Mirabai

Photo Courtesy of JME Portraits

Isn’t this a pretty one? I was talking to someone today who mentioned a lady she knows with this name, and it struck me that I had heard it before and forgotten about it. But one mention and I remembered how lovely I thought it was back then too. To me it has a softly exotic, peacefully lilting feel that makes me think of vanilla, cinnamon and cloves.

If it seems familiar to you, you’ve probably heard of it in one of two ways. One, you’re Indian or familiar enough with Indian culture to immediately think of the famous Hindu poet/princess who devoted her life to the worship of Krishna. Or if you’re Australian you may be thinking of Mirabai Peart, a violinist who appeared as a contestant on the second season of ‘Big Brother Australia’ back in 2002.

Of course they aren’t the only Mirabai's, but it seems this name is relatively uncommon. It has only charted once in the U.S back in 2006 when it was given to just 5 girls. You’re much more likely to meet a Mira (ranked 613 in the U.S in 2014) or a Meera (ranked 1353). Even in India where Mirabai originated from Meera is much more popular, with Baby Center stating it was the 32nd most popular Indian girls name amongst parents registered with their site in 2014.

Which brings us back to the aforementioned poet. She lived from 1498 to 1547 and was more commonly known as Meera, with MiraBai (pronounced Meer-ah-bye) seemingly her formal name. Bai indicates a feminine name, but there is a little more confusion as to the meaning of Meera or Mira as it seems to have origins in many cultures. Some sources claim that in its’ Sanskrit/Hindu (Indian) origin it means ‘ocean’ or perhaps ‘limit’ or ‘boundary’, or even ‘prosperous’. An alternative explanation I’ve seen is that Meera means “saintly woman”, but I can’t help but feel that this is more of an association with the poet, rather than an actual meaning. Which in a case like this probably makes more sense anyway. The original Mirabai is considered to be a saintly heroine, a great inspiration, and this in itself imbues the name with meaning for those who love her story.

Parents already considering the similar names Mirabel or Mirabella might consider Mirabai as a way to escape the “belle/bella” suffix and nickname option that has proven to be so popular in recent years. On the downside, it might take a little work to get people unfamiliar with the name to say it correctly (is it Meera-Bay? Myra-Bye?). But I think that once most people hear it they will be intrigued and enchanted. And your daughter would be extremely unlikely to ever meet another one.

Hazen

Hazen Audel on 'Survive the Tribe'

Recently Nancy shared some of her name predictions, in which she mentioned Seanix, who is on the show 'Treehouse Masters'. I was intrigued - it certainly seems like the kind of name that would catch on in our era of all boys names "X". But while checking out this show, I also stumbled across one called 'Survive the Tribe'.

This show stars Hazen Audel, a survivalist who visits remote tribes to live with them as they do. He seems like quite an interesting person. He's an adventurer, explorer and biologist who has worked as a survival instructor, jungle guide and high school biology teacher. Oh yeah, and he's also an artist. Busy man.

Hazen strikes me as such a cool name - I have a feeling Hazen could be a real winner. He's not totally unheard of, but is pretty rare. He has charted more often than not in the U.S since 1896 but has never been given to more than 52 children in a year. That was in 2011, and they were all boys, although there were three years in the past decade when it charted for girls too. It has the potential to rise much higher though. Girls name Hazel has been climbing since 1994, currently charting at #157. Sound-alike boys name Hayes has also been rising - it entered the top 1000 in 2009 and has continued to climb since then. So there's no denying that Hazen has a sound that many people find attractive.

Speaking of Hayes, most sources claim that Hazen (pronounced HAY-zen) is a variant of Hayes, and hence has the same meaning as Hayes of 'hedged area'. It's also possibly a form of Sanskrit name Hasin, which means 'laughing', although for Western use it's more likely it was adopted from surnames Hayes and Hazen. It's most likely that you'll have seen Hazen as a surname, although famous faces with Hazen as a first name include baseball player Hazen "Kiki" Cuyler, Canadian politician Hazen Argue and American politician Hazen S Pingree. It's also a place name in many parts of the U.S.

Maybe one of those places has a personal meaning to you. Maybe you like the cool nickname possibility Haze. Or maybe you just really like it's sound. There are plenty of things to like about Hazen. He feels at home among nature choices like Oakley, Moss and River; or classic names like Jasper, Brooks and Noah. What kind of vibe do you get from Hazen - and would you use it?

