TV Name Quote

Soleil Moon Frye as Punky Brewster

I was feeling a bit nostalgic so watched a few episodes of 'Punky Brewster' today for a fun blast from the past.

If you were alive in the 80's then it's likely that you know the TV show I'm talking about. It's about a little girl named Punky who was homeless and squatting in a vacant apartment until she was discovered by the building manager Henry Warnimont, a somewhat crotchety elder man with no family of his own. Punky takes an instant liking to the belligerent Henry, but he takes a little longer to warm to Punky. Initially, he contacts Family Services in an attempt to find her mother, but when she can't be found he fights for custody himself rather than have Punky placed with a foster family. Fun and hi-jinks ensue as these two mis-matched loners adjust to life together.

The show wasn't a huge ratings winner, but 'Punky Brewster' was very popular with kids during its' run from 1984 to 1988, and made child star Soleil Moon Frye a household name. Yes, that's the same Soleil who now has her own children, the fabulously named Poet Sienna Rose, Jagger Joseph Blue and Lyric Sonny Roads.

But on to todays' quote. I loved this conversation between Punky and social worker Randi Mitchell in the second episode.

Randi:  Do you have a real name besides Punky?
Punky:  Punky's a real name
Randi:  Yes I know, and it's a very nice one, but don't you have another name?
Punky:  Sure - Brewster!
Randi:  No, I mean another first name
Punky:  Gee, I can't remember one....
Randi:  You know, I don't like to tell people my real name either, they always laugh
Punky:  At Randi?
Randi:  No, that's my nickname, my real name is Miranda
Punky:  Miranda! Miranda's worse than Penelope!
Randi:  A-ha! Penelope Brewster
Punky:  Boy, that was slick


I loved the show, but could not have told you that Punky was short for Penelope!

It also illustrates just how much our opinions of names can change in 30 years. When this episode aired in 1984, Penelope was way outside the U.S top 1000, as she had been for the previous 8 years and would remain for the next 16 years. You can see how Miss Brewster would have been less than impressed with her formal name, one that would have seemed uncool and "old lady-like" in the 80's. Now it's a different story though. Penelope has been shooting up the charts, entering the top 100 for the first time in 2013 (Punky however has yet to ever chart).

Miranda on the other hand has remained a top 1000 name for a long time, declining slightly in the last few years. I'm not sure why it would have seemed so laughable as a name in the 1984, when it was hovering just outside the top 100.

On a final note, wouldn't Penelope and Miranda now make for fantastic sisters? Less so Punky (which now feels dated and too tied to the one character) and Randi (which has not-so-great connotations for a little girl), although both are quite sassy, boisterous names for their classical counterparts.

In today's naming climate I have a feeling that Penelope and Miranda wouldn't feel ashamed of their beautiful names at all.

10 Useful Facts about the 2013 SSA Data

♣  To make it to the SSA lists, a name must be given to 5 or more children of the same gender in that year. Using this criteria, the 2013 lists cover the names given to 1,871,467 bouncing baby boys and 1,736,630 darling new girls.

♣  Despite there being more than one hundred thousand more boys than girls, over five thousand more girl names (19,114 names) make the list than boy names (13,958 names).

♣  Compared to the number of names that made the lists in 1880, in 2013 the range of boys names has increased by 1319% and girls by 2029%.

♣  Sophia kept her #1 crown, despite being given to 1,083 fewer girls in 2013 than 2012. She accounts for 1.214% of girls on the list.

♣  Noah toppled the mighty Jacob, but was bestowed on 809 fewer boys in 2013 than Jacob was in 2012. Noahs born in 2013 account for just 0.967% of all boys on the list.

♣  At the other end of the spectrum, 1927 boy names and 2,693 girl names only just made the cut (given to only 5 boys or girls each). 

♣  By number of births Sadie and Jase experienced the biggest leap in use - while Isabella and Ethan decreased the most.

♣  By rank the biggest risers in the top 100 were Sadie and Jase; in the top 1000 it was Daleyza and Jayceon, for the complete lists the winners were Tahiry and Jaceyon.

