Brannon

Photo courtesy of Kristen Privett Photography

"On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, four colly birds"

Like many other people, I always thought this line of the carol 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' was four calling birds. Don't ask me what I thought calling birds were, maybe I just thought they were particularly loud and vocal birds. Anyway, a colly bird is a European blackbird, which were considered a delicacy in Medieval times. Which helps to make a little more sense of why a king would want four-and-twenty blackbirds baked into a pie in the nursery rhyme 'Sing A Song of Sixpence'.

People usually associate blackbirds such as crows and ravens with Halloween more so than Christmas. For example, Rook was one of the names I profiled just this October. So I thought that since people often think calling birds rather than colly birds, a name that is also not instantly recognisable as a blackbird - such as Brannon - would be fitting.

Brannon (pronounced BRAN-un) is thought to be a variation of the name Brandon, which means 'gorse hill' in Old English or 'sorrow' in Irish. It's also possibly a variant of Bran. There's an old 8th century Irish legend called 'The Voyage of Bran', and since Brannon was the name of Brans son it's thought the name could simply mean 'son of Bran'. Another meaning (Possibly Gaelic or Celtic) given to Bran though is 'raven'. It's also a name from Welsh mythology in the form of Bran the Blessed. It would be this origin that George R.R. Martin had in mind when he named one of the younger Stark sons Bran (Brandon) in his 'Song of Ice and Fire' series (a.k.a. 'Game of Thrones' on television). Without spoiling too much, this Bran has the gift of sight, and is thought to be the foretold three eyed crow. The crow reference makes Bran a very fitting name for the character.

Long form Brannon is one of those names that grows on you the more you say it (well, at least that's true for myself). It's more often heard as a surname - chances are you've never met a Brannon, but they're out there. It's charted in the U.S every year since 1960, just in small numbers. In 2012, it was given to just 35 boys.

One of my favourite things about Brannon is that it is familiar sounding but different, and has a similar feel to some other rising Irish/Gaelic names such as Ronan, Declan, Callan and Cillian. It also has a bit of a tough guy feel to it if you like that in a name, maybe due to its similarity in sound to Cannon. But without the weapon/name word appearance, which is a plus.

Brannon would be a fresh way to honour a Brandon or similar in your family tree, if Brandon feels a little dated for you or you just want to put your own stamp on it. It's also worth considering if you like Bram but want a more substantial name on the certificate - and you're not keen on options such as Bramwell. For that fact, it's a great alternative if you like Bran but want to minimise the cereal references, which tend to make Bran a little undesirable by itself (even though I love the sound of Bran as a name).

A couple of warnings though - be prepared for a Brannon to be mistaken for Brandon. A lot. And while some girls were given this name from the seventies though to the nineties, they do tend to be mistaken for boys when people first hear their name. Probably a lot more so that a Riley or Bailey would, which can be very annoying.

But if these things don't deter you, Brannon has all the makings of a good name. It could even be a way for you to bridge the gap between your love of Halloween and your love of Christmas. Brannon definitely deserves a place on more peoples' short lists.

Mythical Halloween Names at Nameberry Today!

My next Halloween post has gone up on Nameberry instead today!

It's a list of names inspired by some pretty nasty (and some not-so-nasty) mythical creatures. Phoenix and Griffin are already long established names, and with the current interest in animal like names such as Bear, Fox and Wolf, I thought it might be fun to look a little further afield for some fresh and unusual creature names. But don't just take my word for it - check out the post at Nameberry and let me know what you think.

Morgana

Katie McGrath portrays Morgana in TV's 'Merlin'

Morgana has often been shunned as an "evil" and "witchy" name, due to it's common association with legendary witch Morgana Le Fay. In many versions of the Merlin, Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table tales, Morgana is an antagonist, working against Arthur and Guinevere and usually trying to orchestrate their (particularly Arthurs') deaths. Usually she is said to be a half sister to Arthur, the daughter of Arthur's mother from her first marriage.

You often hear "not like Morgana Le Fay!" when someone discusses the merits of the name Morgana. It's possibly  this reaction that has kept Morgana a rarity - in the US, she's never been bestowed on more than 19 girls in any one year. In 2011, she was positioned at just #10127. And I'm not sure she has fared any better in other countries.

