Name List: Characters of Clara Bow

I've been super busy lately, so I'm making a supplemental post to my previous one to make up for the lack of blog posts. I thought I'd list the names of some of the characters Clara Bow has played. Clara Bow was the Hollywood "It"-girl of the 1920s, gaining fame from her silent films. She was spunky, and expressive; the cartoon character Betty Boop was modeled after her.

Clara Bow photo courtesy of  slightlyterrific 

Virginia (Beyond the Rainbow)
Orchid (Grit)
Margot (Poisoned Paradise: The Forbidden Story of Monte Carlo)
Lila (Daughters of Pleasure)
Rosalie (Empty Hearts)
Aline (This Woman)
Rena (Eve's Lover)
Grizette (Kiss Me Again)
Prudence (My Lady of Whims)
Kittens (Dancing Mothers)
Alverna (Mantrap)
Kitty (Children of Divorce)
Hula (Hula)
Yvonne (Ladies of the Mob)
Trixie (The Fleet's In)
Stella (The Wild Party)
Gladys (Three Weekends)
Mayme (The Saturday Night Kid)
Pepper (Love Among the Millionaires)
Nasa (Call Her Savage)

Which one is your favorite? I'm partial to Margot, Yvonne, and Pepper.

Needs Name Advice: Short and Sweet

Hello! 
I was wondering if you could recommend some names. My husband and I are at a stalemate with names for our soon approaching baby girl. 
While we both like the other's name choice, we much prefer our own better. I like Mila, he likes Gianna. I was thinking maybe Mila Noelle (maybe even Joelle). No clue what Gianna's middle name would be.
I don't want a child with a name at the top of all the lists, but these ones stand out even though they are somewhat popular.

I'd like to find a name, a whole new name, present it to hubby and we both fall in love with it. Is it even possible?!?! I like uncommon (for today), easy to say, feminine names. I think I'd prefer a shorter name also, Gianna is bordering on being too long.

Just for reference her brother's name is Robert Michael, which is a family name.
Any suggestions?
-A

Compact feminine names have been a favorite of parents of many decades, and were a huge hit throughout the 1900s-20s. Many silent screen actresses were given these as stage names, so the style seems very iconic. This trend with a vintage twist would stand out, yet still fit in with the tots of today.

Theda Bara in Cleopatra. Photo courtesy of  ocarchives

It seems you and your husband both like names with a heavy "e" sound that end in an "a". Some short, feminine names that fit the bill are:

Sia/Gia/Nia/Dia/Fia
Isa/Nisa
Clea/Thea
Lita
Lina/Nina
Eva/Neva
Mira
Sela(h) (can also be said with a short e)

Some short, feminine names that don't have the long-e:

Thora
Tana
Sasha
Tessa
Elka
Caia/Kaia/Maia
Etta
Lyra
Audra
Dessa/Kessa/Jessa
Nara/Zara/Mara
Nova
Calla

...and some names that don't quite fit in above, but I think you might like:

Mattise/Felice/Elise
Ruby
Romy
Maisie 
Junia
Delia
Milena
Ligeia
Gloria
Gillian
Giada
Geneva

And some combinations that I think might sound nice with your last name (which is removed for security, and hiding-from-the-family purposes):

Nina Paige
Audra Camille
Jessa Noelle
Kaia Roxanne
Milena Jade
Maisie Geneva
Mara Elise
Nova Maxine
Calla Brynn
Delia Eve 

Hopefully something here strikes a chord for you and the hubby! Best wishes.

Needs Name Advice: Dangerously Overwhelmed

Hi! 

My name is Lauren and I came across your blog in my search for baby names among the endless sites that are supposed to be "helpful".  About 90% of the names on those sites are unusable!  I would very much appreciate your thoughts and suggestions if you have the time.  We are expecting our 3rd in October and this one is a surprise so the task of searching through boy and girl names among the thousands of names out there is overwhelming.  I browsed the sites with my first 2 but my husband actually ended up with the winning first names and I did the middle.  We have Luke Edward and Mia Joelle.  He likes traditional, strong sounding names for boys and liked 'Mia' because it sounds so feminine.  I like ones that are a little more unique.  For right now we have decided on Cooper Danger (I gave into the middle name so it's decided) and Ava Blue (he doesn't like Blue).  I love the name Ava but hate that it's so popular though, I'm not opposed to using it.  We don't really have an official list but some of the names we like are:  Everett, Asa, Silas (boys) and Riley, Monroe, Lucille, Daisy, Lynnette, Amelia.

