Bad Baby Names!

BBN NEWS: Baby Named After Birthplace--Mom & Dad's Car

2009-11-28T01:57:00.001-08:00

On November 19, a couple welcomed their baby girl into the world. They then decided to name their baby after the unusual place of her birth -- her parents' car.

Tony Richardson and Samantha Smyth had originally planned to name their child Tilly, but changed their minds after the baby was born in their seven-seat Kia Carens when they arrived at a hospital in Poole, England, just a little too late.

"We have decided she doesn't look like a Tilly and settled on Kia," Richardson said.

"I don't think we would have used Volkswagen or Citroen," added Smyth.

Source: UPI.com

Fan Mail #39

2009-07-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

my bad baby names are:

Aieydaha

Zanevaha Aaliyah

Alazae Nevaha

Signed,

Anonymous

******************

Dear Anonymous:

In the subject line of your email, you wrote that these are "bad baby names (good names to me)." Are these names of people you know, or are they names you plan to use?

In any case, I will confirm that these are, in fact, Bad Baby Names. The first definately qualifies as a MOUTHFUL name. And Nevaha (and all its various and varied spellings) is probably my least favorite name on planet Earth. Not only because it is a Bad Baby Name, but because so very many people seem intent on using it. I probably get 20 emails a week about that name...more than about any other Bad Baby Name in existance (the fabled Orangejello twins not withstanding). I've yet to really understand the "plus" side to this name, the reason so many people seem to love it. I keep hearing, "It's the word Heaven, only backwards!" Well, isn't the backwards of Heaven, Hell? Just saying.

Good luck, reader! And thanks for submitting these!

----Zen Angel

Brad Paisley: The Grandparents Wanted to Kill Us!

2009-07-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Recently, country musician Brad Paisley opened up to the good folks at theboot.com about his life, his family and his new album.

And of interest to us here at BBN? Information on the names of his sons, William Huckleberry and Jasper:

I gather other family members didn't quite warm to it like you thought they would?

"When we picked William as the first name of Huck -- which by the way no one calls him -- that was such a strong and classic name, of course they said, 'We love it!' ...and then we said, 'By the way, Huckleberry is the middle name.' They wanted to kill us! This time we tried it out and it was like, 'Oh, Jasper? OK, let me think about that.' ... and they [suggested] another name, like it was up for discussion! But anyway, I love it because I don't know any Jaspers."

Source: theboot.com

A My Chemical Romance Baby

2009-06-02T01:11:00.001-07:00

Lyn-Z (of Mindless Self Indulgence) and Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance)welcomed a baby girl, Bandit Lee Way, on Wednesday. Little Bandit weighed in at 6 lbs., 5.6 oz. She is their first child together.

Bandit Way....sounds like an old Western film, doesn't it?

Source: people.com

Jamie Oliver: The Pitter-Patter of Little Petal

2009-04-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

TV chef Jamie Oliver sure knows how to keep with a theme.

The celebrity chef and his wife, Jools, welcomed new daughter Petal Blossom Rainbow on April 3rd. Petal was welcomed home by her equally floral-named sisters, Poppy Honey (age 7) and Daisy Boo (age 5). Oliver wrote on Twitter that the baby is "so cute" and that her name "goes well" with those of her siblings.

Source: usmagazine.com

Nas & Kelis: Help Name Our Son!

2009-04-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

Rapper Nas and singer Kelis need help in naming their unborn son. This will be their first child together (Nas has a daughter, Destiny, from a previous relationship).

“Yeah, [we are deciding between] a few baby names,” Nas said. “It’s kinda hard. I’ve been thinking about kinda putting something online: ‘Choose his name,’ You get a couple stacks for that. We take care of you for that. You win something real. But we’re thinking now.”

Source: MTV News.

BBN Round-Up: Febuary 2009

2009-03-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a Round-Up of articles & links for the month of Feb. 2009. Enjoy!

Name That Baby iPhone App: find a Name For Your Newborn By Shaking your iPhone
"Parents-to-be simply choose a gender and a starting letter, then give the iPhone a shake. Name That Baby delivers a scrollable list of baby names, complete with origins and descriptions, in whatever quantity the user chooses. Another shake produces additional names, until the perfect name is found."

Top 100 Baby Names of 2008
"And while I still have no idea what we'll pick, I thought perhaps others out there might find the top 100 baby names of 2008 interesting as well."

Malia and Sasha Obama Stir Up the Name Game for Parents
"'Celebrities do influence what parents name their children, and I consider the Obamas celebrities,' said Linda Murphy, editor in chief of BabyCenter.com...'New parents don't want to name their kids after celebrities, but they're very interested in what the celebrities name their children, if the names feel modern and sound interesting.'"

One of Baby's Names That of Paramedic Student
"A St. Catharines couple is so impressed by a student paramedic’s actions following their son’s birth, they’ve borrowed his name for their child."

What's New in Names
"Now, Dakota and Paris, kindly give your seats to Patience and Prosperity. The old place names are out, values and family in as baby-branding evolves."

Most Unfortunate Names Revealed"
"What do you call some of the most unlucky people in Britain? Justin Case, Barb Dwyer and Stan Still." (don't skip the comments on this one, folks! Hilarious.)

Chicago Cubs fan from Plainfield names baby girl Addison N. Clark
"The Plainfield man and his wife, Lauren, have named their firstborn child Addison N. Clark after Wrigley Field's famed location. The proud papa said he thought of the name years before the baby's Dec. 19 birth, but wasn't sure his wife—who was raised in a White Sox family—would go for it." (there's a photo of the baby on this page...she's adorable!)

Would You Buy Xylitol? Why Some Names Scare Us
"It's not just that all of these names are a nuisance to spell and a mouthful to pronounce — though they are. It's that they strike us as downright dangerous. That, at least, is the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Psychological Science — and it's a study that ought to give pause to any manufacturer with a product to brand or parent with a baby to name."

Ethan, Olivia and Ava Alberta's Top Baby Names
"Unique names last year included Brazen-Lee, Coal, Delorian, Gonzo, Jazzy, Jury, Natorious, Rexall, Sequoia, Stetson and Zeppelin for boys, and Anarchy, Castle, Harloquinn, Jetaime, Queen, Science, Taffy, Tree, Tyranny, Valkyrie and Whiteangel-Victoria for girls."

Report Looks At Impact of Names
"A new report says boys with odd-sounding names may be more prone to trouble than other boys. But some professional baby namers question how accurate this research is."

You Name It!
"As “Cholee” translates as “bra” in both Malay and Hindi, I fought hard the temptation to correct the teacher on the obvious misspelling of her name. After all, I’m already getting used to strange spellings and quirky names these days."

Parents Are Thinking Up Unusual Names
"However, choosing an unusual baby name requires some care. How can you choose a name that is distinctive, yet does not end up sounding ridiculous? Of course, you don't want your child to be at the receiving end of all the Waynes and Dylans in his school. Here are a few tips..."

Celebrity Pregnancies are Hard to Stomach
"Pregnancy might be all the rage in Hollywood these days, but celebrities aren't doing us any favors. We get the M.I.A.-fueled myth of the pregnant wonder woman. We get the scramble for celeb-approved baby gear - because surely your child can't live without a onesie worn by Coco Cox-Arquette. We get the infusion of baby names like 'Brooklyn' and 'Bronx'."

My Name? It's Really Terry Bull
"The study also unveiled wacky names in the US, including Carrie Oakey, Annette Curtain, a dentist called Les Plack and a doctor called Sumey, possibly at risk of lawsuits."

Baby Names: There Are So Many Options, There Are No Options
"Although my wife and I still don’t know what we are going to name our bundle of joy there are some criteria that must be met for our child’s name and I think they are good criteria for anyone who needs some help narrowing down their name list(s)."

Odd Names, Diseases Top Celebrity Stories
"In a fleeting moment of trendiness, I briefly considered the monikers Beavis and Pinecone before naming my son Daniel, but relented since I am not rich or famous enough to pay for a lifetime of therapy." (this is a very good article about children and Kawasaki's disease. I highly recommend it.)

Another Crazy Celebrity Baby Name
"The Hebrew word Merkabah means "chariot." Merkaba is also a Zulu word for a space/time/dimension vehicle. I guess that means you could technically take a Merkaba and fly to Mars. Far out!"

Codemasters Start Flamewar For the Name Jason
"So you’re having a new baby, eh? Well, if you happen to be a gamer you might want to check this article out, thoroughly. Codemasters has a new event underway that could reward parents for naming their kid ‘Jason’. So what’s the reward? A year’s worth of video games for the console of your choice."

Kevin Coster Has a New Son, Dull Factor Now 10
"Kevin Costner, we thank you for your selfless dedication to preserving an American tradition—that of vacuous, self-absorbed celebrities congratulating themselves for dreaming up pointless baby names."

And If It's a Girl, Benjamin Roethlisberger
"...the most cringe-making name in the story derived from our storied NFL team: a boy named Steeler Gerard Petrocky...Maybe he’ll get to share a tailgate party (or an analyst) with Tré Rivers Kemerer, whose name is a Romance language play on the Steelers’ former home field, Three Rivers Stadium. And we laughed when George on Seinfeld wanted to name his hypothetical baby 'Seven'!"

The Names We Do For Love
"After all, a name is the one thing that parents give a child that will stick with them the rest of their life. How's that for pressure?" (this is another one for comments---some great ones here, including many Bad Baby Names!)

For Ballplayers, What's in a (nick) Name?
"Yes, we have fallen into an unfortunate pattern of passing off simple shortenings or addings of 'ie' to last names as viable nicknames. Had George Herman Ruth played today, he would probably be referred to as "G-Ruth" or, much worse, 'Ruthie.'"

Doomed By Your Name?
"New research out of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania also looks at what names signify. However, unlike 'Freakonomics' -- which maintained that although a name might tell you something about a person's background, it wouldn't predict the outcome of his life -- the new study purports to show a link between name and outcome: The more unpopular your name, the more likely you are to land in juvenile hall."

BBN News: Is Malia the Giraffe Offensive?

2009-02-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

She's a newborn zoo critter. Like her mother, Akilli, she is brightly-colored, spotted, and posessed of a long neck and good health.

But unlike her mother---or any other animal at the Buffalo, New York zoo---her name is the center of an ongoing controversy.

Soon after the announcement was made that the newborn giraffe is named "Malia," after the daughter of President Obama and wife Michelle, area residents became embroiled in a debate over whether or not the name choice is appropriate.

"I don't think the First Lady and President of the United States of America gave their children names that should be transferred to a four-legged animal. I find it offensive," says Katherine Mitcherson Robinson. She appeared on a local radio station WUFO to voice the concerns she and other residents have over the animal's moniker.

Officials at the zoo insist that they had no intent to dishonor the president or his daughter. "Certainly there was no intention on the part of the President, or board, or anyone here at the Zoo to be offensive," said Vice Chair of the Zoo's Board of Directors, Hal Payne. The idea was to honor the First Family, particularly as the baby giraffe was born so close to inaguration day. He added that the practice of naming animals after famous people is well-established: two other giraffes were named for actors Goldie Hawn and Clint Eastwood, in addition to a serval named for Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith and a porcupine at the Prospect Park Zoo named in honor of zoo president Donna Ferndandes.

Nonetheless, many listeners of WUFO are calling for the zoo to rename the giraffe, and Erie County Legislator Betty Jean Grant is sponsoring a resolution to have the name changed.

To the best of this blogger's knowledge, the President and his family have made no comment regarding the newborn and her controversial name.

Source: WGRZ.com. Click on the link to see a photo of baby Malia, a video regarding this issue and comments from locals regarding the controversy.

BBN News: New Baby for Erykah Badu

2009-02-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

R&B singer Erykah Badu gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Mars Merkaba, on Febuary 1st. Proud papa is rapper Jay Electronica.

This isn't the first baby, or first BBN, for Ms. Badu. She is also the mother of Seven Sirius and Puma.

Source: aceshowbiz.com

BBN News:

2009-01-22T00:57:00.000-08:00

Edward "Bear" Grylls, star of the Discovery Channel's extreme outdoors show "Man vs. Wild," and his wife Shara welcomed baby boy Huckleberry Edward Jocelyne on January 16th. Baby Huckleberry has two older brothers: Jesse (age 5) and Marmaduke (age 2 1/2).

Sources: postchronicle.com and celebritybabyscoop.com

Celebrity Baby Names: Did J. Lo's Mom Spill the Beans?

2008-02-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

According to rumor, J. Lo's mom was seen purchasing ID bracelets for the upcoming twins of her daughter and son-in-law Marc Anthony. The names on said bracelets? Max and Emme. But as rumor runs rampant...it could still be any name's day.

Source: ConnieTalk This is a great blogsite, by the way...visit if you get a chance!

A New Baby For "Sopranos" Actress

2007-12-02T03:36:00.000-08:00

Shooter Jennings (son of the late great country musician Waylon Jennigs) and longtime girlfriend Drea de Matteo (of "Sopranos" fame) welcomed a baby girl Wednesday. Alabama Gypsyrose Jennings weighed in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. This is a first child for the couple.

FYI

2007-11-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

I know I've been MIA for quite some time, but I have two pretty good excuses.

One, my husband had an accident with the car. Long story short: bad concussion, seven staples, bed rest for about a week, massive painkillers.

Reason number two: my kids got a head cold, and so did I. Their cold lasted about three days...mine turned into pneumonia. I'm still wrestling with it, but I am getting better.

Anyhoo, I hope to be around more in the coming weeks. For those who celebrated a holiday yesterday, I hope it was a good one.

Ciao,

Angel

Round Up! Baby Names In the News: Aug. 07

2007-08-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Round Up!

Baby Names in the News, 08/07:

Behind Bars, baby bonanza and bad bodies

"Burning question: Why do celebrities give their kids weird names like Heaven and Apple? Linda Rosenkrantz Finch, co-author of 'The Baby Name Bible,' tells Us, 'Celebrities crave being the center of attention and want their offspring to hare in this uniqueness.'"

Top 50 Crazy Celebrity Baby Names

"Crazy baby names given by celebrities are nothing new, but the Times of London has compiled a list of the Top 500 Craziest Celebrity Baby Names. Some of these sound like they’d be more likely as AKC registered show dog names, while some don’t sound so weird in the context of the others."

Baby Names: Surviving Pregnancy

"If certain people have an aversion to a name that is high on your list, stick to your guns! Once people get to know your baby and form an affectionate bond, you will find that they quickly forget any negative connotation they may have had with the name, and come to love the baby, name and all!"

Baby Names Are Big Business

"From the like Suri and Shiloh to Rocco and River — famous baby names span from Brooklyn to Indiana; Pine to Willow; Peaches to Apple. For some celebrities it's about finding a farfetched name, but now expecting moms everywhere are stressing out about choosing a name."

What's In a Name?

"'Overpowering names:' Axelrod, Balthazar, DonQuixote, Quintavirius, and Thor. 'Hyper Kids' Names:' Ace, Demeet, Grasshopper (again, not kidding!), Gallup, Kayotaey, and Ramababbu. And my favorite 'Names that Celebrities have Given their Babies:' Apple, Blanket, Rafferty, and Satchel."

