Ocea

I've been a regular lurker on the Baby Centre Australia forums since I was pregnant. Of course one of my favourite groups on their site is baby names because it can be a great source of inspiration. When I recently saw this little name being considered I was intrigued. I had never seen it before, and it seemed the reaction to it online was mainly positive (Plus I seem to have an interest in finding great girl's names starting with "O" that aren't super popular Olivia. Don't get me wrong, I love Olivia - it's my own middle name. I just like people to know there are other options). Barely a week later I saw another person mention it, so I mentally filed it away as a likely blog post for later.

And then on Christmas Day my sister gave birth to her second child - a daughter - and lo and behold, they name her Ocea!

Ocea feels like a fantastic fit for their family. We already knew that my sister and her husband were adventurous namers when they named their first daughter Jett, a name usually seen on boys. They live in Queensland and are both surfers, so the water inspired Ocea is a lovely nod to their shared love of the beach. I kind of feel like the sibset of sisters named Jett and Ocea are quite reminiscent of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Livelys' daughters James and Ines. But that's getting a little off topic.

If you're a little confused about how to pronounce this rarity you are not alone. My first instinct was that it is Oh-SEE-ah, but it's actually Oh-Shah, like Ocean but without the N. Which makes sense when you consider that as a name it is thought to be derived from Oceana, a Greek name meaning Ocean or Oceanus, another Greek name meaning 'god of the sea'. In light of this it probably comes as no surprise that the name Ocea means 'Ocean'.

Ocea may seem a little incomplete to some people, but it definitely has its' charms. For one, if you want an uncommon name Ocea fits the bill perfectly. It doesn't appear to be popular in any part of the world. Ocea could be an alternative to those also interested in Asha, but concerned about the popularity of sound-alike boys name Asher. Or concerned about the popularity of Asha itself, or just the proliferation of Ash names in general.

For those worried that their rare name is merely a modern invention, Ocea continues to delight. Although rare she has been in use for a long time - she just managed to crack the US charts (was given to at least 5 girls) in 1895, and again in 1911, 1918 and 1921. So there is history there.

I also personally love the vibe you get from Ocea. It's pretty looking and has a laid back peaceful feel that you often get when you think of the ocean and the beach. The sound of it even brings to mind the rhythm of the waves lapping gently at the shore. She's a good choice for the water lover, surfer, or even just the nature name fan. And she doesn't seem too "girlish" - it's easy to imagine a stylish older woman wearing the name Ocea just as easily as a sweet little girl or precocious teenager.

And as I said, it feels like a great fit for my new little niece, who I'm sure will make it her own in no time. Welcome to the world little Ocea!

Girls Birth Announcements

Photo courtesy of Babies By Britt

As promised, here is a selection of the girl names chosen by parents with a December due date on Baby Center Australia (the boys post can be found here). This list is admittedly longer, mainly because there were way more girls born in this group than boys so it was hard to shorten it while still showing a good selection of the wide variety of names used. And there are some great ones.

Of the full selection, Charlotte was the most popular first name, given to five girls. Maybe Princess Charlotte had an impact on this, although to be fair Charlotte was already extremely popular in Australia before the princess was born in May 2015 - she was our #2 name in 2014. As for the middle names, you'll see Rose a few times in the below list, and Rose was indeed the most popular middle name overall, used 11 times! Seems it's not just Nameberries that love Rose in the middle place.

Aaliyah Mae		Elodie Jade		Maya Lois
Abigail Grace		Emerson Lucy Lena		Megan Lily
Ada Violet		Emily Maree Isla		Mia Rose
Alexis Hope		Esther Pearl		Milla Grace
Alice Belle		Eva Theresa		Myka Elisabeth
Allirah Jayne		Gisele Rebecca		Mylah-Rose
Alyssa Kristie		Greta Eve		Natalia Nicoletta
Amarli Diaz		Gwynevere Sky		Norah Joy
Anna Elizabeth Rose		Harper Leigh		Peyton Daphne
Antoinette Genevieve Leona		Hazel Scout		Piper Jane
Arianna Skye		Hollie Lorraine		Poppie Leigh
Audra Grace		Imogen Jean		Remi Julie Ann
Bailee Tymia		Indianna Rose		Ruby Mae
Bella Louise		Indie Allys Ihaia		Sadie May
Bree Emily		Isla Annelise		Scarlett Elizabeth Winter
Brooklyn Fay Riley		Ivy Anne		Sierra Blake
Charlotte Therese		Joy Alathea		Skylah Rose
Chasca Lee		Kaia Bailey		Sonja Jaye
Chloe Jane		Keira-Lee Jean		Sophie Renee
Delaney Rose		Khalise Louise		Tali Rose
Delilah Anne		Laihton Elizabeth		Tamara Heather
Eden Leigh		Legacie Nicole		Thea Audrey
Edie Lyla		Lilah Giulia		Tui Rose
Edith Sophia		Lutèce Isabel Marguerite		Zali Lola
Elliana Grace		Mahli Claire		Zoya Mowlana

Twin Sets

Indie Rose and Mylie May

Melodi and Elis      

Boys Birth Announcements

During my pregnancy I was taking a bit of a break from blogging (a.k.a. sleeping and playing a lot of Candy Crush). But this doesn't mean that I'd lost interest in names. In fact, part of the great thing about giving birth is that I'm suddenly completely immersed in the current naming landscape - as a new mum I'm seeing what names my fellow new mums are using. And can I say I've seen some fabulous ones lately.