However Morgana Le Fay was known by several different variations of this name, with the other well known (and many would say better known) one being Morgan. Unlike Morgana, Morgan's popularity has not suffered very much at all by its association to the Morgan Le Fay character, and continues to be well used for both boys and girls. In fact for boys the lowest position Morgan has held on the US charts since 1888 was #636, and for girls it has been a top 100 name since 1987. So what is it about Morgan than makes it more user-friendly?

Morgan is a Welsh name meaning 'circle; sea; bright'. It is thought that the use of Morgan for the Morgan Le Fay character was inspired by the mythical Welsh water spirits known as Morgens. Perhaps for this reason, Morgan is also often used in modern supernatural fiction for magically inclined characters. For example, 'The Dresden Files' series by Jim Butcher had a wizard character named Morgan (full name Donald Morgan); and the main character of 'The Hollows' series by Kim Harrison is named Rachel Morgan. Perhaps it is due to this more general use - and the fact that it sounds like a "regular" surname name - that it is more readily accepted. Actors Morgan Fairchild and Morgan Freeman probably helped a lot to make Morgan more familiar and usable. It also sounds friendlier due to it's similarity in sound to the German word "morgen" meaning 'tomorrow'.

Morgan Le Fay
by Frederick Sandys

Morgana, by contrast, is almost exclusively thought of in relation to this one figure. She sounds darker; more exotic and mysterious. She also sounds like she fits right in alongside Disney villain names such as Cruella and Ursula. Disney must have thought so too, because they actually did name the villain of 'The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea' Morgana. It was also the name of a villain in 'Power Rangers: SPD', and a pretty bad-ass looking champion in the video game 'League of Legends'.  For some, Morgana will only ever be dark and nasty.

I prefer to focus on the exotic and mysterious aspect to the name Morgana. She may not be conventionally pretty, but she's interesting.

We seem to be fascinated with supernatural beings these days, so it seems that it is not inconceivable that popular movies such as 'Beautiful Creatures' will spark a renewed interest in traditionally magical names. Who knows - Morgana may yet have her day in the sun. Just don't use it with the middle names Lee or Fay........

Phoenix

Happy New Year!

As one year has ended and another one started, I thought it would be a good day to consider the name Phoenix. In Greek mythology, the Phoenix (pronounced FEE-niks) was a bird who would die by spontaneously combusting into flames. A new Phoenix would then rise from the ashes of the dead bird. Hence the Phoenix has long been a symbol of rebirth and immortality.It has also been associated with the colour purple and royalty, however the name means 'deep/bright red'.

The Phoenix makes many appearances in popular culture today. In the 'Harry Potter' series, Dumbledore has a Phoenix named Fawkes who comes to Harry's aid more than once. Harry actually gets to see Fawkes die and regenerate at one point. The fifth book in the series is also called 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix', The Order of The Phoenix being an organisation of good witches and wizards dedicated to bringing an end to the dark days of Lord Voldemort and creating a new, enlightened time when the magical world can live without fear.

Other places you may recognise Phoenixes from are:

• Achilles' wise tutor in Homers epic 'The Iliad'
• Phoenix McFarland, author of 'The New Book of Magical Names' (Phoenix is her pagan name)
• The Phoenix family (think actors River and Joaquin) 
• An alternative rock band from France
• The city in Arizona, America
• the 1965 movie 'Flight of the Phoenix' and it's 2004 remake 
• Evil alter ego of X-Men comic book superhero Jean Grey
• video game character Phoenix Wright from the Ace Attorney series
• Phoenixes are also popular in movies and video games featuring mythological creatures. 

As a teenager in the 90's, I remember thinking that Phoenix was an extremely exotic, "out there", super cool name. These days it is still a special name (it also has that cool "X" factor), but far from a strange rarity. It has been in the American top 1000 for boys since 1997 and for girls since 2003. While quite a unisex name, for now at least this one is skewing towards the males - in 2011 it ranked #388 for boys in the US, and #645 for girls. It is also a top #1000 name in Canada.

One great aspect to this name is that it is somewhat of a nick-namers paradise. Suggestions I've seen thrown around are Nick, Nyx, Fifi, Fee, Pix, Pixie, Fire, Firebird, Pyre, Phoe, Ixxy, Ash, and Nikki. I've also seen the variant Fenix used in a birth announcement in the past year. Which I thought was someone looking for a more "modern" way to spell it, until I realised that this spelling is not only the Old/Middle English spelling of Phoenix, but also the last name of 'Gears of War' video game hero Marcus Fenix.

