A Ton of Fun Nickname

Allen Haff and Clinton "Ton" Jones of SPIKE TV's 'Auction Hunters'

Have you seen 'Auction Hunters'? It's an American reality show based on a couple of guys who buy the contents of storage lockers once the original owners stop paying their storage fees and the storage companies want to recoup some money. Basically the concept is that you bid on the contents after only a quick chance to guess what it might contain, hoping you uncover some forgotten treasure that you can sell for some serious cash. I have to admit the novelty of the show wears off a little when episode after episode the guys best finds seem to be guns, weapons, explosives or vehicles. But I love the idea of behind it.

The "hosts" of this particular show are Alan Haff and Ton Jones. Now, the name Ton might have caught your eye. Ton is actually a nickname for Clinton. It seems to suit him well, as he is quite an imposing figure at 6 ft 3in and 380 lbs. And I really like the idea of a nickname for Clinton other than Clint.

Ton as a name itself has actually been given to a handful of boys a few years in the 80's. I wouldn't recommend it as a full name though, because this is one that is easy game for teasing if worn by a shy or overweight child.

But as a nickname it could work quite well - especially in certain sports where a stocky build is an asset, not a liability. I think it could be a strong, masculine nickname, one that would sound right at home on a cowboy. And for popular, "life of the party" types, it could signify that they are a ton of fun to be around!

There is a surprisingly long list of names that Ton could be a nickname for, primarily due to the fact that "ton" is a common ending meaning 'town' in Old English names. These were used when names were often given to identify people by their occupation, or in this case, where they lived or were born.

Below is a few lists of some of the best suspects. They tend to be male names, as I really don't think any girl would be too happy with the nickname Ton. If you have any you'd like to add, let me know!

A Rough Edge for a Distinguished Name

Arlington
Aston
Atherton
Barrington
Barton
Brighton
Britton
Carrington
Eaton
Edgerton
Ellington
Everton
Fenton
Hamilton
Hampton
Harrington
Huntington
Keaton

Kensington
Livingston
Preston
Pendleton
Princeton
Remington
Royston
Somerton
Stanton
Templeton
Thornton
Washington
Williston
Worthington


A Modern Spin on an Old Familiar
Anton
Brenton
Burton
Carlton
Clayton
Clifton
Dalton
Dunston
Elton
Hilton
Horton
Hutton
Johnston
Kingston
Leighton
Milton
Morton
Norton
Peyton
Quenton
Shelton
Thurston
Winston

The Cowboys
Axton
Bolton
Branston
Charlton
Cheston
Cotton
Deston
Easton
Heston
Houston
Langton
Lawton
Newton
Patton
Seaton
Treyton
Weston

The Good Time Guys
Ashton
Auston
Benton
Boston
Braxton
Colton
Daxton
Dayton
Grayton
Jaxton
Jeton
Maxton
Paxton
Ruston
Trenton

Romina

Eva Mendes plays Romina in 'The Place Beyond The Pines', opposite Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper

If you like your girls names to be of the feminine but not frilly persuasion, have you considered Romina?

Romina (pronounced roh-MEEN-ah) is a Latin name meaning 'woman from Rome'. This pretty gem belongs to the same family as other female names Roma, Romelle, Romola, Romella, Romelia and Romilda. However I feel that Romina stands apart from these (with the exception of Roma) as the sleeker, more modern sounding option. Its cool factor may also be set to rise in the near future, as Eva Mendes portrays a character called Romina in the new Ryan Gosling movie 'The Place Beyond the Pines'.

Romina is more likely to be heard amongst Italian and Spanish speakers, but has been a quiet presence on the US charts. It has been stealthily creeping upwards - in 1970 it was ranked #7770, but fast forward to 2011 and it was placed #1577. It's yet to crack the top 1000, but that may be a different story in ten years time.

Some Rominas in the public eye that you may recognise include:

• American born singer/actress Romina Power, and her actress daughter Italian born Romina Carrisi-Power
• Argentinian actress Romina Gaetani
• Austrian concert musician Romina Lischka
• London based Italian born R&B and soul singer Romina Johnson
• Italian Opera Singer Romina Basso
• Italian actress Romina Modello; and 
• Swiss tennis player Romina Oprandi (who interestingly has a mother named Romy, father named Roberto and a brother named Romeo). 

This name also comes with some cute and spunky nicknames. My personal favourite is probably Mina, but Ro is another option, and it's also a great way to get to Romy. Romina is also a nice, subtle way to use a place name. For those of us living outside Italy, Romina is a good option for a sleek, current sounding name with international flair.

Braith

Rugby Player Braith Anasta

When I was having a look at the entrants in the Bonds Baby Search competition recently, there was one boys name in particular that I noticed - Braith. This was mainly because I hadn't heard it before, and also because there seemed to be quite a few of them, particularly in the 0-9 month and the 10-25 month categories.

A quick Google search made it pretty clear that the inspiration behind the name must be Australian Rugby League player Braith Anasta. If you're a fan, please excuse me now for not really being aware of who he is. In my defense, I live in Victoria, where Aussie Rules - not rugby - is the ruling sport. And I'm admittedly not a huge sports fan, so don't tend to familiar with players unless they're constantly in the news. More often than not, if a player is making headlines it's not necessarily for positive reasons.

As far as players go, Braith seems to have stayed away from a lot of the issues and controversy that often surrounds high profile players. He started with the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2000, moved to the Sydney Roosters in 2005, and started playing with the Wests Tigers this year. In October 2012 he married actress Jodi Gordon, a former star of popular Australian soap 'Home and Away'. This probably helped a lot to boost his profile with females, especially when pictures of their Balinese wedding were published in leading Australian women's magazines.

Braith is reportedly a unisex name meaning 'freckled' or 'speckled', often interpreted as 'black and white' or 'red and white'. It is said to be a Welsh name, although I have seen a Welsh person say they've never heard it in use in Wales. There is however a history of Braith as a surname in England (near Edinburgh), where it may have been a precursor for town names such as Braithwell and Braithwaite. It's also thought that the name Brad possibly evolved as an alternate spelling of this name.

Braith is quite a rarity, with other bearers being 19th century German painter Anton Braith and a young female character in the video game 'Skyrim'. Variations I've seen used for boys are Braithe and Braithen, and I've also seen the suggestion that Braithwen could be an option for a girl. If you're looking for a more substantial name for your boy though I suggest that the town names Braithwell and Brathwaite would be the most attractive options. Braithwaite in particular is a relatively well known surname, and would likely transfer to use as a first name easily.

As far as "modern" sounding names go, Braith is a reasonably attractive one. It fits in well alongside other one syllable "AY" names, such as James, Blake or Zane, but manages to stand out from these too. It's also a good blend of masculine and soft. This may sound strange, but I could see Braith working well as a werewolf name in a book or movie (which I mean as a positive thing).

Braith may turn out to be a quick fading trend. But if Braith Anastas star continues on its current trajectory, we could be seeing more of this name in the future.