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.

Jinx

Elodie Yung as Jinx in 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation'.

I've been debating whether to do Jinx as a name or not. Maybe it's just a little bit too gimmicky as a Halloween name, not really usable as a baby name.

Jinx is a word name - as a verb it means to cast an evil spell on someone or bring bad luck, as a noun it means a person or thing that brings bad luck. It's also one of the seven different types of spells in the 'Harry Potter' series. It's because of the idea that a Jinx is a negative thing that I wonder if it would be too much of a negative experience for a child to grow up with this name.

Then I had a conversation with my husband the other day that gave me second thoughts. It seems there is a new female champion in the video game 'League of Legends' and her name just so happens to be Jinx. He thinks it would be a great name. To which I posed the question "Do you think it would work as a name on it's own, or only as a nickname?'  For the above reason I'm pretty firmly in the nickname only headspace, but he gave it a moments thought and replied that he actually likes it just fine as a given name, and in fact thinks it'd be really cool.

I have to admit I do love the sound of Jinx, I think it's really cute. It reminds me a little of the saying "Jinkies!", the catchphrase of Velma in 'Scooby-Doo'. And maybe it's because I think it's cute that I feel it's more of a "girly" name.

Turns out other people tend to think it's more of a girls name too, and that it can be used as a given name. Jinx has charted a few times intermittently for girls in the U.S. The first was in 1926, most likely inspired by the 1925 silent movie 'Galloping Jinx'. In then charted through much of the '40's, '50's and into the '60's primarily thanks to actress and model Eugenia "Jinx" Falkenburg. Besides acting and modelling, she also entertained troops during World War 2 and hosted a popular talk show with her husband called 'Tex and Jinx'.

These days when I think of the name Jinx there are a few female characters that come to mind, and they all give this name a strong, sexy, feminine appeal. The new 'League of Legends' character is one - you can check out her music video below. Another comes in the form of Bond girl Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson, brought to life by Halle Berry in 'Die Another Day' (and who doesn't remember that scene as she steps out of ocean in her orange bikini). I thought her nickname came from the Gi/Ji sound in her name Giacinta, but it actually comes from the fact that she was born on Friday 13th. And then there's Jinx from the G.I. Joe universe, who appeared in this years' 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation', played by Elodie Yung.

At the other end of the spectrum - and with a slightly different spelling - you get Mr Jinks though. Best known as Robert de Niro's toilet flushing cat in the 'Meet The Parents' movies, he is also a Hanna-Barbera cartoon cat from the 'Pixie and Dixie and Mr Jinks' segment that used to play during 'The Huckleberry Hound Show'. This particular spelling brings to mind mischief and hi-jinks rather than bad luck and curses, which helps to give the name Jinx more of a fun image.

Sexy tough girls and crafty cats aside, I still personally think it's best as a nickname, so a child isn't permanently labelled as "bad luck". In which case it could probably be used for pretty much any child with a name starting with J or G, or containing a "Ji" sound. And of course, it's the perfect nickname for a child born on Halloween.

Adair

 

It's a little hard to decide how to start this post. Adair (pronounced ah-DARE) may seem like a quiet, innocuous little name, but I when you look a little closer, there's a lot to like about Adair.

1. Adair is a great, newly emerging unisex option
Adair is one of the freshest of the unisex "A" options. It has such a different feel to the classic Alex, or the oh-so-hot-right-now Avery. And because it is currently so uncommon, you're less likely to come across people who have pre-conceived notions of whether it's a "boys name" or a "girls name" when you introduce your little one to them for the first time.

2. Adair has a sound that people like
Claire is one similar sounding classic name. Blair would be considered by many to be a modern day classic. Adair is possibly the natural progression from these, the next spunky and preppy "air" name.

3. Adair is a nature name
And I always love a nature name! Adair comes from the Gaelic surname 'doire' meaning 'oak grove'. It is also thought to have come from either Old English or Old German as a variant of the name Edgar, a name derived from the words 'ead' meaning 'prosperity' and 'gar' meaning 'spear'. Hence Adair is also quoted to have the meaning 'spear of prosperity'. Both meanings have a very strong, solid image, belying it's almost soft sound.

4. Adair has a history but sounds modern
It's great to find something that feels new yet turns out it has a long history of use. Much of that is as a surname. But you may be surprised to know it has been charting as a given name in the U.S. since 1914 for boys and 1916 for girls. The highest position it has ever reached for either though was #1663 for boys in 2011. A history may not be high on everyone's list of desirables in a name, but it's nice for a child to feel connected to the world through their name.