♣  The biggest decreases by rank were experienced by Makayla and Kayla for girls and Brandon for boys in the top 100, Kenia and Bently in the top 1000, and Yuritza and O'Neil overall.

♣  Since June 2012 I've featured 378 names, both alone and in themed lists. Of those, 108 names did not chart in 2013! Most of them are perfectly usable - and some are fantastic gems. So if you're after a truly unique and rare name, Baby Name Pondering is the place to be!

The Nature of Nature Names

If you're a regular reader here, you've probably heard me say before that I love nature names. People often talk about choosing a name with "meaning", and I feel that nature names have meaning for everyone. They can help to give us a spiritual connection to the world around us, a respect for the power and beauty that surrounds us.

I was watching a show recently about what would happen to the planet if humans just disappeared from Earth tomorrow. The thing that struck me the most was that even with the massive amounts of pollution humans have already generated, and even though the nuclear power plants would meltdown and throw tons of radiation into the atmosphere, given just decades the trees and oceans would clean the atmosphere and plant and animal life would continue. The power of nature is awe-inspiring sometimes.

Normally, when we talk of nature names people think of names like River, Willow and Lily - nature words that are also used as names. But nature names can be so much subtler and more diverse than that. So instead of breaking them down by the usual categories such as trees, flowers, animals, gemstones etc, I thought I'd look at them in a slightly different way.

1. "Straightforward" Nature Word Names
These are the types of names I mentioned above - the names you'll find on any nature names list.

It's great to see how people's opinions of these names have changed over time. Compare for example the names Rose and River. Rose is an enduring classic. Since the first SSA records of 1880 Rose has been a top 500 name in the U.S. You almost forget it's actually a flower name, it's so established as a given name. River however would have been almost unthinkable as a given name in 1880. When it first charted for boys in the 1970's it was a rarity and considered to be a "hippy" name, as many other nature names also were at that time. This opinion would be the popular one for a couple of decades. By 2012 River is far from a rare novelty, charting at #407 for boys and #686 for girls.

In recent years we've seen female characters named both Rose and River on the popular TV show 'Doctor Who', and no one blinks an eye. Our attitudes as to what constitutes a "name" are relaxing, and even the most exotic nature word names are now fair game.


2. Nature Words with Dual Meanings
One of my favourite examples of this is Sage. Yes, it's a herbal nature name, but it also means wise. In addition to those that have "official" second meanings, many plants and stones have a history of associated meanings. For example, Alyssum is a flower name, means 'noble', and symbolises beauty. Ruby symbolises vitality and royalty. The extra meanings and symbolism traditionally attributed to these add an extra depth of meaning to a name. Just like the people they are naming, they have many facets to their personality.


3. "Normal" Names with Nature Meanings
It's like a sneaky little surprise. While people were busy deriding "hippy" names, they were overlooking plenty of "normal" names with nature meanings, such as Daphne (meaning 'laurel'), Paloma (meaning 'dove') or Audra (meaning 'storm'). If you desire a connection to nature but aren't so keen on word names, this might be the path for you.


4. Place and Surnames Derived from Nature
Lots of surnames were taken from the towns where people lived, and many towns were given their names based on the characteristics of the surrounding land. Aren't names with meanings such as 'east meadow', 'people of the riverside forest', 'place on the riverbank' or 'where birches grow' every bit as nature oriented as Meadow, Forest, River or Birch? Then meet Astley, Dresden, Reminton and Berkeley.

This style of nature name opens a lot of possibilities. It also offers more versatility, as they usually combine two or more elements into one. It could be the solution to honouring two loved ones with nature names of their own without necessarily creating a "new"smoosh-hybrid. Plus, they tend to be a bit preppier or "proper" sounding if you want a nature name with a bit more panache.


Whether you like your nature names to be boldly forthright or subtly surprising, the world of nature names is just as rich with choice and variety as nature itself is. In our ever changing world, nature is a constant all powerful force. I can only see them growing more popular. This month I'm all about nature names, so if there's one that you would like to see profiled this February, just let me know in the comments below!