Lion Cubs Gain Home and Names

"Winning bidders at the preserve's recent fundraiser included Janice and Gary Freiberg, who named the male cub Bakari, an African expression for 'one with great promise.' Another winner was Yvette Davis, a volunteer who has been helping care for the cubs. She named a female cub Suri, or 'princess' – the same name Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes chose for their baby. Robert Cox named the third cub Jillian, (meaning 'youthful' and 'bright light') in honor of his wife, El Cajon City Councilwoman Jillian Hanson-Cox."

I Have the Right Formula For Baby Names

"Our first born was a son we named Edward in honor of both grandfathers and two uncles and gave him the middle name Whitney, my maiden name. It set a tone and pattern in considering names for the succeeding offspring. I learned a few things I can pass along free of charge to other new parents."

Naming a Baby In Pakistan

"In the last six months, babies’ names have been influenced by an Islamic trend. Children are now called Arham, Areeba, Malaika, Uzair, Emal, etc. The preference of parents has returned to Islamic names. The most popular name in the Muslim world is Muhammad. Around 90 percent of the boys have Muhammad in their name."

What's In a Name? Everything, Says the Nameologist

"'I think people today are realizing the impact of names much more so than in the past,' Korwitts explained."

Choose the Ultimate Pretentious Name

"What is the most pretentious baby name?"

Hillary: Number 982 On the List

"The name's popularity began to diminish back in the 1970s, and the process continued in the following decade, for no obvious reason. Its fortunes between 1998 and 2006 are easier to explain. While in 1997 'Monica' was ranked 79th on the list of popular names, a year later it had fallen to the 151st place, and since then its popularity has continued to drop."

Two Baby Boys

"And it’s about the babies’ names—and how they become attached to the children and how the children become attached to the names they are assigned, growing with them and living up to whatever it is they represent in the individual families."

WA's Wacky Baby Names

"Some requests are so silly the registrar is knocking them back because legally they cannot be registered as a name. Names that did pass muster in the past year include Buzz, Chilli, Colt, Tin or Tiger for boys. And Rainbow, Synergy, Cashmere, Sunshine, Gidget, Jorjah or Phoenix for girls. The most extreme names were E-, Safe, Legend, Reel, Summar and Somer-L'ren."

For Some, Naming Baby Is An Odd Job

"Unusual names have been around forever. In 1600s England, a boy christened 'If-Jesus-Had-Not-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned' grew up to be an economist who invented fire insurance. And preferred to be called Nicholas Barbon."

What's In a Name?

"Picking a name for a child can be a confounding, and fun, challenge for parents. Across the nation, some parents are shelling out as much as $475 for numerologists to help pick their child's name. Others are hiring consultants. In Central New York, parents rely on more tried-and-true methods: baby books, tradition and suggestions from relatives."

What's In a Name?

"Many people believe that a name can make all the difference when it comes to success and happiness in work, life, and love. You may have heard us teasing a story on baby name consultants this morning. Many parents-to-be are now spending the time and money to hire people to choose baby names for them!"

50 Craziest Celebrity Baby Names

"Princess Tiaamii is not the first celebrity baby to be blessed with a moniker likely to give her problems in the school playground. Here are 50 of the most outlandish."

21st Century Family: Mom, Dad, Baby, Consultant

"Sure, you want your child to be unique, but it's personality, not moniker, that does that. Be creative. Or don't. (Really, don't, because some of those "creative" names are ridiculous - I like Apple though.) My dad tells a story (or made up a story, never sure) of a customer he once had, whose daughter was named Female. That's Fa-mal-ee - like tamale. The mom saw the name on the band at the hospital and liked it. But at least she didn't pay some shyster 50 bucks to come up with a list of appropriate names for her kid."

Hey, Baby, What's In a Name?

"Picture the scene around the kitchen dinner table: you are gathered with a couple of friends and prospective names for a boy and a girl are being etched on an ever-lengthening list."

Art Imitating (Digital) Life

"A couple debate over whether they're doing everything possible to secure their unborn child's digital future...At one point, the man logs into Google Documents to show off a 'Naming 2.0' spreadsheet of possible baby names -- ranked by such criteria as the availability of matching .com, .net and .org domain names."

Naming Baby: How To Choose the Perfect Moniker

"Naming a baby can be a frustrating task, especially if friends and family start offering their opinions. Suelain Moy, a contributor to American Baby Magazine and baby naming expert, has some tips for finding the perfect name for your child."

Not Any Old Common Name

"Made-up baby names are likely to become even more commonplace in Wales as parents try to make their children stand out more from the crowd, experts said yesterday...Heini Gruffudd, author of Welsh Names for Children, said, “Welsh words like Seren (star), Mai (May), and Ionawr (January) are becoming very popular as names for girls."

What's In a Name? Maybe a $350 Fee

"Maryanna Korwitts, a self-described 'nameologist' who runs her naming service from a tiny room in a Downers Grove chiropractic clinic, said name giving is an ancient ritual modern parents are just discovering."

The Baby's Called What?

"Mehrabian, professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA and the author of The Baby Name Report Card, is not the only expert on the subject who believes that parents are increasingly, if subconsciously, 'branding' rather than simply naming their children."

Ooh, Baby Baby

"You can name them whatever you want. Celebrity babies have thus far survived the names Apple (Gwyneth Paltrow), Moxie Crimefighter (Penn Jillette) and Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily (Michael Hutchence)."

Use Software To Organize Research

"This family clearly didn't have a copy of '10,000 Baby Names.' For several generations, Elgin baby boys received the names of those four brothers. Imagine the introductions at Elgin family reunions. 'Hello I'm Henry. This is my father Henry, my grandfather Henry, my son Henry, my nephew Henry and my two cousins, both Henry.'"

Sean and Sarah Most Popular Names Last Year (Ireland)

"There were three first-time entries in the top-100 for girls - Aoibheann, Aoibinnn and Jasmine."

Arkansas Couple Have Their 17th Child

"Michelle, who's been pregnant for 126 months – or 10.5 years – of her life, said the couple would like to have more girls, since they love the ruffles and lace. All the children – whose names start with the letter J – are taught at home. The oldest is 19 and the youngest, before Jennifer, is almost two years old."

Throwing Coverage

"Before I get into any trouble, let me first note that my wife and I received a certain type of look whenever we told people we were thinking of naming our daughter Ida. . . . So I immediately felt some kinship with Brandon Lloyd when I heard that in the offseason he had named his son Elvis. . . . "He won't be made fun of," Lloyd said confidently. 'Why would they make fun of him? What's wrong with that name? There's nothing wrong with that name.' . . ."

Sean and Sarah Tops In Baby Names League

"Where you live influences what you are called: Emma was the most popular girl's name in the midlands and mid-west, Sarah was most popular in the west, mid-east, southeast and southwest, while Katie took top honours in border counties and Sophie was the number one choice in Dublin. And while Sean was most popular for boys in Dublin and surrounding counties, Jack was number one in the rest of the country."

Fan Mail #38

2007-07-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel,

These are actual names of people in my graduating class. They certainly
aren't babies, but some of these names are pretty strange.

Maricatherine Elizabeth Eggenberger (full name, a mouthful if I've ever
heard one!)
Serene Azure
Chrystien Sequentia Lee (Cre8ive Spelling anyone?)
Precious Latrese
Marisa
Lei-Lana
Quennton Marc
Wendell (This person always went by his middle name John)
Justin Bailey (In-joke related to video gaming...)

I love your site; I get a big kick out of it!
Regards,
Emily F. K. in Michigan

************************

Dear Emily,

Wow...those are some bad names to be donning the cap & gown!

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

Please Read

2007-04-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am taking a short blog break. There's stuff going on in my real life that I must tackle first, before facing all these bad names.

For a longer explanation, please see my blog The Zen Pretzel Trick.

Thank you.

---Zen Angel

A Round-Up of Baby Naming Articles

2007-03-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Some articles for the baby-naming fans out there:

Finding the Perfect Baby Name

Great article...includes a list of popular names and do's and don't's.

Naming Our Babies Maria Not Mary

"As Latinos move from a "minority" in the U.S. to the majority, how babies are named is changing. According to an article on Univision.com, the baby girl name Maria is now more popular than its English counterpart, Mary. Among Latinos, Maria ranks as the number one baby girl name, with Jose as the number one baby boy name."

Local Men Share Names of Former Presidents

On President's Day, men with names like Herbert Hoover and Woodrow Wilson ruminate on their famous monikers.

Baby Naming Charts with a Twist

"The Elegant Child of Beverly Hills (www.elegantchild.com) has teamed up with Joanne Justis, a spiritual intuitive and Chaldean Master Numerologist to offer a special non-traditional baby naming tool for soon-to-be parents. Joanne Justis has developed a sophisticated, state-of-the-art computer software program that gives expectant parents the tools to virtually strip a name down to its core, analyze the components, and then "read" the name in such a way (based on mathematical formulas) that allows expectant parents to know their baby's three "core" characteristics (Soul/Heart's Desire, Personality and Purpose) and eight Soul Qualities (development areas) derived from the name itself."

Tried and Trusted Names Still Top of the Tots

A British article on the staying power of names such as Jack, Joshua and Grace.

Aidan, Ava Top Oakland County's Baby Names

What's in a Middle Name?

Very interesting article about the practice of giving babies middle names.

Names in the Animal Kingdom

2007-02-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

I'm waaaaaay behind, thanks to my recent illness, so I am giving you a whole slew of animal baby names in one post. Enjoy!

BABY DOLPHINS NAMED!

After months of waiting and more than 500 hundred name suggestions from Bahamian students across the country, officials from Dolphine Encounters on Big Lagoon Island finally announced the dolphins’ names.

Dorothy Mae Eldmire of Kingsway Academy chose the name "Gussie Mae" and Nathalia Durham of Doris Johnson High School and Marissa Maura of the Lyford Cay School both won for choosing "Laguna." The students who chose the names received plaques, pictures of the baby dolphin they named and a Dolphin Adventure program for their entire class and their teacher.

The two baby dolphins bring the total number of dolphins over on Blue Lagoon Island to 19. Gussie Mae was born in early September to mother Chippy, and Laguna was born to Dot in October. The third calf was born in September to Nina and was named Cacique by the staff.

New arrival at Hatton Farm Village

Staff at Hatton Farm Village, near Warwick (UK), oversaw the delivery of their first arrival, a lamb who has been named Lucky because of her difficult birth.

Zoo Needs Names for New Baby Cubs

The Pueblo Zoo is holding a contest to name the three African lions born last fall. The two females and one male, are the first baby lions to be born at the zoo in at least 50 years. They share a father, Jahari, but come from different mothers, Ulana and Saida. (note: this contest ended Feb. 17)

Baby pandas named in China

Eighteen baby pandas have been given names after leaving their mothers to live in new nursery. The 12 females and six males (ages range between five and seven months) will live in a new nursery playground in the Research and Conservation Centre in China's Sichuan province.

The move was celebrated with a relocation ceremony, where the cubs names were officially announced for the first time. The public voted for the names of the pandas on the Internet. The names include Fuwa for baby no. 9, the same name as the Beijing Olympics mascot, meaning friendly. Baby no. 1 was named Sixue, meaning "miss the snow", twins were named Meixi and Meixin, both meaning beautiful, and the naughtiest was called "Taotao", meaning mischievous.

Name That Dragon!

After two rare reptiles were recently born at the Chester Zoo, thousands took part in an online vote to name one of the babies: Indie. The other names from the online poll were Grendel, Bakar and Idris.

The other dragon was named Irwin, which was suggested by six kids. The winner picked at random was 11-year-old Matthew from Nottinghamshire (UK). He will visit the dragons at the zoo when the babies have their names presented to them.

Sources: jonesbahamas.com, iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk ,chieftain.com ,
ITV News ,bbc.co.uk

Vote Now! WORST BAD BABY NAMES of '06!

2007-02-09T22:49:00.000-08:00

Due to my recent health issues, this poll is a month overdue, with my apologies...

Vote now! The results will be posted on St. Patrick's Day!

The WORST Bad Baby Names of 2006!

Announcement....Please Read!

2007-01-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

I have not forgotten this blog...unfortunately, I recently fell and broke three ribs. Sitting at the computer is very painful, so I am keeping it at a minimum.

I do hope to be up and blogging again here within the next few weeks...and I am working on the poll for last year's Worst Baby Names.

Thanks to everyone for their kindness, understanding and patience in this matter.

---Zen Angel

A "Scrubs" Baby!

2006-12-10T23:34:00.000-08:00

As fans of the sitcom "Scrubs" well know, last week, Carla and Turk finally had their baby by c-section! NBC.com held a contest to name the baby....go to nbc.com/Scrubs to vote for your favorite! The names are:

Cartur
Curk
Isabella
Jasmine
Kirk
Olivia
Ricky
Tarla
Tula
Turla

Source:nbc.com

Update: the baby was named Isabella.

Animal Kingdom Baby Names

2006-12-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

The Houston Zoo's new baby elephant now has a name! After taking votes to name the new offspring of Shanti, the zoo's new mama, the victor emerged: Mac. Welcome baby Mac!

There's still time to vote for the name of the Atlanta Zoo's new baby panda, who was born on Sept. 6 (traditionally, pandas are named when they are 100 days old). The ten names up for grabs are:

Xiao Tao, 小桃
(shao-tao) “little peach”
Mei Tao, 美桃
(may-tao) “beautiful peach”
Mei Lan, 美兰
(may-lan) “Atlanta beauty”
Mei Li, 美丽
(may-lee) “beautiful”
Ming Xing, 明星
(ming-shing) "bright star"
Ping Bao, 平宝
(ping - bao) “peacefulness & precious treasure”
Cheng Ya, 成娅
(chung-ya) “pretty Atlanta girl from Chengdu”
Ming Yue, 明月
(ming-yuu) “bright moon”
Chang Jiang, 长江
(chung-jung) “Yangtze River”
Tai Ji,太极
(tai-ji) “Tai Chi" (philosophical foundation of Taoism)

Go to http://www.zooatlanta.org/zoo_news_panda_cub_naming.htm to vote for your favorite!

Sources: houstonist.com, abc7.com, zooatlanta.org

Article: Children Caught Between Celebrities

2006-12-10T23:14:00.000-08:00

From The Wave magazine's article "Children Caught Between Celebrities" by Seanbaby:

"There is one thing that sets Britney and her aspiring rapper apart from other bad celebrity parents: they didn’t give their kids moon names. Sean Preston and Jayden James are extraordinarily normal. Most times, you can’t trust famous people near a birth certificate. Rachel Griffiths gave birth to a Banjo. Jason Lee has one named Pilot Inspektor. Magician Penn Jillette named his daughter Moxie Crimefighter, apparently hoping she’ll someday grow into a Hanna-Barbera cartoon. Gwyneth Paltrow has a gentler level of name insanity as she chose to call her children Apple and Moses. These sound cute until you realize that for the rest of their life, any point they ever make can be refuted by saying, “Nice name, Apple.” And then, “Face!”

