Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

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
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 341-360361-380381-400401-419 next last
To: AnAmericanMother

How about Ophelia Longbottom. Pretty sad.


361 posted on 06/27/2006 7:38:00 PM PDT by Patriotic Bostonian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: lmr
Morgan's name was one my wife liked and I guess I grew into..

Is it Because of

I'm saddened to say, I know a 3 different couples who named their daughter Morgan because they liked the rum

362 posted on 06/27/2006 7:48:47 PM PDT by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 355 | View Replies]

To: Clemenza

And no more Dylans, Brandons, Kyles, Codies, Tylers and Talyors


363 posted on 06/27/2006 7:55:56 PM PDT by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 338 | View Replies]

To: ElTiante
I'm half Irish. My son's name is Ryan and my oldest daughter is Autumn.

My youngest daughter is Killoran - it's an Irish surname, pronounced Kill-OR-an. She LOVES her name, even though she constantly has to spell it for people.

And my granddaughter's name is Teegan.

Well, it sure beats Debbie, Kathy, and Susan which is what I grew up with!

364 posted on 06/27/2006 7:56:21 PM PDT by IrishRainy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: texgal
Alouishis Boudreaux Glockenspiel

After my grandfather died, we found his college yearbook. We learned not only that his school nickname was "Puffer," but also that one of his classmates was Eli Herman Fischbein. That was a family in-joke for years. But I have to admit Alouishis Boudreaux Glockenspiel beats it all hollow.

365 posted on 06/27/2006 8:00:27 PM PDT by ReignOfError
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 313 | View Replies]

To: tinacart
I have 15 grandkids!

3 Menachem Mendel's
2 Shneur Zalman's
Mushka
Chaim
Rachel
David
Moussiya
Levi
Shalom
Israel
Esther
Sarah

366 posted on 06/27/2006 8:01:41 PM PDT by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 1-9)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 351 | View Replies]

To: definitelynotaliberal

When I was growing up, in my town was a family who had three children. Their last name was Rabbit, or something that was pronounced rabbit but may have been spelled differently. They named their children Jack, Bunny and Peter. While I snicker at those names, I never felt the urge to write an article about them or gloat about how smart my parents were to not give me a retarded name.


367 posted on 06/27/2006 8:11:11 PM PDT by psychoknk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 282 | View Replies]

To: Suzy Quzy

>Jermajestry???????Is that a JOKE???<

It's no joke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jermaine_Jackson
Family

Jermaine Jackson has been married three times and has eight children. He first married Hazel Gordy in 1973 while still in the Jackson 5. Her father, Berry Gordy, was their current manager at the time at Motown Records. When brothers changed label due to financial reasons, Jermaine left the Jackson 5 and produced a solo record under his father-in-law's label. Hazel and Jermaine had their first child Jermaine Jr. (often called Jay) in 1977. Their daughter Autumn Jackson was born in 1978.

In 1985 Jermaine had a daughter called Dawn. However, her mother was not Hazel. The couple did, however, remain together until son Jeremy Jackson was born in 1986 to a woman named Margaret Maldonado. Hazel and Jermaine divorced in 1987 after fourteen years of marriage as Jermaine expected a second child to Margaret. Jaimy Jackson was born later that same year to Hazel. Jermaine began his relationship with Margaret Maldonado in 1988. A year later in 1989 Jermaine and Margaret had son Jourdyn Jackson. The couple lived together in the Jackson family home in California (owned by brother Michael) until 1994 when they separated, having never married.

A year after separating from Margaret Maldonado, Jermaine Jackson married Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza. Alejandra had previously left and divorced brother Randy Jackson the year before - after fourteen months of marriage. They shared daughter Genevieve and twins Randy Jr and Donte. However, after the divorce, Alejandra was granted custody and the children lived with their mother and step father (Uncle Jermaine) in the same Jackson house in California. In 1996 Jermaine and Alejandra had a child of their own together - Jaffar Jackson. They had another child together in 2000 named Jermajesty before their divorce in 2004. This marriage of Randy's ex-wife was rumoured to have caused a rift between the brothers. They have now, however, sorted it out as seen at brother Michael's trial.