5. Adair comes with great nicknames
It doesn't come much cooler than the nickname Dare. In fact, this is one of those situations where it's understandable that people would want to change the spelling (to Adare) just so they can more easily use Dare as a nickname. It's less cheesy than Danger and works for either gender. Or maybe you prefer Addie for your female Adair. This lovely vintage nickname would be a good compromise for parents torn between a modern or more classic sounding name.

There you have it - five great reasons to fall in love with Adair. I do of course have to add that in Australia you'd have to be quite daring (excuse the pun) to use it due to the very well recognised manchester and linen chain store Adairs. But if you're not in Australia and you're wondering how usable this name is, I'd say go for it. It's a great little name that has a lot to offer.

Wisteria

Wisteria is a beautiful but rarely used floral name that could be due for resurrection. 2011 was the first time in over 30 years that the name was given to five or more girls in the U.S., when seven girls received this as a name. Yet she feels like she could fit right in with today's trend for vintage feeling, frilly up and coming flower monikers. She could easily be a fashionable sister to a Primrose, Marigold, or Magnolia.

The wisteria (pronounced wi-STEER-ee-uh) is a climbing vine with gorgeous pale purple blue flowers. The name shares some sounds with the words whimsical, whisper and wishful, which helps to evoke a delicate, soft, light and almost magical feel when you hear it. This makes it a lovely name for a girl, especially one who believes in fairies and fairy tales. 

Wisteria also comes with some very cute nickname options. My personal favourite is Wish, but I've also seen Ria, Terry, Whis and Wisty suggested. Wisty in particular was chosen by author James Patterson as a nickname for his character Wisteria Allgood in the novel 'Witch and Wizard', so carries a literary reference for mystery lovers.

There are just two things you might want to keep in mind (and avoid - please) if you are considering using Wisteria:

1. Don't be tempted to use the alternate spelling of Wysteria. It's just a little too close for comfort to hysteria, meaning uncontrolled excitement, anger or panic.
2. Resist the urge to use Lane, Layne or Laine as a middle name. Maybe you are a 'Desperate Housewives' fan, maybe not, but there is no need to give a child the same name as the fictional street where the show was set.

If you can get around these two minor potential pitfalls, Wisteria is a great special yet not 'weird' name that many girls would love to have and make her own.

Máxima

King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and wife Queen Máxima at the inauguration ceremony 

Seems that Max names for girls have been appearing in all sorts of places. First there was Max Black, the sassy waitress-slash-cupcake-mogul-wannabe lead character in the hit sitcom '2 Broke Girls'. Then who can forget when Jessica Simpson controversially named her baby daughter Maxwell Drew. Today though, it was a different Max in the news - the new Queen of The Netherlands, Máxima.

 Máxima was born in Argentina, and married the then Prince Willem-Alexander in 2002. Willem-Alexander was crowned King of the Netherlands yesterday (30th April 2013) when his mother - Queen Beatrix - abdicated from the throne. This makes him the first King The Netherlands has had since 1890. Máxima herself also has royal lineage, as a descendant of two Kings of Portugal and a Peruvian Incan Emperor. Together they have three daughters, Princesses Catharina-Amalia (pronounced Katerina), Alexia and Ariane.

Before marriage Máxima was an investment banker, and she is now involved heavily in helping immigrants integrate into Dutch culture, with a special focus on helping immigrant women to enter the Dutch workforce. She's also one of the few royals in the world to openly support gay marriage. I'm sure there will be people in the world who look to her as a role model, and it's likely the recent inauguration of her husband will spark interest in the name Máxima.

While this could be pronounced MAHK-see-mah, with the Spanish accent it's actually more like MAH-see-mah, a much prettier sound. And less like a Nissan car. Máxima is a great way to get to the spunky nickname Max, without giving your daughter a "boys name". Because although Max and Maxwell are occasionally given to girls, they are far more popular for boys, with Max ranking #96 for boys in America in 2011. It's also a nice, classier sounding alternative to the "usual" Max girls name Maxine.

Máxima comes from the same Latin source as Maximus, meaning 'greatest'. It's still quite a rare name in the western world, peaking in America in 2011. When it was given to just 8 girls. And the variant Massima has never charted in America. I'd almost consider Máxima to be one of those names that is so far out it's in. It's just the type of name that could be embraced by the "hipster" crowd. I wouldn't be surprised to see this one climb as the attraction of the nickname Max continues to build with parents, as I think it's the pick of the bunch.

The King and Queen with their daughters

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.