Do celebrities think they’re too special to give their offspring human names? Psychologists think yes, they all might as well have named their children Narcissistic Attention Grab. However, it could come from a level of absurdity that only they can understand. For instance, during his film career, Nicolas Cage has answered to Smokey, Dr. Stanley Goodspeed, Hi, and Ghost Rider. To him, it’s perfectly reasonable for a baby to have the same name as Superman. There are probably D-List actors we don’t hear about that name their children far worse."

Source: thewavemag.com

UPDATE

2006-12-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

Just a note to let my BBN fans know I have not forgotten them....unfortunately, my health has taken a bad turn and I've been unable to do much in the way of blogging recently. You can read more about what's going on at my other blog, The Zen Pretzel Trick. I thank you all for your understanding and patience in this matter, and hope to be up and blogging again within the next several days.

Oregon Zoo Wants Help Naming Ocelot Kitten

2006-11-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

The Oregon Zoo's endangered ocelot kitten will make his first public appearance in mid-December, instead of its original date of January. As a result, the ocelot kitten is still nameless. The baby was born on September 8, and continues to be nurtured by Alice, his mother. Alice and her mate, Ralph, came to Portland's Oregon Zoo in April.

Keepers have chosen their three favorite names and are now seeking the public's help in making the final decision:

*Rio (meaning river or laugh in Spanish or Portuguese).

*Mo (short for monkey, because the kitten lives in the zoo's Primate Building, which has been expanded to include species in South America and the Amazon).

*Bonito ( meaning beautiful or pretty in Spanish).

To cast your vote for your favorite name, please go to http://www.oregonzoo.org/Voter/vote_form.cfm.

All votes must be submitted by Monday, Dec. 18.

Source: Hillsboro Argus

Heidi Klum & Seal Welcome New Son

2006-11-24T19:34:00.000-08:00

Heidi Klum (model and host of Bravo TV's "Project Runway") and her husband, musician Seal, welcomed another son Wednesday.

Heidi made sure her new boy's name was not out done by Suri, Jayden James or David Banda. Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel was born in Los Angeles, just in time for Thanksgiving. He joins big brother Henry (age 1) and big sister Leni (age 2).

Seal, posted a statement on his wife's website: 'He is healthy, beautiful and looks like his mother.'

Source: Metro.co.uk

Help Name Nina Garcia's Baby!

2006-11-16T03:29:00.000-08:00

Nina Garcia, one of the judges on the Bravo network's hit reality show Project Runway, is expecting her first child. Blogging Project Runway is now accepting suggestins for names! It's a great blog in general, so if you like Project Runway (or just want to chime in with your favorite baby name du jour), check it out!

Name Nina's Bambina/Bambino

Will Ferrell Explains Son's Name

2006-11-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

In the November 20th issue of People magazine, Will Ferrell answered questions from a reader who asked how he and wife Viveca Paulin came to name thier first child Magnus: "My wife was born in Sweden and we loved the idea of a Scandinavian name. I've gotten a lot of flack: 'What kind of ego do you have to have to name your child the great one?' That is not it at all."

Will and Viveca are expecting another baby in December.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

New Baby Girl for UK Rugby Star Jamie Noon

2006-11-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

England and Newcastle Falcons rugby star Jamie Noon and his wife Rachel have become parents again! Elodie Grace was born 7th October, joining her big brother Lewis, who was born in 2005.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

Article: Halloween-Inspired Names!

2006-10-31T04:17:00.000-08:00

Scary Baby Names: Halloween-Inspired Names

Love Halloween? Curl up with some candy corn and enjoy this list of Halloween-inspired baby names!
By Melanie Monroe Rosen

Do you love the chills you get from horror movies and the oh-so-convenient excuse to jump into your partner's arms? Did you make your Halloween costume plans months before the holiday and go trick-or-treating long after elementary school? Fortunately, you can continue to celebrate Halloween long after all that candy has gone stale!

Scream-Worthy Baby Names on the Big Screen

Horror movies are the perfect inspiration for scream-worthy baby names. While some of these names aren't inherently scary, the characters who share these names certainly were!

Remember Michael Myers from Halloween, the 6-year-old boy who murdered his sister after trick-or-treating? How could you forget his escape from the mental hospital to kill the babysitter, a young Jamie Lee Curtis? Despite this Michael's evil deeds, the name itself has been one of the top two boys' names for the past 50 years, according to the Social Security Administration. Michael Myers has shown staying power as well, stretching his legacy for six sequels.

Speaking of sequels, A Nightmare on Elm Street's frighteningly scarred Freddy Krueger's reign of terror lasted through six nightmare-provoking sequels as well, helping to launch the career of a young Johnny Depp in the process.

Competing for a place in horror history is the infamous Friday the 13th, a film so popular that it spawned nine sequels, ultimately transporting the evil Jason Voorhees with his trademark hockey mask and machete from his original haunting ground of Camp Crystal Lake to outer space in the 25th century.

Let's not forget more recent releases, though. The 2002 film, The Ring, adapted from the Japanese horror film, Ringu, has been the source of many nightmares and, of course, a popular sequel. It has also helped the name Samara jump from the 920th most popular name in the U.S. in 2002 to the 365th in 2004.

And while naming a baby is far from child's play, some infamous child-like characters from Hollywood-horror have real hair-raising appeal for horror buffs, like Chucky from Child's Play and its sequels, although its root name, Charles, and other variants, are far more popular choices. In 2003, Russell Crowe and Danielle Spencer named their son Charles, and the following year, CNN News anchor Soledad O'Brien and husband Brad Raymond chose the name Charlie for one of her twin boys.

Damien from The Omen and Regan from The Exorcist would also make for unforgettable choices. One mom from Michigan wrote, "I babysit the little girl across the street and her name is Reagan. She is 2, and sometimes when she gets mad she points her head down at the ground, but looks up at you with her eyes and makes this growling noise -- it actually kinda scares me. When I mentioned it to her mom, she said it would freak her out sometimes too!"

Cunning Cartoons

Animated films offer a wealth of ne'er-do-wells and sinister characters as inspiration for creative Halloweeny monikers.

Don't let them fool you! Animated evildoers can be just as scary as their live-action counterparts. Whether they're trying to make fur coats out of puppies or tormenting a down-on-her-luck young girl, these characters may be even scarier than some of their names sound! Cruella De Vil, and her henchmen, Jasper and Horace, were certainly creepier than the town dogcatcher in 101 Dalmatians. And in Cinderella, who could forget the evil Drizella, Anastasia, and Lucifer, the cat, who enjoyed making life so miserable for Cinderella?

There's also the greedy Prince John, Robin Hood's nemesis in Sherwood Forest in Robin Hood, and Ursula, the seawitch who tortured Ariel underwater in The Little Mermaid. Even characters in faraway lands can't escape the evil clutches of their animated enemies, like Aladdin who is plagued by the crafty Jafar, in Aladdin.

Novel Names and Literary Labels

Movies aren't the only source of inspiration for Halloween baby names. Books can also inspire some terrifically scary baby names, as well as some terrifically scary movies!

Creepy Classics

Terrifying legendary tales like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula are certain to get any reader Halloween-ready. But it would be a frightful mistake to forget about Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of Henry Jekyll in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which continues to haunt readers over a century after its publication, or Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, featuring the unforgettable Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman, a frightening piece of literary history.

Modern-Day Mayhem

Stephen King's novels are a surefire hit with any fan of Halloween, as he has spun some of the scariest tales around and inspired some of the scariest films of the century. His invention of the misfit high school student Carrie White in his 1974 novel, Carrie, was rendered unforgettable with the help of a pig blood-covered Sissy Spacek in the film version.

And Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrance, the tormented caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, was sure to inspire fear in everyone. Gabriel Byrne and Ellen Barkin weren't so scared to keep from naming their son Jack, though, and neither were Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble, or Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley, who also have sons by that name.

But who could look at their car the same way again after reading about Christine, Arnie Cunningham's 1958 Plymouth Fury, in Christine? Equally, the obsessed fan, Annie Wilkes, in Misery, terrified readers and moviegoers alike as she tormented writer Paul Sheldon.

Source: American Baby

Josie Maran Welcomes Rumi Joon

2006-10-30T04:06:00.000-08:00

Model Josie Maran, 28, and longtime boyfriend, photographer Ali Alborizi, welcomed daughter Rumi Joon, on June 20th in Los Angeles. This is Maran's first child.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

Tammy Etheridge Explains New Twins' Names

2006-10-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

Tammy Etheridge (known for her role on the cancelled-too-soon show Popular) and wife musician Melissa Etheridge recently welcomed twins Johnnie Rose and Miller Steven. Tammy's Blog, Hollywood Farm Girl blog, explains the origins of the names:

*Johnnie is named after Melissa's father John.
*Rose is the middle name of Tammy's former babysitter.
*Miller is the last name of Tammy's music teacher.
*Steven is the name of Melissa's bodyguard.

Article: 21st Century Baby Names

2006-10-30T03:50:00.000-08:00

21st Century baby names
By Columnist Jim Cegielski

When I think of the people of south Mississippi, I think of decent, level- headed people with a lot of good common sense. However, apparently under the duress of childbirth, even the best of people can lose their minds.

This past week, a Biloxi couple, Leann and Rusty Real, became the parents of a bouncing baby boy named ESPN Montana Real. That’s right, the baby was named after the sports channel, ESPN, as well as football legend, Joe Montana.

Apparently, Mrs. Real promised her husband that if they ever had a son, he could choose the name for the baby. Let this be a lesson to mothers-to-be everywhere. Unless you really want a child named ESPN, Budweiser, NASCAR, Ford Tough, Air Jordan, Big Mac or Peyton Eli Archie NFL on Fox, then never, ever, let your husband choose the names of your children.

Believe it or not, the Reals aren’t the first couple to name their baby after the cable sports channel. There is an ESPN Blondeel in Michigan. And residents of Texas have an original ESPN, ESPN Malachi McCall of Pampa, Texas, as well as an ESPN 2, ESPN Curiel of Corpus Christi. Now all Texas needs is an ESPN News and a ESPN Classic and they will have completed the ESPN baby name cable lineup.

Apparently naming your kids after a cable channel isn’t as unique as it sounds. According to those snooty Brits at the BBC, “Americans are increasingly turning to the world of popular culture to name their children.”

In a report cited by the BBC news, clothing and cars seem to be the two of the bigger sources of inspiration when it comes to Americans naming their children. Apparently, there are over 300 girls named Armani. There are six boys named Timberland and another seven boys named Denim. There are also 22 girls named Infiniti and five more named Celica. The report doesn’t list how many baby Maximas, 4-Runners or Hummers are out there.

Unfortunately, crazy parents are not limiting their baby names to clothes and automobiles. The BBC also reports that there are 49 American boys named Canon after the camera and there are even seven kids named Del Monte after the food company. If you’re getting your baby’s name out of the pantry, than maybe you should reconsider whether or not you’re truly ready to have a baby. Can you imagine introducing your family to friends? “These are my sons, Del Monte, Green Giant and General Mills and this is their little sister, Hormel.”

I think that most of us can agree that naming your child Oscar Meyer or Proctor and Gamble is a really stupid idea. However, I still resent the fact that it is the British who are making fun of our baby naming skills. Maybe the bloody British have forgotten that they have a Duchess who answers to Fergie. What makes the Brits think they are so much better at naming their babies when Prince Andrew has two children named Beatrice and Eugenie, and Princess Anne has a daughter named Zara?

Oh, and that’s not all. Famed British musician and Live Aid founder Sir Bob Geldolf has three daughters named Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom and Pixie. It’s going to take a lot of shillings to pay for all of the psychiatric care that those kids are going to need.

I blame the entire crazy baby name movement on celebrities, no matter what nationality. Sylvester Stallone has four daughters named Sage Moonblood, Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose and Scarlett Rose. At least Sly realized that Rose made a better middle name than Moonblood.

Of course, the original inductee into the crazy celebrity baby name hall of fame was the late Frank Zappa. With two sons named Dweezil and Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and two daughters named Moon Unit and Diva Muffin, Mr. Zappa set the bar extremely high for wacky celebrities to shoot for.

I’m the first to admit that naming your baby isn’t easy, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it. When my wife, Carolyn, and I were searching for a name for our first daughter, we spent countless hours perusing through seven or eight baby name books. When we finally decided on the name, Emily for our first daughter, we were very excited because we thought it was a beautiful name and we didn’t know of any other children with that name.

I don’t know what happened, but 16 years later, you can’t turn around without stepping on an Emily. They’re everywhere. What we thought was a unique name at the time turned out to be something akin to naming your dog Spot.

Fortunately, by the time our second child rolled around, we learned not to agonize so much over the name. Carolyn and I hadn’t even talked about coming up with a name for our youngest until my wife went into labor and we were on our way to the hospital. It was in the car that I told Carolyn that maybe we should start going through the baby name book.

As I was driving to the hospital, we had just ruled out Abby, Abigail, Adeline, Agnes, and Alice when my wife said, “What about AHHHHHHLLLLLLLISON, just as she felt a contraction hit her. I responded, “Well, I think we should shorten it to Alison and maybe we shouldn’t shout it.” As the baby name book smacked into the side of my head, I knew that we had named our youngest. Whereas it took six full baby name books to name Emily, it only took six names to name Alison.

I’m just glad we didn’t have a boy. I’m pretty sure he would have been named KFC Original Recipe Dark Meat Only.

Source: The Laurel Leader-Call

Fan Mail #37

2006-10-30T03:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Zen Angel:

Both found on www.growingfamily.com.

The first was born in Salisbury MD (near where I live) last month: Heaven Trinity-Amour. I vote we make a new category of BBN's: Hookers in Heaven.

The other was born in July on the Crow-Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana: Indian Wynter. This burns me right up. Are they planning on CALLING her Indian? As a form of ADDRESS?! As in "Hey, Indian, put down that sand pail and come eat your lunch!"? Obviously they ARE Indian living among other Indians so why make such a big deal out of it? Do you see Polish-Americans going around calling their kids Polish Summer? OR Russians with kids named Russian Raine?

And I've heard of Indian summer, but not Indian winter, and DEFINITELY not Wynter.

Sign me Snarling Starla (who is Cherokee herself and thinks it's just dumb when people name their kids Cherokee, especially since all the ones she knows of who've done it are only Cherokee where their butt hits the seat of their Jeep.)
___________

Dear Snarling Starla,

Being Qualla Cherokee myself...I can definately see what you mean!

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

Article: UK Baby Named After Chip Shop

2006-10-28T04:19:00.000-07:00

Baby named after chip shop

When it comes to naming new babies, many parents are influenced by relatives or favourite celebrities, but one Stockport tot has a more unusual namesake.

Eleven-month-old Taylor is named after her mum's favourite chip shop, which she visited every day during pregnancy to satisfy her cravings for chips and curry.

Clare Ricci, 21 of Bredbury was hooked on meals from Taylor's Fish and Chip Shop in Woodley throughout her pregnancy and so when her daughter was born, Clare and partner James Cormley decided there was only one name for her.

