Laurel

Photo Courtesy of Mali Workman Photography

Laurel is one of those names it seems like I've always admired. Unlike some names though, I can't quite pinpoint where I first heard it, or even when I first started liking it.

Possibly I've just always liked names with the "Lor" sound. As a child, I had a Barbie name Laura and another doll named Lori. Lorelei is another long time love - elaborate and "fancy" but not too delicate.

But Laurel remains my favourite. As down to earth and friendly feeling as Laura and Lori, not quite as elaborate as Lorelei but reminiscent of her charm. In my eyes she's preppy but not snobby, not too popular, but not at all weird. A nature name with enough history as a name that you almost forget it's also a nature word. In many ways she reminds me of Ivy, and with Ivy on the rise in much of the Western World (it rose in Australia, the UK and the US in 2013), could it be possible that Laurel may not be far behind?

Laurel herself has enjoyed some modest popularity over the years. In the US she has was a fixture in the top 1000 from 1917 to 2008, peaking at 241 in 1956. In 2013 she was #873. This steadiness is one of the appealing points about this name. It means that Laurel doesn't feel tied to a particular age group, whereas these days a Laurie is most likely to be a grandma while a Lauren is probably becoming a mother herself.

Pronounced LAWR-el or LORE-el, Laurel is a Latin nature name, given to many different plants. By far the most recognisable is the Grecian or Bay Laurel, the tree whose shiny green leaves were used to make the wreaths awarded to winners in the ancient Olympic Games. This symbol of victory is behind the saying "to rest on one's laurels", meaning that one stops trying because they are so satisfied with their past achievements.

It doesn't hurt that my favourite
artist - Alphonse Mucha -
created this beautiful piece
titled 'Laurel' in 1901

But Laurel is not just a nature name - in many parts of the U.S she is also a place name. There is also a class of ships with this name, a 17th century English coin; and a car made by Nissan. Plenty of famous faces also bear this name, both as a first name and a surname. Examples include:

• Comedian Stan Laurel (of comedy duo Laurel and Hardy)
• Author Laurell K Hamilton
• Former Philippine President Jose P Laurel
• Astronaut and Doctor Laurel Clark
• Character Laurel Lance in TV show 'Arrow', played by Katie Cassidy; and 
• DC comics superhero Laurel Gand, a.k.a. Andromeda.

It's worth noting at this point that I do keep referring to Laurel as a girls name. It doesn't have to be used exclusively for girls - there are male Laurels out there. Not many, so if it's a unique boys name you want Laurel could be a great choice. It's not too far removed from Laurence, and of course Lauren and Loren were originally male names which have since become "stolen" by the girls. This is another case where the fact that Laurel has never been a chart topper is a benefit, as it doesn't mean it's overwhelmingly entrenched as a girls name.

Saying that though, I personally have always loved it as a girls name.

One of the things I did notice about this name is that quite a few (female) Laurels have added their endorsement of the name on the Baby Name Wizard entry for this name. Often on popular names you'll find a couple (sometimes a few) replies under "Personal Experiences with this name". I think the fact that this has so many responses means that people have real affection for this name. As one Laurel puts it, "if you are attracted to flower names but don't want your daughter to sound too dainty, this is a nice choice".

But of course Laurel is not without it's problems. The fact that Laura and Lauren are much more popular means that many Laurels often have their name confused for one of these options. Rhyming words include Oral, Moral and Immoral, which could possibly be used for teasing. Or people receive a lot of Laurel and Hardy jokes. But generally Laurels seem happy to overlook this, and appreciate having a different, "unique" and pretty name.

Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny that the stylish Laurel is a subtly dignified name that still hints at a fun personality. She's a name that wears well in many walks of life and would delight many a girl.

One Syllable Nature Word Names - Colt, Sage & Onyx

There's something undeniably attractive about one syllable names. They're a good option if you want an (almost) nickname proof first name, or want to balance out a long and complicated last name. They can also work some magic in the middle position when you want to create a particular flow between multi-syllable first and last names.

Nature word names are among the most popular single syllable names, especially in the middle. Lee and Rose are two in particular that are perennial middle name favourites. Disney Baby also pegged nature names - and word names - as trends for middle names in 2013.

Choices range from the tried and true to the quirky and rare - and there is definitely a very wide range of them to choose from. My below list is restricted just to nature words, and still comes in at an impressive 160 names long! There are sure to be other great choices that could be added, and if you widen the scope even further to include names with nature related meaning, this list doubles.

One thing is for sure though - even with just one syllable, nature names do not have to be boring!

Bodhi

Photo Courtesy of Mali Workman

If you're a celebrity baby name spotter, you may have noticed that a particular name popped up twice in the past week - Bodhi. On February 12th Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green welcomed second son Bodhi Ransom to the world, while on 17th February Australian actress Theresa Palmer and husband Mark Webber welcomed son Bodhi Rain.

While some may label Bodhi as just another "bizarre name of celebrity offspring", Bodhi has actually become a fairly popular name among celebrities, taking it from a strange once-off name to an on-trend baby name on the upswing. Other than Bodhi Ransom and Bodhi Rain, Oliver Hudson has given his mum Goldie Hawn a grandson named Bodhi Hawn, and actress Amy Brenneman and husband director Brad Silberling have a Bodhi Russell. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio also chose Bodhi as a middle name for son Luka Bodhi. And Australian celebrity couple Cameron Daddo and Allison Brae bestowed it on their daughter, Bodhi Faith.

