Top 20 Baby Names for Naughty (and Nice) Children
December 4, 2014 § Leave a comment
Here’s an article about the names shared by kids “most likely to misbehave“. Are you on the naughty list? Do you need to clean up your act before Santa comes to town? Or maybe just change your name real quick so you can make the nice list?
Worst-Behaved Girl Names:
Amber, Bethany, Caitlin, Courtney, Eleanor, Ella, Holly, Jade, Laura, and Olivia
Best-Behaved Girl Names:
Abigail, Alice, Amy, Charlotte, Emily, Emma, Georgia, Grace, Hannah, and Sophie
Worst-Behaved Boy Names:
Benjamin, Cameron, Ethan, Jake, Jamie, Joseph, Joshua, Lewis, Luke, and William
Best-Behaved Boy Names:
Adam, Daniel, Harry, Jack, Jacob, James, Oliver, Ryan, Samuel, and Thomas
Most Common Baby Names, 2014
December 3, 2014 § Leave a comment
This article takes a comedic view on the likely fates of those children given the most common baby names of 2014 (as determined by a U.S. News poll, so not entirely scientific . . . )
For the boys, we’ve got Aiden, Caden, Ethan, Jacob, Jackson, Liam, Logan, Lucas, Mason, and Noah.
And for girls, we’ve got Ava, Emily, Emma, Isabella, Madelyn, Mia, Lily, Olivia, Sophia, and Zoe.
What do you think? Have you see hundreds of little Aidens and Avas and Ethans and Emilys and Masons and Mias experiencing “Baby’s First Fill-in-the-Blank” this year?
Pinky
December 3, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Alternately spelled “Pinkie”; an English nickname meaning “healthy”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Pinkie. It’s already a nickname. It would be weird to nickname a nickname, wouldn’t it?
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Pinky Alden, the governor of Colorado, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
Tanya
November 15, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Tatiana” or “Titania”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Taina, Tania, Tanja, Tatiana, Tatienne, Tatjana, Tiana, Tonia, Tonya, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tanya Harsanyi, Andor Harsanyi’s young daughter, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
Lily
November 15, 2014 § 5 Comments
ORIGIN:
From the lily flower, a symbol of purity. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Lillian” or “Elizabeth“, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Lil, Lili, Lillie, Lilly, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lily Fisher, Thea’s rival in Moonstone, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Lily Hiles, the amiable and generous proprietor of Newton’s only restaurant, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Lily Pearl (sometimes also known as “Lily Moore” and “Lily Shaine”, and called “D” or “Doll” by her uncles), the young girl whose family life is recounted in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
WRITERS:
– Lily L. Allen (1867-1952), Irish author and missionary.
– Lily Braun (1865-1916), German activist and author.
– Lily Brett (b. 1946), German-Australian essayist, novelist, and poet.
– Lily Brown (b. 1981), American poet.
– Lily Dougall (1858-1923) Canadian activist and author.
– Lily Goddard (1916-2002), Austrian author and designer.
– Lily Koppel (b. 1981), American novelist and nonfiction author.
– Lily Ross Taylor (1886-1969), American academic and author.
– Lily Tuck (b. 1938), American novelist and short story writer.
Ray
November 14, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Raymond”, or sometimes a diminutive of “Raphael”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Rae, Raye, and that’s about it. Rai, maybe? There’s really only so many ways to make a one-syllable name.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ray Kennedy, the freight train conductor who is one of Thea’s dearest friends and most ardent admirers, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), American author.
Billy
November 14, 2014 § 1 Comment
ORIGIN:
Like “Bill” and “Willie“, etc., a diminutive of “William“.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bil, Bill, Billie, Gwil, Liam, Lyam, Pim, Vila, Vili, Viljo, Ville, Wil, Wilkie, Wilkin, Wilky, Will, Willie, Willis, Willy, Wim, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Uncle Billy Beemer, the benevolent town drunk responsible for Moonstone’s grove of cottonwoods, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Uncle Billy Jeffers, the Creighton’s neighbor down the road, who survived the War of 1812, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
WRITERS:
– Billy Rose (1899-1966), American impresario, lyricist, and showman.
– Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967), American jazz composer, lyricist, musical arranger, and pianist.
– Billy Wilder (1906-2002), Austrian-American artist, filmmaker, journalist, producer, and screenwriter.
Gus
November 6, 2014 § 2 Comments
ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Augustus”, “Angus”, “Gustave”, etc. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Constantine”.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Guus, Kusti, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Gus Kronborg, Thea’s oldest brother, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Gus Kahn (1886-1941), American lyricist.
– Gus Tyler (1911-2011), American activist, author, and columnist.
Thea
November 6, 2014 § Leave a comment
ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Althea”, “Dorothea” / “Dorothy“, “Theodora”, etc.
VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dora, Dorit, Dosia, Dottie, Dotty, Tea, Teja, Tiia, etc.
REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Thea Kronborg, the passionate and gifted protagonist of The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
WRITERS:
– Thea Astley (1925-2004), Australian novelist and short story writer.
– Thea Beckman (1923-2004), Dutch children’s book author.
– Thea Leitner (b. 1921), Austrian author and journalist.
– Thea von Harbou (1888-1954), German actress, director, novelist, and screenwriter.
The Art of Literary Nomenclature 