How would you choose a new name - for yourself?

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Happy New Year and Welcome to 2014!

The beginning of a new year is often the time when people reflect on the year past, and ruminate on what they would like the next year to bring. For some it is a time for transformation - a new image and maybe even a new name.

It's interesting when someone chooses a new name for themselves; whether it be for career reasons, personal reasons, or or as an online alias. Everyone has their own process. Some prefer to choose a variation of their current name, a tweak that sits more comfortably with them. Some choose a completely different name, something that simply resonates better with who they are, or who they see themselves as. And others prefer to take inspiration from from something with a personal meaning to them, something or someone they feel connected to.

I wondered about this recently when I saw a couple of movies on the one weekend where characters had slightly unconventional ways of choosing their aliases.

Firstly, in 'Pacific Rim' there is a black market dealer called Hannibal Chau, played by Ron Perlman. Not really the type of person most would picture when they hear the surname Chau, so there had to be a story behind it. As the character explains in the movie, "I got the name from my favorite historical figure and my second-favorite Szechuan restaurant in Brooklyn". He is referring to Hannibal Barca, a Carthaginian who lived from 247 BC to about 182 BC and is considered to be one of the greatest military commanders of all time.

The second movie was a little older and a lot more silly - 'Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay'. This one comes in the form of a bordello employee named Tits Hemingway "Because I have huge tits, and my favorite book is 'A Moveable Feast'" (charming, I know). The book she's referring to is a memoir written by Ernest Hemingway about his years spent in Paris in the 1920's.

So it seems that both have chosen an inspiring figure, paired with something a little less lofty. This is probably in part for their comedy value - they are characters in movies after all. Although I have to admit to my own screen name Blue Juniper being somewhat along these lines.

Juniper is a name I fell in love with as a teenager reading a book called 'The Juniper Game' by Sherryl Jordan. The main character Juniper was described as beautiful and magical, and I thought it was so exotic and lovely that I couldn't get it out of my head. It was my online user name for many things. Until I joined one site and it was already taken. So, put on the spot, I added my favourite colour and became Blue Juniper. Long before Blue Ivy Carter was born, might I add ☺

There are tons of other reasons why someone would chose to adopt an alias, or legally change their name. For a couple of examples, my mother changed her middle name to honour a beloved grandma, and a friend of mine once changed her surname to feel more connected to her biological father. And of course, many of us change our name when we get married. Are you looking at a name change (legal or less officially) in 2014? If you're in control of choosing that new name, how will you be making your decision?

This month I'll be looking at some current day screen names and invented names, so let me know if there are any that you're interested in finding out more about and I'll see what I can do. I hope you are looking forward to a great 2014!

Teen Crushes: Cinnamon, Kitana & Savannah

Kitana with her deadly fans from the video game 'Mortal Kombat'

For many people (especially girls it seems) an interest in names usually starts early. For some it's as simple as an "I like your name" to a new friend when you're at school. For others it means long lists of names they hope to one day use, and still others just know early when they've found "the one" - the name they will use no matter what.

When naming is a hypothetical dream you can be as outlandish as you like, and sometimes we are. This is never more so than when we are teenagers - we're establishing our own identity, and our tastes in names can be an extension of this. Are we the type of person who likes classic names, quirky names or modern names?

Sometimes the names we love at this stage will stick with us, sometimes not. After all, tastes change. But regardless of whether we still love a name with the same fervour, chances are that you look back on those names with fondness.

At least, I know I certainly do. So here are three of the names that enchanted me the most as a teen in the nineties.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon was a fanciful "what if" name for me. I was reading a novel - I have no idea which one now - where the main characters were sisters named Sage and Thyme. I really loved this theme, and while Sage "made sense" as a name, I had never really thought or heard of Thyme as a name before. This got me to thinking what other herbs and spices would make great names, and Cinnamon was the one that gave me a light bulb moment. I absolutely loved the sound of it, it felt so earthy yet exotic. But I remember sharing this thought with other people and being told that Cinnamon is not a name. So it became a guilty pleasure name for me - one I loved but could never use.