Ms Ricci said: "My mum kept saying the baby was going to end up looking like chips and curry. It's quite a story for Taylor to tell her kids and grandkids. My family and friends weren't surprised at our choice as they knew I lived off the chips."

As Taylor is now on solid foods, inevitably she has taken a liking to{hellip}mashed-up chips and curry!

Anne Wallace, proprietor of Taylor's said everyone who works at the shop is very flattered at the honour and added: "It's quite a thing to have a baby named after us. It's unbelievable. Taylor has been coming in and she's a lovely little thing. We may even give her a job when she's older!"

Unusual baby names are becoming increasingly popular, with many new parents taking influence from the likes of Brooklyn Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter Apple.

Urban myths of a baby named after Swedish furniture store Ikea turned out to be true and a jaundiced baby was named after yellow Tellytubby Laa Laa.

Source: Manchester Evening News

Britney's Baby: The Saga Continues!

2006-10-28T04:12:00.000-07:00

Most recent reports claim Britney Spears and husband Kevin Ferderline have named their baby son Jayden James, not Sutton Pierce as was earlier rumored. We'll keep you posted!

Strokes Guitarist Seeing Double!

2006-10-26T23:38:00.000-07:00

British celebrity Amanda de Cadenet, 34, and her rocker husband, Nick Valensi, 25, guitarist for the Strokes, welcomed a set of boy/girl twins in Los Angeles over the weekend. It is rumored that the names are Mitzi Nicholle and Viktor Jamison. The babies join older half sister Atlanta Noo, 14.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

Article: Nebraska Not Conservative with Baby Names

2006-10-26T23:32:00.000-07:00

Nebraska not conservative with names

The baby names flow in Nebraska from some creative fount. Take Aracely Ruby, born Thursday night at Saint Elizabeth.

From the beginning of her pregnancy, 20-year-old Victoria Lozoya knew that if her baby was born female, she would be Aracely.

Her sister, the newborn’s godmother, loved the name because she really likes the actress — Aracely Arambula — popular on Spanish channel soap operas.

Aracely, the actress, is beautiful, Lozoya said. Aracely Ruby is chunky, with black hair and fat cheeks.

She turns red when she cries.

Nebraska may have the reputation of conservative politics and values, but it’s more liberal and inventive with the baby names, said Cleveland Evans, associate professor of psychology at Bellevue University and highly quoted baby name expert.

Alaysia Sun Rose made her debut earlier this month at BryanLGH East, born to Mariea Pumel and Justin Britton.

“We wanted (a name) that stood out a little,” the father said.

The parents were thinking her name should be some derivative of Asia, since Mariea is Korean, he said.

Sun came from Mariea’s mother, Sunnam. And Rose, well, they just liked it.

The BryanLGH nurses confirm Nebraskans’ creative tendencies.

Fleetwood. Jaxzen. Krayton.

Ryder Rae Marie. Jastacia. Ciera.

And Nevaeh (heaven spelled backward).

But nursery attendant Luana Petsche has an all-time favorite.

Precious Loving Darling.

Petsche’s recommendations when deciding on a name: Stand in a room and yell it a few times. Say it with the middle name. And then see what the initials spell.

Daniel Ulysses Moore? DUM.

Bradley Allen Dinsmore? BAD.

Brianna Uma Matthews?

BUM-mer.

Source: The Journal Star

Contest: Name Rajnikanth's New Grandson!

2006-10-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2006

Megastar Rajnikanth became a proud grandfather when his daughter Aishwarya gave birth to a baby boy on October 10.

Now, the baby's name has not been finalised yet. But there's a lot of curiosity factor in Tamil Nadu, with radio stations holding contests to suggest names for the infant.

Now, wouldn't you love to have a chance to name the superstar's grandson yourself? Send in your choice of baby names, and lend Rajnikanth a helping hand. You never know, he might just take your pick!

Click here to name your choice!

Source: rediff.com

Fan Mail #36

2006-10-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

Seen posted on the Behind the Name Opinions board, it's very recent, as in this week I think:

Banjo Jackson

Jackson is his middle name. He joins a brother named Diesel. What are these boys, the Dukes of Hazzard, next generation?
xoxoxo Starla Roxanne
*******

Dear Starla,

Great. Now I can't get "Dueling Banjos" out of my head.

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

It's a Boy for Actress Kelly Rutherford

2006-10-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

Melrose Place actress Kelly Rutherford, 37, and her husband, Daniel Giersch, 32, welcomed their first child, baby boy Hermés Gustaf Daniel on Wed.

A great site with some funny commentary on this latest CELEBRITY BAD BABY NAME can be found on The Defamer.

Name Choices Bring Up Interesting Difference for Couple

2006-10-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

COLUMN: Name choices bring up interesting difference for couple

Every so often, Brian and I turn the conversation to baby names.

No, we're not planning on having one any time soon, but we still have fun talking about what we will name him or her -- whenever that day comes.

It's almost a game for us, I guess because the whole baby thing is theoretical right now and we can talk about names without having to figure how to pay for or take care of "Junior."

That will all change one day, but for now we're content with throwing out names during long car rides or late-night talks.

We discovered very quickly our tastes in baby names are quite different.

I like more traditional names, such as Jack, Jake and Ben. Brian likes names that have an unusual twist, such as Kristopher. (I assume because he wants his son to have to correct the spelling of his name his whole life.)

I think Brian gravitates toward the more unique names because he has a more common name. I lean more towards the traditional names because I am forever cursed with "Wizard of Oz" jokes about my name and I rarely meet another Dorothy who isn't the age of my grandmother, my namesake.

Don't get me wrong, Brian and I both love our names and each other's, but I think our preferences are shaped by our experiences with those names.

For girls names we agree on a few more, including Eleanor, Lauren and Samantha. But we also each like names that the other can't stand.

Often Brian will jokingly throw out a name that he would never consider using. That sometimes leads to problems, though, when he then throws out a name he is serious about and I think it's awful and laugh it off. And that usually leads to an angry exchange and quick end to the "game."

But we always return to the exercise, premature as it is, because it's fun to think about having that naming experience.

Chances are, when the time comes, Brian and I will have changed our minds about the names we're dead-set on now.

My mom claims that she didn't know what she was going to name me or my siblings until she actually saw us. I don't know if I believe that entirely, but it would be nice if our baby's identity becomes crystal clear when we see him or her for the first time.

If not, I told Brian we can fall back on my favorite character's name from Dr. Seuss' books: Oliver Boliver Butt ... Wallheimer.

Source: The Norwich Bulletin.

Fan Mail #35

2006-10-23T04:33:00.000-07:00

***REMOVED BY REQUEST OF AUTHOR***

The Baby Named Rumsfeld

2006-10-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

A great fictional story here about baby names and political climate:

The Brooklyn Rail: He Named His Son Rumsfeld

Top Baby Names in NYC for 2005

2006-10-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

Michael And Emily Top List Of Baby Names In NYC For 2005

For the girls, Emily still tops the list, followed by Ashley, Kayla, Sarah and Isabella.

For the boys, Michael is still number one, followed by Daniel, Joshua, David and Justin.

All the names on the top ten are familiar favorites, with the exception of two.

For the first time Rachel and Nicholas have made it onto the list, edging out Brianna and Ryan.

For the full list of list of 2005's most popular baby names, visit the city's website at www.nyc.gov.

Source: NY1

BAD BABY NAMES #39: Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

2006-10-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

BAD BABY NAMES #39

THE RUNNERS-UP:

Jollie
You know, every holiday season, some wiseacre is gonna sing, "Have a holly Jollie Christmas!" in her vicinity. You just know it.

Harsh
Wow...that IS Harsh.

Jacob-Thai
Hi, Jacob-Thai. I'm Zen Angel-Native American. Nicetameetcha.

Godiva
From the chocolates, or the naked horseback rider? You be the judge.

Le'land
I'm not sure what the parents were hoping to accomplish with this bit of APOSTROPHE ABUSE...but you really can't improve on a name like Leland. You really can't.

Nafia
A naming tip: if it rhymes with "mafia," probably not a good name to give a baby.

Kreekor
It's been awhile since we've seen a SCI-FI SYNDROME name on this blog. I guess the nerds just aren't procreating as much as they used to. I blame broadband.

Kylie Juniper
I can't help it; every time I see this middle name, I want to yell, "My juniper bushes! Those are my juniper bushes!" (Monty Python reference there)

Trinitie
There are bad CRE8IVE SPELLINGS...and then there's this name.

Rex
Look, people: if it's something you'd name your dog, DON'T USE IT FOR YOUR KID! And yes, this includes Fido and Muffy.

SECOND RUNNER-UP:

Zi'onnala'nelle

Just when I thought I'd seen the worst, the most tongue-twisting and heinous example of a MOUTHFUL/APOSTROPHE ABUSE combo name ever, someone comes along and steals the prize.

FIRST RUNNER-UP:

Ya'Majesty Zaiina

Another handy tip: don't take naming advice from Jermaine Jackson, the man who gave us JerMajesty. Changing the "J" to an "Y" and adding a little APOSTROPHE ABUSE does NOT make it an acceptable name. It makes it even worse...which, before now, I thought was impossible.

AND THE WINNER OF BAD BABY NAMES 39 IS....

Riot J. Thrasher

Oh...my...goodness. What can I say about this name, except: ZOINKS!

Please feel free to comment...

Sports Fan Names Child ESPN Montana

2006-10-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Sports Fan Names Child ESPN Montana

When Leann Real gave birth to a son this week, she knew she would have to follow through with her promise to her sports fan husband. She promised him that if they ever had a son, she would let him choose its name.

Her husband, Rusty Real, chose ESPN ( pronounced Espen) after the sports network and Montana after football legend Joe Montana. The baby was born this week at Biloxi Regional Medical Center.

"We were the talk of the hospital," Rusty Real said. "The nurses kept asking my wife if she was really going to let her husband name him ESPN. She said, 'Oh, yes.'"

Source: shortnews.com

Article: Top 10 Names of the 20th Century

2006-10-15T05:43:00.001-07:00

The mother of all baby names lists -- the top 10 baby names of the 20th Century. The top names from 1900-1999 in the United States, based on Social Security card applications for births in the United States. Top 10 boys' and top 10 girls' names.

(PRWEB) October 4, 2006 -- We often see "top lists" of baby names -- top ten of 2005, most popular of the decade -- and so on. Readers find these lists fascinating. Now, based on an analysis from the baby names website http://www.babynamesgarden.com comes the mother of all names lists: The Top 100 Baby Names Of The 20th Century (USA).

This fascinating list, based on Social Security card applications for births in the United States, determines and ranks the top 50 boys' names and the top 50 girls' names spanning the entire 20th century. It was compiled using the same methodology as used by the Social Security Administration in compiling their most popular names of the decade lists, i.e. by totaling the raw numbers. But in the analysis by Baby Names Garden, the time period studied is the entire 20th Century.

There are plenty of surprises: Donald in the # 13 all time spot; and Dorothy a top 10 girl's name, to name a couple. Plus, you'll see some fascinating trends such as the top 10 boys' names accounting for nearly 35 million names over the century, while the top 10 girls' account for only about 15 million names, clearly demonstrating the huge variety of girls' names versus boys' names, going back to 1900.

So what were the Top Baby Names of 20th Century?

1 James Mary
2 John Patricia
3 Robert Linda
4 Michael Barbara
5 William Jennifer
6 David Elizabeth
7 Richard Margaret
8 Joseph Susan
9 Charles Dorothy
10 Thomas Betty

You can see the numbers behind these rankings, plus the full list of top 50 boys' and top 50 girls' names of the 20th Century, at: http://www.babynamesgarden.com/decade.aspx

Source: prweb.com

Jade Jagger Speaks Out on Her Name & Her Daughter's

2006-10-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

What’s in a name?
By KEE HUA CHEE

The new breed of upper-class Brits tend to have exotic names like Jolly, Josh, Tara, Tamara, Zara, even India and China. Jade sounds very Chinese. And she was born in Paris. So how did she get the name?

“My mother couldn’t conceive for ages. Then Mum’s friend lent her a lustrous jade pendant to wear. True enough, I was conceived soon after, so mum named me Jade in honour of the precious stone. Too bad she had to give that jade back! I would love to wear it today!” says Jade Jagger.

If you think Jade is unusual, her second name is even more outrageous – Jezebel, who was a manipulator, liar, and murderess.

“Ah yes, can you guess who gave me that name?” she chuckles mischievously.

Sir Mick Jagger?

“Right! Dad gave me that name. Of course it’s kinky but he said I was such a naughty baby, he was convinced I was an incarnation of Jezebel. Well, that’s dad for you. I kinda like the name as you don’t bump into too many Jezebels walking down high street. I am going to open a disco in Ibiza named Jezebel which I think is the ultimate name for a cool club!"

She also has a project named Jezebel which fuses fashion with music through original recordings, remixes and unplugged sessions.

Growing up famous

Jade’s childhood was not exactly typical. Sure, her mother dressed her in designer Cacharel clothes but threw a blanket over her when nosey photographers were around.

“My parents explained they didn’t want my face seen for fear of kidnapping. I accepted it but it was unnerving to suddenly have the lights switched off just like that! I could be watching the ducks in the park or flowers and then whoosh, everything went black.

“Mum preferred me in pretty, demure and dull dresses so maybe that sparked the wild child in me!

“Dad was a liberal, open-minded and easy-going father and allowed me to be myself. I don’t remember him being stern. I didn’t see much of him as his career was really taking off and he was always doing concerts with The Rolling Stones.’’
Mick Jagger and Bianca divorced in 1980 and Jade lived with her mother in New York until age 14, when she was shipped off to the posh St Mary’s School, the all-girls boarding school in England.

A jadeite mum

AT 16, Jade had her first taste of the media when she was expelled from St Mary’s. The papers trumpeted how she ran away with her boyfriend Josh Astor (from the millionaire Astor clan) and hid in his London pad.

She sighs, “I snuck out, got caught and was thrown out of school. I didn’t do anything naughty but the tabloid-reading public expected me to do naughty things!’’

She insists she is a good mother.

“My daughters’ father is Piers Jackson. We never married and were together for about eight years. Assisi, 14, is named after St Francis of Assisi. I visited the cathedral in the town of Assisi, Italy where the saint was born. I was so captivated by its beauty, I vowed to name my firstborn Assisi.

“Amba, 11, is named after the Hindu goddess, an earth mother and a much beloved goddess. When she was born, she was so round and plump. She had a round face and body, and reminded me of Amba and fertility.

“We have five dogs so we are a big, happy family.”

The oft-asked question . . .

What is it like to be Mick Jagger’s daughter?

“I don’t know. You see, I have never been anyone else’s daughter.”

Bravo!

Source: The Star Online

Article: Biblical Names

2006-10-14T03:53:00.000-07:00

I ran across an article ("Finding Faith in Popular Culture"), and amongst other things, it mentions several unusual Biblical baby names:

Who loves you, baby? --Biblical names for babies are becoming popular among some Hollywood celebrities, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Consider these names of glitterati newborns:

Aaron, Robert DeNiro's son; Isaac, Annie Potts' boy; Delilah Belle, for Harry Hamlin's daughter. Oh, yes. Let's not forget (is it possible?) Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.