Whichever way you want to use it, Phoenix is unique without being too unique, futuristic sounding but classical. It would be a great way to symbolise the beginning of a new life, or even just a New Year.

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

J Names For Boys

Johnny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow - two great J names

I recently read a great post at Nancy's Baby Names about the most popular first letters for boys and girls in 2011. It's an interesting read, especially as it seems the top 8 letters for boys and girls haven't changed since 2010, but the order has.

Turns out that for he last three years running, names starting with "J" have topped the list for boys names. And not by a small margin either. It got me to thinking, what "J" names would top my list? What "J" names are topping everyone else's lists? So here is a quick profile of five of the most popular and interesting (in my opinion) J names for boys.

JACK - Australia's top "J" boys name of 2011
As an Australian, I can vouch for the appeal of this name. It's conjures images of an honest, straightforward, easy going guy who would be everyone's mate. It just feels like an Australian name. We have the union jack on our flag, a jackeroo is widely considered our equivalent of a cowboy, and when Burger King came to Australia they changed their name to Hungry Jack's. 'Whispering Jack' was our nickname for one of our favourite Australian entertainers, John Farnham, and the name of his best selling album in the 80's.

In 2011 it was our 6th most popular boys name. England, Wales, Scotland and New Zealand also feel the strong appeal of Jack, as it tops the charts in their countries. In America Jackson is much more popular than Jack, although both are top 100 names. Jack started as a nickname for the name John (meaning God is gracious) but has made the transition to a given name in it's own right.

JEX - favourite new cool name?
OK, I have to admit that since I first saw Dax Shepherd's name in the credits of 'Without A Paddle', I have had a big crush on his name, which has extended to pretty much all three letter ends in "X" boy's names. Jax is cool, but it makes me think of video games. Jex is better, because it has a slightly "British upper crust" feel too it for me. Maybe due to a character called Jed that I liked on British TV show 'Bedlam' last year. And it's slightly edgier than Jett, if you believe that's possible.

JUPITER - favourite GP "J" name
I'm guessing this one appears on many guilty pleasure lists, because it would take a brave person to use it. Only 7 boys were given the name Jupiter in America in 2011.

Jupiter is not just a planet, it's also the name of the Roman King of the Gods and god of sky and thunder (the Roman equivalent of Zeus). Due to it's God connection, most people tend to consider Jupiter to be a boys name, and as such in America it has never been given to more than 5 girls in any one year.   With other god names such as Atlas on the rise, and night sky names such as Orion on the rise, Jupiter stands a chance of transitioning from just a little too quirky to uber-cool in the not too distant future.


JACOB - most popular boys name of 2011 in America
Yes, not just America's favourite "J" boy name, but America's top boy name. Full Stop. For the last 13 years. And in the 6 years before that it was a top 10 name. In fact, the lowest Jacob has ever charted was #368 in 1962.

I can see the appeal. It's a sturdy, manly biblical name, with the nickname Jake conveying the dual images of all-American boy-next-door or the bad boy. A Jacob (or Jake) could be a true chameleon. Seems it's meaning of 'supplanter' hasn't hurt this Hebrew name's image at all, and sexy young werewolf Jacob will probably ensure the name remains popular for many years to come as 'Twilight' fans start having little boys of their own.

Not one for people who don't like popular names, but otherwise a solid choice.

JAYNE - most intriguing crossover name
Usually we see "boys" names stolen for the girls. This is one that went the other way, but rarely. Jayne as a boys name came to my attention through the cult TV show 'Firefly'. If you're not familiar with it (which would quite frankly shock me) 'Firefly' is an almost legendary Joss Whedon TV series which spawned the hit movie 'Serenity'. I say legendary because it was not a big rater when it aired on TV and only lasted one season, but has developed a huge cult following since it went off air. The TV show aired in 2002/2003, but the following movie wasn't made until 2005 due to demand from the fans. The show centres on a dilapidated spaceship and it's eclectic crew and passengers. One of the main characters was Jayne, played by Adam Baldwin. I always assumed that Jayne was his last name, but watching the 'Firefly' ten year reunion special tonight I realised that it was his given name, with his full name being Jayne Cobb.