When I first discovered Nameberry and the SSA charts, I just had to look this one up. The description at Nameberry pretty much confirmed what I'd already been told - that Cinnamon as a name is a bad idea - but I was tickled pink to discover that Cinnamon actually charted in the US from 1967 to 2010! These days my heart lies with Sage, but I'll always have a soft spot for under-appreciated Cinnamon.

Kitana
This is the name that inspired todays' post. Last night as I was heading to bed, the movie 'Mortal Kombat' was just starting on TV. It's a bad, bad movie. But it brings back fond memories of playing the video game with my brothers and sister. And one of the things I especially loved about the game franchise (apart from the super cool fatalities and the legendary phrase "Finish Him!") was that it introduced me to the name Kitana.

Kitana was created for the game by combining the Japanese words Kitsune and Katana to come up with a name that creator John Tobias thought would sound "generically Asian enough". It therefore doesn't have a defined meaning. In Japanese Kitsune means 'fox' and a Katana is a type of Samurai sword known for it's sharpness and strength though, so you could probably draw some meaning from a combination of these elements. Possibilities could include "sharp as a fox", "strong fox" or maybe even "fighting fox", which seems the most fitting considering the character it was coined for.

I'm not the only one to be attracted to this name - Kitana first charted in the U.S. in 1994, around the time MKII ('Mortal Kombat 2') was released. It has charted every year since then, ranked #3045 in 2012 when it was given to 55 girls. While I still love the sound of Kitana, it's similarity to Katana when spoken puts it in the "do I really want to use weapon-like names for a person?" category for me. And of course since it was created for the game there would always be that association. I can't deny it isn't tempting though.

Savannah
In 1996 Aaron Spelling shows were instant hits, and one of my absolute favourites was 'Savannah'. It was set in the town of Savannah, Georgia, and centred around three female friends named Lane, Peyton and Reese. It was full of scandal, intrigue and southern accents, and I loved it. And as much as I liked the names of the three main characters, it was Savannah that captured my imagination the most. To me, it felt classy, soft, fresh and different - just the type of unique, slightly exotic sounding name that I was into at the time.

I laugh now when I remember thinking it was "exotic" sounding, because to many people it's not. But at the time - and in Australia - I hadn't really heard it on a person before. It's still not exactly a popular name here, although in the US it's been a top 1000 name since 1983, and a top 100 name since 1993. Savannah is a Spanish name meaning 'flat tropical grassland' and has gained popularity due to it's prettily feminine sound and slightly spunky feel.


I find it interesting now, looking back on these as a set rather than individual names that I liked at separate times. It strikes me that they could possibly pass for sisters. They all feel slightly exotic to me, have three syllables, and a "nah" sound in them. And each still holds a special charm for me. Maybe they're more indicative of what I like in a name than I first thought.

What were (or currently are) your teen crushes? When you look at them do you think they help you understand your style better? Or are they just memories that you look at fondly, knowing you'll never feel the desire to re-visit them?

"Leigh" Endings For Girls

Photography by Genie Leigh Photography

In the quest of choosing a name that is seemingly “unique”, more and more people are putting their own fresh twist on a familiar name by changing its' spelling. It's a trend that is making it harder and harder to get a true feeling of a name's popularity. A name may seem to be number 50, but when you take into account the 20 different ways people have chosen to spell it it could be much higher than that. Yet on the playground, all 20 of those spellings will sound the same. Kelli at Name Freak did a great post on this a few months ago, called a Playground Analysis, which also appeared on Nameberry.

While many names have received this treatment, there is no group of names where this is more evident than girls names ending with the “Leigh” sound. I'm sure you've all come across this yourself - or even have a child with a “Leigh” name.