But before I digress too much, what did we name our son? His name is Atlas Bram!! That's him pictured above at two months old. Atlas was born October 30th 2015, weighing just 1.6kg (3lb 8oz). He was born five and a half weeks premature after a growth scan showed he was too small and our obstetrician told us to come in to the hospital for a cesarean birth that same day. I have to admit to having a few hesitations about naming him Atlas when we found out he would be so tiny, but my husband had none. Our boy may be small but he is strong and healthy and I'm glad we stuck with our choice (keep tuned for a post on how we chose his name in the coming weeks).

As I was saying, I've seen some great names lately, with one major source being on the Baby Center Australia forums. The below is a selection of boy names used by parents who had a December due date like I did. For those interested in popularity; Alexander and variant Zander/Xander was the most popular first name, and James the most popular middle name out of all of the boys names I saw.

The girls post can be found here ☺

Alexander Arnold (Xander)		Flynn Michael Lloyd		Landon Jonathan
Apollo Ronaldo		Greyson Higgins		Leo Archer
Archer Thomas Jack		Harrison Jack (Harry)		Lucas Rex
Arkyn		Harry Leslie		Maverick Ernest
Blake Anthony		Hudson Winston		Mitchell John
Bradley Jonas		Hugo Robert		Nate James
Carter Jacob (CJ)		Isaiah Lyndon		Oliver Michael
Charlie Gabriel		Jack Michael Dillon		Oscar James
Chet Bruce		Jackson John		Rhys James
Coby Peter		Jacob Aydin		Riley Alan
Cooper Ryan		Jarryd George		Ryan Alexander
D'Arcy James		Jaxon James		William Paul
Damien Michael Rhys		Jayden Charles		Wolfe Michael
Darcy John		Job Edward		Xander Danny James
Davy Jack		Kahlani James		Xavier
Digby Anthony		Kaiden Dylan		Zander Roy Theodore
Edward Max (Eddie)		Keldan Daniel		Zane Nicholas
Elias Dennis		Kobi Blair		Zayn Fahd
Elijah Albert		Kyran Silva		Zeke Robert
Ethan Thomas		Lachlan Graham		Zion Ross

Twin Sets

Lucas Robert and Cooper Riley  

Rigby and Frankie

Stirling Royce and Eli Henry          

Max and Vader

Between the above recent birth notice, and this one for Fenris Leander from February, I'm starting to get the impression that Star Wars fans write some of the most creative and fun birth announcements!

Max in 'Where The
Wild Things Are'

For many people Max Vader is a combination that covers many parents wish lists for a name. The first name is a familiar, well liked classic, plus it has the macho "X" ending that is so hot right now. Max fits in perfectly without trying too hard. Then you have Vader - unexpected and adventurous, with (I assume) personal meaning for the parents. It's a serious face to the world with a hidden cheeky quirkiness, and all in all it's a pretty cool combination.

I was sure I had covered Max (or more specifically, Maxwell) here at Baby Name Pondering before, because it's a name that is near and dear to my heart, but I haven't. My maternal grandfather was a Maxwell that went by Max, hence my attachment. Max is a Latin name meaning 'greatest', which also helps boost it's appeal. I still remember when Homer renamed himself Max Power in one episode of 'The Simpsons', and boy did that new name give him swagger!

Other examples of real life and fictional Max's are plentiful, with one of the most popular being the young main character in the book and movie 'Where the Wild Things Are'. This has helped to make Max a very popular name in many countries. In 2013, Max was #17 here in Australia, #24 in New Zealand, #14 in Germany, #15 in The Netherlands, #18 in Scotland, #36 in Sweden and #111 in the U.S. Other popular variations internationally include Maxim (#1 in Belarus & Moldova, #3 in Russia), Maximilian (#9 in Germany) and Maxime (#57 in Canada). Max is definitely a name that travels and wears well.

Of course, the noteworthy part of this name is Vader, a name that will forever be undeniably associated with 'Star Wars'. For those uninitiated to the world of 'Star Wars', Darth Vader is the villain at the center of the original three movies (now technically movies 3,4 & 5). The three prequels were made to introduce his back story, chronicling his fall from promising young Jedi student to master of the dark side.