Giselle

Jewelled Headband available at Etsy

Giselle is a name that oozes femininity in my eyes. Like the gazelle that it sounds so similar to, it seems sleek, elegant, yet quite exotic. And the fact that there is a gorgeous Brazilian model with this name does nothing to distract from that image!

Although quite a French sounding name, Giselle (pronounced jiz-ELLE) actually has Old German roots, coming from the word "gisil". It means 'hostage or pledge'. This may not sound overly appealing, but needs to be considered in it's original context. In the middle ages, warring parties would sometimes offer a person (often a child) to the other party as a symbol of their pledge of peace. This helps to dispel some of the negativity around the 'hostage' connotation, when you think of it in terms of being a promise of a better way of living.

Giselle entered the US top 1000 in 1983, peaking just short of the top 100. It's easy to see why, especially when you consider some of the great nicknames it conjures up, such as Gigi, Zelle or the ever popular Ella. Just be aware that Jiz is also a possible nickname, one that could be the cause of much teasing if you live in a country like Australia where it's a slang term for - well, um - male ejaculation, to put it nicely.

Besides Victorian Secret model Gisele Bundchen, you may also recognise Giselle as the name of a ballet. The ballet 'Giselle' was inspired by a poem by Heinrich Heine and is the story of a peasant girl (Giselle) who loves dancing. She falls in love with nobleman who is disguised as a peasant, only to die of a broken heart when she discovers he is already engaged to a noblewoman. She later rises from the grave to protect him from a nasty death, forgiving him in the process.

The story and the name Giselle are also familiar to little girls through the Barbie movie 'Barbie in the Pink Shoes', where Barbie is transported into the magical "Ballet World". Further adding to the magical princess vibe of this name is the character  Princess Giselle, played by Amy Adams in the 2007 movie 'Enchanted'.

Giselle is a beautiful name. If you want something similar but a little rarer, Gisella or Gisette are other possibilities. But I personally prefer Giselle for it's balance and grace. Or maybe this could be the next Grace - evoking the impression of Grace without being an actual virtue name. It all adds up to one gorgeously feminine name.

Faizel

One of the benefits of having a name blog is that suddenly your friends are also keeping their eyes and ears open for interesting names to send your way. This is one of those names - it caught the attention of a friend of mine when he met a Faizel recently, and he thought I might also find it interesting. He was right, as I also hadn't heard this name before.

Faizel (pronounced fah-ee-ZAL) is an Arabic boys name meaning 'judge'.  I think this is most likely  a pre-Islamic name, as apparently pre-Islamic Arabian names often came from vocabulary words for nature or occupations.

It's mainly used in Arabic speaking countries, which is probably why it seems like such a different name to us in Australia. I'm not sure how common it actually is in other countries, so if you know feel free to let me know in the comments below! In America though it has never appeared on the SSA charts, meaning it has never been given to more than 5 children in any one year.

The pronunciation might be a little tricky for those unfamiliar with the name. To see it written down, your first instinct is probably to say FAY-zel. But this is hardly a huge obstacle, and also not that unique these days as people often use unfamiliar names or names with "creative" spelling in order to find a name that is different and stands out. And Faizel would definitely stand out, plus has the benefit of being a "real" name, for those that want something different but with a history.

I personally have a few reservations about this name. I'm not sure I like the meaning, although it could probably be taken a few different ways, some more positive than others. And I would really, really want to pronounce it FAY-zel, mainly because I think it sounds cooler. Plus, Faze would be a pretty cool nickname (Hey, if the character on 'Life, Unexpected' can get away with the nickname Baze, Faze would definitely work). Mmmmmm- maybe Faze would be a cool middle name to add to my list...........

This is something I love when you look at different names. You're not going to love everything. Otherwise how would you ever settle on a name? But keep looking at new and interesting names and it will get the cogs turning, revealing new possibilities with every turn. I may not adore Faizel, but it's definitely got me thinking. Maybe it will get you thinking too - or maybe Faizel is exactly the rare, exotic sounding name you've been looking for.

Minty Fresh Names

Sugar sweet names worked (well, kind of) in 'Wreck It Ralph' - why not some minty fresh names?

When you think of mint, you think of fresh. That's why mint is such a popular flavour and smell for breath fresheners, toothpastes and mouthwashes. They also do a fantastic job as an after dinner chocolate dessert - a la chocolate dinner mints, and the tradition of leaving mints on your pillow for when you turn in for the night at hotels.

Fresh is a term that is often bandied about in the name world too. It's used when parents are looking for a rarely heard, "fresh" new name, when we are "tweaking" a popular favourite to give it a "fresh" feel, or forgotten gems that are being polished off and given a "fresh" lease on life.

