New Babyberry Report for December: Carrigan, Cillian and Clyde

New Babyberry Report for December: Carrigan, Cillian and Clyde

By Linda Rosenkrantz

Ah, my favorite time of the month, when I get to put together the menu of newborn babyberries and to savor all the delicious entries and combinations. This time, the selections are as rich as ever, with not a single repetition of December baby names—unless you count Sylvia/Silvia and Theodor/Theodore.

Lots of C-starting girls in December, and a noticeable diminishing of names beginning with vowels. We’ll see as 2014 progresses whether that proves to be fashion or fluke.

In November, we had no multiples at all; this month brought three sets of twins, one all-boy and two boy-girl:

Levi Dominic and Wyatt Graham

Samuel Robert and Sadie Kate

Theodor George and Maeve Anne

And now for the singletons and their siblings, along with a selection of parental comments.

Girls

Amelia Joelle

Apolline Ever, sister of Senia Hero

Carrigan Leigh, sister of Logan Jay

“I have loved the nn Carey for the longest time, but knew I wanted a formal name to go with it… I did not want super traditional Caroline…and nothing else worked.  Someone on nameberry (thanks!!!) mentioned Carrigan in passing.  It sounded cute but I knew my DH would NOT go for it.  He did, though, and the rest is history!!”

Cassia Viviane Noor, sister of Antoine Raphael

Cassia was named for St Cassia(ne), a brilliant Byzantine musical scholar and theologian…Viviane was chosen as the French form of Viviana, who is the patron saint of Los AngelesNoor is an Arabic name we have long loved; it means “light”. (For more of this name story, see https://nameberry.com/nametalk/threads/142299-Welcome-baby-bladette?highlight=cassia+viviane+noor)

Ceridwen Louise, sister of Stewart, Gilbert, Adaline and John

Clara Jane, sister of Derek Steven and Bryce William

Clementine Amelia, sister of Liesl Anne

Eliza June

Ellsie Lauren

Flynn Islay

“We love tomboy names for girls and have this vision of her as a woman in her twenties, traveling the world, capable and strong. We both have Scottish grandparents and in our travels to Scotland__, Islay has been one of our favorite places to be, so it was a nice feminine counterbalance to Flynn__, along with being a place close to our hearts. We also knew that the pronunciation would confuse most people, so it was a good middle name option, rather than a first.”

Francesca Bee

Francine Rose Leah

“After hearing that Pope Francis was the Time Person of the Year” we are absolutely sure that we made the right decision!”

Hazel Lou, sister of Vada Marie and Thatcher Benjamin

Hazel came to me because my daughter Vada has hazel eyes.”

Isadora Joanna Noelle, sister of Matias Eric Charles and Quentin John Daniel

Ivy Esmé Evangeline

Jocelyn Brenneman, sister of Janelle Brenneman and Aislinn Shea

Juliet Sylvia Perrine, sister of Léonard Cyrille

“Honouring her English/__French blood, one marvellous woman, a love of literature and it’s beautiful to boot – what else does a girl need in a name?”

Julietta Grace

June Caroline

Leighton Violet

Mabel Juniper

Maeve Anne, twin sister of Theodor George and sister of Harper Patrick

Magnolia Irene

“I tend to be the one who likes old-fashioned, classic, vintage, funkier, and/or German names, and had mentioned a few M names like Margot, Margaret, Maisie, Mathilda, Mirabel, Miriam.  DH was more or less open to some of those, but would always just say “I like Magnolia” when the name topic came up…DH loves the magnolia trees that grow here, _both the classic white ones and the ornamental pink/purple Japanese magnolias. (_See more of the story at https://nameberry.com/nametalk/threads/143793-Our-firstborn-daughter-has-arrived!?highlight=magnolia+irene)

Marguerite “Maple” Davis, sister of Bayard “Bay” McConnell

Maria Julietta Grace

MatildaTillieJune, sister of SylviaSylvieThomas and JosephineJosieMay

Ondine Allison, sister of Vesper Elizabeth

Sadie Kate, twin of Samuel Robert, sister of Ruby June and Lucy Pearl

Saffron Venetia

Silvia Josephine, sister of Carmela Irene

Susannah Eugenie, sister of Phoebe Jane

“She is as sweet and sunny as her name.”

SylviaSylvieJoy

“Her middle name is for my MIL Joyce and for the blessing and Joy that she has been to our family.”

Tyler Phoenix Ana, sister of Autumn and Sophie

Zoe Elise, sister of Ezra James

Boys

Anselm  ‘AnselJoseph, brother of Mara Kathryn, Audra Neel and ElizabethElizaMarguerite

Benjamin Dale

“His name suits him well as he is sweet and somewhat serious… almost decided to get my husband on board with Victor Wolfgang, but now that I’ve been getting to know him, Victor seems much too severe for this little love.”

Caspar Carson Jude, brother of  Friedrich (Fritz) William Percy

Cillian Wolf

Clyde Thomas

“We loved the idea of having a name with some river symbolism in it based on something my husband had written to me before we were ever married… and the name Clyde comes from the River Clyde in Scotland (where one side of my mom’s family is from)…We also loved the idea that the name can’t be shortened, did not end with an EN, AN, IN  or ON (as most boys names do right now), had a great old school hipster vibe, and we don’t think it will be used as a girls name anytime soon.”

Everett James

Finley Brecken, brother of Bryton Denali

Gabriel Leo

Grant Nathan

Kai Joseph

Leo Robert Christian, brother of Iona, Alice, Peter and Juliette

Levi Dominic, twin of Wyatt Graham, brother of Emma Nicole, Caden James and Jaycee Elizabeth

Miller Thompson

Samuel Robert, twin of Sadie Kate, brother of Ruby June and Lucy Pearl

Theodor George, twin of Maeve Anne, brother of Harper Patrick

Theo was named after Dr. Seuss, Theodor Geisel. And Maeve is a family name on my Irish side. Both their middles are long running family names as well.”

TheodoreTeddyLewis, brother of Cole Matthew

Viggo Wolfe, brother of Azalea and Griffyn

Vince Hollis

Walden Francis, brother of Fern Terise

“While inspiration for names seems to come from everywhere, I’d have to admit that Walden’s older sister, Fern Terise, had a little hand in naming him.  She was persistent on naming him “Wally,” and it melted our hearts each time she’d talk to him or tell people about her brother Wally…  And as much as my grandmother thinks we named him Francis after the pope, it is my dad’s middle name. He’s been waiting for a boy for 26+ years in a family full of girls.”

Wesley Solon

Wyatt Graham, twin of Levi Dominic, brother of Emma Nicole, Caden James and Jaycee Elizabeth

Yves Nahum Jack, brother of Wren, Blair and Estella

Zeller Baird

I waffled on Zeller for a long time as I was afraid to choose too unusual of a name, but I always came back to it.  Zeller is my paternal grandmother’s maiden name…Baird we chose for the meaning of “poet” and to honor the bears that are the mascots for the school where my husband and I fell in love and studied poetry in our tenure as English majors.”

CONGRATS  to all of you!!!

Heartfelt thanks to Denise Potter for all her help on this!

About the Author

Linda Rosenkrantz

Linda Rosenkrantz

Linda Rosenkrantz is the co-founder of Nameberry, and co-author with Pamela Redmond of the ten baby naming books acknowledged to have revolutionized American baby naming. You can follow her personally at InstagramTwitter and Facebook. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed New York Review Books Classics novel Talk and a number of other books.