It seems that parents want names that have a "meaningful, spiritual" quality, says Judith Tropea, author of "Classic Biblical Baby Names."

So, if you want to avoid the oh-so-common Scriptural handles for your child, Tropea offers some less familiar ones:

For girls:

Damaris -- She listened to Paul preach in Athens.

Elisheba -- She was the wife of Moses' brother Aaron.

Kezia -- She was Job's second daughter.

For boys:

Aeneas -- A paralyzed man who was healed by Peter.

Nicanor -- He was an early disciple of the church in Jerusalem.

Zuriel -- He was a Levite ruler during the exodus from Egypt.

Clearly, parents don't want just any Tom, Dick or Sally for their children's names. (How about Shealtial?)

Read the whole article at: kansas.com

Fan Mail #34

2006-10-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

Hi, Zen Angel,

I spend a lot of time with elementary-school-aged children in a rural area
with fairly low average income, and situated quite close to a penitentiary.
Not saying this necessarily raises the rate of interesting names (fewer
status symbol names certainly), but... well, here are a few I've collected:

Rayvyn - Attack of the Ys and baby goth in one! Double your value!

Acaydya - Partly attack of the Ys, but also a historical globetrotter name -
Acadia was the name originally given to parts of Eastern Canada by early
settlers.

Jordynn (female) - Extra consonants are hott. Or something.

Drayven (male) - I have no idea.

Maggan - Let's try and find the least attractive spelling of 'Megan'
possible! It'll be fun!

Reggie-Dane (male)

Chantzlyn (female)

Bryley (male)

Bambreigh - Poor kid was nicknamed 'Bambi'. By her parents.

A couple names of older people I've run into:

Bryttynie - cashier at the grocery store

Pamie-Sue - girl I went to school with. No kidding.

Feel free to post,

~Chris

**********

Dear Chris,

Wow! Those are some really, really bad names. I think my favorite has to be Reggie-Dane. It sounds like some sort of mixed-breed canine.

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

Josh Turner Proud Daddy to New Son

2006-10-14T03:32:00.000-07:00

Country singer Josh Turner has had a great week! His song & video "Would You Go With Me" is #1, and his wife Jennifer gave birth to their first child, Hampton Otis, on October 6th.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

It's a Baby Boy for Model Linda Evangelista!

2006-10-14T03:27:00.000-07:00

Supermodel Linda Evangelista, 41, welcomeded a son. Augustin James Evangelista was born on October 11th.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

Article: Name Your Kids Creatively

2006-10-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Name your kids creatively
Zane Ecklund
Issue date: 10/6/06 Section: Opinion

The intended result of sex in the traditional sense is to produce offspring. Give or take nine months, baby comes sliding out of mom and the next step is to name the little sprout - a task few have enough fun with.

Now if an individual were to take a look at a list of popular baby names, one will certainly notice that a lot of these names come from the Bible. This is fine except for one teeny tiny little thing. If you do this you are plagiarizing God! If you think plagiarism gets you in trouble, wait until you die. This is a joke, so religious zealots please don't show up at my door with a lynch mob in tow. My point is people should be more creative when naming their kids. I mean, you cannot throw a rock into a crowd and not hit someone named Bob.

Probably the best way to make sure your kid is cool is to name them after Star Wars characters. Star Wars (the originals) are pretty much the best movies in the history of cinema.

A word of warning though, naming your kids after Star Wars characters needs to be done the right way. For example if you name them after Han Solo and your last name is Johnson, your kid cannot be Han Johnson. They will have to be named Han Solo Johnson. Include the full name, otherwise it won't be cool.

Another way to make sure your kid has a cool name is to take names from ancient Greek culture and mythology. Odysseus is a pretty cool name. Agamemnon is also a winner. I guarantee that when people meet your kid they will not forget him if his name is Agamemnon.

A good Greek name for women is Helen. Now this name is fairly common today, albeit for old ladies. Other names appropriate for the fairer sex are Athena and Aphrodite. However a word of warning is necessary for those of you who name your daughter Aphrodite. If she grows up and becomes a slut, people will point at her and yell, "How ironic!"

Something else that would make cool names for people are the names of capital cities. Now there are already some famous instances of this in today's culture. For example, the social tick and sex tape enthusiast Paris Hilton. However, no one wants their kid to be like Paris so I'll offer some better suggestions.

Name your kid Mogadishu. For those of you who are not geographically inclined, Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia. Damascus (the capital of Syria) would also make a cool name for your little one. The best city to be named after, though, would have to be Stockholm.

Speaking of Stockholm, maybe it would be best to just name your kids after all things Swedish ? except lutefisk. Sweden is a great place. It is not just any group of people who can make socialism work. Also the Vikings discovered North America, and were honored with an NFL team whose name is not insulting to the ethnic group.

Good names for sweet little Swedish girls are Pernilla, Svea and Agda. However if you're really lucky you'll have a boy. Nothing against having a daughter, but if you have a son you can name him Thor. In Norse mythology, Thor is the god of thunder.

In addition to being named after a god, it would be impossible to fail at life with this name. Even if you were a fat, disgusting middle-aged slug working at Burger King with wispy strands of hair clinging to your profusely sweating neck, you would be cooler than 99.9 percent of the population.

For all you expecting preggos out there who were having a hard time deciding what to name your little one, I hope this helps. I look forward to meeting all those little Admiral Ackbar Smiths and Agamemnons in the future.

Source: westerncourier.com

Fan Mail #33

2006-10-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

From some Florida birth announcements:

Cyreniti Deseree (a girl) I had to look at this for a minute before I figured out this is just a stupid stupid stupid way to spell Serenity.
B'Lovid Casod (a boy) Oh, my beloved casod! What in god's name is a casod? Or shouldn't I ask?

Plus, they listed some siblings for the new babies, and these included a boy named Touchdown and a pair (don't know which is which but I can guess) called Depina and Cleturs. Call me dirty-minded but don't those sound like somebody's attempt to make cute names out of body parts? What's next: Jenna Talia? No, forget I said that, somebody's probably already used that one.

Bomb Florida today!
Starla
______________

Dear Starla,

I fully expect to see a Jenna Talia any day now, lol.

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

Quiz: Celebrity Baby Names

2006-10-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Baby Names Quiz

Ten multiple-choice questions...a lot of fun!

Dear Annie...

2006-10-05T22:01:00.000-07:00

A mention of bad names in a column called "Dear Annie":

An-Knei, why can't parents spell?

Dear Annie: I read the letters about children with odd names. In my experience as a parent, daycare provider and educator, I've heard some doozies. But the spellings of names also can be embarrassing and cause the name to be endlessly mispronounced.

I knew a little girl named Jenuhfur and a boy named Jairohmee. I amuse myself reading the alumni journals from my kids' colleges and noting the most bizarre name for a new baby in each issue. I've seen Coal, Teggre, and the many variations on Aiden, Tjaden, Kaden, Rayden, Maydon, Graydon, Braden, Braydon and Braidyn. Lynn

Dear Lynn: Thanks. Surprisingly, we actually like most of those names, although a couple make you wonder what the parents were thinking. Fortunately, the increase in unusual names and spellings means such diversity will be better tolerated. And more tolerance is a good thing. Annie

Source: The Wilmington Star

Article: Parents in the UK Love Bad Names, Too!

2006-10-05T04:07:00.000-07:00

Parents put Kofi, Spike and Blade on list of baby names
29.09.06

Kofi, Spike and Blade will be among the pupils arriving at primary schools in four years time, new research reveals.

The secretary general of the United Nations, a reformed blood-sucker and a crime-fighting vampire have apparently influenced parents' choice of names for their offspring.

They have been highlighted by Bounty, an organisation which supports new parents and mothers-to-be and compiles lists of the most popular baby names.

It studied the details of about 380,000 babies born in the last year and discovered a crop of new names, according to the Times Educational Supplement.

For the first time, six boys have been named Blade, possibly after the vampire-fighting film character played by actor Wesley Snipes.

Some 22 have been named Spike, an undead character from the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fourteen boys were named Kofi which could be in honour of the UN's secretary general.

It is unclear whether the 94 Mylos are a misspelling of Milo or a deliberate homage to the dance music artist and DJ.

Girls have also gained their fair share of unusual first names including Kiki, Bronte, Luna and the unpronounceable Fds (correct)

Some old-fashioned names are making a comeback such as Lucien, Clementine and Bernadette.

However the most popular girls' names remain Jessica, Grace, Olivia and Emily and for boys they are Jack, Joshua, Thomas and Harry.

Simon Williamson, managing director of Bounty, said: "Celebrities, films and TV programmes are often the inspiration behind trends in newsworthy names.

"However over 90 per cent of parents still choose from the top 100 popular names in Bounty's annual Baby Name Poll of 380,000 babies.

"It's no surprise that Jack and Jessica are the top names for boys and girls so far this year reflecting the fact traditional names have an enduring appeal."

Bounty, the UK's largest parenting club, delivers guides and support packs to pregnant women and mothers of newborn babies.

TOP TEN BOYS' NAMES

Jack, Joshua, Thomas, Harry, James, Charlie, Oliver, Callum, Daniel, William.

TOP TEN GIRLS' NAMES

Jessica, Grace, Olivia, Emily, Ruby, Sophie, Chloe, Lucy, Katie, Ellie.

TOP TEN MOST UNUSUAL NAMES

Mylos, Kofi, Franco, Spike, Blade, Fds, Kiki, Bronte, Luna, Cadence.

Source: thisislondon.co.uk/

A Son for Orioles' Kevin Millar

2006-10-05T04:01:00.000-07:00

Kevin Millar, the first baseman and a designated hitter for the Baltimore Orioles, and his wife, Jeanna, welcomed their son, Kanyon Edward, on Sept. 25. The couple also have 16-month-old twins Kylie Faith and Kashton Charles.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

Article: Baby Name Roulette

2006-10-05T03:51:00.000-07:00

Baby name roulette
by Lucky Tomaszek

“It’s nice to meet you, Samantha. I’m Lucky… Lucky... Yes, it’s my real name… Yes, it’s very unique… You feel ‘lucky’ to meet me? That’s a good one, I’ve never heard that before…”

The quote above is my side of a conversation I have almost daily. As an adult, the name Lucky isn’t so bad, but in seventh grade it was a nightmare. Back in 1972 my mom and dad desperately wanted puppies, but instead they ended up with me. As a result, I’ve been making the same jokes and excuses for my name for as long as I can remember.

I’m not writing this to offend my parents (both of whom read my column loyally), but to entreat anyone who will be baby-naming in the future to think about the choice you’ll be making. Naming is a sacred thing, one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. It will affect the person your child becomes for his or her whole life.

The legal side of things

In Chihuahua, Mexico, they have recently passed a law insisting that parents give their children “an appropriate Spanish name.” Also, trying to fancy up a normal name with an unusual spelling will no longer be allowed. The government insists the purpose of this new law is to protect children “from a lifetime of ridicule and legal troubles.”

Here in Wisconsin, you won’t encounter anything like that. We have the right to name our babies anything we like. Additionally, you don’t need to give in to pressure from friends, family or well-meaning hospital staff to name your baby within 48 hours. By law, you have up to a year to name your baby. Your birth certificate can be filed without one and amended later. As an interesting point of fact, you can also change your baby’s name (for free) anytime in the first year if you realize you’ve made a terrible mistake.

So many names, so little time

If you type “baby names” into any Internet search engine, you will find hundreds of sites. Some are simply lists of names, while others focus on name meanings, traditional ethnic names and how astrology should play a role in your decision. It’s a little overwhelming. I recommend going to the library or book store and paging through actual books.

Linda Rozenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran have written two very good ones. The first, Beyond Jason and Jennifer, Madison and Montana, is a pretty weighty volume with more than 400 pages discussing name meanings, spiritual history and people’s perceptions of a name. Their other book, Cool Names for Baby, is a much smaller collection of lists of names, organized in categories like Literary Names, Old Lady Cool Names and Names No One May Be Cool Enough For.

I have also enjoyed the books that spoof traditional baby name books. One of the all-time classics, Don’t Name Your Baby (What’s Wrong With Every Name in the Book) by David Narter, tells it like it is while making an excellent piece of reference material as you’re narrowing down your choices. Think perhaps you’ve finally found the prefect name? Think again.

“Josie: You say Josie, the world thinks hot pants and pussy cats,”

“Oliver: Insurance rates run higher for Olivers since they are more likely to get beat up.”

Sometimes even with the aid of the Internet and several good books, a name is hard to find and harder to agree on. A good friend of mine told me how she and her husband picked the names for all six of their children. They divided a piece of paper into a boy’s side and a girl’s side. Both had the right to add any name they liked, and both had the right to cross any name that simply couldn’t be tolerated. No fuss, no muss, no questions asked. At the end of nine months, they had a small collection of names they both liked. They would spend a few days getting to know their new baby and then agree on a name.

Will they like it? Who counts and who doesn’t

You and your partner have poured over the books, looked through magazines, made the list and checked it twice. You’ve found THE name. It might be the best name EVER. Don’t tell other people until you’ve put it in writing! Because here’s the thing, your friends and family (especially your family) are going to have very strong feelings about it. And they’re going to share those opinions with you. With brutal honesty. Take this actual conversation (July 1995):

“I think we’ve finally picked a name for the baby.”

“It’s about time. She’s two days old. Who is she going to be, then?”

“We’re thinking of calling her Laura Rose for Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder. This name really speaks to me. I really like it.”

“Laura Rose? Really? Laura Rose?”

“Yes, really. Why, Mom? What’s wrong with it?”

“Sounds like a country and western singer. I think you could do better for my first grandchild.”

We didn’t call her Laura Rose. We chose Lena Anne instead. It’s a good name and it suits her. But it wasn’t my first choice. As I said, keep it to yourself until it’s been inked on to the birth certificate.

In the end…

The most important thing to remember is that the name should suit your baby, but not be a cause of future pain. Try rhyming it with a few other words to make sure it’s safe (hint: Lucky Ducky Plucky *ucky – Oops!). If it’s a moniker you and your partner agree on, and one that won’t hinder your baby as the years pass, you’ve done well.

Source: Vital Source Magazine

Fan Mail #32

2006-09-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

I just LOVE your site. I read every update, and each time I read one I am torn between laughing, crying and throwing chairs throught windows at the idiocy of some parents. It's no darn wonder kids are supposed to be so screwed up, if they have parents who think some of those names are cute.

Here's a few names for you, culled from birth announcements and found on the Behind the Name bessage boards.

Jezebella Amor (My comment, when I saw that one, was "Does she work in one of those legal whorehouses in Nevada?")
Race Shane
Stone Eric
Heaven Dust: This one really made me mad. Sounds like the parents were on angel dust. Or else liked the band or the lawn product Sevendust.
Frankie Billy Bam-Bam: I wish I was making it all up but I'm not. Some poor kid actually got saddled with it. "All rise for Judge Frankie Billy Bam-Bam McAllister." Nope, I can't see it either.

