Say my name, say my name!

As I type the title of this blog post I can't help but be transported back to my college days at Bowling Green State University. Before Beyonce was a solo singer she was a member in a little band called Destiny's Child, and they had a hit song called "Say My Name". My friends and I loved that song, we could not help but roll all the windows in the car and belt out the lyrics when it was on the radio.

Now as an adult that song's title has a entirely new meaning, now that Claire's adopiton is final we have to take a bunch of steps to get her name offically changed. The first step was getting her certified adoption decree, which we just recieved, then we have to wait for her new certified birth certificate, which will have John and mine names listed as her parents- I am really looking forward to recieving that! After we get that I head off to the social security office to request a new number and change her name. Then it's all about changing her passport, and getting all her shot records and medical records switched.

It seems like an exhausting daunting process, but I'm sure it will all be fine- to ease the stress I may have to dig out my old Destiney's Child CD have a sing along!

What are the hot baby names for 2010?

The tireless search for the perfect baby name isn’t always easy on any new parents -- even after scouring the web for advice, playing with naming tools, and sifting through mountains of baby-name books at the bookstore.If you’re still on a quest to name baby something cool and trendy, you might want to reconsider your strategy: Instead of hopping on the trend train this year, it’s looking like more and more parents-to-be will be opting for unique classics they love. With 2009 name fads, from Marley to Miley, safely behind us, what do we see as the hottest trends in baby names for the year ahead. Well the good news to report is that names are taking a turn for the good!

For Girls the trends are turning to romantic timless names like, Sophia, Lily, Isabella, Ava, Claire, and Olivia Why you ask? These days, parents-to-be are loving distinctly feminine-sounding monikers for girls and kicking the crossover trend (of names like Riley and Dylan) to the curb -- at least for now. And don’t expect to find any Tiffanys in this bunch -- 2010 babes will be sporting classic and simple names, not diminutive and frilly ones.

Also shooting to the top of the lists is Grace, Charlotte, and Abigail. Older relatives’ names match perfectly with the current trend, so parents naming their baby Hannah or Claire get the double bonus of honoring a loved one. (While it’s tough for us to imagine a baby Judy, Donna, or Brenda today, check back with us in 2020.)

Names to look out for: Vivienne, Stella, and Amelia. Angelina Jolie’s Vivienne is just a year-and-a-half old, and the name is already climbing the charts. Same goes for Stella, recently used by Ellen Pompeo and Tori Spelling. And Amelia? It’s just plain adorable.

What's out for girls is crossover names, that's right people gender neutral names are out like last years Manolo's. While you’ll no doubt still see some newborn Baileys and Rileys in the nursery, in general, these names are losing steam. The one exception is Addison, because it's just so stinking cute!!

Now, what's looking up for boys, biblical and celtic names. Just like with girls, parents of boys are moving away from modern, sometimes made-up names and opting for traditional, often family-inspired names for their little prince.

Look out for Ethan, Jacob, Lucas, Liam, Logan, Gavin, and Aidan. Aidan has been a clear favorite for the past few years and looks to continue its reign in 2010, much to my dismay! Serioulsy people Carrie dumped Aidan so long ago! Big is so much better- John James Preston what a classic powerful name!!

What's our for boys? Well that would be anything that rhymes with Aidan, except Aidan itself. The super-hot name (thanks to Sex and the City) sparked a rush of spin-offs (thanks to Britney Spears) from Jayden to Caeden to Greydon and far, far beyond. Sure, some of the less out-there variations will probably still pop up, but as a whole, this trend (and the entire made-up name category) is on the outs.

Twilight, the hottest thing since Harry Potter, has surprisingly sparked an even bigger following when it comes to baby names. Hot names pulled from the book include Edward, Bella, Emmet, Jacob, Jasper, Esme, Alice, Rosalie, and Carlisle. Even Cullen -- the last name of its dreamy hero, Edward -- is also expected be a hit, which is my personal favorite!! But while the Twilight craze itself has certainly given major play in the popularity of these names, they just so happen to also fit in perfectly with this year’s trend of going back to the classics.

No matter what name you pick, remember you are the parent it's your decision- do not let family and friends influence your decision. I will tell you that my favorite names are listed in the blog entry, but I will not reveal them, I'm secretavie like that!
Happy Naming!!

You stole my name, bitch!

Names- this can be a touchy subject when it comes to babies. Some women are very funny about "their" names and protecting "their" names from others stealing them. Honestly I never really thought about this, yes John and I have our children's names picked out and I really have not told many people what those names are, but it's not because I am afraid someone will steal them, its more of the I want the surprise factor when we announce the name.

I have heard horror stories about friendships being ruined over someone taking someone Else's baby name. This is actually such a big deal that it was a story line in Sex and the City. Charlotte (who did not have kids) was made when her friend took her baby name, Shayla.