So I thought if a name is connected to mint and all thing's minty, that could be a good thing right? Maybe not, but here's some mint related names to get you thinking.

Araminta - my first thought for a "mint" girls name. Love Arabella, but not the inevitable nickname Bella, which would be shared with all those Isabella's out there? Then how about Araminta? Different but not too different, and bursting with new old fashioned charm.

Eminta/Aminta - Araminta is thought to come from Aminta, a Greek name meaning 'defender, vindicator'. It's sleeker than Araminta, and a little more modern looking. I personally prefer the Eminta spelling. Not because I don't like "A" names, it's just....well....there's so many of them. Plus it helps steer people away from "want a mint, eh?" jokes. I could also see Eminta fitting in quite well as a regal name in a sci fi setting if you're looking for a character name for a book. Just saying.

Reminton - You may recognise him better as Remington, but then he wouldn't have "mint" in his name, would he? Reminton is an English name meaning 'place on the riverbank'. He's all Bond-like sophistication. Remington was ranked #479 for boys in America in 2011 (and was also given to 120 girls) while Reminton has never charted.

Minty/Mintie - Super cute, could be used as name by itself or nickname for any of the above. The Mintie spelling is on trend with other "ie" ending nickname names such as Evie or Ellie. However minties are a very popular lolly here in Australia, so if you also have them in your country you may want to stick with the Minty spelling.

Spear - As in Spearmint. Fits right in with both weapon like names like Arrow, Hunter and Gunner, and the current popularity of short, sharp strong names for boys. Yet so far it has gone undiscovered. Possibly a little too primal sounding to sit comfortably with most people.

Pepper - As in Peppermint. Pepper is a spunky little name that while more popular for girls, also works well for boys. Again, I could see it being a great character name in a book or movie. One often heard argument against Pepper is that it's not a name you could see on a Chief Justice (i.e. doesn't work well on grown ups). But I look at it this way 1 - not all adults have high profile prestigious jobs (and a "normal" middle name gives them another option if that turns out to be their path in life) and 2 - seems to work OK for Pepper Potts. Sure, as she's Iron Man's uber smart secretary and paramour, she's a fictional character. But she's taken seriously, and many people in today's society have grown up accepting that a Pepper can be smart too. So possibly not the big handicap you might first assume.

Patty - Peppermint Patty is one of Charlie Brown's friends in the famous 'Peanuts' cartoons. Her full name is actually Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt, and story is that creator Charles M. Schulz named her for a dish of peppermint candies he had on his writing desk. Patricia (and Patty) is from the Latin word for 'noble, patrician'. Popular from the 30's to the 50's, Patty is very rarely found these days. Personally, I'd probably stick with the elegant Patricia.

Cane - Because candy canes are made of peppermint :). Cane comes in many different spelling variations - Cain, Kane, Kain, Kayne - all of which comes from Cain. Cain is a Hebrew name meaning 'possessed'. It's various spellings are quite popular as video game characters, possibly because they sound strong. The biblical tale of Cain and Abel also lends the name an aura of treachery and danger. The various spelling most likely arose as a way to get the sound without the biblical image, and Kane is currently the most popular spelling, sitting at #505 for American boys in 2011.

Aero - while we're talking about peppermint flavoured candy associations, I thought I'd include Aero. In case you haven't heard of it, the Aero bar is a chocolate bar filled with bubbles. The mint Aero (my favourite) has mint flavoured chocolate bubbles and is covered in milk chocolate. Sounds kind of like Arrow, but with more of a nature association it's a much softer choice. Reminds me of  Neo from 'The Matrix', or 'Aeon Flux', so feels a little futuristic. Cool and interesting choice for a boy or a girl.

Franklin - To get away from candy, The Franklin Mint is a famous producer of coins, jewellery, sculptures and other collectibles. Franklin is an English name meaning 'free landholder'. It's quite distinguished sounding, but inexplicably tied to president Benjamin Franklin.

Tulip - This "friendlier" version of Mint Julep was the name of one of Strawberry Shortcake's pals in the 80's. Very sweet, underused flower name, but does have the drawback of sounding more like a pet name than other flower names such as Rose and Lily. But I can just imagine a little girl called Tulip with the nickname Minty.

Dublin or Ireland - Maybe you think I included this because mint is green, and the colour green is associated with Ireland. Not so. The Mint was once a very famous Michelin star restaurant in Dublin, Ireland, that closed in 2009. Both Dublin and Ireland have been used as place names for boys and girls. Ireland has a little more name fame, as Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin named their first daughter Ireland (nickname Addie) in 1995. I personally prefer Ireland to Dublin, simply because I'm not a fan of the "dub" sound.

