Why Your Name Book Sucks

One of my favorite name websites is Name Nerds, owned, operated, maintained and otherwise controlled by Norah Burch. And while I don't find it particularly easy to navigate, I enjoy many of the articles they publish. My current favorite is regarding the all-powerful baby name book. I have two myself...one cheap one from the grocery store, and one more expensive and in-depth one from Borders. And guess what...they both have inaccuracies. While the adage, don't trust everything you read on the Internet is true, so is should be with anything in print...especially since many name books don't cite their sources.

So why DOES your name book suck? I'll let Name Nerds do what they do best...

Don't Trust Your Baby Name Book!

Every day I get a bunch of emails saying, "My name is ____. It means 'cute little fairy princess' [or something like that], my name books said so, and your site has it wrong!"

I've got news for you. Your baby name book is probably wrong.

How can I make such a giant, all-encompassing statement? Who died and made *me* the Name Goddess, you ask? Well, nobody. It's just common sense. Think about it-- the first thing people do when they go to pick out a baby name book is look up their own name. This usually gives them a feeling about their own name--positive or negative. Who wants to see that their name means something unflattering (as the name Cameron means "crooked nose") or vague ("meaning unknown")? People are more likely to buy a book if they feel good about a name. Thus name books either do what people have been doing for centuries, and making things up based on a semi-educated guess, or just "bend the definition" a little bit. I mentioned that the name Cameron comes from Scottish Gaelic words meaning "crooked nose"-- I have seen it listed in baby name books as meaning "one with distinguishing facial features," and "having a defining nose." Sure, one whose nose is crooked could have their nose be "distinguishing"... but this purely an interpretation!....

Read more HERE

7 Deadly Trends

This is one of my favorite articles outlining the top, current trends in American baby names: The Mick Clan, Surnames, the Advent of Aidan, Hella Ella, K Kraze, and Subtytutes. Name blogger, Elisabeth, from the website, You Can't Call It, It, It, puts it well I think...

7 Deadly Trends New parents should be fully aware of current trends in American baby naming.

THE SEVEN DEADLY TRENDS, PART 1: THE MICK CLAN

It began with Mackenzie Philips of “One Day at a Time” fame in the 1970s.  Her birth name, Laura Mackenzie Philips, became forgotten as this troubled teen rose to become a household name.  Then in the 1980s we were exposed to the adorable black-eyed Spuds Mackenzie, spokesdog for Bud.  The popularity of MacDonald’s probably has something to do with it too.  When “Home Alone” swept the nation in the 1990s with Macauley Culkin as its star, babynamers were doomed.  The Scottish Mackenzie and the Italian Michaela became unlikely partners in crime when together the two spawned a whole host of a new kind of name: McKayla, Makayla, McKenna, Maklynnzey.  What is it about these kind of names that makes parents gaga?  And for that matter, isn’t the letter M getting more than its fair share of attention with Madison, Madesyn, Madeleine, Madalynn, and Madigan?  My belief is that the letter M is still very much worthy of consideration, as are genuine Scottish monikers (starred*).  I am however, a bit tired of the McCraze.  Here are my McSuggestions:

...Read More HERE

7 Things "Good Parents" Do (That Screw Up Kids For Life)

This article link was recently posted on the board. I thought I would share it with all of you.

By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz Nov 12, 2009 via Cracked.com.

"It seems like it's close to impossible to raise a normal child these days, what with the violent video games and the 4chan and the childhood obesity. But if the latest research is to be believed, even the good stuff we thought we were doing for our kids is ruining them.

Yes, as it turns out the most innocent things we do to our kids every day can fuck them up worse than having the Joker shoot their parents in front of them.

#7. Giving Your Kids a Creative Name

You'd Think...

You want your kid to be special. There are a few million Daves, Bobs and Johns running around NOT being totally awesome and obviously it's all because of their boring-ass names. So you decide to name your son something original, like Malcolm, Ivan or Dicksmash McIroncock.