Ten Buddhism Inspired Names - from Anicca to Zen

Photo courtesy of Beloved Photography

In recent months I have covered a couple of names with connections to Buddhism. The first - Avici (adapted to Avicii) - was adopted as a stage name for a young Swedish DJ whose star is currently on the rise. The second was Bodhi, a rising, relatively well-known option that was recently bestowed on two celebrity babies.

This got me thinking about names with Buddhist connections. In times when some are attracted to bold, energetic names like Dash and Blaze; or weaponry associated names like Colt and Cannon, it makes sense that others would be drawn to names with peaceful, spiritual meanings and connections.

Such names can create a great first impression. If balanced against feeling a little too “new agey” or “hippie” (sorry Dharma and Karma), they can set other people at ease, making their wearer seem friendly, relaxed and approachable. Less overt than traditional virtue names, they still hint at an attitude that the wearer can aspire to.

I need to preface this list by saying that I am not (and have never been) a Buddhist, so my knowledge of Buddhist terms that would make for great names is by no means exhaustive. However, I've chosen ten in particular that feel very usable - other than Bodhi and Avici. I'd love to hear further suggestions in the comments below.

Anicca

Anicca is a term meaning 'inconstancy' or 'impermanence', referring to the Buddhist teaching that all things are in a constant state of change – an inevitable cycle of birth, growth, decay and death. Pronounced uh-NIK-uh, visually and verbally Anicca doesn't seem very far removed from names such as Anita or Annika, which makes it feel quite usable, particularly for a girl.

Arya

Most people would recognise Arya as the name of the young rebellious tomboy daughter of the Stark family in 'Game of Thrones'. The show has certainly boosted its popularity as a girls name. But Arya actually has a history as a name used by both genders, and skewed male in the U.S until 2010. Arya (or Ariya) means 'noble' or 'exalted' in Sanskrit, and is frequently used in Buddhism to describe some of the main tenets – mainly the Four Noble Truths (catvary arya satyani) or The Noble Eightfold Path (arya marga).

Kathina

Kathina is a Buddhist festival that is held at the end of Vassa, the three month rainy season retreat for Theraveda Buddhists. It is a time of giving, for people to express their thanks to monks by bringing donations – particularly new robes - to the temples. It is rarely used as a name, but is seen as a girls name. It feels like an exotic blend of Katrina and Katherine and would make for a spiritual, celebratory name.

Lotus

The lotus is an important Buddhist icon, as Buddha is typically depicted sitting on a lotus. It is symbolic of the path from ignorance to enlightenment, as it rises from the mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the sunshine of enlightenment. Pronounced LOH-tuhs, as a flower name it is definitely one of the more exotic and rarer choices. It is also a luxury sports car brand, which seems quite at odds with it's Buddhist symbolism. But that does little to detract from the elegant beauty of this name.

Mahayana

Lyrical sounding, it's pronounced mah-huh-YAH-nuh and is one of the main branches of Buddhism. It comes from the Sanskrit words maha meaning 'great' and yana meaning 'vehicle'. Mahayana is a more liberal type of Buddhism, and the most popular. Followers believe that anyone - not just monks and nuns - can attain enlightenment. It has never charted in the U.S as a name, but Mahayana would be a very pretty choice for a girl.

Nirvana

Nirvana literally means 'blown out', as in a candle, which when applied to a Buddhist context refers to “the imperturbable stillness of mind after the fires of desire, aversion and delusion have been finally extinguished”. Buddhists aim to reach this state of mind or consciousness to be free of individual desires or suffering. The name was chosen by Kurt Cobain for his rock/grunge band, who said that he wanted a beautiful, nice and pretty name. It seems namers agree with this impression, as Nirvana has only ever been bestowed on girls in the U.S. If Haven, Elysia or Nevaeh are on your list, this is another worthy option to consider.

Om

Perhaps due to it's short length, Om has to date been used as a boys name in the U.S. Om is sometimes referred to as the sacred syllable, used as a mantra when meditating. It means 'creation' in Sanskrit, and as a representation of the three most important deities in Hindu religions – Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma – it ultimately refers to the essence of life. It may be short, but it is loaded with meaning and has a relaxing sound.

