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Naming your baby
Newsday ^ | 6/26/06 | Pat Burson

Posted on 06/27/2006 10:33:31 AM PDT by qam1

Many parents, especially celebrities, are choosing distinctive names or spellings to make their children stand out

Choosing a name for your newborn requires a certain level of sober reflection, contemplation and introspection.

Expectant parents consult relatives and friends, leaf through scores of books and scour the Internet for just the right handle to reflect their little cherub's shining personality, obvious brilliance and unquestionable character.

So it makes you wonder what the recent spate of Hollywood celebrity parents were thinking - or drinking - when they chose such distinctive names, to put it kindly, for their high-profile offspring. That goes for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who named their daughter Shiloh, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who named their girl Suri.

Sure, we've had a chuckle at some and scratched our heads over others, but before you go calling your sons Dilbert after your favorite cartoon character or christening your daughters Brangelina because you adore Couple-of-the-Moment Pitt and Jolie, give it some thought, baby and parenting experts say.

Like all parents, celebrities see their children as extensions of themselves and choose names that reflect their tastes and values, says Babytalk magazine senior editor Christina Vercelletto.

"What's driving this is this whole sort of Gen-X competitive parenting trend," Vercelletto says. "Parents who are now in their 30s, they have their children, and they feel that from birth it's practically a competition. You want your child to stand out. We live in a competitive society, and you don't want your child to blend into the woodwork."

"Names are really brands," says Rachel Weingarten, a branding and trends expert and the president of GTK Marketing Group in Brooklyn.

Take Brangelina's baby, Shiloh. "You're saying we have turned this into a money-maker from birth,"

"It's this whole, 'Look at me' kind of thing."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: genx; lemonjello; orangejello; stupidbabynames
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To: TexKat

Rotunda? Lol, lol!


241 posted on 06/27/2006 1:40:13 PM PDT by EnquiringMind
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To: Mr. Silverback

I like Shiloh.


242 posted on 06/27/2006 1:40:14 PM PDT by rwrcpa1 (April 15. Let's make it just another day.)
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To: Suzy Quzy

Me too.


243 posted on 06/27/2006 1:40:55 PM PDT by rwrcpa1 (April 15. Let's make it just another day.)
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To: rwrcpa1

I'd have to say my parents were pretty creative. They named me "Chad", which I don't see too often. My brother was named "Chance", which I see even less frequently.


244 posted on 06/27/2006 1:41:54 PM PDT by Crolis ("Good fences make good neighbors.", Robert Frost)
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To: rwrcpa1

You`re not old, it`s just Hollywood now has the originality and creativeness of an eggplant, it`s totally out of control these re-makes. Somebody was telling me they are now thinking of doing a re-make of Casablanca, I mean can you imagine? I guess it`s true being that they did a re-make of Psycho and the Posiedon adventure of all things. I don`t know, I guess well eventually get to having remakes of "Justin and Kelly" or "Battlefield Earth" or "Manos: The Hands of Fate"


245 posted on 06/27/2006 1:44:03 PM PDT by Screamname (Is your terror group depressed? Call 1-800-Demo-crats.....We give hope!)
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To: rwrcpa1
I actually know a guy named Phil Morehead.

LOL. I had a college instructor by that name...Taught Music Appreciation 101.

246 posted on 06/27/2006 1:44:38 PM PDT by opus86
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To: Screamname

>The only reason Hollyweirds name their kids like this is because of their huge egos...Sort of like Trump naming his kid "Baron", or the all time Champion of God like egos, Michael Jackson, who couldn`t help name his kids who are not his "Prince Michael Jackson Jr" (how can you name a kid "Jr" if the father isn`t named Prince? Oh that`s right, Michael is a Prince) and "Paris Michael" and "Prince Michael Jackson III"...Just couldn`t resist that Prince name again.<

Oh, don't let Michael's brother off the hook. His innocent child's name just screams that Dad has an ego far, far larger than his IQ.

After all, Jermaine Jackson came up with the name "Jermajesty".


247 posted on 06/27/2006 1:48:28 PM PDT by Darnright (http://www.irey.com/)
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To: brewcrew

You are right. Haven't seen that one in a while.

It's a good name.

Roy Orbison.
Roy Scheider Jaws

Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys Hey, a young one!

In 1991, Roy ranked 247th in boys' names. In 2005, it was 471.

Good eye.


248 posted on 06/27/2006 1:49:13 PM PDT by rwrcpa1 (April 15. Let's make it just another day.)
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To: MissEdie

Isn't that a nickname for all little girls two years old?


249 posted on 06/27/2006 1:50:01 PM PDT by rwrcpa1 (April 15. Let's make it just another day.)
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To: qam1
That goes for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who named their daughter Shiloh, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, who named their girl Suri.

I've heard the name Shiloh before but not Suri. Either of these names is better than Bruce Willis and Demi Moore naming their kid 'Scout'.

250 posted on 06/27/2006 1:50:13 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: CT-Freeper

I had a cat named Sebastian.


251 posted on 06/27/2006 1:50:56 PM PDT by stands2reason (ANAGRAM for the day: Socialist twaddle == Tact is disallowed)
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To: elc

I possess a very difficult Gaelic name that was given to me in 1954. It continues to make difficulties for me on legal documents, etc. Once people figure out how to pronounce it, they seem to love it. But I went through school being miserable with that damn name.


252 posted on 06/27/2006 1:51:04 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (T)
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To: ElTiante

I like "Fiona", you can call her FiFi to annoy her...


253 posted on 06/27/2006 1:54:27 PM PDT by stands2reason (ANAGRAM for the day: Socialist twaddle == Tact is disallowed)
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To: ElTiante

I consider it passion, not zealotry.

I think we might all be a little passionate if Jesus asked us personally to follow him, too.

Matthews message was primarily to the jews. He used language they would be familiar with.

I'm surprised you didn't say you liked John's gospel the best, because his is the one that talks the most about love.

Oh, well. Enough of that. Back to the babies!


254 posted on 06/27/2006 1:55:42 PM PDT by rwrcpa1 (April 15. Let's make it just another day.)
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To: qam1

I pray to God that people don't start naming their girls "Keith."


255 posted on 06/27/2006 1:56:10 PM PDT by krb (If you're not outraged, people probably like having you around.)
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To: Xenalyte

Thanks! Bill, Tom, Pat, Jim, and Dan always get a chuckle out of other kids' names :-).


256 posted on 06/27/2006 1:56:43 PM PDT by Tax-chick ("Wallow in poverty, you whining gerbil! They're taking everyone's money!" ~dljordan)
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To: Xenalyte

Madicyn ?

That would be Madysin for the stripper name.


257 posted on 06/27/2006 1:59:09 PM PDT by wolfcreek
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To: Screamname

I'll bet they don't remake "The Towering Inferno"!

Justin and Kelly. Heh.

If they remake "Casablanca" they will find some way to bash Bush with it.


258 posted on 06/27/2006 2:05:58 PM PDT by rwrcpa1 (April 15. Let's make it just another day.)
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To: r9etb

From the link"

"I have 2 girls...Ashlyn Marie and Carrington Alisa. I chose to give my daughters unusual names...but not unusual enough to be made fun of."


259 posted on 06/27/2006 2:06:10 PM PDT by Crawdad (I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class.)
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To: Tax-chick

My youngest is named Aaron. I guess we were lazy looking thru the book.


260 posted on 06/27/2006 2:06:23 PM PDT by wordsofearnest (Bring Back Torre (There's new grass on the field))
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