Hello there 2009!

Happy New Years Everybody!

From Sarah and Laura at Names from Adam to (New Years) Eve

Festive Names! - Part II Boys

I am so deeply sorry it has taken so long to finish the rest of the Christmas names but I have been so busy cooking Turkeys and Fruit Mince Pies while trying to pick the perfect presents for everybody, and have them wrapped by Christmas Day.

So here they are, even if I didn't manage to get them done in time for Christmas (or new year), the most gorgeous set of Christmas boys names hitherto.

Nicholas - You have to admit that he is every body's favourite saint. And why wouldn't he be. Saint Nicholas (aka Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Pere Noel and Papa Noel among others) has invoked the much embraced tradition of gift giving at Christmas. And his name means Victory Of The People which I think is entirely appropriate given the way Saint Nicholas wore it.

Noel - Okay this is obviously my favourite of the boys Christmas names. It's sort of my son's middle name. Just spelt differently from my Edward Nole. This name, which is pronounced like Joel, means born on Christmas day but can also be used as a nickname for Nolan.

Klaus - Klaus is a gorgeous little german name which was originally a diminutive form of Niklaus. It also represents one half of the name of our dearest Santa Claus. Sort of.

Casper - This name was once donned by one of the three kings who visited the Christ child in the bible. No need to be religious to use this name either. It also makes me think of Casper the Ghost which I think makes Casper an even more likeable name.

Festive Names! Part I - Girls

So its one more sleep until its my favourite time of year again. Decorations (This year I have organized to have a snowman and snowflake painted on my toes!). That Christmas-sy cinnamon-ny smell. Over eating. Over Drinking. And of course presseeenttss!

So in the spirit of Christmas I have decided to post a few appropriate names for this ever so jolly Christmas.

Noelle - An obvious choice for a little Christmas girl. Sweet.

Holly - A gorgeous name for a little girl. I love the link to Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's. And according to the Christmas carol the holly wears the crown.

Natalia - Meaning born on Christmas day and originally from Italy Natalia is a classy choice especially for Van Morrison fans.

Carol - OKay so this one may have been used by the generation before us but I still think it is a nice strong name. And it's likely you know someone you can honor by using this name.

Neva- A gorgeous little name meaning snow and is originally from Spain. This is my favourite of the Christmas names. It just sounds so feminine and pretty.

Eira-Another name which means snow. But even if your a southern hemisphere-er and don't have the whole white Christmas thing this Welsh name is a beautiful chioce for bubby girl.

Atalya - This is another form of the above name Natalia from America and thus shares it's meaning. Cute.

So for now, at least untill I brainstorm boys names, Merry Christmas!

Tradition, choices and the name Joseph

Hi Just a quick question for you. I'm weeks away from having my first born and my husband (Joseph) has informed my that all male first borns in his family are called Joseph. I did know about it before but i thought we would choose another name as a mutual decision you see I'm not very keen on the name "Joe". I know this is different to your other questions but do i keep with tradition or start a new one??Elissa
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Congratulations on your upcoming birth!!
This is a very tricky situation and therefore here are some options which will hopefully help you!!

1. Discuss with your husband!!! The choice of a name for your child is a MUTUAL decision. Tell your husband your ideas and feelings as well as allowing him to express his own. Talk it over and hopefully come up with a decision on whether to use or not use Joseph for your son.

2. Use Joe as a middle name so that the name is still present and tradition partially upheld.

3. A two name first name. For example Joseph-Louis or Ryan-Joseph

4. Use a variant of Joseph. For example Giuseppe is the Italian variant of the Hebrew name Joseph. Other variants include José (Spanish), Josef (different spelling), Iosef (Russian), Jessop or hay even Joey :D

5. Don't use the name Joseph and possibly risk alienating the family. If you do however i suggest sitting down with the in laws to explain your reason (if a mutual decision is made not to use Joseph). Be kind and try not to risk hurting there feelings.

6. Use Joseph as a first name complete with a fabulous middle name of your choice that you love.

Compromise.
Open mindedness.
Love.
A great variety of names.
and Time.

Use these five things to your advantage and I know a decision will be made which will make both hubby and you happy!! Good luck Elissa for the upcoming birth and choice of name!!!

Peonies for Suze - The Queen of Flowers and Names

Hey Sarah and Laura, First of all I would like to thank you for giving me a little something to read every once in a while I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. Second of all I have a little question regarding the name of my soon to be bubby. I adore peonies! They are my favourite flowers and I would love to incorporate this into the name of my child somehow. However, I am not an advocate of 'made up' names and I would hate for Peony to be categorised with names such as Apple. I would be really appreciative if you could suggest names that have some correlation to my favourite flowers! Thanks, Suze

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Suze, as per usual congrats on your pregnancy and we are glad be of help in your process prior to choosing a name for your baby. As you haven't specified the sex of your baby I will suggest names for both genders which should be a whole lot fun :D! I think this will be our best project yet!