I'm really just overwhelmed and have kind of given up but don't want to regret it later.  

Thank you for any help or suggestions you might have.  

Here's what I think:

You don't seem entirely convinced about the names you've tentatively "chosen."

I'll throw out an analogy here. Remember these tattoos?

Yes, that's a barbed wire tattoo. They were a popular design back in the mid-'90s, fueled partly in thanks to the delightful Pam Anderson flick, "Barb Wire." Look at a page about tattoos on Urban Dictionary, and you'll see what the general population thinks of them now: they're often referred to as dated, callow, and apparently only people with a pathetic, inflated sense of machismo have these tattoos. Not so cool anymore, eh?

Giving your son the middle name "Danger" (and to a lesser extent, your daughter the middle name "Blue") is like giving them a permanent tattoo. It might seem cool and fun and trendy now, but they're pretty much stuck with it. Will the joke be so funny in 15 years? I don't know about you, but I don't find too many knock-knock jokes funny anymore. 

Blue was pretty hot for a minute, but now it just looks like people using it are just hopping on the bandwagon. If you truly love the name, and/or it holds some sort of meaning to you -- by all means, use it. If you're using it because it's a trendy filler name -- it's headed the way of barbed wire tattoos.

Here's another thing to consider: your other children have pretty nice, normal, wearable names. Maybe I'm just projecting here, but if my brother and I had "normal" names, and my mom popped out another kid named Charles Disaster...you bet your britches he'd be tormented. Big time. He wouldn't seem like part of the family; more like some piece of entertainment.

So let's get back to the children you have: Luke Edward and Mia Joelle. It appears you like short, honest names that are gender specific. From the lists you've given, Silas, Lucille, Daisy, and Lynette fit the bill. 

I'll list some other names you might want to consider. A lot of them are playful without being a joke:

Boys:

Arlo

Archer

Axel

Blaise

Bram

Calvin

Grant

Griffin

Forbes

Hugh

Knox

Jude

Oscar

Otis

Otto

Reid

Rex

Ross

Saul

Simon

Theo

Vaughn

Zeno

Girls:

Ada

Adele

Anya

Avis

Camille

Clea/Cleo/Clio

Coral

Dagny

Elise

Etta

Eve

Greta

Hazel

Isa

Ines/Inez

Irene

Iris

Ivy

Justine

Lisette

Olive

Opal - especially if she's born in October!

Patience

Poppy

Romy

Rosa/Rose

Rue

Silver/Sylvie

Stella

Tansy

Tillie

Tess

Veda

Some combinations I think might be nice with your last name:

Axel Everett C-

Calvin Fox C-

Theo Jasper C-

Ross Orion C-

Bram Zephyr C-

Archer Evergreen C-

Olive Amelia C-

Dagny Violet C-

Ivy Tallulah C-

Tess Opal C-

Veda Juliet C-

Lisette Fable C-

Hope this helps, and don't give up! If you need to take a break from names, do it. And don't feel pressured to have the name ready to go for your child if it doesn't feel right -- bring a few that you really like to the hospital and decide when you meet him or her, which one fits best. Best wishes!

Name Combinations, 8/05/12

Hello! I didn't get my combinations together last two Fridays because I had busy days, so I'll double up today.

Here are my name combinations for this week, using names of Olympians, past and present:

Viorica Clover
Annegret Sally
&
Linus Wellington
Tycho Bence

photo courtesy of  markhillary 

Viorica is a Romanian variation of the word "bluebell." Very pretty, no? Yes. It's nearly unheard of in the United States. Viorica Viscopleanu is a Romanian athlete who competed for Romania in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, winning the gold medal and bettering the world record for the long jump.

Clover is a sweet botanical name that is slowly gaining favor as a first name in the U.S. Clover Maitland is an Australian field hockey goalie, having won several gold medals for her country. Very nice!