Jayne Cobb was an awesome character. He was a mercenary, tough, gruff and loved his weapons. But there were moments of comedy and tenderness in him that were ultimately endearing. I had at first thought that maybe this character would have triggered a small spate of little boy Jayne's. Not so though. It was most popular for boys in the years 1984-1986, when it was given to a total of just 17 boys.

Rarer than rare with a cool, tough namesake, Jayne could be worth considering.

JUSTUS - just 'cos
Just because I love the look and the sound of it. It sounds just like Justice, a cool name we can't use here is Australia because it could be confused with an official government position. It also looks very similar to the established, tried but true Justin. Which is nice, but a little boring to me.

Justus is a Latin name meaning 'fairminded, upright, honest'. There were three men named Justus in the bible, so this could be a up and coming alternative to Jacob, if you're looking for one.

With "J" names being the most popular for boys, I'm sure most people have at least one on their potential names list. What would be your pick?

Hermione

Emma Watson as talented witch Hermione Granger in the 'Harry Potter' movies

One of the great things about the 'Harry Potter' franchise is that it introduced the world to a lot of exotic sounding names that either hadn't been heard much, or had come to be considered as "fusty". J.K. Rowling gave many of these names a new vibrancy and made people think that maybe they could work on an actual person after all.

One of the witchy names that has caught people's imagination like no other is Hermione. Personally, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' was the first time I had ever seen the name, and at first I thought it was made up. By the time the first movie was released in 2001 I had read the first four books, and having only seen the name in print I had been pronouncing it 'her-MEE-oh-nee'. Of course, when the movie came out I found that it is actually 'her-MY-oh-nee', which sounds more like 'her-MINE-ee' when said fast.

Pronunciation lesson aside, Hermione is a Greek name, a feminine form of the Greek messenger god Hermes. There seems to be a little confusion over what it means though, with definitions ranging from 'messenger, earthly' to 'travel' to 'stone'. There was also a Hermione in Greek mythology, the daughter of Helen of Troy and Menelaus. She lived with her aunt Clymenestra, and married Neoptolemus after the Trojan war, which is mentioned 'The Odyssey'. She later left her husband after a dispute with Andromache, one of her husband's concubines, who Hermione blamed for her inability to fall pregnant because she claimed that Andromache was casting spells on her.

Other famous Hermione's (besides 'Harry Potter's' Granger) include:

• English actresses Hermione Baddeley, Gingold, Hannen, Hammond, Norris and Gulliford
• British radio and TV personality Hermione Cockburn
• Painter Hermione Harris
• Christian martyr and prophetess Hermione of Ephesus
• Veronica Lodge's mother in the 'Archie' comics
• Queen Hermione from Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale'.

David Bowie's album 'Space Oddity' also includes a song titled 'Letter to Hermione', although the name is never mentioned in the lyrics. And if you like names with a bit of an astronomical flair, there is a great dark main belt asteroid named Hermione.

In the US, Hermione was only sporadically used until 2001 when the first 'Harry Potter' movie was released. It peaked in 2006 at position #2489 when it was given to 74 girls, so the name is hardly common. It has appeared in the top 1000 in Belgium, but is the most popular in the UK. There it peaked in 2003/2004 when it was ranked #265. In 2010 it was sitting at #398, given to 111 babies.

While some people think the name is ugly and would be constantly mispronounced and mis-spelled, the huge benefit of 'Harry Potter' is that this is much less likely to happen these days. The name is now recognisable rather than strange, so girls with this name should have fewer causes to fear being called Herman or Hermy-own. Hermione Granger is a great role model, as she is brave, intelligent and strong. Yes, a girl with this name would be compared to her these days, but with such great attributes that is hardly the worst thing a child could hear. If it does concern you though, variations such as Hermia, Hermina, Hermine, Herminie, Herminia, Hermalina, Harmione, or Harmonia could be more to your taste.

Hermione - a modern day witch with a not-so-modern name. Greek names have been getting a lot of attention lately with the rise of Penelope, so why not be a little different and give Hermione a chance.

Alcide

OK, so I have to confess something here. Alcide was my first pick for a werewolf name this month just so I'd have an excuse to post pictures of him. The hottest werewolf on HBO's 'True Blood', Alcide Herveaux is played by Joe Manganiello. If he looks familiar, that's because he also recently appeared as "superdude" Davis in 'What to Expect When You're Expecting', and as a male stripper in 'Magic Mike' with Matthew McConaughey.

