The Baby Name Wizard
Have you pretty much cleared your calendar for today so that you can sit around waiting for Linda to announce her new baby’s name? OMG ME TOO.
I’m feeding my agitation by re-reading my favorite baby name book of all time: The Baby Name Wizard, by Laura Wattenberg. It was published in 2005, and I wish she’d put out a fresh version every single year, because names are changing EVERY MINUTE! Linda’s new baby might TIP THE SCALES!
The format is awesome. Each name is done like this:
Riley
Popularity: #105
Style: Androgynous, Celtic, Last Names First, Nickname-Proof
Variants: Rylee, Reilly
Sisters: Kelsey, Mckenna, Ava, Delaney, Kendall
Brothers: Parker, Reid, Logan, Brady, Donovan
+This surname transfer has been a favorite since the nineteenth century, and that heritage warms and strengthens the name. Though Riley is catching on for girls, it’s still a dandy boy’s name—just stick to the standard surname spellings.
Already I am in love. BUT WAIT! There is more.
The second part of the book concentrates on the “Style” categories: there are whole sections of Androgynous names, Celtic names, Antique Charm names, Guys and Dolls names, Mid-Century names, Mythological names, Shakespearean names, Timeless names, etc., FORTY-FIVE categories in all. So if, for example, you had a child named Riley and were looking for a compatible sibling name, you could consider the “Sisters” and “Brothers” names above (and the “Sisters” and “Brothers” names listed for THOSE names–you can see how hours get eaten up), or you could flip to the back and look for more Celtic names, or more Last Names First names, OR you could go CRAZY and check out the Exotic Traditionals.
This book. I love it so much.
I like to give it as a “happy pregnancy” gift, but it’s also great for authors who need age-appropriate names for their characters (no more 30-year-old Madisons, PLEASE). —Swistle
Edited to add: Welcome baby Dylan Emmett! Congratulations, Linda, JB, and Riley!
Dylan
Popularity: #19
Style: Celtic, The -ens
Nicknames: Dyll
Variants: Dillon
Sisters: Morgan, Kaitlyn, Kiara, Alexis, Regan
Brothers: Logan, Colin, Reese, Connor, Gavin
+Bob Dylan named himself after Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, and now those two Dylans together give the name breadth. A sensitive Celtic with a rock-and-roll heart. And yes, in the past decade, Dylan has gone electric. Thank the generation that grew up gazing at Luke Perry’s Dylan on Beverly Hills, 90210.
Link: The Baby Name Wizard on Amazon.com
Ballpark price: $10
Posted: February 4th, 2008 under Books, Pregnancy, Personally recommended by Swistle.
Comments: 13
Comments
Comment from Cass
Time: February 4, 2008, 8:05 am
I have been reading this book over and over hoping that a boy’s name will pop out and say “pick me, pick me”. I have a confession…I think my baby is a girl. I really think it is - and the 11.5 week ultrasound tech agreed that she too thought it was a girl. So I have a girls name all ready - two in fact just in case she comes out and she doesn’t look like a “whatshername” at all. But in 4 short weeks we will have the 20 week find out the sex of your baby ultrasound, oh, that ultrasound is about anatomy and about health…okay but we find out the sex too. So I have this fear. If it’s a boy I won’t have anything to call the little peanut. Nothing. I might actually call him peanut….and what if I still don’t have a name when we go to the hospital…and what if I’m out of it when I give birth and my husband is put in a position to name this baby and what if he says Lebron James or Plaxico Burress???? I mean those are fine names for professional athletes but this kid is 50% me so it’s NOT going to be a professional athlete unless Cookie making somehow makes it into the Olympics and that’s not altogether likely. Now you see why this freak out can not happen on my own blog…every family member I have will be on there telling me to “calm down” and what I really need someone to do is to say “You should name your unborn child “THIS” if it’s a boy” That or I need the Baby Name Wizard to appear in full costume to tell me the exact page number I should be looking at. Oh Monday.
Comment from Swistle
Time: February 4, 2008, 8:09 am
Comment from Swistle
Time: February 4, 2008, 8:09 am
Comment from Tessie
Time: February 4, 2008, 8:50 am
I keep telling myself NO MORE SUNDRY REFRESHING. It is TOO EARLY. My refresh finger has a mind of its own though. Sigh.
Comment from Simone
Time: February 4, 2008, 9:20 am
I also love this book. I like constructing sibling name sets from the various style categories. I don’t have kids yet. My husband likes very normal names. I don’t know why I torture myself picking out ‘perfect’ names that he’ll never agree to (currently: Willa, Arlo).
I also enjoy Laura Wattenberg’s blog and the comments there. I’m sure you’ve seen it, but just in case:
http://thebabynamewizard.ivillage.com/parenting/
Comment from mrsgryphon
Time: February 4, 2008, 10:19 am
This was the only baby-name book we bought, and I have lent it to every pregnant friend since! I love the layout and the categories, and it isn’t as overwhelming as those 100,000 names books.
Comment from Mairzy
Time: February 4, 2008, 12:33 pm
Yes to that feature, and I agree! about that aspect, and of course!! to that part of the book. And Definitely!!! to the “wish she’d update every year.” I’ve been re-reading my copy this week just for fun.
Comment from L
Time: February 4, 2008, 3:15 pm
Dylan Emmett
Comment from Someone Being Me
Time: February 4, 2008, 8:55 pm
That is so cool. I will need that when I get pregnant again. My neighbors just had a baby Friday night. They didn’t decide on a name until they were ready to leave the hospital. The wife wanted two middle names and the husband didn’t. Guess who won?
Comment from Saly
Time: February 5, 2008, 9:02 am
Ok, I need to suck it up and buy this book.
Comment from HollowSquirrel
Time: February 5, 2008, 8:05 pm
SHOOT. Why did I make a New Year’s resolution to not buy new books???? I neeeed this book. Seriously. We have a month left and are still fumbling on another boy’s name. I guess I could always check the library…
Pingback from Hollow Squirrel » How to Spend $100
Time: February 5, 2008, 8:07 pm
[…] That leaves me with 76 buckaroos and just remember: I cannot buy books for myself, as it was a dumb dumb dumb dumb New Years resolution that now I wish I could take back. […]
Comment from mayberry
Time: February 6, 2008, 12:04 pm
This book is so great I asked for it for a Christmas gift AFTER I had my two babies.
I want another one just so I can name it.
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