Annegret is a tough name to find information on! My personal suspicions were that it was a variant of the Welsh "Angharad," which turned into many variants throughout the ages, including Ingaret and Ancrett. Online sleuthing seems to point to a less glamorous source -- it's a German/Scandinavian smoosh name of Anne and Gret. There are two Annegrets who've competed and won medals for Germany in the 1976 Olympics for track and field; Kroniger and Richter. Richter also won a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics.

Sally is a cute, old-fashioned name that has not yet come back into favor in the United States. I think it's just a matter of time before parents rediscover Sally's charm. Sally is a nickname for Sarah, although I don't think too many modern day Sarahs go by Sally. There have been many Olympic competitors named Sally; this year Australian Sally Pearson competes in track and field. She won the silver medal in the 2008 Olympics, and is the gold medal winner of the 2011 World Championships.

Linus, in the U.S., seems forever tied to the Peanuts character who has attachment issues with his blanket. I think it's time to move past that association, as it's a perfectly nice name. Linus is popular in Norway, Sweden, and Germany; it's in or around the top 50 most popular in each of those countries. Linus Lichtschlag is a German Olympic rower competing this year.

Wellington -- oh, how classy! By using the name Wellington in America, you might be accused of being pretentious or a dandy. Pish posh, I say! It adds a nice anchor in the middle as a more substantial name for any short name. Wellington Arias Romero is competing in the Olympics this year as a boxer for the Domenican Republic, at the age of 21.

Tycho's most famous bearer is Tycho Brahe, a Danish nobleman known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations. Why isn't this name more popular? Why is Jayden so popular? Some things we'll never know. If you are into astronomy, this would be a really cool name to use. Tycho Muda is competing in the 2012 Olympics in rowing for the Netherlands. He has a twin brother named Vincent who is also active in rowing. Tycho and Vincent! How wonderful.

Bence is a neat, exotic alternative to the Ben- names. Funny enough, it's the Hungarian version of Vincent. I had no idea! Apparently the name has been gaining popularity in Hungary since the 1990s. Olympic athlete Bence Biczó  competes for Hungary in swimming, and has won several European competitions. He won the gold medal in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in the 200 m butterfly. Go Bence!

So there you have it, my Olympian name combinations. Anyone planning on naming their children after an Olympian? I think a female child born during this time with a middle name of Olympia would be nice. Alice Olympia? Maris Olympia?

(Thanks to wikipedia, nameberry, eponymia, and the BBC's london2012.com for help and inspiration on this post!)

Name Advice: Baby Conley #2

I recently stumbled over a post on the Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine Facebook page from one of their Dad's Eye View bloggers, Josh Conley. Josh also writes about life as a dad in his hilarious blog, Man vs. Baby.

Josh described in this particular Dad's Eye View blog post how he and his lovely wife Leah are having a tough time deciding on a name for their second child. The gender is a surprise, so they are in need of names for a boy or a little lady. The list of names they are considering includes Isaac, Founder, and Emmett for boys; Amelia, Lily, and Alice for girls.

I (of course) jumped in with some suggestions that played on some of the names in their list --

"I'll make some suggestions: Everett Miles Conley, Atticus Seth Conley, Silas Gabriel Conley. Patience Amelia Conley, Lila Gabrielle Conley, Elise Ophelia Conley. I have lots, lots more if you still need help!"

His wife Leah liked my comment, and replied:

"Wow, Name Tag, those are great suggestions and actually a lot of them we considered but didn't put on the list. I'd love more suggestions. I like the old school names that are totally pronounceable but not so common."


You guys know how in-depth I like to get when someone asks for help, so I think this warrants a blog post.

Here goes!

photo courtesy of  adampieniazek 

 I wasn't able to find the name of their first child, a son affectionately referred to as "Bub," so there's a chance I might suggest it, or come up with names that might clash in sound and style.

I tried to stay away from names that ended in an -ee sound, as they sound a bit sing-songy with their last name, Conley (i.e. Audrey Conley). I also nixed names that ended in a -c or -k, so they wouldn't run into the hard C of Conley (i.e. Merrick Conley). Names that had an N in the ending spot also sounded too harsh with Conley (i.e. Simon Conley). I wasn't sure how they felt about alliteration, but I think it works in some instances, and makes the entire name memorable (Clara Conley).

They seem to have an interest in Pilgrim-style names, and as Leah mentioned, "old school names that are totally pronounceable but not so common." I kept these in mind as well when coming up with ideas.