So what it is about “Leigh” names that makes them more tempting for people to play with? First, the spellings Lee, Leigh and Li are all actually widespread as names in their own right for both genders. Therefore people could be choosing the “Leigh” spelling that honours a loved one, or the one that they feel is more “masculine” or “feminine”. As an example, Leigh is often a popular choice for girls as many people perceive it to be more feminine. Or some may want a name with a certain amount of syllables, and “Leigh” tends to be a sound that works well with many girl names. Just think of Annaleigh, Emmalee or Amberley.

Looking at the 2012 SSA girls name data for America is quite revealing:

It seems that the spelling used in the highest number of names is the Lee spelling, followed by Ly. However the spelling you'll most often see on a young girl is Ley, followed by Ly.

And for those of you interested, only two names appeared with every possible ending – Charlie and Kayley. Kayley is a particularly interesting case, as there are multiple ways to get the “K” sound, the “AY” sound and the “Leigh” sound. There's easily over 30 different spellings for this name on the charts!

It's quite an interesting trend. Many people are against variant spellings, and while I have seen some absolute shockers, I have also seen some delightful and lovely ones which make it easier to see the appeal in “creating” a version that suits you. What do you think? Which are your favourites, and what unusual variations have you spotted in your neighbourhood?

Baby Name Pondering and the 2012 SSA Lists

Photo courtesy of Teri Yover Photography

We name nerds are going crazy at the moment, because the SSA 2012 name data has just been released! Even though I'm from Australia, I have to admit to a real fascination with the SSA data. IT's much more comprehensive, not to mention the sheer variety of names to discover. Here's a couple of fast facts to show what I mean:

• For newbies, the SSA lists include all names that were given to five or more children of one gender that year.
• In 2012 the girl's list covers 1,743,626 baby girls and includes 19,380 different names. This is 166 fewer names than the 2011 list, despite covering 1216 more children. Is this the start of a shrinking of the almost fantastical variety of girls names? Probably not.
• The boys 2012 list has 14,162 names, covering 1877705 baby boys. This is also fewer than the 2011 list by 
• 96 names - but then again, there were 2928 fewer births included in the 2012 list.

Now, you'll see much talk about what names in the top 1000 were the biggest movers (Arya for girls, Major for boys), but it's outside the top 1000 that we really see some big mover and shakers. Maybe because (for girls) to go from position 1000 to 1 is a difference between a name being given to 250 girls or given to 21,695 girls, whereas the 2000th name would only have to be given to 152 more girls to get to position 1001. Which shows just how popular a name has to be to get to the top 10.

So, since a lot of the names I've featured on here fall outside the top 1000, I thought it would be a bit of fun to look at how the names I profiled in 2012 fared in 2012.

 Looking at the girls list, I'm excited by how many increased in popularity. I'm pretty sure that if Sutton continues its current path, she'll be a new entry to the top 1000 in the 2013 list. I am however a bit surprised to see Lawson climbing so much for girls, admittedly because I most often think of it as a boys name. Maybe the tide is changing for this name? It's definitely catching up to the boys.

Easily the most exciting thing about this list is that 'Hunger Games' name Finnick has burst into the charts for the first time. As a character that first appears in the second book, we are yet to see this character on the big screen. But with hype already building for the next movie 'Catching Fire', which is due out this November, Finnick stands to gain a fresh wave of fans. Katniss also entered the charts for the first time in 2012 at position 9,329. In real numbers, Katniss was given to 12 girls and Finnick to 9 boys, so it'll be interesting to see if they manage to gain more ground over 2013.

I didn't do a table for them, but several names appeared on both the boys and girls lists above. Of these, Matisse was easily the biggest mover for both boys and girls. Dresden, Sutton, Lawson and Hunter also increased in popularity for both genders. Cameo was a big mover for girls, but dropped off the boys list altogether. And Mitchell fell for both, dropping off the girls list.

Finally, for the truly rare names - those I've featured but didn't make it onto either the boys or the girls list in 2012. Admittedly, I have had some real flights of fancy at times so some aren't all that surprising.