Samsara

You may recognise Samsara as the title of a visually poetic 2011 Documentary. It means 'continuous movement' or 'cyclic existence', often translated as 'the circle of life'. By following the Buddhist path, one can liberate themselves from the endless cycling through the six realms, but one must first understand the nature of Samsara in order to be liberated from it. Samsara has a lovely, liquid velvet feel to it, pronounced suhm-SAHR-uh. It's rare use has so far been for girls, which may have been influenced by the fact that it is also the name of a perfume by Guerlain. Familiar nicknames Sam or Sara and it's similarity to Samara makes it easier to wear.

Veda

The Vedas are the most ancient and important of Hindu sacred literature, believed to be an eternal revelation of divine origin. Veda (pronounced VEY-duh or VEE-duh) means 'knowledge' or 'wisdom' – Theravada is the oldest surviving branch of Buddhism, meaning 'the Teaching of the Elders'. Veda has a long history of use as a girls name in the U.S, particularly popular at the beginning of the 20^th century accompanied by Vida and Vera. It has a vintage feel and spiritual quality.

Zen

Zen is synonymous with calmness and tranquillity. Many people most immediately associate it with Buddhism. Meaning 'absorption' or 'meditative state', Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that advocates the use of sitting meditation for realising Buddhist truths such as no-self, emptiness, and the uncreated mind. Zen has been getting some small use in the U.S in recent decades and is so far proving to be more popular for boys than girls. This name has a fantastic energy – it feels unexpected, yet cool and stylish.

Bodhi

Photo Courtesy of Mali Workman

If you're a celebrity baby name spotter, you may have noticed that a particular name popped up twice in the past week - Bodhi. On February 12th Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green welcomed second son Bodhi Ransom to the world, while on 17th February Australian actress Theresa Palmer and husband Mark Webber welcomed son Bodhi Rain.

While some may label Bodhi as just another "bizarre name of celebrity offspring", Bodhi has actually become a fairly popular name among celebrities, taking it from a strange once-off name to an on-trend baby name on the upswing. Other than Bodhi Ransom and Bodhi Rain, Oliver Hudson has given his mum Goldie Hawn a grandson named Bodhi Hawn, and actress Amy Brenneman and husband director Brad Silberling have a Bodhi Russell. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio also chose Bodhi as a middle name for son Luka Bodhi. And Australian celebrity couple Cameron Daddo and Allison Brae bestowed it on their daughter, Bodhi Faith.

Those who have discussed their choice of Bodhi have said that they chose it for it's spiritual meaning. Bodhi (pronounced BO-dee) is best known in the context of Buddhism. although it is also a concept in other Indian philosophies and traditions. Bodhi is the understanding possessed by Buddha regarding the nature of things. The legend is that Buddha achieved enlightenment (or Bodhi) while sitting under a large and very old sacred fig tree located in Bodh Gaya, India. This tree came to be known as the Bodhi tree, a name that is also used for any current trees that are a direct descendant of the original tree. They are planted in close proximity to every Buddhist monastery and a Bodhi tree is recognisable in religious art by its' heart shaped leaves.

The word itself comes from the Sanskrit roots of budh, meaning 'to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand' and bodha meaning 'knowledge or intelligence'. Translated to English Bodhi means "enlightenment" or "awakened".

Bodhi is an interesting name to consider. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the way it sounds, although nickname Bo is quite handsome, and I love the sentiment and symbolism behind this name. It feels like a rather zen name, and I've seen quite a few people say it makes them think of a laid back skater or surfer type dude. This impression may have been influenced by the surfer character named Bodhi played by Patrick Swayze in the 1991 movie 'Point Break', and maybe the appearance of a character called Bodhi in 'The Simpsons', who is a fourth grader interested in surfing.

One thing is for sure, there is plenty of love out there for Bodhi. Nameberry named it as the third fastest rising boy name on their site in 2013. That's for page views, not actual use, although the U.S SSA charts tells us those numbers are reflected in actual use. In 1992 - one year after 'Point Break' - Bodhi appeared on the charts for boys in position #4124. By 2010 it had entered the top 1000, and in 2012 it was positioned at #894. It will be interesting to see how much further it rose in 2013 when those figures are released in May. It's likely that the two recent celebrity births will push it even further in 2014, and may also lead to increased use for girls, which is currently quite rare.