Baby Darth Vader,
played by Max Page
in the 2011 Superbowl ad
for Volkswagon

There are a few theories as to where this characters name came from, and it's very likely that all are just as true as each other, as creator George Lucas often takes a very considered view to naming important characters. The prevalent one is that Darth is a play on 'dark Sith' or simply 'dark', with Vader being the Dutch word for 'father' - although the pronunciation of VEY-der used in the movies is supposedly closer to the way the Germans pronounce their word for 'father', vater. This is the favoured explanation because the big reveal of the original trilogy is that he is in fact, hero Luke's father.

Other explanations are based on the word play thought to be behind Darth. Vader may be a play on the word 'invader', which tends to have evil overlord connotations in itself. George Lucas has also said in interviews that he likes that the combination of Darth Vader sounds like both 'dark father' and 'death water'.

So why would someone want to choose the name of an evil character that The American Film Institute has listed as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history for their young child? Well, it helps a lot that Darth Vader is a fictional villain. His crimes aren't real to us, and we have three movies of back story to make him a more sympathetic character. Then consider that many of his traits are actually highly valued by our society. The tenacity to make hard decisions and stick to them, eliminating threats that stand in the way of reaching goals. And Darth Vader even gets his own super cool theme song. It's kind of like the ultimate user friendly bad boy name. 

At the same time though, it's still too associated with the one reference to be a highly desirable first name. The only time it has charted in the U.S was in 2012. Well, other than in the early 1900's, when it charted a handful of times for girls; most likely as a spelling variation of Vada or Vida. Which is why Vader works so well as a middle name.

It's a great combination, one that should this boy well. Welcome to the world Max Vader!

Fenris and Leander

For something a little different, I thought I'd share a birth announcement I saw in Melbourne's 'Herald Sun' newspaper today. It's such a cool and funky way to announce a birth - it definitely hints at the fun personality that the family that chose Fenris Leander for their son must have!

Both Fenris and Leander are animal related names. Fenris is a Norse name, from the mythological giant wolf who is also known as Fenrir. The eldest child of Loki, it was prophesied that he and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. The Norse gods commissioned a magic chain be made and chained him to a rock, the legend being that on the day of Ragnarok (the end of the world) he will break his chains and take revenge against the gods.

Fenris has only charted in the U.S as a first name in the last two years (2011 & 2012). It's been popularly used in games though, appearing as an elven warrior in 'Dragon Age' and as the homeworld of the Space Wolf Space Marines in 'World of Warcraft' just to name a couple. There is also a Commander Fenris in the 'Star Wars' world - he's an officer in the Rebel Alliance. Something tells me this may have been the inspiration for the birth notice.

Leander (pronounced lee-AN-der) is a Greek name meaning 'lion man'. He also has a mythological connection - legend is that he would swim across the Hellespont to visit his beloved, a priestess of Venus named Hero. Alas, he drowned on one of his swims when overpowered by a storm, which incited Hero to fling herself in the water too.

Unlike Fenris, Leander has seen steady use as a name in the U.S and has charted every year (except one) since 1880, peaking at #326 in 1882. He;s particularly popular in Norway. You'll see this name on warships, towns and cities, a steam locomotive and even an ape on 'Planet of the Apes'. He's a seventh century Spanish saint, a young detective on TV show 'The Wire', a character in video game 'Red Dead Redemption' and many more things.

Admittedly, my previous impressions of these names were that Fenris is cool but hard to wear, and Leander felt a little "soft" for a boy (mainly because it reminds me of the flower oleander and occasionally charts as a girls name too). But I'm adoring them together! This combination flows wonderfully and has just enough fierce edge, but not too much. The wolf and the lion together is quite a powerful image, and 'The Wolf and the Lion' is actually the title of an episode of 'Game of Thrones' if you're a fan of the TV show. Fenris Leander is spunky and cool and rich with meaning.

Welcome to the world, Fenris Leander!

Photo Courtesy of Kimberly G Photography

Rook

Photo courtesy of Tumblr

From one bird related name to an actual bird name. This is one I first noticed in a birth announcement in February this year at Waltzing More Than Matilda. It caught my eye as interesting at the time, but I didn't really think much more than that. But for some reason it has slowly been growing on me, and I'm starting to think there is more to this powerful little nature name than meets the eye.

As a bird, Rooks are related to Ravens and Crows, both of which have a history of being associated with Halloween. Ravens in particular are popular in Halloween iconography. It's thought in many cultures that because these birds feed on carrion, they are a link between life and death. Some think they contain lost souls, others say ghosts of murdered people and some say they were messengers from the gods. To see one was considered a good omen by some, but an ill omen by many others.

