Great Names - According to Peralta....

Jake Peralta (played by Andy Samberg) in 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

Last week's episode of comedy 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' shows that you never know who's going to feel that they have "useful" suggestions when it comes to naming your child.

After Detective Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) discovers that Serjeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crewes) and his wife are expecting a child, he suddenly finds name inspiration everywhere, and is very enthusiatic to share them with Terry. So enthusiastic that it causes him to break his promise to keep the pregnancy a secret as he eagerly hits 'reply all' to an email with his latest suggestion.

Peralta's style? Names which - in his words - "Works for a boy or a girl!" All I can say is that they are very Jake Peralta. And that I'm not so sure people should follow his name suggestions. See if you agree:


Crash
Verdict - Dubious. Extremely dubious.
Makes me think of a certain video game bandicoot. And I'm not sure I would want to be the one to give a teenaged Crash their driving lessons. Crash has in fact appeared on the U.S charts in 2008, 2012 and 2013 though! It was for boys only, and for less than 10 children in each of those cases. Possibly names such as Dash, Chase and Colt have helped make it an option.

Nakatomi
Verdict - Shows some potential....
Of this pick, Peralta says that it is "my favorite.....after the tower in 'Die Hard'." Oh. OK. Umm...
Nakatomi has never charted in the U.S. It is the name of an influential Ancient Japanese clan, and seems to be mainly used as a surname.

Miata
Verdict - I'd cruise past this one
Admittedly, I'm not 100% sure that this is what he said, as it was kind of heard to tell. But he was in a parking garage at the time. It does have the kind of sound that could work as a name, and other people have thought so too. Miata charted (just) in the U.S for girls from 1989 to 1999, the years it was first sold. If you want more car name related inspiration, Nancy has a great list here.

Hurricane
Verdict - Keep looking
Not surprisingly, the name Hurricane has never charted. National Geographic tells us that "Violent winds...driving rain...killer waves. These are the hallmarks of a hurricane". Which made it a good nickname for a professional boxer, but not for a child. Just....don't. Please.

He may not love your suggestions,
but Terry still loves you Jake

Lisiantha

Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Wright Photography

Here's another pretty name from the floral world that is rare as hen's teeth. So rare she's never been given to more than 5 girls in any one year in the U.S, and is pretty much unheard of. Yet if blooms with exotic sounding names such as Wisteria, Amaryllis and Amarantha are seen as attractive possibilities, why not Lisiantha?

Lisiantha (pronounced LIZ-ee-an-thah or LISS-ee-an-thah) is a variant spelling of lisianthus. I have to admit to being a bit biased when it comes to this flower - I had lisianthus in my bridal bouquet when I got married, so it has a very sentimental place in my heart. I used two different shades of purple blooms (mixed with ivory roses), but the lisianthus also comes in pink, white and blue. It's also known by its' genus name Eustoma (meaning 'beautiful mouth'), Texas Bluebell, Prairie Gentian or Tulip Gentian.

The word Lisianthus comes from the Greek words lysis, meaning 'dissolution', and anthos, meaning 'flower'. Which seems somewhat ambiguous as a meaning, although popular thought is that this translates as symbolic of an outgoing and divisive nature. Other opinions are that the lisianthus symbolises appreciation; or deeply felt romantic attachment; or even old fashioned values and sentimentality because it often grows wild as a prairie flower.

So why has this pretty bloom been largely overlooked as a name option? It's possibly because the flower itself has not enjoyed the widespread popularity that many other flowers such as the rose has had. Word among growers and florists though is that demand for this flower has been increasing over the past decade, so looks like it may be just a matter of time before lovers of this flower start putting this flower name on birth certificates.

While technically the flower name is Lisianthus, I have a feeling that variants Lisiantha/Lysiantha and Lisianthe/Lysianthe (pronounced LIZ-ee-an-thee) will be the ones to watch. Names ending in "us" tend to be mostly masculine, whereas "a" endings are popularly feminine. They feel like a fresher update of Lisandra, while or the "the" ending makes it feel like an elaboration of names like Ianthe or Xanthe. Both could make great nickname options, with other possibilities being Anthe, Antha, Liss, Lissa, Liz, Lizzie, Ann or the less obvious Sia.

Sia is actually the nickname used by the character Lisianthus in the Japanese series 'Shuffle!' 'Shuffle!' started as a visual novel, and has been adapted into video games, manga and anime. It's a great source for floral naming inspiration, as "all of the characters' names are references to flowers in some way".

Lisiantha would be a charming, different but not weird floral option for a girl today. It feels pretty and feminine; soft and lacy; with just enough spunk to be interesting and refreshing. It's the kind of name that would receive plenty of compliments, and leave people wondering why they haven't heard this name used more often. What do you think - is Lisiantha bursting with unfulfilled potential, or has she remained overlooked and largely ignored for a reason?