Buddha under the Bodhi Tree

Layana

Layana Aguilar

I'm a little bit behind with 'Project Runway' this season - to be honest, I hadn't even realised that a new season was underway until I saw Kelly's post about the great names of the older models featured on episode  six over at NameFreak. It is a great bunch of names, but the one that caught my attention was one of the contestants - Layana Aguilar.

Layana was born and raised in Brazil, currently lives in New York, and has her own fashion line. Her site states that a woman who ears her designs is wearing pure confidence and delicateness. The same description could be applied to her name, which feels strong and confident, but soft at the same time.

The Layana on 'Project Runway' pronounces her name Ley-AH-na, but you could probably get away with pronouncing it Lay-AH-na if you prefer because it's uncommon enough that most people wouldn't really know what the correct pronunciation should be. Because it's so uncommon, there's very little background information to be found about this name. It doesn't seem to be a super popular Brazilian name, as it didn't appear in their top 100 girls names in 2011. Besides, I'm guessing that if it is popular in Brazil I probably would have heard the name before now.

Layana has been seen on the American charts though. It first appeared on 6 girls in 1978, then faded to pop up again in 2002. Since then it has charted every year since 2004, so far peaking at #5155 in 2009.

So should I speculate as to where this name comes from and what it means? One theory I've seen (and probably the best one) is that it comes from the Arabic name Layan, meaning 'soft, gentle'. It's also quite similar to:

• Lalana, a Sanskrit name meaning 'playing'; 
• Liana, a Hebrew name meaning 'god has answered' or a French name;  
• Lulana, reportedly a Zulu name meaning 'the winner'; 
• Ayanna, an African name meaning 'flower blossom' or Hindi name meaning 'innocent'; 
• or even Aiyana, a Native American name meaning 'forever flowering'.

I quite like the sound of Layana, although find myself saying Layani more often. I guess it just rolls off my tongue more easily. Either one is very pretty. Both were already recent newcomers to the US charts, and I can only imagine that the exposure the name Layana will now get through 'Project Runway' will boost its use. But as I'm only one episode into the season so far, I guess that's assuming that this Layana doesn't turn out to be the hated villain of the season. Although let's face it - unless the person is really, really heinous, a little villainy doesn't necessarily hurt a name whose star is on the rise.

The Cast of 'Project Runway' Season 11

League of Legends - The Ladies

'League of Legends' Champion Lux, The Lady of Luminosity

My husband started playing an online game a couple of months ago called 'League of Legends'. I'm assuming it's pretty good because he spend a fair bit of time playing it. Anyway, as anyone who has played any fantasy/adventure/fighting based computer games knows, they are a fantastic source for names. Some are well known, some are fantastical and new, and all take on a different light when they're busy kicking some ass.

'League of Legends' is no exception. Not only does it contain some great name inspirations, but the characters also have cool titles to introduce them so you know what they're all about. Because there are so many, today I thought I'd profile just the ladies of 'League of Legends' (or LOL to it's regular players). I've featured my top three, with the rest listed below so you can decide what your top three would be. I hope you find them as cool and inspiring as I do!

Cassiopeia - The Serpent's Embrace
Cassiopeia is a name from Greek mythology, pronounced kass-ee-o-PEE-ah or kass-ee-OH-pey-uh (my husband's preferred pronunciation). In mythology, Cassiopeia was a very beautiful but vain and arrogant queen of Ethiopia, and the mother of Andromeda. Cassiopeia and Andromeda were so boastful about their beauty that they upset Poseidon, who set to destroy Ethiopia by flooding. Cassiopeia and her husband sought to appease Poseidon by chaining Andromeda to a rock, where she was later rescued by Perseus. To ensure Cassiopeia did not go unpunished, she was cast into the heavens, and remains the name today of one of the great constellations.

I love Cassiopeia because it sounds exotic, and is a different and interesting way to get to the familiar nicknames Cass and Cassie. I also love it's connections to Greek mythology and astronomy, and it means 'she whose word excels'. Plus this was my husbands pick of the bunch!

Sona - The Maven of the Strings
Sona makes the top three because a friend of ours who plays the game absolutely loves this character. And I mean loves it - she has even talked about getting a tattoo of this character. Sona (pronounced so-nah) is an Indian/Sanskrit name meaning 'golden'. It may sound like a submarine navigation system, or similar to an electronic brand name, but the more often I say this name the more I like it. It's cute and perky. And I find the meaning of golden quite endearing - it's like a subtle way of letting your child know everyday how precious they are to you.