ANd here's a few names I found in perusing true-crime and missing-persons websites. (I know it's morbid and heartless, but those places are GOLD MINES for bad names.)

Starvetta Monique
Misty Blu
My Little Darling (a young woman with mental health issues who ran off. Gee, I wonder why?)
Love Life Georgia Belle: on a list of people who died at Jonestown. If she went by just Love, it's even worse because her surname was Lowe.
Chica and Little One: a pair of Branch Davidian twins. Very funny once you realize that Chica, in Spanish means, Little Girl. Little Girl and Little One. Some gender confusion there? Other BD people were named Hollywood, Startle and Serenity Sea, which sounds like a feminine hygiene product you can wear while swimming in the ocean.
Adymn: supposed to be Adam, I guess.
Khymbrly: Vanna, can I buy a vowel? Or two?
Malice: This guy was named Malice Green and became famous after he was beaten to death by two Detroit cops as he resisted arrest. He had a rap sheet a mile and a half long. How surprising, who would think a Malice would ever cause trouble?
Sweet Jessica
Angelnetta
Jakeob: So we'll be SURE to know how to say it? Like this: Jayk-ee-ob?
A judge named William Justice. Elevated to the high court so now he was Justice Justice. I am not making this up.
Sea-Nial. As in senile.
Destiny Dyamond Rose
Jeravious
Dontaneous: last name should have been Dombustion.

And read about a porn star whose stage name is Ava Vincent. Her birth name is Jewelliette. Looks to me like she had the right name at the start and didn't need to go changing it.
Oh and I grew up in Oklahoma and there knew people called Dantz Hall, Velvet Couch, and Waco Joe Diffendaffer. Also,a prominent Oklahoma attorney whose name is often in the news is Larry Derryberry.

You keep up the great work, we need sites like yours.

Sign me,
Starla Roxanne
(Yes, I know Starla is a redneck/stripper name, I've heard it all before. To make it worse, my mother chose Roxanne after the Police song. About the guy trying to persuade his prostitute girlfriend to become an honest woman with him.)
_________________

Dear Starla Roxanne,

What a treasure trove of bad names you've emailed me! Many thanks...and groans!

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

A Shout-Out for Bad Baby Names Blog!

2006-09-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

In the August 21 entry of the Mazurland Blog, entitled "Rules For Naming Your Kid," the Blogmaster there gives a link and a shout-out for Bad Baby Names! Thank you, Mazurland Blog!

Second Child for Cubs Outfielder Jones

2006-09-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Chicago Cubs outfielder Jacque Jones is a proud papa once more. His wife, Krista, gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Jourdyn Nyla, on Sept. 21. Jacque has an eight-year-old son, Jacque Jr., from a previous relationship.

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog

Nikka Costa Welcomes New Baby Girl

2006-09-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

Singer Nikka Costa and her husband and songwriter partner of 14 years, Justin Stanley, recently welcomed a baby girl...who is reportedly named Sugar. We'll keep you updated!

UPDATE: The name has been confirmed! Sugar McQueen Stanley. Thanks to Celebrity Baby Blog!

Fan Mail #31

2006-09-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

My fiance works with a woman whose grandaughter is named Felony. This baby's dad is always in trouble with the law. The grandmother has joked about the baby being named after her father.

******

Wow, that really is a bad one. I wonder what Felony's sister would be named, Miss Demeanor?

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

Response to an Email

2006-09-22T04:38:00.000-07:00

I received the following email (which was also posted here as a comment). Although I have sent the sender a personal email in response, I also felt that it should be addressed here, in this forum.

Here is the email:

I lost a baby at 2 days old in March of 2002, I named her Nevaeh Dawn, which to me is not heavens spelled backwards, but her name signified Heaven's Light...Nevaeh meaning Heaven and Dawn meaning Light...I was stunned that you had not put into perspective those of us who have lost children with these names, and while you may not like these names for whatever reason, it may be a little nicer if you would put a footnote or something with an apology for anyone who was offended....you may have one, I didnt look, but I just wanted to state my opinion about my own personal attachment to the name Nevaeh, and the beauty I find in it, and hope that you will understand that there are a few of us out there who actually take the time to name our children by circumstances in our lives....that name means something of greatness to me....my daughter will forever be Heaven's Light in my eyes and in my heart!
Thank you for your time....
Sincerely,
Angel Baby Nevaeh Dawn's Mommy - Trina
12:04 PM
I posted this on the site, but thought I would send it directly just to make sure you got it....with all respect this is just the opinion of a mommy that misses her baby:(

-----------------------

Trina: I am very sorry for your loss. I cannot even begin to imagine your pain.

Having said that, there are some points in your email I think should be addressed:

Yes, there is a disclaimer. A link to it can be found on the right-hand side of this page. It is called "Guide to Bad Baby Names."

In that disclaimer, I write:

"All babies are precious, beautiful and gifts from God. My entries here in no way reflect on the actual child themselves...only on the names. All babies are gorgeous, all deserving of love and all created equal...all baby names, however, are not. These names are bad by my opinion only---feel free to agree or disagree. Bad baby names are often in the eye of the beholder!"

I do appreciate that every name--good and bad--is chosen by the parents for a reason, and in most cases, a great deal of thought went into the choosing. Often, there are very personal reasons why a name has been chosen for a child. As I said above, bad names are in the eye of the beholder. All three of my children's names (which I chose for good reasons, and find beautiful) can be found on other bad baby names websites, most notably Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing (link to the right).

To the best of my knowledge, that site does not have an apology footnote...and neither does mine. This site reflects only my own opinions, and I won't apologize for having them nor for expressing them.

The names I write about on this blog are not personal statements or attacks against any parent or any child. They are commentary on the names alone, and my own opinion of them. It is meant only for humor purposes, and for the purposes of showing current naming trends in North America. That is the spirit in which this site must be taken.

I do understand that many people have strong feelings connected with a name. I have them myself. It is not, nor ever was, my intention to disparage anyone's connection with any name...only to give my own opinion on the name itself.

And finally, to Trina: thank you for your email (and for sending it, as you are right about my missing comments from time to time). I think the power of a connection between a person and a name cannot be denied, and I am glad you shared your connection with me. May God bless you and yours.

---Zen Angel

Another Coldplay Baby!

2006-09-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

It's another Coldplay birth! Guy Berryman, bassist for the band, and his wife Jo welcomed their first child, daughter, Nico, on 09/17.

Another Coldplay babies include Ava Champion (daughter of drummer Will), and Apple and Moses Martin (children of pianist/singer Chris and Gwyneth Paltrow).

Source: Celebrity Baby Blog Edited by request of Celebrity Baby Blog.

Article: Old Testament a Big Draw in Name Game

2006-09-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Old Testament a big draw in name game

Gwyneth Paltrow went back to the Old Testament when naming her newborn child Moses. Both big screen stars and B.C. parents are bequeathing the same legacy on their new babies, and it doesn't cost a cent: names that originated in the Old Testament.

While Mackenzie and Connor are all very well for some parents, the Hollywood A-list likes to go way back.

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Moses Paltrow-Martin are among the latest additions to the rolls of Scripture-based baby monikers that date back thousands of years.

In B.C., six of the top 10 names for boys in 2005 had Hebraic roots. It's a fact that Victoria Rabbi Meir Kaplan finds "fascinating,'' even if he's not convinced the parents had much awareness of their historic significance.

The Top 10 boys names in B.C. include Ethan at No. 1 (292) Joshua at No. 2 (265 plus 13 Joshes), Matthew No. 3 (241), Jacob at No. 4 (222 plus 56 Jakes and 33 Jakobs), Nathan at No. 5 (206 plus 15 Nates) and Noah at No. 10 (179).

Other popular boys' names of Hebrew origin are Daniel (174) Benjamin (172), Samuel (142), Zachary (116) and Adam (101). Calebs, Isaacs and Elijahs also abounded. Even Soloman got the nod in 13 families.

For B.C. girls, Old Testament names accounted for two in the Top 10 list collected by B.C. Vital Stats. Hannah placed fourth (189 plus 19 Hannas) and Sarah landed at No. 7 (160 plus 64 Saras).

Kaplan finds it "a very positive thing'' that parents popularize the names of heroes of Hebrew history dedicated to the welfare of their people, especially when compared to some of the heroes of today.

When a major movie star calls her child Moses, it could motivate others to look up to the original. "There are some people that everyone should look up to,'' Kaplan notes.

Judith Tropea, author of Classic Biblical Baby Names, says she thinks the trend toward Old Testament names shows that parents want names that are "meaningful, spiritual and have lasted through the course of time."

The New Jersey resident is expecting her third son and considering Noah as his name. Her first two sons are called Matthew and Daniel.

While modern parents can and do call their kids just about any name, it's not so simple for Jewish parents. They must consider more than just the sound of the name before bestowing it. "When they give the name to the child, it's like a spark of prophecy,'' Kaplan explains. "The Hebrew name of a child expresses the essence of the person.''

That's why if someone becomes very ill, parents might add a name or change the birth name. "All the life forces for a person go through his name, which is why a name in Jewish history and Jewish tradition is an extremely important thing.''

- - -

BEYOND JOSHUA

Judith Tropea, author of Classical Biblical Baby Names, offers some suggestions that go way beyond the obvious in scriptural appellations.

For girls:

- Damaris: a woman who listened to Paul as he preached about Jesus in Athens.

- Elisheba: wife of Moses' brother Aaron.

- Kezia: Job's second daughter.

- Tirzah: the youngest of five sisters who protested Moses' division of Canaan based on sons. God agreed with the girls.

- Zipporah: given to Moses as a wife.

For boys:

- Aeneas: a paralyzed man healed by Peter in the name of Jesus.

- Gaius: a popular name among Christians in Rome.

- Nicanor: an early disciple of the church in Jerusalem.

- Othniel: the first judge of Israel after Joshua's death.

- Zuriel: a Levite ruler during the exodus from Egypt.

Source: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/

Article: Top Baby Names of the Decade (So Far)

2006-09-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Top Baby Names of the Decade -- So Far!
By Deirdre Byrne

Top 5 Names of the Last 5 Years

As the first half of the 2000s comes to a close, AmericanBaby.com has compiled the top baby name trends that'll carry us through the rest of the decade. So whether you're picking the perfect name for your baby -- or just having fun -- check out these baby-naming facts.

Most Popular Names

What do the names Michael, Matthew, Christopher, Jacob, and Joshua have in common? In the U.S., they are the top five boys' names of the last five years. So what have we learned? For top names, consistency is key and little variation has occurred. For girls, Ashley, Emily, Samantha, Hannah, and Elizabeth show staying power.

All this name information was obtained from the Social Security Administration; since 1879, they have been tracking card applications for births that occurred in the United States. The most recent data is from records on Social Security card applications as of the end of February 2005.

On the List, Off the List

We're sad to see them go, but these are the names that have slowly descended the popularity list: Robert, Kyle, Kevin, Courtney, Nicole, and Victoria. Look out for these current favorites to remain on the charts:

Boys
Andrew
Daniel
Ethan

Girls
Emma
Isabella
Madison

Names to Watch

So, which baby names have the best chance of cracking the top 10? We're predicting that based on their growth in popularity since 2000, these names will top the charts:

Ava: Has flown from the 39th position in 2003 to the 25th position in 2004. With such steady growth, the top 10 is not far from sight. Famous people with this name: Ava Gardner and Reese Witherspoon's daughter Ava Grace.

Grace: Has shown continual growth since its introduction in 2000 to the top 20 list. In 2004, Grace maintained the #13 slot. Famous people with this name: Grace Kelly and Grace Jones.

Nicholas: A former top 10 boy's name of choice for eight out of the last 10 years, Nicholas maintained the #13 spot in 2004. Because of its flip-flopping tendencies, it is a name to watch. Famous people with this name: Nicolas Cage and Nick Lachey.

Changing Spaces & A Matter of State

Flip-Floppers

The following names have pulled a "switcheroo," changing places from the top 10 into the top 20, and sometimes back again. The trend indicates there may not be such a big difference between the top 10 names and the top 20 names. Nonetheless, it takes some fighting to stay in the top 10 when other names are vying for the spots. These names have been on the move in the last five years:

Anthony: Rose from the lower half of the top 20 to temporarily find a home at #10 in 2003, only to be dropped back to #11 in 2004.

Daniel: Dropped from #10 to #11 in 1996, but resurfaced in 1999 at #10.

William: Jumped into the top 10 in 2001, only to be dropped down to the #11 spot in 2002. William did, however, make a comeback in 2004 at #8.

Elizabeth: A usual favorite in the top 10, Elizabeth was booted in 2002 and landed in the #11 spot, only to push back into the top 10 in 2003 to secure the #9 spot.

Rachel: The ride into the top 10 in 1996 with a place at #9 was a short-lived victory, because in 1997, Rachel dropped to #13.

A Matter of State

Each state maintains its own personality and level of distinction from the other 49, but surprisingly, the list of 2004's top five baby names from each state showed little difference. The tried-and-true favorites win out, but unique names have been spotted in various regions across the country:

Boys

Jose -- #1 in Texas
Hunter -- #2 in Wyoming
Noah -- #2 in Hawaii
Angel -- #5 in Arizona
Isaiah -- #5 in New Mexico

Girls

Caroline -- #5 in District of Columbia
Chloe -- #5 in Hawaii

Celebrity Babies & Biblical Names

Star Babies

Where do the trendy baby names of the stars rank? Relative to the nation's top 10 baby names list, you may be surprised to see that what is popular among the rich and famous is not necessarily what is most popular among the masses in 2004. Why do stars go to so much trouble to find such original, creative names for their little ones? Well, once we hear these names, we rarely forget them -- and that may be just the point.

Boys

Jack -- #41; son of Val Kilmer
Sean -- #65; son of Britney Spears
Jaden -- #83; son of Will Smith

Girls

Ella -- #29; daughter of John Travolta
Lily -- #52; daughter of Johnny Depp
Lola -- #523; daughter of Kelly Ripa

O, Holy Name

Where did that name come from? That's a common question among expectant parents when thinking of the name that may define their child. If the most popular names of the past several decades are any indication, we've noticed that expectant parents seek name inspiration from the Bible. Perhaps the recent biblical preoccupation isn't so surprising, given the recent national obsessions with books like The Da Vinci Code and dialogues about intelligent design and "holiday trees." But truth be told, biblical names have never really gone out of style. These top 10 names exhibit the biblical name trend:

Boys

Christopher -- Greek for "Christ-bearer"
Jacob -- Hebrew for "supplanter"
Joshua -- Hebrew for "Jehovah saves"
Matthew -- Hebrew for "gift of the Lord"
Michael -- Hebrew for "who is like the Lord"

Girls

Elizabeth -- Hebrew for "oath of God"
Hannah -- Hebrew for "graceful"

At the End of the Decade...

Tried and True

These are the names you hear wherever you go -- in the store, at the park, at the doctor's office, and at family reunions. It is no coincidence that the majority of top five boys and girls names of the last five years are among America's favorites. These names have not budged from their top 10 thrones for over 20 years. Clearly, these names have stood the test of time and we predict that they will top the charts in 2010:

Boys

Christopher
Jacob
Joshua
Matthew
Michael

Girls

Ashley
Emily
Hannah
Samantha

Source: americanbaby.com (there are TONS more to read about baby names on this site--check it out!)

