We still have 14 weeks or so, right? (Okay...my heart dropped a bit when I calculated that. Only 14 weeks!!! YIKES!!)
But I have found my newest favorite baby naming book.
It's awesome. It has charts. It graphs each name's popularity from the 1880s to 2007. If you like a name, it suggests possible brother/sister names to go with it. And names are listed in categories like: traditional, antique charm, timeless, nickname-proof, ladies and gentlemen. I love it. Even if I weren't looking for a baby name, it would be fascinating to read.
It gives you a handy-dandy chart with a beginning-middle-end to create your own unique made-up name. Shaylin? Codeigh? Hayklin? Jaryn? Lakayly? Manly? (Kidding...but it would be a possibility on the chart.)
Fascinating.
By the way, both Darrin and Lisa are listed as "Surfer '60s" names. Gnarly dude. Groovy.
Anyway, we are working through discussions about names. Making lists and checking them twice. Or three times. Or starting over. Some recent quotes heard around Casa Dowell. We've had some good laughs. Actual names have been omitted to protect the innocent.
"No, I knew a girl named that. She wasn't smart."
"Nope, knew another girl named that. Also not smart."
"That's too hard to spell."
"I want feminine, not....bubble gum."
"That's too cheerleader-y." (Yep. I actually said that. Me. Dancer girl. Ballet lessons. Freshman cheerleading captain.)
"No, that sounds like a made up name from Star Wars."
"Needs to have more syllables."
"Nope, knew another girl named that. Also not smart."
"That's too hard to spell."
"I want feminine, not....bubble gum."
"That's too cheerleader-y." (Yep. I actually said that. Me. Dancer girl. Ballet lessons. Freshman cheerleading captain.)
"No, that sounds like a made up name from Star Wars."
"Needs to have more syllables."
We've got a long way to go, yet!
Oh...sounds like the conversations around our house when we were trying to decide on Sophia's name. For some reason it was so much harder this time around!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear the made up Star Wars name :)
Being a teacher definitely makes it more difficult, too! Between Scott and myself, we were always saying "I had a student named that, and he/she was horrible"
ReplyDeleteIt's so much easier to come up with names that you'd never use, too!
Good luck with the name hunt!
I LOVE that book too. It's the one Chris and I were using when trying to decide on potential names for Graham. We had such a hard time being in the education field and having had students with EVERY name in the book that dredged up some connotation or another! That book was great, and they have a similar website as well (http://www.babynamewizard.com/name-voyager).
ReplyDeleteGood luck and have fun! =)
I know! It's one of the joys of teaching and being picky :). With Madeline, we knew instantly that Madeline was the name and soon after we agreed upon Grace.
ReplyDeleteThis time around it seems so much more difficult!