Vegas - And to another famous Mint establishment, The Mint Las Vegas hotel and casino. Although it closed down in 1988, The Mint was famous for its sponsorship of The Mint 400, one of the biggest off road car races. Hunter S Thompson stayed there and immortalised it in his novel 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', and a digital replication of the casino appears in the movie of the same name. The actual casino also appeared in a Bond movie and a U2 video clip. Vegas probably works better as a name outside of America, unless you want people to think of wild times and showgirls when they meet your child. Or drop the "s" and you have Vega, an Arabic name meaning 'swooping eagle' and the name of an actual star.

By now I guess it's hard to remember that today's post was first inspired by the new pot of mint sitting on my kitchen bench :)

Well that wraps up my ideas for fresh names inspired by Mint. What names do you think of when you think of Mint? Would you use any of these?

Pixel & Other Technology Inspired Names

Pixel a.k.a. Pixie

A couple of months ago my brother and his wife bought a gorgeous new pet cat, who they named Pixel and nicknamed Pixie. It struck me as such a cute idea - my brother's a bit of a computer geek so Pixel was obviously his idea, but then they have a the cutesy name Pixie to use too. Plus, kittens and cats can often be mischievous little imps, just as pixies can be.

Then I turned on the TV today and lo and behold, what should I see but a cartoon called 'Pixel Pinkie'. It's an Australian show about two girls, one of who has a phone with a character called Pixel Pinkie in it that grants the girls wishes that then go terribly wrong. So chances are that this name would not seem to weird to children in today's world.

Considering 'Pixel Pinkie' this morning (which I took as a kind of sign) and the events in the past couple of weeks,  I figured today was the right time to profile Pixel as a name for a person. One of the events I refer to is the recent uproar created when it became known to the world that a baby girl was named Hashtag. The second is the report that the name Apple is also on the rise (for boys). When viewed together, many are once again claiming that "technology" names are an up-and-coming a trend. And if  the below stories and the comments they have attracted are any indication, this trend is not for everyone:

• Parents name baby 'Hashtag' & set her up for a lifetime of misery
• 'Hashtag' is just the beginning of ridiculous technology-inspired baby name trend
• Hello Hashtag? Parents give baby girl a Twitter-inspired name 

While I'm not personally a fan of Hashtag as a name (or Facebook, Like or Google, which have also been given to actual children), I'm not sure I see a massive problem here. People have often been inspired by famous figures, movies, books, characters, TV shows, current events etc when looking for names. If it's reasonable to think that Hurricane Sandy will spark a spate of Sandy related names, why couldn't the technology that we use every single day also provide inspiration for people?

The trick is to be a little more selective in how you do it - which means subtle and creative sounding. Hashtag and Google are too in-your-face. The reference is obvious, and they don't "sound" like names. They're not even creative variations on the names we already know and like. One of the reasons I love Pixel is because it is so closely related to Pixie, and sounds similar to several other established names such as Nyx, Nixie, Dixie and Trixie. It's cute for a girl, and could also work for a guy, especially if used with tougher sounding nickname Pix.

There are many other technology inspired names that could easily (or even at a stretch) meet this "subtle and creative" criteria. If you are intrigued by the idea of a technology age baby name but aren't sure where to start, here are my favourite ideas. Some are brands or companies, some are programs, some are languages, and some are just common terms. But all are names that aren't already well known "normal" ones that I think could pass with raised eyebrows rather than rolled eyes from your friends and family.

Acer
Adenine
Alef
Argus
Asus
Averest
Axum
Batch
Bing
Camino
Cel
Chrome

Poster for 'Pixel Pinkie'

Dart
Delphi
Esterel

Explorer
Euphoria
Fantom
Fortran
Haskell
Haxe
Jako
Java
Limnor
Linux
Lynx
Magma
Maple
Maquette
Matrix
Maxima
Mesa
Mirah
Neko
Nexus
Oriel
Perl
Pico
Quanta
Raster
Reia
Scala
Timber
Torrent
Unix
Vector
Vuze
Wistron
Zeno

Zimbra

Imogen

Imogen Poots

Imogen is a recent crush for me. I think one of the things that pushed it from being a slight interest to being a major interest was my husband. We were watching a movie one night ('Chatroom', to be exact), when my husband turned to me and asked "who is that actress?". He recognised her from 'Fright Night' and '28 Weeks Later', and when I replied that it was Imogen Poots, he surprised me by saying "Imogen. That's a nice name". Which was cool because it was one of the first names he showed a genuine interest in within the first couple of months of me starting this blog.