Girls:
Claudia Florence
Adelaide Willa
Eleanor Olive
Frances Louisa
Eliza Truth
Matilda Charlotte
Agnes Priscilla
Mabel Estella
Clara Lucille
Lucinda Blythe

Boys:
Felix Tobias
Archer Solomon
Winslow Benedict
Ambrose Julius
Thaddeus Vincent
August Xavier
Moses Leander
Hugo Steadfast
Ellis Theodore
Merit Oliver

Any winners?

Name Advice: A Sibling for Emma Rose

Hello,
I love your blog! I'm hoping to hear your thoughts on a couple of names that I've been thinking of for our next baby. My daughter, Emma Rose, is now 10 months old.  Sadly, I have been having naming remorse for months now as I regret that her name is too common. I love classic (but not common) names and I am apprehensive that Emma will have several other children with her moniker in her classes when she starts school. I also had the names: Calla, Sophia, Ayla, Isla, Fiona, Athena, Marin and Zoe on our list for her but I chose Emma when I held her for the first time. Daddy's last name is Five-Syllable-Greek-Name-Ending-In-"is" (very long and very Greek) so I wanted her name to be "clean" (not to frilly/unusual) and simple- hence Emma Rose. I still love all of the names on my original list so I'm not opposed to using them again, as we are now trying for baby #2.


For boys I like: Oscar, Asher, Milo, Evan, Noah, Alexander, David...


Zoe, Athena and Sophia are very Greek and would make Yia-Yia (grandma) very happy to give a nod to her Hellenistic heritage. I am Jewish and would love to incorporate a Hebrew name this time around if possible. I'm also a florist/avid gardener so floral names are very intriguing to me. I toyed with Iris, Violet, Cassia, Aster but none of those seemed to work.


Would love to hear your thoughts, as you have such a talent for the tricky business of naming!

photo courtesy of  aster-oid 

First of all, I want to say: if the only thing you regret about naming your child Emma Rose is the possible popularity problem: please, don't beat yourself up. The story of why you named her Emma is very heartfelt, and you had all the right intentions; it's not like you named her Stinky Weasel. Emma Rose is very lovely!

Also, as far as popularity goes, I'll give you a little anecdote. My name is Melissa. I was born in 1983. Part of the reason I became so fascinated with names was because I knew so many other Melissas, and I didn't feel unique. Here are some numbers: the year I was born, my name was the sixth most popular girls name, according to the social security lists. How many girls got my name that year? 23,466. Zip ahead nearly thirty years -- guess how many girls get the #1 most popular name nowadays? 21,695. People are using the most popular names less often. While it's likely your little Emma will come in contact with other Emmas, I'm guessing it won't be nearly like the days of yore. I also think the lack of a "unique" name was a catalyst for me to stand out from the crowd.

I'm curious as to your reasons for tossing out the name Iris. I'll be upfront: this is my personal favorite name. But it also fits in with all of your criteria: Flower name, Hebrew (Irus), and Greek ("rainbow"); classic and not too common. The only reason I can see for it being a problem is the similar ending to your partner's name, Five-Syllable-Greek-Name-Ending-In-"is". Usually, I am an advocate for first and last names with different ending sounds and letters. In this case, however, I'm going to make an exception. I think that by the time you get to the end of Five-syllable-Greek-Name-Ending-In-"is", you've had enough to take your mind off of Iris also ending with an -is. Also, having such a behemoth of a surname, the similar endings could ultimately lead to name retention -- I could see Iris Five-Syllable-Greek-Name-Ending-In-"is" as a news reporter or an author. C'mon, the name is perfect for you. It sounds great as a sibling for Emma, and it complements her middle name Rose. You can slap Anne or Jane in the middle and call it a day! If you're still having doubts about Iris, would Irene or Ione (pronounced eye-OWN-ee) possibly fit the bill?

Here are some other female names I think could work, incorporating some of the names you like, and some that are new suggestions for you:

Zoe Shoshana - Zoe was a Greek name on your list; I paired it with the pretty Hebrew word for lily. Zoe is also a name that is accepted as an English name amongst Jews -- double whammy! I've seen Shoshana as meaning "rose" which seems a bit strange to me -- it seems pretty obviously a variant Susan. This delightful Rabbi clears things up (sort of): Ask The Rabbi

Sophia Nurit - Sophia, another Greek name on your list. I paired it with Nurit, the Hebrew word for buttercup/ranunculus. If you are concerned about the popularity of the name Emma, Sophia/Sofia is just as "bad." Nurit Sophia would also make a nice choice. Or, just call her Buttercup 'til she's out on her own! Another possibility is Ardice Sophia. Ardice is Hebrew for "blossoming field," making it a double whammy Jewish friendly-flowery name. I'm just a little worried about Ar-diss running into the So-fia. I also like Marin Sophia/Sofia.

Sylvie Athena - I fudged a little to get Sylvie, but follow my reasoning. Sylvia is a name very commonly used in traditional Jewish families. Why? I think the link might be the similarity to the Yiddish Silka or Hebrew Tzilla. Sylvia is still saddled with old lady overtones, however, so the sprightly French Sylvie lightens it up. It's also a natural name, meaning "wood" or "from the forest." Plus, it's another one of my very favorite names, right alongside Iris. Athena's another Greek name from your list, and I like making Yia-Yias around the world happy! EDIT: I just realized the initials with your last name spells something melancholy, which is making ME melancholy because I like this so much. Sylvie Cassandra? Sylvie Catherine/Sylvie Kate/Sylvie Cate. Sylvie Helena! Sylvie Calista. Sylvie Cosima!!

Lilac Fiona - Lilac is a lovely flower, and Fiona is one of the prettiest names ever. This kind of makes my heart swoon.

Daphne Talia - Daphne is the Greek word for laurel (Dafna in Hebrew), and Talia is Hebrew for dew. I can just picture some shiny morning dew on rich, green laurel leaves. It's a stunning picture. If you wanted to go extra Greek, Thalia means "to flourish." She was one of the Three Graces and the Muse of Comedy.

Hazel Odessa - There's Hazel the hazelnut tree, and hazā'ēl , Hebrew for "god sees." Odessa is known as the Ukranian port town, but it was named after the Greek Homer's Odyssey.

Ione Esther -- Ione (eye-OWN-ee), Greek for violet. Esther, for the biblical gal. I think it's a winner.

Some other names I tossed around: Clio, Cybele, Thisbe, Helen, Dalit (Hebrew, "to draw water" -- hey, isn't that what flowers do?), Ziva, Aviva (Hebrew, "spring" -- when all the flowers are in bloom) Miriam, Clover, Ivy, Fern

photo courtesy of  cathibaber 

You seem to have less preface regarding boys names, so I'll expend a *little* less time fretting about them.

Moss Alexander -- Moss. It's that lush green stuff. It's a nickname for the Hebrew Moses. Only bad thing, it spells MA- with your last name. Argh! It was so perfect before that. Moss Leander? Moss Galen?

Asher Elias. Oscar Elias.

If you like Milo, I'm going to try to sell you on Philo. Yes, it rhymes. Here's the back story: the Ancient Philo was a Biblical philosopher who tried to merge Greek and Jewish thought. Is that amazingly perfect, or what? Philo David? Oscar Philo?

Anthos Tal - If you thought you couldn't have a Greek flower name for a boy, think again. Anthos means "flower" and is the root of many other words. It's a power name. Tal, as I mentioned earlier in the feminine form Talia, means "dew." A nice sentimental name for a boy without being trendy or overtly sappy.

Eli Alexander.

Leo Atlas -- It's just cool. Leo is one of those names that works for Greeks and Jews, and it's a quiet classic, like Emma. Atlas is awesome.

Some other names I tossed around: Alon/Allon, Amos, Ari, Oren, Silas, Niko, Linus, Cadmus

I hope this helps you get some new, fresh ideas. Efkaristo and Erev Tov!

Sunday Roundup: Winners or Losers?

Here are some names I've suggested recently, using other peoples' criteria. Would you consider using any?

orion photo courtesy of  giumaiolini 

Navy Therese
Adley Ramona
Ivy Cecilia
Adeline Ruby 
Marit Cecilia
Tess Katara
Zoe Aurelia
Vivienne Cora
Teagan Elisa
Linnea Susan


Corbin Josiah
Ezra Phineas
Colin Thaddeus
Kieran Oliver
Orion Max
Rocco Joseph
Fintan Blaise