Karma - The Enlightened One
Choosing a third name was harder, because there were a few I could have easily chosen for this spot. In the end it was Karma though, because I have to admit that this name has long held a fascination for me. I love it but tended to think it might be just a bit too "new agey". That was in the 90's, when 'Dharma and Greg' was on the TV, giving Dharma/Karma a hippy-dippy reputation. I have a feeling that it wouldn't seem so strange by today's naming standards though, and 'My Name is Earl' has helped to make karma seem less mystical and more of a common day concept.

Karma (pronounced KAR-mah) is a Hindi/Sanskrit concept meaning 'fate or destiny'. It could be a fresher alternative to Destiny, which has been a top 100 name in America for the past 18 years. Karma does of course come with it's good associations and bad ones (bad karma, karma's a b**ch) which you would need to consider first. But I'd love to see this one popping up on birth announcements, even if it was as a middle name.

The Others:

Ahri - The 9 Tails Fox
Akali - The Fist of Shadow

League of Legends Champion
Annie The Dark Child and her Bear Tibbers

Annie - The Dark Child
Ashe - The Frost Archer
Caitlyn - The Sheriff of Piltover
Diana - The Scorn of the Moon
Elise - The Spider Queen
Evelynn - The Widowmaker
Fiora - The Grand Duellist
Irelia - The Will of the Blades
Janna - The Storm's Fury
*Jinx - The Loose Cannon
*Kalista - The Spear of Vengeance
Katarina - The Sinister Blade
Kayle - The Judicator
LeBlanc - The Deceiver
Leona - The Radiant Dawn
*Lissandra - The Ice Witch
Lulu - The Fae Sorceress
Lux - The Lady of Luminosity
Miss Fortune - The Bounty Hunter
Morgana - Fallen Angel
Nami - The Tidecaller
Nidalee - The Bestial Huntress
Orianna - The Lady of Clockwork
Poppy - The Iron Ambassador
*Quinn (and Valor) - Demacia's Wings
*Rek'Sai - The Void Burrower
Riven - The Exile
Sejuani - The Winter's Wrath
Shyvana - The Half-Dragon
Sivir - The Battle Mistress
Soraka - The Starchild
Syndra - The Dark Sovereign
Tristana - The Megling Gunner
Vayne - The Night Hunter
*Vi - The Piltover Enforcer
Zyra - The Rise of the Thorns

*added 15th Feb 2015

Radha



Radha Mitchell

Today's name spotlight is inspired by actress Radha Mitchell, born Radha Rani Amber Indigo Anunda Mitchell. Radha is an Australian actress from Melbourne (where I live!) and has appeared in two of my favourite scary movies - 'Pitch Black' and 'Silent Hill' - plus many others, such as Woody Allen's 'Melinda and Melinda'.

Radha's full first name, Radha-Rani, was based on the name of the favourite consort of the Hindu god Krishna, followed by the Indian word Rani for queen. Her mother reportedly developed a love for India in the early 70's, inspiring her name. I'm not sure how popular it is in India, but it is not in the top 1000 in the US, or the top 100 baby names in Australia. For those of you familiar with the website www.names4real.wordpress.com (if you're not, it's well worth checking it out), it isn't even listed on their website, so must be rarely used in the western world indeed.

Radha is a Sanskrit name, pronounced RAA-daa, meaning 'success' or 'affluence'. I love the sound of Radha. Maybe it's due to the Rah sound, which reminds me of cheering and generally being happy. It also sounds kind of futuristic, like it wouldn't be out of place in 'The Hunger Games' or any post-apocalyptic tale (take note if you're a writer looking for these types of names!). Radha is a unisex name, and I think it could work well for either a boy or a girl.

Having a famous namesake has its benefits and its drawbacks. The benefit is that people are more likely to have heard of the name and therefore know how to pronounce it, despite it being a rarely used name. But the drawback is that it is more likely that people would be "Oh, like Radha Mitchell?". If you're a fan of Radha Mitchell, this isn't necessarily a problem though. With a happy sound and an aspirational meaning, this is one name that could potentially be a winner if it gets noticed by enough people.