentioning the most anticipated twins of the year, Beyoncé and Jay Z’s and George and Amal Clooney’s babies. As we wait for their arrivals, there’s still time to guess what their names might be. Do you agree with these predictions?
Non-wild starbaby names
While it’s a safe bet that Blue Ivy’s new siblings won’t have run-of-the-mill names, some celebrity names are reassuringly familiar.
Reality TV participant Jonny Fairplay welcomed a daughter, Madilyn Jane. Madilyn ranked at 325 last year, but combined with other spellings like Madeline and Madelyn, it moves up to 14th place.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actor Ellie Kemper welcomed her son James (a family name) last year. In a recent interview, she revealed that she and her husband also considered the “wild” option of William, also in the top five.
What can we take away from this? If you’re thinking of using a popular or classic name, you’re in good company – after all, they’re popular for a reason.
State favorites and national rarities
The fun of the latest US name data continues!
Time magazine has made a list of names that are disproportionately popular in every state. It makes an interesting read. They range from staid Corinne and Clifford in Ohio to modern-sounding Neriah and Juelz in North Carolina.
Are there any that surprise you? Or do they fit with what you’ve noticed locally?
If you’re playing the numbers game and looking for a name that no other children in the country will share, here are some of the best names that weren’t recorded in 2016. Why more parents didn’t use names like Ludovic, Falconer, Romola and Bee is a mystery to me, but they’re there for the taking.