You want your kid to be special. There are a few million Daves, Bobs and Johns running around NOT being totally awesome and obviously it's all because of their boring-ass names. So you decide to name your son something original, like Malcolm, Ivan or Dicksmash McIroncock.

But in Reality...

You have just sent your flesh and blood straight into the middle of a massive man-rape in the prison shower. According to a study at the Shippensburg University, kids growing up with ordinary, popular names have a higher chance to become law abiding citizens, while all the unusually named ones should start deciding what state they want to commit their first felony in (friendly tip, skip Texas). The study lists the top 10 bad boy names in America as: Alec, Ernest, Garland, Ivan, Kareem, Luke, Malcolm, Preston, Tyrell and Walter, which we must point out are not the names of any serial killer or presidential assassin that has ever existed, so we're assuming the research is skewed in a certain direction.

The theory is that the additional attention garnered by odd and unusual names can cause peer ridicule and discrimination in the workforce, which tends to result in a few thousand Alecs and Prestons stealing toilet paper from the gas station. So do your kid a favor and give him a typical law-abiding, mentally stable name, like Michael."

Continue reading and see the accompanying images, follow THIS link.

9 Timeless Rules for Naming Your Baby

Here is a great article by Nameberry (a great source for naming!).

9 Timeless Rules for Naming Your Baby

August 16th, 2010 

On this 98 degree day, I’m doing the only chore that makes sense: cleaning the basement. That’s how, deep in a dusty box, between my now adult daughter’s kindergarten drawings and my ancient college essays, I found a draft of the proposal for our very first baby-naming book.

What struck me most about our early work was a list of rules for choosing the perfect name, as relevant today as they’ve ever been — and will continue to be. Whether your taste in names tends toward the traditional or the trendy, whether you’re picking between a few finalists or still playing the vast field, these guidelines should help:

1. Start Thinking of Names Early — Make some tentative decisions, and live with them for a while. If you’re tired of a name after two months, imagine how you’ll feel after 20 years.

2. Say the Name With Your Last Name Quickly Ten Times — Beware of run-together sounds. Max Satran could be Mac Satran or Max Atran; Olaf Finch could be Ola Finch or Olaf Inch. Childhood is confusing enough.

3. Try Out Names On Your Friends — Take cues from their reactions. If you say a name and they always reply, “What?” or “How is that spelled?,” don’t assume that they’re either stupid or hearing-impaired; your child will likely get the same reactions for the rest of her life.

4. Don’t Be Pressured Into Using A Name Your Don’t Like — So what if your mother keeps hinting about how happy it would make her if you named your child Harold after her favorite uncle? If you remember Uncle Harold with a red nose and cigar breath, ignore the hints. On the other hand:

5. Fulfill Obligations with a Middle Name — The middle name can be the perfect way to dispose of Uncle Harold, honor your father-in-law, indulge a fancy, or oblige your spouse with a name you can’t live with as a first name.

 6. Anticipate the Inevitable – If you name your baby Susannah, don’t be surprised if people shorten it to Sue, Susie, or even Sukie. If you give your child a name with variant spellings and pronunciations — Alisa, Alyssa, Elissa, Elyssa, Ilyssa etc. — don’t be surprised if you find yourself “correcting” the spelling and pronunciation forevermore.

 7. Think Like A Bully — While children have become more tolerant of unique, ethnically distinctive, and gender ambiguous names, bullies still exist and you don’t want to give your child a name that will too easily make him a target of teasing.

8.  Rule Out All Names of Ex-Boyfriends and Ex-Girlfriends — Even if your husband’s ex-girlfriend’s name has always been your favorite in the world, don’t go with it and hope you’ll forget. You won’t, and neither will he.

9.  Rule Out Names with Bad Associations — The kid who threw up at your seventh birthday party, your pimply lab partner — no matter how nice their names, you’ll never transcend the association.

* Credit to Nameberry. Article link above—no changes were made to the original text.