What I find most interesting about Alcide is that it was not a name I had really heard before watching 'True Blood', and I think most of the people I know were in the same boat. At first, I thought that his name was possibly a nickname, because it sounded kind of like they were saying L.C. I remember having the conversation with a workmate and fellow fan about what his name really is, and we were both surprised when we found that it was indeed Alcide.

Alcide (pronounced AL-seed) is derived from the Greek word Alkeides, which means 'strong man'. In Greek mythology Alcide was the birth name of the greatest hero Heracles, more commonly known as Hercules. Hercules was considered to be a paragon of masculinity, which is likely where the meaning of the name Alcide comes from.

Alcide charted in America in the 1880's, but has been relatively unseen in the western world since then. It's most commonly used in Italy, where it was the name of the founder of the Christian Democratic Party and a famous footballer.

Alcide is unlikely to become the phenomenon that Jacob became after that other famous werewolf catapulted Jacob into the spotlight. But with a strong meaning and super-masculine example, Alcide is a manly choice for werewolf lovers.

Calliope

Calliope is one of the prettiest (in my opinion) names from Greek Mythology. Pronounced kah-LY-oh-pee, she was one of the nine Muses that were the inspiration of poetry, music and dance. Specifically, Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, and was thought to be the muse of Homer, the author of "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad". The meaning of Calliope is 'beautiful voiced', which is possibly why the musical instrument you hear when on a merry go round was given the same name.

Some may find Calliope slightly hard to say - I've heard of people confusing it with Cauliflower or Cantaloupe. Which makes me think they weren't really making any effort to understand it. Strange. This problem should lessen as we see more characters in television and books with this name. In the 80's, 'Days of Our Lives' had a quirky character named Calliope. In current times, Dr Calliope Torres on 'Grey's Anatomy' goes by the more familiar Callie. There are also central characters in Jeffrey Eugenides' novel "Middlesex", Amy Carter's "Goddess Test" and Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler's "Scrambled Eggs at Midnight" with this name.

I feel that Calliope has a magical, musical quality to it. Some might say it is a big, fanciful name that would be hard for a girl to wear if she wasn't particularly talented in the creative arts. But not everyone will be immediately aware of the musical and creative connections with this name. For me, Calliope actually falls into the category of beautiful, feminine names with spunkier nicknames that make it easier to wear in everyday life. Cute nicknames of Poppy, Calli and Calla spring to mind. Or another option is to spell Kalliope with a K, which gives the longer version a slightly less classic, more modern feel. I think this is one name we'll slowly start seeing more of in the future.

Echo

Eliza Dushku as Echo in Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse'

We've been watching season one of Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse' this weekend, which has inspired me with today's name - Echo.

Echo is interesting to me because it has a slightly mystical feel. It fits right in with the 'O' sounding names that are extremely popular at the moment. It has a familiar sound, yet is not a word that pops up in many conversations. And it's almost never heard as a name.

However even though it is right at home with current trends, it is by no means a word that has been redeployed as a name option for today's parents. Echo however is a famous name from Greek mythology. Echo was originally the name of a talkative wood nymph who was in love with her own voice. Legend is that she displeased Zeus's wife Hera by consorting with Zeus, and distracting Hera while Zeus strayed with other nymphs (as he often loved to do). When Hera discovered Echo's treachery, she took away Echo's ability to use her beloved voice, leaving her with only the ability to repeat other's words. Hence the word Echo came from the name, and not the other way around.

In more modern times, there was an English post-punk band in 1978 called Echo and the Bunnymen, there is a German music award called ECHO, Toyota makes a car called the Echo, and echo is the abbreviation for an Echo cardiogram (a cardiac ultrasound). And of course today's inspiration, the main character on the short lived 'Dollhouse' as portrayed by Eliza Dushku.

The name Echo comes with the drawback of being an easy target for teasing. A child with this name could expect to have their name repeated often - no nickname would be needed. They would however have a very beautiful, distinctive name that would make them hard to forget in a crowd.