The benefit of using Rook rather than Raven or Crow/Crowe as a name though is that its' connection is much subtler, a little less "dark" than the other two, possibly because it has plenty of other meanings. The Rook is also a chess piece (named from the Persian work rukh meaning 'chariot'), a card game, a piercing in the antihelix of the ear, a cheat or swindler, a type of rocket and a shortened slang term for a rookie (someone who is new to a job or activity). In pop culture he is a moving castle character in the video game 'Demigod', and a character in 'Ben 10' - sure to make a young Rook happy.

I've seen Rook described by various people as cool, modern, strong, fierce, fresh, unique, romantic and adventurous. It certainly is rare - it first charted in the U.S just over a decade ago, and in 2012 was given to only 24 boys. If you like the idea of Rook but think the K ending is a bit abrupt, Rooker is a possible alternative, or Roderick with the nickname Rook is a distinguished choice.

I also have to admit to having a more personal reason for liking Rook - my name is Brooke, and I adore the idea of using Rook as a middle for a son because it contains elements of my name. It could also work to honour any Brooks' or Brooklyns, or of course and Ravens or Crow/Crowes in the family. And of course I love a nature name.

If you like your boys names to be short, spunky and unexpected, Rook is definitely worth a second look.

Finnick



Latest news is Sam Claflin will play Finnick Odair

Admittedly, I was trying to avoid writing about any of the names from 'The Hunger Games'. Before I read the series, I couldn't understand why Katniss was suddenly one of the most searched names on Nameberry.com. However I am now a convert, after reading all three books in lightning speed. Well, for me anyway - after all, I took three months to read the latest Games of Thrones book, but three weeks to read all three of 'The Hunger Games' books as I could hardly bring myself to put them down. But enough of my ranting about how much I loved the books. There are many fantastic names in 'The Hunger Games' but for now I just want to focus on my favourite from the books - Finnick.

The character Finnick Odair doesn't make an appearance until the second book, but is one of the most complex characters of the series. From flirt, to enemy, to ally, survivor to lover, Finnick is (to borrow a phrase from a famous ogre) like an onion. He is strong yet vulnerable. I think many people who have loved the books have fallen in love with Finnick Odair. And as we have all experienced, when we associate a name with someone we love, even if it's a character from a book, the name becomes extremely attractive by association.

It's also starting to see some real world use - I've seen announcements on the Internet for a Finnick Cameron, and a Milo Finnick Alexander. Both great uses of pairing an unusual name with more established names to balance it out.

Okay, so not everyone will be on board with Finnick. A lot of people immediately see 'finnicky', which is not a desirable trait to be associated with. Others feel that the name is far too intrinsically tied to the books. And that as a victor, he was a killer etc etc and it would leave a child open to teasing.

But I think as the next two movies are released the name will become more and more acceptable. Finnick has the benefit of the ready made nicknames Finn and Nick, and with Finn and Flynn racing up the popularity charts (in Australia Flynn was #25 in 2011 while Finn was #34) Finnick could become a very usable alternative. Or if you prefer a more subtle nod to the character, Odair is also an option, a more 'namey' sounding alternative to Dare.

Now I'm just interested to see who they finally lock in the play Finnick Odair on the big screen, along with thousands of other fans.

Spotted - Denver Anton & Zelda Gypsy Jane

While having a squiz at the birth announcements in the Melbourne Herald Sun yesterday, two names struck me as particularly inspiring - Denver Anton and Zelda Gypsy Jane! I'd like to start with a congratulations to the lucky new parents, and their adventurous naming choices.

We don't get many Denver's here is Australia. The only examples that spring to mind is the last name of country singer John Denver, or the 80's cartoon 'Denver: The Last Dinosaur' (I have the theme song running through my mind right now!). I'll add here that I have very fond memories of the show, which is possibly why it made me smile when I saw this name in use.


Denver The Last Dinosaur

I really like the sound of Denver, and the much more traditional Anton makes this combination sound a little more grown up - grounded but not boring. It brings to mind images of someone cool but smart.

Denver is actually an English/French place name meaning 'from Anvers', while Anton is a German/Scandinavian version of Anthony, which means 'priceless one'. Such a beautiful meaning.



Zelda, Twilight Princess

Zelda Gypsy Jane on the other hand just drips with spunk.

Zelda was popular in the early 1900's, but has been rarely used since the 1970's. The popular Nintendo Game 'The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess' increased the recognisability of the name, but hasn't seemed to have given it a huge boost in popularity. Although it did inspire Robin Williams to name his daughter Zelda Rae.

With the association of Zelda with a video game princess, the romanticism conjured by the word Gypsy and Jane's lovely meaning of 'god's gracious gift', Zelda Gypsy Jane is a distinctive name that evokes positive images for most. It also has the benefit of being unusual without a "I think they made that name up" vibe. Plus it's a great use of the steadily rising two middle names trend, a practice that is giving baby name lovers a chance to create truly unique combos and the opportunity to use more of the names they love.