I like to pronounce Imogen as 'IM-oh-jen', which is it's original spelling and pronunciation. However in America it is just as often spelled Imogene and/or pronounced  'im-oh-GENE'. There is also a bit of debate as to the origins of Imogen. Most agree that it is a form of Innogen, mistakenly changed to Imogen due to a printer's error when printing William Shakespeare's play 'Cymbelline'. Or it could have been a deliberate choice by Shakespeare to change it, as possibly he thought it looked and sounded softer and prettier.  The theories as to where Innogen comes from is where opinions differ. One theory is that it is a Greek name from the Greek words 'inno' for beloved and 'gen' meaning child, giving us the meaning of 'beloved child'. Another is that Innogen is a Celtic name from the word 'inghean' meaning maiden, and 'maiden' is the most commonly quoted meaning for Imogen. I've also seen it said that in Hebrew Innogen means 'image of her mother'. Quite possibly it's all three, as names sometimes spring up in a few different places at once. All are great meanings, so why be restricted to just one?

People who haven't heard it before think Imogen is exotic and modern, even though it has been in use for a long time. Other descriptions I've seen of Imogen include strong, independent, intelligent, lovely, refined, classy, original, and that it sounds like "imagine". A lot of these impressions are based on some of the famous bearers of this name, such as Imogen Cunningham. Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer whose portraits, botanicals and industrial landscapes were widely acclaimed. Her work was sometimes considered controversial, but she is considered to be one of the greatest figures in American photography with a career spanning more than seven decades.

Imogen has been fast gaining in popularity in Australia, reaching position #20 in 2011. It's also popular in England and Scotland, but has never entered the top 1000 in America. In fact, most years fewer than five girls were given the name, but since 1995 the name has slowly been climbing. It will likely remain slow to climb, as many Americans feel it is a hard one to use as accents in some areas make the name sound a lot less attractive than it does in England or Australia. But consider the plethora of cute nickname options you could turn to. There's Immy, Im, Imo, Imio, Gen, Genny, Ginny, Midge, Mo, Imza, Imsky, Imzi, Mog, Idgie, Em, Emmy, and Emzy - plenty of easy to say options to suit whatever personality your Imogen might have.

Imogen is a gorgeous name that I'm sure we'll see a lot more of in the future. Would you consider using it where you live?

Dorothy

The latest Wizard of Oz sequel - called 'Dorothy of Oz' - is due out in 2013
Dorothy will be voiced by 'Glee' star Lea Michele

Dorothy is a special name for me, as it was the name of my paternal grandma. To many people that’s all it is, a “grandma” name, meaning they think it is old fashioned and not cool or spunky enough for a child of today. But as other names once considered as “grandma” names are being dusted off and resurrected, Dorothy may soon be on the rise.

In 1922 when my grandma was born, Dorothy was the second most popular name for girls in America, a position held from 1920 to 1927. Unfortunately there is no data for it’s popularity in Australia at the time, but it’s likely it was somewhat similar. In the U.S., since 1880 it has only been out of the top 1000 a handful of times – in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. While Dorothy is far from a popular name currently, it has always held some attraction to parents.

One of the most famous Dorothy’s of course was Dorothy Gale, the girl with the ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ that every little girl pretends to be at least once. Being such a popular name there are plenty of other examples to look to, such as the characters of Dorothy in ‘The Golden Girls’ or ‘Jerry Maguire’, Dorothy the Dinosaur, or real life examples American figure skater Dorothy Hamill, poet Dorothy Parker, actress Dorothy Dandridge, and writer Dorothy West, to name just a few.

In Australia, it was a different fictional Dorothy that caught our imaginations – pint sized Dot of ‘Dot and the Kangaroo’. The book ‘Dot and the Kangaroo’ was about a five year old girl who gets lost in the Australian bush and is befriended by a kangaroo, amongst other bush animals. The book was written in 1899 by Ethel Pedley and later made into a movie in 1977. The movie was a combination of animation and live action, and spawned eight sequels between 1981 and 1994.

Dot is one of the many cute nickname options for a little Dorothy, with other traditional options being Dottie and Dolly. Incidentally, my grandma went by Dot herself as her family had a cow named Dolly when she was growing up and she didn’t want to go by the same name as a cow (can’t really blame her). Newer nickname options also being used today are Dora, Doro, Dodie, Thea, Tia and Dory/Dori, which help to give Dorothy a fresher, updated image.