Inspiring Names - "Switched At Birth"

One of my favourite "new" names in the past year is Bay, the name of one of the main characters in the ABC Family show, "Switched At Birth". For those not familiar with the show (I am aware that I often have the TV viewing choices of a teenage girl), "Switched At Birth" tells the story of Bay Kennish (played by Vanessa Marano) and Daphne Vasquez (played by Katie Leclerc). Bay has always felt a little different from the rest of her family, and manages to persuade her parents to have a genetic test to prove she is not actually adopted. It is discovered that Bay is not actually the genetic daughter of either of her parents, which leads her on a search for her real parents. However when she finds her birth mother, she also discovers Daphne, a girl with the same birthday as her who happens to look a lot more like Bay's mother than Bay does. Yes, these two girls were switched at birth, and the show follows how the two families now cope with the news, and the girls build new relationships with their birth families while maintaining those with the family that raised them.

Obviously Bay is not new name, it is just that this is the first time I had seen it. And this character is largely responsible for why I like it so much - sweet but spunky, caring, clever, cute and artsy. Plus I've liked Vanessa Marano since seeing her play Luke's daughter April in "The Gilmore Girls". Bay has been used as both a boys and a girls name and actually has a few different origins and meanings:


Vanessa Marano as Bay Kennish

Old English - reddish brown (used to describe horses with brown coats and black manes and tails)
French - born on Saturday
Geographical - an indentation of land in a coastline
Nature - name of several different types of trees (such as Bay Laurel) whose leaves are used as herb and flavouring agent
Nature - Berry
Vietnamese - seventh child, born in July

This makes Bay - such a little name - rich with meaning and appealing on many levels.




The other star name in this show is Bay's counterpart, Daphne. Daphne is such a sweet, beautiful and charming name, one that has been regularly in use for a long time without ever being uber-popular. Daphne is often thought to be a French or English name, but it actually a Greek name meaning Laurel. It has roots in Greek Mythology, as a nymph who was changed into a laurel tree to protect her from the unwelcome amorous advances of the God Apollo. This also makes it somewhat of a virtuous name. 


Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez

And don't let the fact that most people think of Daphne from Scooby Doo when they hear Daphne put you off this name- Appellation Mountain has predicted that one of the big naming trends in 2012 is likely to be the rise of girls names ending in "E", which could see Daphne as a trendier name to have in the next few years (http://appellationmountain.net/2011/12/30/12-baby-name-predictions-for-2012/).

Both are lovely names, and I can't hep but think that the shows writers chose the names Bay and Daphne because they both have a connection to Laurel (another nature name I'm loving at the moment), just as the two characters will forever be connected to each other. I suggest you check out the show to see how well these names work on "actual" people. Maybe you'll fall in love with them the way I have, too.



Great Sibsets - The Halliwells

No, not Gerri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice. The other Halliwells - Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige, the magical sisters from the TV series 'Charmed'.

Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combes), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Paige (Rose McGowan)

For those who haven't heard of this, sibset is baby naming speak for sets of siblings. It seems that these days not only do we want the 'perfect' names for our children, but we want our childrens names to sound like they 'go together' when we do the family roll call :-) I think this combo was one of the first that ever made me think about having an element that links brothers and sisters names together.

Originally, Prue (short for Prudence) Piper and Phoebe were the 'charmed' ones - three sisters destined to be the greatest witches of all time, most powerful when they were together. After Prue's death, it was found that the girls had another half sister, conveniently also with a P name - Paige. So Piper didn't have to change the name of her nightclub (it was called P3). There are three main reasons why I think this worked so well in this instance:

• The show started before the "matching-first-initials" craze was made famous (and let's face it, slightly trashy) by the Duggars and Kardashians.
• There are only four few of them, so it wasn't an overkill and they didn't have to start having similar sounding names (Joshua, Josiah, Johannah and Josie in the same family?!)
• They are all beautiful, 'proper' names. No changing letters to fit a theme (Kortney, Khloe, Jinger?). Here's a closer look at each of them.

Prue - This short form is the only thing that made me notice the beauty of the name Prudence. It's a lovely, old fashioned virtue name, with a cute, spunky nickname. It's not on the rise yet, but might be as the huge success of 'The Hunger Games' has put names such as Rue and Prim (short for Primrose) on the radar for many people. Prue has a similar feel and sound, so may be up for people who love these but want to steer clear of any obvious connections to the franchise.

Piper - Piper is an occupational name which leaped up the charts thanks mainly to this show. It was virtually unheard of at the start of the 1990's, but started to chart a year after the show started. It has steadily climbed since then, with Pyper now seeing some use as a variation. Piper is a fun, happy sounding and spunky name, while still sounding classy, which has likely contributed to it's popularity.