Those who have discussed their choice of Bodhi have said that they chose it for it's spiritual meaning. Bodhi (pronounced BO-dee) is best known in the context of Buddhism. although it is also a concept in other Indian philosophies and traditions. Bodhi is the understanding possessed by Buddha regarding the nature of things. The legend is that Buddha achieved enlightenment (or Bodhi) while sitting under a large and very old sacred fig tree located in Bodh Gaya, India. This tree came to be known as the Bodhi tree, a name that is also used for any current trees that are a direct descendant of the original tree. They are planted in close proximity to every Buddhist monastery and a Bodhi tree is recognisable in religious art by its' heart shaped leaves.

The word itself comes from the Sanskrit roots of budh, meaning 'to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand' and bodha meaning 'knowledge or intelligence'. Translated to English Bodhi means "enlightenment" or "awakened".

Bodhi is an interesting name to consider. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the way it sounds, although nickname Bo is quite handsome, and I love the sentiment and symbolism behind this name. It feels like a rather zen name, and I've seen quite a few people say it makes them think of a laid back skater or surfer type dude. This impression may have been influenced by the surfer character named Bodhi played by Patrick Swayze in the 1991 movie 'Point Break', and maybe the appearance of a character called Bodhi in 'The Simpsons', who is a fourth grader interested in surfing.

One thing is for sure, there is plenty of love out there for Bodhi. Nameberry named it as the third fastest rising boy name on their site in 2013. That's for page views, not actual use, although the U.S SSA charts tells us those numbers are reflected in actual use. In 1992 - one year after 'Point Break' - Bodhi appeared on the charts for boys in position #4124. By 2010 it had entered the top 1000, and in 2012 it was positioned at #894. It will be interesting to see how much further it rose in 2013 when those figures are released in May. It's likely that the two recent celebrity births will push it even further in 2014, and may also lead to increased use for girls, which is currently quite rare.

Buddha under the Bodhi Tree

A Song of Ice and Fire

Photo Courtesy of Beloved Photography

Firstly, apologies if you're reading this hoping for a list of names used in the books by George R.R. Martin. Since I'm doing nature names this month, I wanted to do a post on snow inspired names in honour of the Winter Olympics that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. But it's a little hard to think of snow and ice at the moment when we are currently experiencing a very hot summer here in Australia, and bush fires are raging across much of the state Victoria which I live in. So I thought why not have a look at my favourite picks from both sides.

Icy Names
Ice and snow means Winter, and for half of the globe it also means many happy holidays such as Christmas, New Years and Valentines Day. There's something special about the image of pure white snow and ice crystals blanketing the land. Like the title of the song 'Winter Wonderland' suggests, it's magical and enchanting, a feeling that many are trying to capture when they choose a wintry name. My personal favourites are:

For a Girl -Eirwen
Pronounced AYR-wen, this Welsh gem literally means 'snow white'. It comes from the words eira meaning 'snow' and gwen meaning 'white, blessed'. The pronunciation is not very intuitive for non Welsh speakers, which is probably why it has never charted in the U.S. I love the look of it though - it reminds me very much of a fairy princess.
Close Contenders - Eira, Frostine,  Neve, Nivea, Tuhina.

For a Boy - Frost
There's something about this sharp one syllable boys name that feels masculine and cool - both figuratively and literally. Not just a word name, Frost also means 'white haired' or 'born in a cold spell'. Although I've heard it mentioned a bit lately, and wintry names seem to be on the rise, this surname turned first name has only appeared on the SSA charts once - in 1916.
Close Contenders - Himesh, Neige, Pyry, Snowden, Tuhin.

Unisex Pick - Winter
It's the ultimate wintry name. It feels like a natural progression from long time popular seasonal names Summer and Autumn, yet feels the most wearable on boys. Possibly because the -er ending puts in in league with occupational names such as Carter, Hunter and Cooper. Currently it's more popular for girls (ranked #772 in 2012 as opposed to #3338 for boys) but given time that may change. It also makes for a great unexpected middle.
Close Contenders - Hima, Nevada, Snow.


Fiery Names
For some, fire can be comforting, conjuring images of snuggling up beside a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate when it's cold outside. For others it's all about passion and spice - the things we love that make life interesting, fun and exciting. Either way, ever since the cavemen first discovered fire it gets our heart racing and helps to keep us alive. And like ice and snow it can be magical and wondrous. Some great names for your little firecracker include:

For a Girl - Edana
A Gaelic name that is pronounced ee-DAH-na, she's a feminine form of the extremely popular boys name Aiden and means 'fire'. She's rare in the U.S, and feels kind of like a smoosh between Eden and Alana but somehow a little more mysterious and noir feeling. She'll be a great option one day when people are looking to honour dads named Aiden, too.
Close Contenders - Aithne, Celosia, Edana, Fiametta, Lehava, Nandalia, Seraphina.

For a Boy - Brando
There are some great boys names with fire related meanings, but this one has real pizzazz. As an Italian variant of the Old English/Old Norse name Brand it means 'fiery torch' or 'beacon'. This name immediately conjures up thoughts of legendary movie sex symbol Marlon Brando, but that what makes it a handsome,  spunky choice. Brando was given to just 58 boys in the U.S in 2012.
Close Contenders - Aidan, Ashbel, Brando, Egan, Inigo, Kenneth, Keegan, Vulcan.

Unisex Pick -Ash
I have to admit I personally prefer Ash as a nickname on girls and as a given name on boys (thanks for that, Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi). I guess I'm not alone in this as it has consistently charted for boys every year since 1996, but only three times in that same time frame for girls.
I also love that it has dual nature meanings, also being a tree name. Maybe when Willow and Rowan have had their run, and the juggernaut that was Ashley has faded, people will rediscover the sleek simplicity that is Ash.
Close Contenders - Ash, Blaze, Ember, Flame, Kenna, Kimba, MacKenzie, Phoenix.


What are your favourites? Do you prefer the pure enchantment of ice and snow names, or the feisty passion of fire names? And could you make a sibset with these names?