My beautiful wedding bouquets with purple lisianthus
Made with love by my mum ☺

Dragon Names

It's not unusual for people (especially name lovers) to name their toys. Sometimes the toymakers give us a helping hand and name their toys for us. It's hard to deny that we feel more emotionally connected to something that has a name, so this is probably a clever way to make us more inclined to buy a particular toy, even if we choose to give our own toys a different name.

Despite being an adult, I'm still a sucker for a cute stuffed toy. One brand in particular I love is the Nici brand, after my husband bought me one of their dogs a few years ago (I named him Ralphie because he's just so cute, sweet and innocent looking). Nici have quite a few ranges, but one I'm particularly in love with at the moment is their range of dragons.

All of the Nici dragons have some pretty unusual names, which I'm fairly sure have been invented to sound particularly dragon-ish. They're fiery and macho sounding, reminiscent of the environments in which they live. I'm not sure they'd all make great human names, but they're fun to think about.

Arkaai
Arkaai is a new dragon for 2014, a giant blue sea monster who rules the churning waters. To my ears, it sounds like it is composed of the roar a monster would make (Arrrr!), blended with the word Kai. Kai has different meanings in many languages, but perhaps the most commonly recognised is the Hawaiian (and Japanese) meaning of 'ocean'. There's also the element of 'ark' or 'arka' in there, which is the big ship Noah built to withstand the great flood. So all in all, it feels pretty fitting for a sea monster. Would you use it as a name? Probably not, although drop an "a" and Arkai might be more likely, considering Kai has been on the rise for a few years now.

Arock
Orange with red wings, Arock is the volcano dragon from the land of Magmania. He also has the "Ar" sound, this time combined with Rock, probably because volcanoes are made of rock. I like it's appearance, and the name in theory, but in practice it's a little difficult to get your tongue around.

Dracon
The sinister dragon from Dragonia, he's dark grey with red wings. There's always something about that "drac" sound that feels vaguely sinister and menacing, isn't there? Think Dracula, or Draco Malfoy from 'Harry Potter'. It's not a coincidence - Drac literally means 'devil' in Romanian, and in Latin it means - funnily enough - 'dragon'. Although Dracon sounds kind of "namey", personally I'd stick with Drake if I was going down this path.

Iwan
He is the blue, ball dragon from Dragonia, and has a quite different look to the other dragons. This is an interesting one, as it seems in earlier press releases he was called Ivan, but when the Magmania dragons were released he was definitely referred to as Iwan. Ivan has never been out of the top 400 for boys in the U.S, and also has a lengthy history of rare use for girls. Iwan however has only ever charted once, in the 50's. In Germanic (where the company Nici is based) and Slavic languages Iwan is pronounced EE-van and is a variant of Ivan, which is a form of the name John. Iwan also has a history as a Welsh and Cornish name, being a variant of Euan, Ewan or Owen, but pronounced EU-wan. One famous bearer is Welsh actor Iwan Rheon, of 'Misfits' and 'Game of Thrones' fame. Not sure who he is? Here's a synopsis from someone who may be his biggest fan.

Landogar
The red fire dragon from Dragonia. I'm not sure where this name came from - it seems it may be a breed of dog, or maybe a surname in some countries. Alternatively, if we follow the logic behind most of the other names on this list, it could be a combination of the name Lando with another growling sound. Lando is a diminutive of Orlando or Rolando, names meaning 'famous throughout the land'. Which Landogar would be, as one of the three ruling dragons of Dragonia. It's a bit much for everyday use, but would feel right at home in a video game or fantasy story.

Roorkh
Roorkh is the second new dragon for 2012. Blood red with black wings, he rules the wide sky and rugged lands. Again, it might be my imagination but it seems we have another dragon-like "roor" (or roar) as the basis for this name. It also sounds quite similar to the Irish name Roark, meaning 'illustrious and mighty'. Certainly that would be a good description for such a dragon. I'm not sure about this spelling - I think it was an attempt to distinguish it from the below dragon Thorke. I'd prefer Roark or Roarke, but Roorkh is definitely distinctive and fantasy-like.

Thorke
Thorke is the Green Dragon of Magmania. Besides Iwan, this is the name on the list that I think would work the best on an actual person. It sounds like the kind of name you could expect to see on a daytime soap character. Or maybe a Viking ship. It's likely that Thorke is a variation or Old Norse name Thorkell, or Thor, which mean 'thunder'. Thorke has history as a surname, and is also a character in the Italian comic series 'Dampyr'. That Thorke is a demon of the Black Dimension, giving this name quite a dark edge.

Twindrak
I find it a little disappointing that one of the coolest looking dragons has such an obvious and boring name. Twindrak is a blue, two headed dragon from the land of Magmania. Not too hard to see how they came up with this name. I can't ever see this being used for a person, but I guess stranger things have happened.

Shiseido

These days, the lines between given names and brand names are growing ever more blurry. You don't have to look far to see some of the reasons why. For one, plenty of brands names are actually based on the name of the owner or inventor, or for some other reason are derived from already established given names. Think Armani, Wendys, Estee Lauder, Barbie or Reeses, just to name a few. And now that last names as first names have become increasingly popular the scope has widened even further. Then there are brand names that are based on words, particularly from nature or places. Milo, Lynx and Apple may not be common on the playground, but they're not completely unheard of. Yet to some they are just brands of hot drinks, men's deodorant and electronic products.