The name Dorothy was derived from the Greek name Theadora, another option if you have a Dorothy in the family that you’d like to honour but aren’t keen on the idea of Toto or big green dinosaur references. Both have a beautiful meaning, which has probably contributed to Dorothy’s enduring appeal. Dorothy means ‘gift of God’. And I certainly like to think that’s what my Grandma was.

Ofelia

Up and coming young actress Ophelia Lovibond

Today's name is inspired by a recent trip to Ikea. You know how everything has a name, and most of those names seem a little strange and crazy if English is the only (or main) language you speak. Well, on this trip I bought a blanket with the name Ofelia, which seemed to suit the light and fluffy white blanket perfectly.

Ofelia (pronounced oh-FEEL-ya) is the Spanish/Italian version of Ophelia, and is mainly used in Spanish speaking countries such as Argentina, Chile, or Mexico. It is also a Portugese name, with the slightly different pronunciation of oh-FEH-lyah (thanks Zeffy!). It means 'who assists or who helps', as the original name derives from the Greek word ofeleia, which has this meaning. Ofelia is also a Saint name, used in memory of Danish Roman Catholic Martyr Saint Ofelia. St Ofelia's name day is recognised in Italy as February the 3rd.

Most people recognise the name Ophelia as the character from Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', written in 1600, although it's first use was reportedly in the poem 'Arcadia', written in the 15th century by Jacopo Sannazaro. Shakespeare's Ophelia was quite a tragic figure. A young noblewoman from Denmark, Ophelia is presented as a potential wife for Hamlet. However she is treated very poorly by Hamlet, and eventually goes insane and drowns herself.

A lot of people have been put off using Ophelia/Ofelia for their daughters due to the tragic demise of Shakespeare's character, and fears of their children being taunted with lewd "I feel 'ya" comments. However these perceptions are wearing off, and examples of people who bear this name include:

• Dr Ofelia Zepeda, American poet and intellectual
• Spanish actress Ofelia Guilmain
• Mexican actress Ofelia Medina
• British actress Ophelia Lovibond
• First mixed race model in America, Ophelia DeVore
• Cousin Ophelia in 'The Addams Family'
• O (short for Ophelia), main character in 2012 movie 'Savages', played by Blake Lively
• Ofelia, main character in Guillermo Del Toro's dark 2006 movie 'Pan's Labyrinth'

I quite like Ofelia/Ophelia. It has a classic, stately feel to it, and cool nickname options Fee, Lia or O add a bit of spunk to it. As you've probably guessed, the Ophelia spelling is currently more popular in America. It's been on the rise in the past couple of years after dropping out of the top 1000 in 1959, and in 2011 was ranked #1864, given to 107 girls. Ofelia on the other hand has actually been a more consistent performer on the charts, lower than Ophelia but with fewer dramatic rises and falls in popularity. It ranked #3368 in America in 2011, given to 48 girls.

I like both variations, and personally feel that Ophelia looks more aristocratic, while Ofelia feels a little more approachable and friendly. So I'd probably lean more towards Ofelia. But maybe that's just me. What do you think?

Happily snuggled up in the Ofelia blanket
Photo courtesy of Lauren Rutherford Photography

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.

Fillion

Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds in "Firefly"

With surnames on the upswing, I'm surprised that Fillion has gone under the radar. It hasn't even been getting mentions on forums as a flight-of-fancy "why not?" name.

The inspiration for this name comes from the charismatic actor Nathan Fillion. Nathan is best known these days as the lead character Rick Castle in the ABC show "Castle". But he has quite a slew of roles on his resume, including mainstream shows such as "Desperate Housewives" and the Whedon cult classics "Buffy" and "Firefly".

So what else does Fillion have going for it? Well, other than being a surname, it is sounds very similar to Finn, another name that is very hot right now. It could also be a fresher alternative to the well loved classic Filip/Phillip. And the nickname of Fil helps to make this name sound less strange and foreign, and more like a little-known but familiar-feeling classic.

It could also be an option for parent looking for names with French roots. The word Fillion derives from the Old French word 'fils' meaning 'son', and was used for the youngest son in a family.

Because Fillion means son, and is so evocative of boys names Finn and Phillip, first instincts are to use this as a boys name. But I think it could work well for a girl too. After all, a Filly is a young female horse. This could be a subtle choice for a longer, modern sounding girls name with a cute nickname (Filly) for horse-loving parents.

So because it seems that no one else has said it yet, I say "why not?" to Fillion. It would be a truly unique choice.