Britney's Son: Sutton Pierce Federline

2006-09-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

New parents Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have named their new baby boy Sutton Pierce Federline, reportedly because the pop princess wants him to have the same initials as his brother Sean Preston.

Source: insideonline.com

Article: What's in a (Celebrity) Baby Name?

2006-09-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

What's in a (Celebrity) Baby Name?

While a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, would an Apple, a Moses or a Shiloh?

And is there some gene or DNA mutation once your face lives on celluloid that says your child can't be a Jennifer or a Michael?

But perhaps if your kid's name will pepper the pages of People for as long as there is a Brangelina or a TomKat or the next such celeb couple combo, then it better be a catchy appellation.

Celebrities have been bestowing unusual names on their offspring as far back as the 1967 birth of Frank Zappa's daughter Moon Unit Zappa.

But what should you do when considering a name? Do you opt for a Glimmer or Davidina or Papaya?

Let's look at what the celebrity babies' names mean first.

Gwyneth Paltrow's name choices - Apple and Moses - have biblical connotations with Apple hearkening back to the Garden of Eden and perhaps the flight from it, as Paltrow herself has fled life in Hollywood, says Stacy DeBroff, a national parenting author and founder of Momcentral.com

Then there's Geri Halliwell of former Spice Girls fame who chose Bluebell Madonna for her daughter, homage to flowers and the pop icon. Donald Trump opted for Barron and there's no secret as to what his expectations are for his new son. Penn Jilllette of Penn & Teller chose Zolten, a Hungarian name, for his new son, who may follow in his father's footsteps with a name like that.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes selected Suri for their girl and the duo claims it means "princess" in Hebrew, though scholars disagree, DeBroff says. "Courteney Cox and David Arquette evoked their traditional-meets-quirky dynamic with baby CoCo, a derivative of Courteney's name. And by naming her twins Phinnaeus and Hazel, Julia Roberts proclaimed that she is old-world and classic... maybe a little too classic," DeBroff says.

C'mon. Hazel?

Then there's the baby of the hour and the year. Shiloh.

The name that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie chose for their new daughter refers to both a sacred village in the Bible that was a meeting place and sanctuary and also to the Civil War Battle of Shiloh in 1862 that resulted in 10,000 casualties. So not all associations are good.

But what about normal people? Do we opt for funky names such as Jehosaphat, Tadpole or Katmandu? Celebrities can get away with it, but probably not every day Jills and Joes.

Names that are unique but not too over-the-top, says author Dianne Sttaford, are ones like Ryan or Gavin (both sexes), Mason, Shae, Gaynor, Ever, Dare, Chafin, Gallaine, Kane, Romano, Dorsey, Baird, Brennan, Tyce and Dane.

Stafford, who wrote "50,001 Best Baby Names" and "The Ultimate Baby Names Book," advises parents to think about whether the child will like the name in preschool, high school and the nursing home. "A girl named Meadow and a boy named Crow may not be comfortable lifelong with that name. And does a boy named Crash have a future in Donald Trump's boardroom?" she says.

Choosing a name is especially important as some research suggests that kids with odd names get more taunting from peers and are less well socialized, Stafford says. "On the other hand, uncommon names attract attention and can set people apart from others in a positive way."

She says to keep the following in mind when selecting names.

*How does it sound with your last name?
*Is it too cumbersome or pretentious?
*Keep your name ideas close to the vest.
*Choose one you like as a couple.
*Think twice when considering family names like Mortimer or Ethel.
*Avoid the confusion spawned by a namesake and give your baby his or her own name.
*Look at the initials the names will create.

According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular names for boys in 2005 were Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Ethan, Andrew, Daniel, Anthony, Christopher and Joseph. For girls the names were Emily, Emma, Madison, Abigail, Olivia, Isabella, Hannah, Samantha, Ava and Ashley.

You can look up popular names at http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ and the frequency of names at http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/namesearch.html

Happy baby naming!

Source: kvoa.com

BAD BABY NAMES 38: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice?

2006-09-13T03:56:00.000-07:00

BAD BABY NAMES 38

THE RUNNERS-UP:

Jewelia
This is the first CRE8IVE SPELLING of Julia that I think I've ever seen. Could've done without it.

Danareea
I don't know how many times I have to say this folks, though it should be fairly self-evident: when a name rhymes with "diarrhea," you're just asking for trouble.

Tribiani
Am I wrong, or wasn't this Joey's last name on Friends???

Stoni
These parents definately were.

Madrid
Add this to the ever-lengthening list of GLOBETROTTER names.

Creed
Someday, this kid will learn what a lame band Creed was...and have a lot of teen angst as a result.

Mahalkshmi
No BBN list is complete without at least one MOUTHFUL name! Enjoy.

Colt
As in the baby horse, or the gun? Either way it's a big nay. Or neigh.

Toffany
Why toffee and baby name books don't mix.

La Curtis Da Rikus
Try saying THAT one five times fast. I dare ya.

SECOND RUNNER-UP:

Silencia
It sounds like a wonder drug for parents: "Baby has colic? Try new Silencia, and screamies go bye-bye in a flash!"

FIRST RUNNER-UP:

Harlequin
Let's just hope "Romance" isn't his middle name.

AND THE WINNER OF BAD BABY NAMES 38 IS....

Cinnamon

I don't know which was worse: finding out someone actually named their baby Cinnamon, or reading the comments and finding out that she's got a sister named Honnee.

Feel free to comment....

Article: Finding Exotic and Unique Baby Names

2006-09-13T03:48:00.000-07:00

Unusual Baby Boy Names - Finding Exotic and Unique Baby Names

Unusual baby boy names and finding exotic and unique baby names can be loads of fun! Rather than giving your baby boy a name like Jacob, John or Harry -- you'd prefer him have one of the more exotic and unique baby names.

There are several ways to find unusual baby boy names. Here are some suggestions:

1. Start with the most popular names being given to baby boys. For parents living in the USA, you can easily find this kind of information by visiting the Social Security Administration's website (click on the link at the bottom of this page to go to the direct link to the SSA baby names search). See which names that are popular are also unusual baby boy names. You can view the most popular names for the past year, boy names given since the year 2000 or by decade in the previous century. It may surprise you how many exotic and unique baby names you can find this way.

2. Look at your own family names and see if using any name combinations create unusual baby names you like. Ask other family members for their suggestions, even invite your friends to give you their opinions. Does a relative have names you like? Do be careful if the names are already used. Ask other family members to be sure your favorite unusual baby names are not given to relatives. It can become confusing in families when two people have the same names.

3. Consider the unusual baby boy names used in the classics. Literary classics are a great source of exotic and unique baby names. Be careful when considering modern names used by this year's top male movie stars. Will that popular actor still be in the headlines 3, 5, 10 or more years from now? By using the classics for possible names, you know that these names have withstood the test of time.

4. Visit your local library or bookstore and browse the pregnancy and parenting sections. You will likely find several books in various price ranges that provide you with many unusual baby boy names to consider.

5. Search for exotic and unique baby names online. There are many baby websites with listings and resources for baby names.

Remember, your child's names will be used their entire life, so think how their names will sound and feel once they are grown. Don't let the joy of their infancy cause you to give them a name that they won't be proud of once they are older. Stay away from funny names. Choose his name carefully, a name that will have meaning and significance to you and your child.

Have fun and enjoy viewing and choosing your child's names. Provide them with unusual baby boy names that will add to their success and happiness in life. Take your time and find names you truly love. You will find at some point, there is no doubt about what your new baby boy names will be. When it happens -- congratulations! Enjoy and celebrate the moment. You'll know it was worth every minute spent looking for unusual baby boy names for that unique and very special person.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Britney's Baby Name

2006-09-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

"This week in asinine baby names: Britney is going to name her new daughter Jailynn, which is a composite of her parents's names Jamie and Lynn. I guess we just have to be thankful that their names aren't Troy and Ashley."

---Malene Arpe, The Toronto Star

BBN News: Picking a "P" Name

2006-09-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

Funny article from St. Louis Today:

Offering some great, though misunderstood, names for a baby By John Sonderegger, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 09/10/2006

Top Odd Baby Names

2006-09-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

TOP ODD BABY NAMES
according to catalogs.com

Odd baby boy names:

Fisher
Fidel
Bronson
Treyton
Cristofer
Cordell
Jamarcus
Guy
Destin
Campbell
Tre
Rahul
Rey
Jarod
Trevin
Reilly
Nash
Jeramiah
Jarvis
Darrin
Darin
Cornelius
Broderick
Trevion
Rishi
Immanuel
Yusuf
Niko
Kason
Jayvon
Zaire
Trever
Samson
Raymundo
Kerry
Fletcher
Efren
Dimitri
Andreas
Zaid
Truman
Trenten
Tayshaun
Haiden
Elvin
Barry
Jamel
Chaim
Branson
Kevon

Odd baby girl names:

Johana
Darlene
Chase
Carli
Samira
Lisette
Heidy
Drew
Carson
Alexandrea
Alex
Estefania
Yessenia
Selina
Jalynn
Arlene
Shirley
Kalyn
Dania
Christa
Averie
Yaritza
Roxana
Kaci
Dianna
Kourtney
Ericka
Angeles
Sydni
Dasia
Chana
Lorelei
Lexus
Delia
Zariah
Taya
Robyn
Robin
Jaylen
Jana
Gwyneth
Citlali
Anabel
Sydnie
Riya
Jazmyne
Ashtyn
Tamya
Melisa
Janiah

Source: Catalogs.com Discovery Center.

BBN News: Baby Names Get Bizarre

2006-09-09T03:06:00.000-07:00

Baby names get bizarre
By VIRGINIA ROHAN
STAFF WRITER

Let's pretend we're at Hollywood High, circa 2023 -- and pity the poor teacher who's taking attendance.

Apple? Banjo? Coco? Shiloh Nouvel? Suri? Pilot Inspektor? Kal-el? Moxie CrimeFighter?

Wait a minute. Is this a classroom or a superhero convention?

As you've no doubt noticed, for the rich and famous these days, naming babies has become an exercise in creativity. Or is it a competitive sport -- a great, big "Can you top this" contest?

Once upon a time, most stars gave their kids nice, down-to-earth names. Bing Crosby christened his children Gary, Phillip, Lindsay, Dennis, Harry, Nathaniel and Mary. Princess Grace (Kelly) had Albert, Caroline and Stephanie. Even eight-time bride Elizabeth Taylor, who had no problem flaunting convention, named her kids Michael, Christopher, Liza and Maria.

Nowadays, there's not a John or Mary in the (Malibu beach) house.

What's the harm, some ask? Even Shakespeare famously asked, "What's in a name?"

Others focus on the larger challenges a celebrity kid will face.

If, for example, millions of people saw your dad declare his love for your mom while jumping up and down on Oprah Winfrey's couch, it's a safe bet that the name on your birth certificate will not be your biggest problem in life.

In fact, little Suri Cruise -- infant daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes -- actually has one of the more normal-sounding of the celebrity-baby names.

Consider the other members of that aforementioned class: Moxie CrimeFighter (daughter of Penn Jillette); Apple Blythe Alison (daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay's Chris Martin); Banjo Taylor (Rachel Griffith's son), Coco (daughter of Courteney Cox and David Arquette); Pilot Inspektor (Jason Lee's son), Shiloh Nouvel (daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt), and most bizarre of all, Nicolas Cage's not-quite-1-year-old son, Kal-el.

Now, where have we heard that name before? Oh, that's right. Kal-el was the Kryptonian birth name of Superman.

Why do it?

Many ordinary mortals get incensed about such outlandish names. After the birth of little Kal-el Cage last October, fans posted their reactions on the Web site hellblazer.com.

"It shouldn't be allowed. Your children are not an extension of your own damaged personality!" wrote someone with a good-old-fashioned name -- James.

Another huffed: "Nic Cage needs to have his head examined."

Why do celebrities do it? Why make it even harder than it already is for their kids to feel normal?

"I don't think they're topping each other per se, but I think it's an exercise in creativity," says Danielle Friedland, publisher of the popular Celebrity-babies.com. "Someone who grew up as a non-celebrity may not have loved their name. If your name is Rachel, you may want to give your kid a jazzier name. You think they're special, and you want the world to know that -- and that you're really special."

To be fair, it's not just celebs who do this to their kids. Actors Rainn Wilson ("The Office") and Poppy Montgomery ("Without a Trace") were born to non-celebrity parents.

"My mom, who's British, had this flower fairy book from the 1800s, and she loved it," explains Montgomery, who has four sisters that also have flower names. "I think she just sort of picked them out of that."

Hollywood creativity

Nor is the weird celebrity baby names trend brand new. Tatum O'Neal was born almost 43 years ago. Sonny and Cher's Chastity is now 37. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore's girls (Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah Belle) are now teenagers.

And rock stars have always gravitated to unusual names. Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa are the poster children for the weird-name trend. There's also Zowie Bowie. And Peaches Honeyblossom, Pixie and Fifi Trixibelle Geldof, daughters of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates (who named the daughter she had with Michael Hutchence Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily).

When you live in such a surrealistic world, though, would you even have to worry about things like taunting schoolmates? That may depend on exactly where you live.

"In Hollywood, these kids are going to school with other celebrities' kids with unusual names, so, they may be in a classroom filled with Apples and Oranges," Friedland says. "Cupcake could be the girl sitting next to you -- or the boy. Even if they're not the children of celebrities, most of the people in Hollywood are kind of zany and creative people as well.

"[But] children of celebrities who do not live in Hollywood or New York are going to get more attention in a classroom full of Jennas and Jasons. Moxie CrimeFighter might get picked on, because she's going to school in Las Vegas."

David Narter, author of "The Worst Baby Name Book Ever," thinks their names are the least of their worries.

"It's not the names that are going to screw up these kids' lives. Their lives are screwed up already. They're celebrity kids," he says.

Citing, for example, Dandelion Richards, daughter of rocker Keith Richards and his longtime girlfriend Anita Pallenberg, Narter says her big issue "is that her dad has no teeth and looks like he's been dead since he was 25."

No argument on that. Then again, Dandelion does now call herself Angela.

And remember Free Carradine, the son of Barbara Hershey (who went by Barbara Seagull for a time) and David Carradine? He changed his name -- to Tom.

And then there's the advice -- plea, really-- that Peaches Geldof issued in an interview with Australia's The Advertiser in January. Stop giving your kids strange names.

"I hate ridiculous names," she says. "My weird name has haunted me all my life."

Not everyone with an unusual name would agree.

Montgomery -- whose full name was Poppy Petal Emma Elizabeth Deveraux Donahue -- has mixed memories of living with her moniker.

"You sort of pay your dues, because growing up with it is awful. You get teased, and you're sort of not the norm," says the actress, who took her mom's maiden name professionally. "But then when you're an adult, it's kind of cool. You love it. You like that your name is different and unusual."

What's in a name?