Botan-This boys name means Peony and originated in Japan. I suspect that, due to its similarity to some of today's more popular names, you might start a trend with this one.

Carl-I have taken this name from the most famous lover of Peonies Carl Weinberg. Weinberg's Peony Garden on Ann Arbor's west side was one of the city's notable beauty spots from 1920 until 1952.

Bobby-Bobby Faust was Weinberg's own nephew who was loved so dearly that the botanist named one of his created Peonies after him. This particular peony is white in colour.

Jefferson-The name of one the the streets that bound Weinberg's Peony Garden.

Pierre- Artist Pierre Auguste Renoir was famous for painting the stunning flowers.

Henri- Associated with the artist Fantin-Latour who is also famous for his paintings of Peonies.

Joseph- Sir Joseph Banks was responsible for importing the Peony into Europe.

Flora- Paeonia lactiflora is the name of the species of peony that are most common.

Summer-The flowering season of the Peony and such a cute name! I can just see a little girl called Summer in a pretty little dress picking flowers and skipping merrily. Remind me to stick this on the list if I ever have a little girl.

Peony- I know you said that you didn't feel that this name has merit as a name but I beg to differ. Peony is a Greek name that means flower. But if you still feel that this name sounds a bit "made up" then why not use it as a middle name.

Alice-Alice Harding wrote The Book of the Peony in 1917 and its smaller companion volume, Peonies in the Little Garden, in 1923. She is also responsible for the creation of many peony hybrids. Weinberg was known to have bought a Ms. Harding Peony for $250, a highly inflated amount in those days!

Eleanora - A double white peony which was named after Weinberg's wife, Eleanora, by Weinberg himself.

Philantha- A name which means lover of flowers in Greek. It also sounds similar to Philomèle which a major variety of Peony.

Penny-Okay this name isn't directly related to Peonies but it does sound the same. Maybe you could use Penny as a nickname for Peony or Penelope.

Ann - A classic timeless name. It also happens to be part of the name in the district in which Weinberg grew his Peony Garden, Ann Arbor. Spell it this way or with an 'E' if you happen to agree with Anne Shirley and feel that the extra 'E' adds femininity.

I also would like to thank you for asking such an interesting question. It was a challenge at first but when I got started I just couldn't stop! Any of these appeal to you? (please say no - I would love get even more carried away than I already have :) )

Sarah.

PS. I too adore peonies! ( I had them in my wedding bouquet ) They were used for medicinal purposes in the early days of medicine and components of the flower make up some modern medicines. They are also said to ward off bad spirits in China- maybe if you use one of my suggested names it might do so for your child.

'Han-son' Names That End in Son

Names that end in 'son' are becoming more and more popular. They usually mean 'son of someone' However, some of these names (bold) possess a different meaning. I think the 'son' names are perfectly usable names. Call me boring but my faves are Harrison and Jackson, Edward was going to be a Harrison for a little while too! :)

Anderson

Anson

Batson

Benson

Branson

Bronson

Bryson

Dawson

Dyson

Eddison

Ellison

Emerson

Ferguson

Garrison

Garson

Gibson

Greyson

Harrison

Hudson

Jackson

Jamison

Jason

Jefferson

Johnson

Judson

Kyson

Lawson

Mason

Morrison

Nelson

Olson

Orson

Robinson

Samson

Tyson

Vinson

Watson

Wilkinson

Wilson

There are also female names that end in 'son'. You may be surprised to find out that some of your treasured feminine names are actually derived from masculine names and mean 'son of someone' like Addison and Madison.

Addison

Alison

Carson

Kelson

Madison

Sasson

Season

PS. Don't you think Season is an adorable little girls name!

Places To Go, Names To Love!!

In relation to one of our last posts "Top Baby Names Around The World" in which we listed names form all around the world, this post takes a different perspective focusing on countries as names. So enjoy the names and we hope that you to like them and are inspired and helped in choosing a name :D



Girls:

London- One of the worlds most popular cities located within the united kingdom this city is home to fashion greats, urban areas and royalty. This name is great for a middle name to jazz up a plain name or as an understated first name.


Lexington- Lexington Avenue is within Manhattan, New York City. This name can be shortened down to Lexi. It is a powerful name not to be used lightly.


Aspen- Located within Colorado, a ski resort and town unsurprisingly this is a popular American baby name!! This is named after a tree with heart shaped leaves.


Florence- A historical, beautiful and sunny capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany this name means also flowering and blooming. Allow your daughter to shine with this sweet name.


Delancey- This is a city within New York name after an person who held near by land. It contains two variants being Delancie or Delancy. This is a very rare girls name though it certainly is striking!