Zenobia

'Queen Zenobia's Last Look Upon Palmyra', painting by Herbert Gustave Schmalz

I've seen this name mentioned lately and find myself strangely drawn to it. One of the main attractions of the name Zenobia is that it is exotic sounding, without being too weird. It evokes images of perfume scented nights in the African desert. It is queenly, and quietly calm and regal because it starts with the word Zen.

Zenobia (pronounced ze-NOH-bee-ah) is most famous for being the name of a Queen of Palmyra in the 3rd century. She was said to be descended from Cleopatra, led a revolt against the Roman Empire and ruled Egypt until she was defeated and taken as a hostage to Rome by Emperor Aurelian. Pretty cool, right?

As a name, Zenobia has Greek origins and means 'the life of Zeus'. It has been used for characters in books, operas, movies and a ballet. It has also flirted with celebrity baby name fame, as Tina Fey chose it as the middle name for her first daughter Alice Zenobia, honouring her mother who is also named Zenobia. It's also one of the few examples of a longer girls name that isn't frilly sounding (such as names ending with etta, ella, bella or issa), which can be good for parents after a longer name to make a full name flow better but not necessarily after an "old fashioned girly-girl" name.

Likely to be more often used as an adventurous middle name for a plainer first name, Zenobia shouldn't be overlooked as a potentially fantastic first name with some great nickname potential. Bee, Bia, Zee, Zia or Zen could all be cute but spunky shorter versions for those willing to give it a try. It would certainly be a distinctive name for any little girl, would age well and wouldn't be instantly thought of as belonging to girls from a certain decade in fifty years time.

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.

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.

Caspian

Caspian is a name that I have loved ever since reading "Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis when I was young. At the time, I thought that names such as Capsian, Edmund and Eustace were made up names that you would never see on a real person. Of course, now that I'm older I know that Caspian is a place name, Edmund means 'fortunate protector'; and Eustace has greek origins. Yet what hasn't changed is that I still haven't met any of these names 'in real life'.

Naming choices have also evolved a lot since the days when I first read C.S Lewis' classics, and suddenly names that seemed fantastical and 'made-up' when I was young seem trendy and not-so-outrageous now. There is a lot of love out there for Caspian, from those who have read the books, seen the TV adaptations and loved the huge box office movie versions. This gives Caspian the advantage of being familiar to those who have read the books and loved the movies, but still
fresh and uncommon.

When people hear Caspian they think that it is a name for a good, strong, handsome, intelligent, sophistocated, unusual, exotic, masculine and well-educated person. Not a bad first impression for your child to give the world. If you like your names with good nickname potential, nicknames I've seen thrown around for this name are Cas, Caz, Cash and the slightly more creative Ian. Seems like Caspian could have it all, for those who are bold enough to venture down this path.

Matisse

The Dance, Henri Matisse, 1910

Say the name Matisse and most people immediately associate it with the French artist Henri Matisse. Matisse is an old French surname derived from "Matthew" or "Matias", meaning 'gift of god'. As with many surnames, Matisse is now being used as a given name for both boys and girls.

If you're interested in using Matisse, it's worth a check on the internet to see what is being said about Matisse, as it seems that this is one of those names that gets some quite different and passionate reactions. On one hand, one mother who names her daughter Matisse said that she receives nothing but compliments on her daughters name. But on yahoo answers, the responses to one woman's query about what people thought of the name were overwhelmingly negative - the favourite response chosen by voters was "I think it's really pretentious...it's like the parents are insecure nouveaux riches trying to shout to the world, "We are classy people who know about art!!!!! We appreciate art so much that we named our daughter MATISSE!" She went on to say "I don't think it makes any sense as a first name for a girl, either, since it's the surname of a male artist (Henri Matisse)" and "It also sounds like Maltese (those little white fluffy dogs). Just bad, bad, bad all around". I was more than a little shocked, as I doubt that anyone would actually say this to a child (or their parent) who bore this name!

I personally really like Matisse. And even though I like art, I wouldn't neccessarily choose it for it's "art factor" alone as there are other artists that I much prefer ;-). I think of it more as a girls name, probably because names ending in '-isse' or '-issa' tend to be girls names. If you wanted to differentiate it a little for your girl, maybe try the more feminine Matissa. Then it also lends itself to cute nicknames Mattie or Tissa.

If you have no problems with the nay-sayers who think it is a little pretentious (but would only say so behind your back, most likely) then this could be just the unique but not unheard of - or made up - name that you have been looking for. I can't see this hitting the top 10 or even top 100 any time soon, so you can be sure that this is one your child will not share with 5 other children in their classroom.