Phoebe - In the 90's, this name was seen on both 'Charmed' and the hugely popular 'Friends'. Already on the rise before this, these shows helped to push Phoebe up the charts. Phoebe has Greek origins - she was once known as the goddess of the moon - and has the beautiful meaning of 'radiant, shining one'. It's one of those names that nothing else sounds similar to. Phoebe is unique and makes people think of a fun loving, warm and caring individual.

Paige - an occupational name, the 'i' makes this an appealing looking name and less like the traditional word page, which conjures up entirely different images. Classy but not snotty sounding, I have a lot of love for Paige. Which I've mentioned before, so I won't bang on about it :-)

Matching first initials may still seem like a bad idea to many - I guess there could be problems with having 3 or 4 different B Smiths at the same school for example. But past those school days, it's a nice link that your children will always have with each other, something special that they share beyond the joy of simply being brothers and sisters.

Calla

A pink Calla Lily flower

Calla is a girl's name that seems to be suddenly popping up on the Internet and in the baby name books as a fresh new flower name alternative - as in the Calla Lily. Lily is a top 20 name in both Australia and the US, so it stands to reason that parents to be would be on the lookout for viable alternatives, and this could be just the name for the job.

Calla has the dual advantage of a old-fashioned yet modern feel. It is easy to pronounce and feels warm and friendly, girly and tomboyish all at once. Calla, far from being a modern invented name, is a Greek name meaning beautiful. It would be striking with other nature names such as Sage and Bay. Calla is also perfectly poised to be a nickname for longer Greek names that derive from Calla - such as Callista (meaning most beautiful) and Calliope (meaning beautiful voice). Which also opens it up as an option for those that love more fanciful/mythological/Greek names that have more accessible nicknames.

A couple of objections I've seen are that it could be caught up in the Kayla/Kaylee trend, that it was the name of a Gummi Bear on the 80's cartoon, or that it is slightly reminiscent of "call girl". However the response to this name seems to be overwhelmingly positive, with most lovers of the name suggesting it'd be best paired with a shorter and/or more traditionally feminine middle name.

Whatever way you prefer to use it, Calla is a versatile name that is beautiful by name and beautiful by nature. I'd love to see used more often!

Gems From (one of my) Favourite Books

One of my favourite books ever is "The Glass Slipper" by Eleanor Farjeon. The copy I have is a hand-me-down from my mother - who got it as a present from her Sunday School - which increases the charm of this book ten fold for me.

One of the most memorable and intriguing things in this re-telling of the classic Cinderella tale is the unusual monikers bestowed upon the two wicked Stepsisters - Araminta and Arethusa. These names were most likely created by the author, as upon checking the original Grimm Brothers version I found that they never actually named the sisters, just described them as "fair in face but foul at heart".

Cinderella's Wicked step-mother and step-sisters Araminta and Arethusa

As a name, Araminta is currently enjoying much more popularity than Arethusa. It is unknown exactly where this name comes from - some say it is a cross between Aminta (Greek name meaning defender) and Arabella (Latin for yielding to prayer); while others say it was invented by British writers William Congreve in his play "The Old Bachelor" in 1693 and Sir John Vanbrugh in "The Confederacy" in 1705. However as it is also thought that these two colleagues may have known an Araminta, so its origins remain sketchy. 

In this book Araminta is known as Minty to her sister, a nickname that people either seem to think is cute and funky, or too reminiscent of toothpaste and chewing gum to be usable. For those, Minta, Minnie or even Mindy might be better options. Either way, this name seems to be on trend with the lacy girls names that are currently on the rise.

Arethusa  is much less well known, but just as pretty. In Greek mythology Arethusa was a nymph who turned into a fountain after Alpheus tried to seduce her and she sought the protection of Artemis. From this, the meaning of her name is water bearer. For those that also like poetic connections, "Arethusa" is also the title of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Arethusa was called Thusy (I presume pronounced Thoosey) in this book, which is perhaps a nickname best avoided. If you need a nickname, Aretha might always be an option.

I think both are great names, but probably not ones I'd use as first names as they're not quite my style. Maybe as adventurous middles though :-) What do others think? Are there some gems from your favourite books that you'd secretly love to use?