Montgomery says she would "absolutely" recommend calling a child something different. "Look, I think, at the end of the day, it's just a name and people change them and people keep them. ... If I had a kid, I would probably pick an unusual name, 'cause that's my taste."

Of course, if you're a high-profile celebrity baby, it probably helps if everyone's on the same page about the meaning of your name.

Little Suri Cruise is not so lucky in this regard.

According to her parents' publicist, the name means "princess" in Hebrew and "red rose" in Persian. But online gossip maven Perez Hilton has speculated that "Suri" actually has an underlying meaning, derived from Surrey, England, the region where the late L. Ron Hubbard's home (now the U.K. headquarters of Scientology) is located.

The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, pointed out that Suri means "pickpocket" in Japanese. And Narter's research revealed yet another possible interpretation.

"Apparently, Suri doesn't mean princess, it means 'Go away,' " he says.

Destined as she is for a life eluding the paparazzi, Suri may be aptly named.

Match-the-Baby-Names game

The current crop of celebrity baby names make Moon Unit, Dweezil and Chastity seem downright ordinary. Test your knowledge of stars and their offspring:

Baby

1. Roman
2. Audio Science
3. Makena lei
4. Coco
5. Whizdom
6. Cash
7. Phinnaeus
8. Pilot Inspektor
9. Karma
10. Indiana August
11. Hazel
12. Apple

Parents

A. Jason Lee
B. Race car driver Kenny Brack
C. Julia Roberts
D. Slash
E. Casey Affleck; Summer Phoenix
F. Shannyn Sossamon
G. Courteney Cox-Arquette
H. Julia Roberts
I. Helen Hunt
J. Ex-NBA star Jayson Williams
K. Gwyneth Paltrow
L. Debra Messing; Cate Blanchett

Answers to the Quiz are in the Comments!

How many did you get right?

Source: North Jersey Media Group. Thanks!

Paris Hilton a GLOBETROTTER Names Fan

2006-09-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

Paris place-names her babies

Deciding on a name for your baby can sometimes prove a bit of a challenge, especially if you haven't yet conceived, as celebrity socialite Paris Hilton reveals.

The 25-year old declared this week that she wants to be a mum and she's thinking location, location, location when it comes to baby names.

"I want a large family but I haven't found the guy. I wanna name them London and Paris and I was thinking China," she said.

"But I already know a couple of Chinas so I don't want that one now."

Paris would not be the first in the high profile world of celebrity to name her baby after a place. David and Victoria Beckham famously named their first child Brooklyn after the area in New York where he was conceived.

Thanks to bounty.com, the UK's leading online parenting community!

Jon Voight's Naming Mishap

2006-09-03T05:25:00.000-07:00

At the fourth annual BAFTA Tea Party (the Oscars for Brits), Jon Voight decided to send birthday wishes to Maddox, daughter Angelina Jolie's five-year-old son. That went well, but then Voight also sent well-wishes to "Shakira" -- referring to Angelina's 1 1/2-year-old daughter Zahara.

Click here to see the video.

BBN News: Peaches & Fuschia Set Off For Fame

2006-08-31T04:43:00.000-07:00

Peaches Geldof and Fuschia Sumner pursue their own fame

Peaches Geldof (17), and Fuschia Sumner (24), are trying to win fame for themselves outside of their unusual names. Peaches is the daughter of Sir Bob Geldof (singer of the band The Boomtown Rats and most famous as the organizer of the benefit concert "Live Aid" in the 1980's) and the late Paula Yates, a British celebrity. She has worked in the past as a DJ and formed her own band, Cosmetique, which is already said to be garnering the attention of record labels. Fuschia (daughter of musician Sting and ex-wife Frances Tomelty), made her acting debut in the play Pack Of Lies and will be starring in the upcoming film Stardust.

Thanks, as always, to Celebrity Baby Blog! Edited by request of Celebrity Baby Blog.

Fan Mail #30

2006-08-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

Hey there. Love the blog, it cracks me up into hysterics- I actually know a Diamond, and the name does suit her, however- we just call her Dee a lot.

However, I also met a small girl when I subbed in an school called "Malelelele." Nice kid... Horrible name.

(please sign as) Bailey

***************

Bailey,

Wow, Malelelele is a MOUTHFUL name if I've ever seen one!

Thanks for reading!

---Zen Angel

Quiz: Celebrity Babies

2006-08-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

US Weekly has a great quiz on now...can you match the famous baby with his/her famous parent(s)?

http://usmagazine.com/2006/600/babyquiz/babies.php

The Power of Baby Names

2006-08-30T03:38:00.000-07:00

"When I named my son August, I had no idea the month would end like this!"

--Mariska Hargitay (Oliva Benson on Law & Order: SVU), upon receiving her Emmy for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series.

BAD BABY NAMES 37: Dial V For...

2006-08-26T04:52:00.000-07:00

BAD BABY NAMES 37

THE RUNNERS-UP:

Anianna Z'El
This first name is basically "Annie Anna." Blech. And the middle name? Was that one of Jor-El's second cousins?

Diamond Cherie
"My Diamond Cherie Amour..."

Sky Nevaeh
Now, longtime readers of this blog know quite well my dislike of the pseudo-name Nevaeh. But let's put that aside for a moment, and consider this name: Nevaeh is basically Heaven backwards, correct? So Sky Nevaeh is pretty much the same as saying, "Above, Not Above"?

Tedavius Jakaine-Jelleasheion
Most MOUTHFUL names I come across are for girls. Here's one for the blue team!

Rayford
And hot on the heels of a male MOUTHFUL name, comes a masculine REDNECK HALL OF SHAME name!

Maria Antionetta
Will her first sentence be, "Let them eat cake"?

Aestha
You know, you can take 12-hour pills for that now.

Joulers
She worked in the joulery department.

Bri'Yana
There are bad CRE8IVE SPELLINGS...and then there's Bri'Yana.

Cherokee
Now, here's the stumper: is this baby boy named after the Tribe, the clothing line or the Jeep? Enquiring minds want to know.

Krimson
And for the next baby...will it be Krimson and Klover?

Scottie
Beam this name up...now.

SECOND RUNNER-UP:

Blade
And his brother, Switch.

FIRST RUNNER-UP:

Naughtia
Now, don't get me wrong. Nadia is a beautiful name. But this CRE8IVE SPELLING looks more like a porn star's moniker than a baby name.

AND THE WINNER OF BAD BABY NAMES 37 IS....

Vandetta

Dial V for Vandetta...and then B for BAD BABY NAMES!

feel free to comment....

Quiz: Baby's Name

2006-08-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

What Will Your Baby's Name Be?

My results:

Girl ~ Eden
Boy ~ Sid

Ironically, my youngest child's name is actually Eden!

Real World's Puck Has Second Son

2006-08-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

The Real World: San Francisco's David "Puck" Rainey and his wife Betty welcomed their second son on August 6th: Rocco Kokopelli. Rocco joins big brother Bogart Che Peyote, 4.

Quiz: What is the Perfect Name for You?

2006-08-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

Found this fun little quiz over at Quizilla:

What is the Perfect Name for You?

Mine:

Girl...Allison
Boy...Dakota

I do like the name Allison...but I don't like Dakota, on a boy OR a girl.

What were YOUR results? Leave a comment!

Celebrity Bad Baby Names: Kimya Dawson gives birth to Panda

2006-08-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Kimya Dawson (33), member of the folk band Moldy Peaches, gave birth to her first child, Panda Delilah, on July 28th.

BBN News: Malaysia Enacts Anti-Bad Baby Name Law

2006-08-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Malaysia Says No to Bad Baby Names

Malaysian authorities have published a list of undesirable titles to prevent parents giving their children names such as Hitler, Smelly Dog or 007.
Such choices are not allowed, but there is a right of appeal.

The list came as a response to the growing number of Malaysians who are applying to change their birth names.

Malaysia's National Registration Department made the decision after consulting with various religious bodies in the country.

They represented the country's Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist communities.

Traditionally, some groups have given newborns inauspicious names to ward off demons and evil spirits.

Further restrictions

Now names like the Hokkien Chinese Ah Chwar, meaning snake, and Khiow Khoo, meaning hunchback, are being ruled out.

So too are Cantonese monikers Chow Tow, meaning smelly head, and Sor Chai, meaning insane.

Members of Malaysia's Tamil community will be discouraged from using the likes of Karrupusamy (black god), and Malays from trying names like Woti, meaning sexual intercourse.

But the ban extends further.

Parents will not be able to call their babies after animals, insects, fruit, vegetables or colours.

Numbers are also not allowed, so little James Bonds cannot flaunt their 007 status on their ID cards.

Other restrictions stop parents giving children royal or honorary titles as names or calling their little ones after Japanese cars.

Bad Baby Names on Myspace!

2006-08-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Myspace group is finally up and running! Feel free to drop by and discuss your favorite bad names...or the ones here you don't agree with. I plan to put up a new bad name every week to be debated. Hope to see you there!

Bad Baby Names on Myspace
http://groups.myspace.com/badbabynames

Bad Baby Names 36: Trustin Me, Justin Me

2006-07-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

BAD BABY NAMES 36

Ayshunteuntae
Just when I think I've seen the most tongue-twisting MOUTHFUL name around...I am proven wrong yet again.

Vintavious
Is it just me, or does this sound like a 1980's-era wine cooler?

Johnahria
Remember way back when, when I suggested to folks that they avoid names that rhyme with the word "diarrhea"? Well, the same goes for names that rhyme with "gonorrhea." Avoid! Avoid!

Elder
Respect your Elder! Damn youngsters.

Jon'Nya
I guess it's time for yet another GENDER BENDER name! Boy or girl? You decide!

Hooper
They could call their home videos "Hangin' With Baby Hooper."

Myrikal
Now, this bad, bad CRE8IVE SPELLING makes it clear that this family is NOT hooked on phonics.

Seabastian
I guess the next baby they'll name "Hallebut."

Spikey
Don't name your kids after your junior-high school hairdo, people. That should go without saying.

SECOND RUNNER-UP

Key Emily

These people have been watching way too much "Treasure Hunters."

FIRST RUNNER-UP

Naughtia

Poor Santa, trying to figure out every year if Naughtia belongs on the Naughty or Nice list...

AND THE WINNER OF BAD BABY NAMES 36 IS....

TRUSTIN JESUS

And his little brother, Justin Jesus!

Feel free to leave a comment...

Short Break

2006-07-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten you, BBN fans! I'm working on the template for this blog, and will hopefully launch the new look and some new BBN posts very soon!

--Zen Angel

Fan Mail #29

2006-06-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Zen Angel! I went on a little road trip to California and found a whole host of borrible names, but keep coming back to this one and thought I might share it.

"Flor De Liz." Is it a play on "fleur de lie" or just plain bad naming?

Anyhow, hope you get a good laugh.

Frost

*****

Dear Frost,

You bet I got a good laugh out of that one! Thanks for sending it in!

---Zen Angel

BBN NEWS: Top Baby Names Around the World

2006-06-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

Another great article from babycenter.com:

Top 10 Baby Names Around the World

BBN News: Two Celebrity Bad Baby Names

2006-06-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

I have two celebrity baby names to report this week:

1) On May 14th, Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell gave birth to a daughter, Bluebell Madonna. According to an interview with People magazine, the name reflects the "precious" quality of her child (like that of the rare flower) and one of Halliwell's heroines, pop singer Madonna.

2) On Monday, the Brangelina baby was finally born! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie welcomed to the world little Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. Shiloh joins Angelina's adopted children, Maddox and Zahara.

BBN NEWS: The Popularity of Neveah

2006-06-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

And if It's a Boy, Will It Be Lleh?

By JENNIFER 8. LEE, The New York Times

May 18- Chances are you don't have any friends named Nevaeh. Chances are today's toddlers will.

In 1999, there were only eight newborn American girls named Nevaeh. Last year, it was the 70th-most-popular name for baby girls, ahead of Sara, Vanessa and Amanda.

The spectacular rise of Nevaeh (commonly pronounced nah-VAY-uh) has little precedent, name experts say. They watched it break into the top 1,000 of girls' names in 2001 at No. 266, the third-highest debut ever. Four years later it cracked the top 100 with 4,457 newborn Nevaehs, having made the fastest climb among all names in more than a century, the entire period for which the Social Security Administration has such records.

Nevaeh is not in the Bible or any religious text. It is not from a foreign language. It is not the name of a celebrity, real or fictional.

Nevaeh is Heaven spelled backward.

The name has hit a cultural nerve with its religious overtones, creative twist and fashionable final "ah" sound. It has risen most quickly among blacks but is also popular with evangelical Christians, who have helped propel other religious names like Grace (ranked 14th) up the charts, experts say. By contrast, the name Heaven is ranked 245th.

"Of the last couple of generations, Nevaeh is certainly the most remarkable phenomenon in baby names," said Cleveland Kent Evans, president of the American Name Society and a professor of psychology at Bellevue University in Nebraska.

The surge of Nevaeh can be traced to a single event: the appearance of a Christian rock star, Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D., on MTV in 2000 with his baby daughter, Nevaeh. "Heaven spelled backwards," he said.

Among the many inspired by Mr. Sandoval's appearance was Jade San Luis, who named his first daughter Nevaeh two years later. "It felt original," said Mr. San Luis, 26, of Cerritos, Calif. "Now, not anymore."

Today Mr. Sandoval is introduced to and photographed with baby Nevaehs all the time. His own Nevaeh, now 6, skateboards and, when introduced, pipes up that her name is Heaven spelled backward. Does she understand the meaning of heaven? Mr. Sandoval replied, "She knows that is where her grandmother is."

BBN Weblinks: What Should Your Name Be?

2006-05-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

A fun little quiz I found at Quizilla:

What Should Your Name Be?

Fan Mail #28

2006-05-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

Many of you know I watch the daily paper to read the newest baby names in our fair city. And occasionally I send a sampling of these names to family members for their entertainment and amusement. For example, in today's paper we have a baby girl named Indigo Blues. Over the years there have been some rather memorable choices for baby names, but today I think I found the absolute worst. And I am sharing it with all of you. Those of you who live in Spokane can check the paper and see this for yourself. Dacia and Brian named their tiny little baby boy: Charley Willard Horse Dick.

Mary
**********

For our long-time readers...Mary is sister to Zusia! And thanks for that truly unfortunate bad baby name!

---Zen Angel

BBN News: 5 Rules of Thumb When Naming Your Baby

2006-05-03T04:26:00.000-07:00

This list can be found at the She Knows Network...a great website! Click on the link to read the whole list and more pointers on baby naming!

Rule No. 1: Personal taste isn't so personal

Rule No.2: All last names are not created equal

Rule No. 3: All naming is local

Rule No. 4: Other people's opinions matter

Rule No. 5: Choose the name you would like to have yourself

FAN MAIL! #27

2006-05-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Zen Angel:

Today I was waited on by a cashier named Sarana'ye. At Home D'epot.

Zusia
**********

Dear BBN readers: this doozy was submitted by Zusia, who contributes so many great bad baby names to the lists! I wanted to take a moment to thank her...thanks, Zusia!

---Zen Angel