Boys:

Baden- This is a historical State on the South West of Germany. "Karl Benz" and "Friedrich Ebert" come from this State. Translated form German it means Bather and in my opinion is a rather cute boys name which is ranked currently 50291st most popular names :D


Brandon- The city of Brandon is situated within Canada. A variant of Brendon it translates to mean brave. Therefore be brave your self and give your son a small town city name.


Brighton- A town on the south coast of England, a city within Colorado, USA and a bay side suburb within Melbourne. I popular name of Old English Origins it was and is often used by parents to indicate a "bright" child or one with a bright personality.


Kingston- Gwen Stefani named her first born Kingston James McGregor Rossdale. Kingston is the largest city of Jamaica and means Kings settlement. SO why not call your little king Kingston?!


Brooklyn- This name is also chosen by a celebrity couple, I'm sure you all know, Victoria and David Beckham as Brooklyn Joseph Beckham. This name is a borough of New York. Its different but its certainly got a ring to it!

The Question we have been waiting for #2

When growing up I always had favorite names which I had loved from cousins names to movies and t.v. shows. By the age of 12 I had already decided upon my baby names they were to be Mischa, Charlie and Scarlette and not even the possibility of different sex of children could change this choice. Its funny how at this age you stubbornly believe these names will stay your favorite for ever and your feelings will not change. I have three children (none of them holding these names) and all were chosen differently. For all my children I never chose to know the sex so I chose both boys and girls names. One tip i give to everyone to be open to all names. Try not to focus upon one name for when open and free a fabulous name can be created.

My first beautiful baby Kirsty Blair's name was chosen based upon friendship and partnership. My friends names was Kristy a name i love and i think is fantastic. Though this may sound strange to some i wanted to name my daughter after her and so i decided if a girl i would swap the 'r' and 'i' and name her Kirsty. Blaire a unisex name had caught both myself and husbands attention. We loved it for a boy or girl. And when i held her in my arms Kirsty Blair flowed so beautifully that we could not resist. It is a name which went perfectly with our last name with equally beautifully (in our opinion) names tied together, in harmony :D

A few years later i found to be pregnant with twins. It was a surprise and i can tell you a crazy time for myself. Should i choose to go with matching names or names with the same letter. Should there be a theme such as botanical or colour or preppy or anything else. Throughout my pregnancy i confess to be worrying about the names. Names though i realised are not always important. I was lucky to have to healthy children. I had many different ideas such as for a boy Nate, Blake, Edward or Luke. And for girls Ava, Lilly, Aurora or Elle. My husband and myself sat down and sensibly said we would not focus upon names any more until after the birth. We already had our top names and new like with Kirsty when we held our child in our arms the name would be come to us. Therefore we decided upon Blake Louis and Aurora Pearl.

Good luck with naming your child or choosing your favourite names and remember not to panic you have all the time in the world (or 9 months :D) to decide upon the perfect name. Please do tell us your children's name and how your babies names were chosen!!! :D

The Question We Have Been Waiting For

What are the names of your children? I don't think we have heard the story yet!
Carrie

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I'm glad someone asked. And Carrie, I would love to share with you how I decided on the perfect name for my son and I'm sure Laura will share too.

I surprisingly wasn't very formal in my name-picking manner. In fact there wasn't much debate or suggestion until the last 2 months of my pregnancy. However, I don't think that even with formality I could have found a name that I love more than the one we chose.

I Love It!
I can't think of a name more fitting or perfect than Edward Nole. (but back to how we chose it!)

I always liked N names on boys. Nathaniel and Noah would have been on the list if I hadn't married a Nathan or had a close friend with a baby Noah.

I had almost moved on from N names when Nathan mentioned that he had always loved the name Nolan. Nolan, to me, was a good name with character and meant something along the lines of "champion".

However, Nolan did remind me of some more contemporary names such as Kaden, Jaden and relatives and I did usually go with more classical sounding names. I was looking for some variants of Nolan when we both fell in love with Nole. Short and sweet and happy sounding. Similar to Cole, which at the time was ranked the 35th most popular boys name.

I wanted to spell it like Noel but I wasn't allowed (!) because people would think it was pronounced No-elle as in Christmas. So we went with Nole.

Now all I had to do was find a middle name for Nole.

Edward seemed to be a re-occurring name for me at the time and I have always loved this name (okay, only since fight club with Edward Norton). To me, it was classy and strong. I liked it as a middle name because I could still use my favourite name without the possibility of the nickname Eddie which I associated with one of my not so favourite uncles :P.

So I had it, my perfect name - Nole Edward.

It wasn't until Edward was born that Nathan picked up Edward didn't sound the best after Nole. I wanted them to fit so bad! I couldn't change his name now and I had grown so attached to it since it was chosen.

The same day Edward was born that a close friend came to visit me and bubby for the first time. When I told her my problem she said something along the lines of "Yer, I like Edward Nole better that Nole Edward."

So we gave our baby the gorgeous name of Edward Nole. What cha Think?!?!?!?