I had a run in with this situation just the other day. My dear friend, who struggled with infertility for over 3 years is due to give birth any day to a baby girl. Now baby girl is still nameless, so I have been joking with my friend that she needs to come up with a name. Well, yesterday she told me that she had it narrowed down to Layla or Kennedy, and she wanted my opinion. Now, Kennedy is my #2 girl name, if I had twin girls one would be Kennedy. So I told my friend that I LOVE Kennedy, but that Layla was very different and with her last name I thought Layla fit better, then I added that Kennedy is my alternative girl name, and she immediately starting saying how sorry she was. Honestly, I was shocked I could not understand why she was sorry. So I asked her, and she said well I stole your name. I explained to her that first off there is more then one Kennedy in the world and her and I have never discussed names so she did not do it on purpose. I told her if she liked the name to use it- it will not change my decision to use it one day in the future.

She was so relieved when I explained all this to her, and I have to say that it was nice to see how concerned she was, even though she had no reason to be. I think it's silly that people get upset over names. Now if someone takes your name on purpose then you have a reason to be upset, but who actually does that? Think of all the Jennifer's there are that were born in the 80's, there are a ton!

So my suggestion is name your child what you want, love the name and go with your gut! Do not worry about what others think, if people get mad then screw them, they are your kids it's your decision!

You are naming your baby WHAT?!?!

Faddish baby names don't retain their appeal for long, a new study suggests. But names that take their time becoming popular seem most apt to stick around.

The findings, from research published Tuesday May 5th ,in a top scientific journal, offer insight into how we become suspicious of sudden fads and prefer the tried and true, said the study's lead author, Jonah Berger, assistant professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

"Things that catch on more quickly are more likely to be seen as fads and decline more quickly," Berger said. "We can show that things that catch on quickly are less successful over all."

That dynamic could be at play in everything from music and fashion to cars and hair styles, Berger said.

In the study, Berger and his colleagues examined the popularity of 2,570 names given children in France between 1900 and 2004. They also looked at names that were given to at least 1,850 babies in the United States in any year in that period, as long as the names remained fairly common for at least six years.

The researchers found that many names grew in popularity over decades and then dipped. The name "Charlene," for example, was most popular from about 1930 to 1970, before dwindling in popularity and becoming fairly uncommon by 2000.

The names "Kristi" and "Tricia," by contrast, zoomed up in popularity in the early 1970s but lost much of their appeal by 1985.

In other words, they were fads that fizzled. "Faster adoption speed means faster death," Berger said.

The name "Shaniqua" also demonstrates the fad phenomenon. BabyNameWizard.com, a Web site that tracks baby names, reveals that the name zoomed up in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s but vanished by 2000.

And what about names that have been around seemingly forever? "They probably didn't catch on very quickly," Berger speculated. "They probably caught on more slowly and deliberately" and, therefore, had staying power.


The findings can help marketers figure out how much buzz their products need to be successful, Berger said. "As marketers, we might want to manage the process, encourage a trickle rather than a gushing thing right at the beginning." Results of the study appear online Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


George Belch, chairman of San Diego State University's marketing department, said there may indeed be some parallels between how people choose baby names and how they choose products.


"It demonstrates the fact that when you have something that becomes very popular and widespread, that's good in the short term," he said. "But as something becomes more popular, that starts to end up being more of a negative cue.


"Human nature is such that people really want to be unique and different," Belch said. "And once they start thinking that they're following others, the things that were once making them feel unique or different start to work against them."


So think about this next time that you want to name your child a trendy fad name, because chances are in 20 years it will be a fizzle NOT a fad!

Nameberry.com

Well in the spirit of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz's new little bundle of joy being born on Thursday, being named Bronx, which is a very different name, I discovered this website, www.Nameberry.com. Its fabulous it has a great database of names and it has very different lists, stuff like:
1. Names of children most likely headed to Harvard (yes our favorite baby name was on there!)
2. Yuppie names (yes our favorite name was on there!)
3. If you love (insert trendy name) you will also love
4. Classic names that are trendier then you would think

Its really a fresh take on baby names, and the way they are listed is very cool, I was addicted to the site in like 2 seconds. So log on and check out your favorite names!

John and I like the majority of the same names, so that's good, at least we don't argue over naming our children. But we like very classic names. I like trendy names, but I refuse to have my kids in school, and attendance is being taken and they get to Ava, Madison, Aiden, and Max and every kid has their hand in the air. I also do not want my kid to be 40 years old and have a name that sounds babyish. I mean I would like my kids to be successful, and can you really be successful with a name like, Heaven or Princess? I mean get real! I know they sound cute now, but are they really cute when the kid grows up. We need to think about what this name is going to look like on a wedding invitation, on a door plaque and on a business card. Would you go to do a doctor with a name like Princess? Or would you hire an attorney with a name like Zuma? I wouldn't!