368 posted on 06/27/2006 8:29:27 PM PDT by Darnright (http://www.irey.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 307 | View Replies]

To: rwrcpa1

Two of my favorites! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't Abbott and Presley.


369 posted on 06/27/2006 8:30:13 PM PDT by Dionysius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 169 | View Replies]

To: GOP_Raider

I remember getting the paper a few years back and they would run the birth announcements.

I swear nearly half the boys born one week were named Jaden/Jayden.

I bet every mom thought that was such an original name, too. Won't she be in for a shock when she finds out her child will be the fourth Jaden in his prekinder class.


370 posted on 06/27/2006 8:47:59 PM PDT by stands2reason (ANAGRAM for the day: Socialist twaddle == Tact is disallowed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 301 | View Replies]

To: qam1

Was always a Bacardi person myself. The first time I got 'Puke-ing drunk' was off Bacardi. Had too many Rum and Cokes one new year's eve when I was a teenager. Damn older brother.


371 posted on 06/27/2006 8:49:13 PM PDT by lmr (You can have my Tactical Nuclear Weapons when you pry them from my cold dead fingers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 362 | View Replies]

To: ReignOfError; rwrcpa1

You want to know what's scary, click on boys only and look up female names like "Betty" , "Mary" and "Nancy".

I'm hoping those were somehow typos in the birth certs. that got passed on. It could happen, right?

I hope??? Better stuck having a typo on your BC than to be a guy with the name Melissa.

FWIW, I will tell you, "Sue" doesn't come up on boys. But "Susan" does, go figger.


372 posted on 06/27/2006 8:54:04 PM PDT by stands2reason (ANAGRAM for the day: Socialist twaddle == Tact is disallowed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 312 | View Replies]

To: Xenalyte

You might want to look back some more generations.

Americans for some unknown reason began naming their children the most awful dissonant names after the Civil War.

I mean, seriously, who was the nut who thought Floyd had a ring to it? Or Myrtle?


373 posted on 06/27/2006 9:03:40 PM PDT by stands2reason (ANAGRAM for the day: Socialist twaddle == Tact is disallowed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: qam1

My first born male...

Rush Hudson ####

my next...

Ronald Wilson ####


374 posted on 06/27/2006 9:06:12 PM PDT by Vision ("America's best days lie ahead. You ain't seen nothing yet"- Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

I like the Hebrew name Alisheva.


375 posted on 06/27/2006 9:07:48 PM PDT by stands2reason (ANAGRAM for the day: Socialist twaddle == Tact is disallowed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 366 | View Replies]

To: NYC Republican

Tabitha has been a common name down through the generations in my family since the 1700's. Great name IMHO.


376 posted on 06/27/2006 9:10:14 PM PDT by BnBlFlag (Deo Vindice/Semper Fidelis "Ya gotta saddle up your boys; Ya gotta draw a hard line")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: ElTiante
Fiona - It's Irish and it’s not oppressively popular

I like the name Fiona.

377 posted on 06/27/2006 9:10:28 PM PDT by mafree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: marmar

I can't believe the Brangelina. They had 9 months and several continents to think up a good name and they came up with Shiloh Pitt. Which sounds like Pile O' Sh**.


378 posted on 06/27/2006 9:11:09 PM PDT by Yaelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: qam1
Many parents, especially celebrities, are choosing distinctive names or spellings to make their children stand out...

A quick perusal of Mencken's "The American Language" will show that this has been common in the US before US was. The "Fancy Belt" has lots of interesting names from the early 1900s. Increase and Cotton Mather should roll over in their graves as would Gouvernor Morris (the man who actually wrote the Constitution.)

379 posted on 06/27/2006 9:16:00 PM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch ist der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ShadowAce
Larryshekoa Saltxxius MyAjhia Mays

How did you find out my full name??

380 posted on 06/27/2006 9:24:21 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 341-360361-380381-400401-419 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson