Hester

Hess-ter

It's a new name I've started to think about and quite like, if not love.

Recently, name wise, I've been in a bit of a rut. All my old names I used to love, I'm now close to deleting from my name list. In the hours in between, when my kids are sleeping, or my husband has taken them out to wear down their energy levels, I discovered (or rather re-discovered) Hester. I really took notice of it for once. At first I simply loved the name Hettie.

I'm a big nickname person currently. Loving names like Minnie, Lottie and Artie, but I'm a firm believer that a nickname cannot possibly be the first name. By all means, call them Minnie at home, but allow them to have some sort of choice of their name in, for example, their professional lives. They may prefer for their boss to call them Minerva and to friends and family to call them Minnie. Its always hard however, to love the name the nickname comes from isn't it? You see Minerva, makes my face scrunch up. Hester however is a breath of fresh air. I think teemed with a jazzy middle name Hester could be just right!

Hester "Hettie" Violet, Hester Louise May, Hester Lucille, Hester Tallulah Rose? I'm not sure about the middle names, I'm still mulling them over!

What is also important is the meaning! I love the meaning of names, I've always found my own name's meaning rather boring "Laurel Wreath" while people, like Sarah's name (especially special when a child) means "Princess". When I was smaller I was very angry at this boring meaning. Hester's meaning is "Star", it is of Greek Origins and a variant of the name Esther.

Another variant is Hestia. If my hubby didn't like Hester, I think I would then move on to convincing him to like Hestia, the Greek Goddess of the Hearth. Now, it's funny when I looked up Hetty it had a different meaning again, this time 'Myrtle Leaf', 'Star' (as was Hester) and 'God Rejoices'.

There have been many famous Hester's over time. Hester Prynne is the heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlett Letter". I haven't read it but I'm hoping shes a good, gracious and strong willed Heroine.
Hester Thrale was a British diarist, author, and patron of the arts. Her diaries and correspondence are an important source of information about Samuel Johnson and eighteenth-century life.
Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope is remembered by history as an intrepid traveller in an age when women were discouraged from being adventurous.

Hester is also a place in Western Australia, named after a settler, Edward Godfrey Hester. There is Hester Street in Manhattan. It is a symbol of Immigrant history, used in the 1975 film 'Hester Street'

I'm going to continue thinking about Hester and Hettie. Its close to the top of names I like. But then again on my list there are hundreds of names, especially for girls. I had better keep mulling it over and get back to the children, bed night stories, perhaps I'll get some inspirations from them for middle names, or other names to add to the never ending maybe list!

Time

Months, birth stones and now even days of the week. Time is becoming increasingly popular for parents choice in names. All you need to say now is "Sunday" and everyones mind strays to Sunday Rose (more commonly known as Sunday Roast), Nicole Kidman and Keith Urbans first child together.


Months have been commonly used, as has foreign spelling of month names. Here are some of the most commonly used Month names.

April
March
May
June
August
Avril- French April

I haven't included this name but another month name I heard used recently was January. I guess if your using March, April, May why not add another month. I wonder if soon February, October and also December will be used as names. I guess anythings possible

Birth stones
With obvious relation to months boyfriends often use their knowledge of their girlfriends birth month to buy thoughtful gift. Thank god my birth stone is a diamond :D

Garnet/Garnet- Dark red gemstone of January
Amethyst- Purple jewel of February
Ruby - Red gem of the month December
Opal - October
Topaz- November

Seasons (even this title "season" is used) are growing popular as baby names. Celebrity Summers including O.C character played by Rachel Bilson, and Winter, recently used by Nicole Richie as Harlow Winter Kate.

Summer
Winter/Wynter
Autumn

As stated previously days of the week are also growing popular.

Sunday - Sunday, the day of rest, used by Nicole Kidman
Friday – Harry Friday- definitely individual this was used by Simon Baker for his boy

Mythological usage

Marcella- Roman God names March was named after

Maia - nymph mother of Hermes, month of May named after her

Star signs:

Leo- the lion of course which is the star sign of July 24-August 23

Aries- March 21- April 20

Sorry there mostly girls but if you have any more names to add please drop us a comment.

Tom-Girls Update.

What did I say about girls with boys names again?

This week,

Emmerson Jane
Emmerson May
Isla Rose Peter

Hate to say I told you so!

Stuck in the Middle

I really like the name Rose. It is strong, yet pretty and elegant at the same time. I would love to use this name if I ever have a girl.

AS A FIRST NAME.

You see I can't help feeling that Rose is becoming such a throwaway middle name. Every little girl I meet now is Lilly Rose, Abigail Rose, Sienna Rose...


And with all these little Whoever Rose's around I can't help feel that people are taking the name Rose for granted.

Sure it conveys a certain pattern with most names but by using it as a middle name all the time I think it looses its meaning. I don't think "Oh Rose what a lovely choice for a middle name" anymore. I think "Oh another girl with the middle name Rose! How original!".

In fact Rose as a middle name has become entirely meaningless for me. People aren't choosing Rose because it is a lovely name. They are choosing it simply because it compliments their chosen first name.

I now group it with Anne, Louise, Jane, Marie, May, Eve and Grace. Which are all lovely names in their own right. Don't force them to wind the stage curtain for your chosen first name - Let them Shine!

So, New Rule; If you wouldn't use it as a first name and absolutely love it - Don't use it as a middle name!

Finding a Middle Name for Claribelle

Hi. I was searching the web and came across your website. I was hoping you could help me. I'm 8 months pregnant and myself and hubby are having problems choosing the name. My other children are Elle Marie, Cooper James and Saffron May. Its a girl and we are calling her Clarabelle but we have no idea what goes with the name, any ideas? Thanks - Rosalie.
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Hi Rosalie. Congrats on being our 1st inquiry!

And congrats on your little one! PS. You didn't happen to get the name Claribelle from our website did you?!?!?! :D

I think I have a bunch of names that might be suitable for teeny tiny Claribelle. Tell us what you think huh and what you finally choose!

Sierra - This is a little cute huh? A variant of Kiara and kind of similar to the 'oh so now' Sienna but less common. Meaning 'mountain' in Spanish and in my opinion fits perfectly with Claribelle.

Avery- So you have a Cooper which is derived from a surname so why not Claribelle Avery (also derived from a surname). Whist it does translate to Alfred in French, which means Elf Council, I think Avery is a much more feminine names than a masculine one. Plus if Claribelle turns into a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings fan she'll just love you for it!

Lilac- Like Saffron, Lilac is a fairy unusual botanical name. It isn't even registered on my favourite baby name website! However, it was used by model Kirsty Hume and actor Donovan Leitch for their little girl.

Pearl- My favourite for decorating my earlobes and gorgeous for a little girl. Pearls are repeatedly used as a metaphor for something of value in the bible. Claribelle will certainly be something of value after all.

Paige- Claribelle Paige has a sweet little ring to it don't you think?

Leila- Pronounced either Lay-La or Lee-La and means Night in Arabic. I thought that this name has similar characteristics to May. Also Claribelle means Bright so you have to giggle and admire Claribelle Leila, a Bright Night.

Thanks for you question! Hope you like you names!