Then there is a slightly different breed of brand-names-come-baby-names. Those names that are specifically invented as a brand name, and have no origins or use as a given name until after the brand was invented.

That's not to say that these are unusable as names exactly. When you think about it, it's understandable why we would feel attracted to a word we hear every day, especially a word that represents something we admire, respect or aspire to. For example, Lexus brand cars were first introduced to the US in 1989, and the name Lexus subsequently debuted on the U.S SSA charts in 1990 for both girls and boys. Lexus is a name invented by parent company Toyota, loosely meaning "luxury edition cars for the US". You may not be able to afford one of these luxury cars, but that doesn't mean you can't add some of their sophistication and style to your household. In theory.

Shiseido is a name that falls into this latter category.

Shiseido was specifically created for the Shiseido brand. According to the Shiseido website:

"the name Shiseido was taken from a passage in I Ching, the classic Chinese Book of Changes, as it suggests some of the most ancient human wisdom still relevant today.

The last four characters of the Japanese translation (Ban Batsu Shi Sei) means, "Praise the value of the great Earth, which nurtures new life and brings forth new values".

These few syllables encapsulate the philosophy of Shiseido as a company, as a brand, as a citizen of the world".

It's an exotic sounding word with the currently cool "O" ending and quite a beautiful meaning. Plus it has the benefit of associations with youth, beauty and style. Yet it's a name that not many children bear - Shiseido has never appeared in the American charts, possibly because it may be a little hard to wear. Using it as a name would almost overwhelmingly make people think of the brand, so it could be considered a brave and distinctive choice for a daughter. 

Personally, I think that Shiseido falls into a similar category as the name Khaleesi. Both were invented to convey a concept, and weren't originally intended to be used as a given name. Yet both have a cool, lyrical sound; a romantic fantasy-like feel; and possibly represent something empowering to some people. They may even be quite well matched for a pair of sisters. 

Would I use them myself? No. But I can understand why some people would find them attractive and appealing enough to use.

I can't help but feel that the debate around the suitability of invented and brand names as given names is one that we will only see a lot more of in the future. Names are "invented" all the time, often just for their sound. They're not really that much different to those invented for a brand. At least Shiseido was invented to mean something, and something beautiful at that. What do you think - does Shiseido have potential as a name, or not?

Midori

I'll just start this post by saying that I really do recognise it's not the best idea to name your child after an alcoholic beverage. But I have to admit that Midori is one of my guilty pleasure names. If I ever were to temporarily lose my sanity, I could very well end up with a daughter named Midori.

As alcohol names go, Midori (pronounced mi-DOHR-ee) is one of the better ones, maybe because it is actually an established name in Japan where Midori means 'green'. It's been used for generations in Japan without becoming super popular, and is the name of Japanese figure skater Midori Ito and Violinist Midori Goto. Both ladies are extremely accomplished in their fields - Midori Ito was the world champion in her sport in 1989, and a silver medallist at the 1992 Albertville Olympics. Midori Goto is an internationally renowned violinist who was seleceted to be a UN Messenger for Peace in 2007.

For those unfamiliar with the drink, Midori is a brand of melon liqueur, and was named for it's bright green colour. It is also the key ingredient in my favourite cocktail, the Japanese Slipper. For the uninitiated, a Japanese Slipper consisits of 1 measure of Midori, 1 measure of Cointreau and 1 measure of lemon juice. Although I personally prefer cranberry juice, which ruins the lovely green colour but makes for a less sour drink. I digress though.

The main problem generally with alcohol inspired names is that they are viewed as 'lower class' or more succinctly - 'stripper names' (Brandy anyone?). This has not been helped with the rise of names such as Chablis, Moet and Tequila, which often can't be associated with anything but alcohol. Recently I read a heartbreaking story from Britain on how names such as Chardonnay and Champagne are not only branding children as coming from a lower socioeconomic background, but are also preventing them from being adopted due to laws prohibiting adoptive parents from changing childrens names. If you're interested, you should check it out at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140586/Scandal-babies-parents-wont-adopt-theyre-called-Chrystal-Chardonnay.html

But not all alcoholic drinks are off limits for names - Bailey is a top 100 name for girls in the US, and also a common boys name here in Australia, despite being a very popular liqueur. Not to mention main ingredient of a shooter with a somewhat racy name.

As a name Midori sounds fresh and slightly exotic to many people. With the meaning 'green' it is a great name for people looking for subtle colour names, or a name associated with my favourite season - Spring - a time of year when the world is lovely, green, and starting to bloom.

I think Midori is just a popular TV character away from shaking off it's alcoholic associations and become a widely acceptable name. Those brave enough to get on board early may soon find themselves congratulated for being ahead of a trend, rather than having a flight of fancy after having a couple too many at the cocktail bar on a Friday night.