The ones that have appeared at least once in the past are Florinda, McKaley and Yarrow. The rest are:

• Alcide (Although Alcides is ranked 10,751 for boys )
• Boo
• Fillion
• Mockingbird
• Musidora
• Obsidian
• Raviva (I'm sure this one will appear in the 2013 list though!)
• Six (but Sixto appears at #6,215 on the boys list)
• Thackery
• Titanium

Well I guess that just about covers it! Have you had a look at the 2012 data yet? How did your personal favourites fare? And what surprises did you find? If you're expecting a 2013 baby, will the results influence your naming choice?

What's Your Style?

What is your individual naming style?

Sure, there are names you like and names you don't like, but have you ever given any thought to what your overall naming style is?

One website has devised a quick and simple test to try and help parents figure out what their naming style is. As a guide, they break naming down into seven different categories, defined as:

Modern Eccentric: You like totally unusual names. you don't mind if your child is the only person he or she ever meets with the name you chose. You like names that could be considered exotic or cutting-edge. You probably don't have a hang-up about spelling names creatively. A few names that fall into this category include Aaliyah, Hadley and Willow for girls; Atticus, Hudson, and Phoenix for boys.

Modern Unusual: You like modern-sounding names. None of these old-fashioned names for you! Newly coined names and ambigendrous names are probably trends you like, such as Aubrey, Mackenzie and Scarlett for girls; and Cooper, Greyson and Xavier for boys.

Modern Conservative: You want your children to have names that are not too crazy or wild. You tend to like modern and up-to-the-minute names, and don't care if your child has classmates with the same name. You probably don't want your child to run the risk of teasing by having a name that's too outlandish, or too old-fashioned. Girls names include Chelsea, Lauren and Savannah, boys include Austin, Jake and Spencer.

Classic Conservative: The names you like are gentle and accepted and stand the test of time. Perhaps you like to honor family members in your children's names. You probably don't like strange spellings, or anything too exotic, unusual or weird. Examples include Abigail, Elizabeth and Katherine for girls; Edward, Jonathan and Matthew for boys.
Classic Outmoded:You prefer names that probably belong to your friends and family. You are most likely male (for some reason, guys like this category better than gals). While these are the names of an older generation than is being named right now, they could be considered cutting-edge in some circles. You may like Caroline, Elaine and Nancy for girls; and Bruce, Dennis and Keith for boys.

Classic Unusual: You prefer names that have a history. These are fashionable classics that have come back into use after several generations of quiet slumber. A few names that fall into this category include Charlotte, Madeleine and Olivia for girls; and Harry, Finn and Oscar for boys.

Classic Eccentric: You prefer names that have a history. Perhaps you like names with historical connections or meaning. Although your favorite names may be considered stuffy and old-fashioned by some, to you they sound fresh and new and are ready for dusting off and being plunged into the new name pool. You're inspired by names such as Arabella, Beatrice and Evangeline for girls; and Augustus, Emmett and Thaddeus for boys.

I did this fun test myself a couple of months ago, and was told that I like:
Modern Conservative - 25%
Modern Unusual - 20%
Classic Unusual - 20%
Classic Conservative - 15%
Modern Eccentric - 10%
Classic Eccentric - 10%
Classic Outmoded - 0%

Fair enough. I was a bit surprised conservative was near the top, but when I thought about it it's probably about right.

But even more interesting was that I did the test again today, and even though I thought I had picked fairly similar responses, it seems my tastes have changed a little over the last couple of months. This time I got:
Modern Unusual - 25%
Classic Unusual - 20%
Classic Eccentric - 20%
Modern Eccentric - 15%
Modern Conservative - 15%
Classic Conservative - 5%
Classic Outmoded - 0%

Which I guess just goes to show a couple of things. One, that sometimes (as when we do personality profiles) answers and results can vary depending on your recent experiences or even what mood you are in that day. And that two - our tastes in names can change over time. Sometimes rapidly, sometimes longer. Are the names you like now the same as last year, or when you were in high school, or when you were naming your pets and dolls in primary school? Probably not. But I think sometimes that's how we know if we're onto a winner - if you've managed to love the same name for years and years, you're probably onto a good thing.

Why not take the test yourself for a bit of fun - it can be found here at http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/namequiz.html