Place

Source: http://www.fzs.ba/

Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina via Wikipedia

The data of the most popular Bosnian names 2011 was published last year in spring, but I totally forget to post more than the Top 10. It might be late, but here are the Top 50

Source: http://www.fzs.ba/

Star Trek: TNG‘s Commander Riker is one of few pop culture references to trendy, modern boys name Ryker.

Following my last post regarding name negativity, I’ve decided to take things a step further by going out of my way to highlight the positives in the names singled out in the aforementioned Deadspin article as evidence that American baby names are “getting even worse.”

The Not-So-Bad series of posts will no doubt feature names you’ve probably balked at before, but let’s keep one thing in mind, here. These aren’t hypothetical names, names from books, or lists of interesting choices – these are names that people out there actually wear. Real people. With feelings.

The first one I’ll cover is a name that’s actually been gaining massively in popularity, and isn’t just a unique selection by one adventurous parent. Ryker is, as far as I’m concerned, a true name of the future with a long Low Country heritage. It’s already nearly inside the US Top 300, after beginning it’s climb from 1000 in just 2003. The name Ryan is commonplace and has been for decades. Tucker, Parker, etc. had their biggest moments in the late-90s and early 2000s, and from those trends modern usage of Ryker was born.

Names (which are merely proper nouns if you want to get technical), are allowed to be invented. Some might think Ryker is a made-up name combining Ryan and those -ker names, but it isn’t even that. Have a Richard in your family tree (and a lot of people do, since it was a Top 5 name in the 1930s and ’40s) that you want to honour with something more modern? Richard forerunner Ricard spread through Europe from Germany and France to The Netherlands, Denmark and beyond, and means “strong power,” from ric (power) + hard (strong, hardy). It derived the Danish surname Ryker/Riker, which means “son of Ricard.”

The base word ric has been interpreted as an early form of rike, a Dutch surname meaning “to be rich” (and arguably, money is power). It, too, has been noted as another possible surname origin of Ryker (though most anglicized to the surname Rich when they arrived in North America). It was the case with Abraham Rycken, an early Dutch settler to New Amsterdam (now New York), whose descendants owned like-named Rikers Island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx until 1884. That year, the family sold the island to the city for $180,000, and it has been used as the metropolis’ main jail complex ever since. But unless you watch shows like Law & Order or CSI: NY, the reference probably goes right by you. And even if you do, there’s no evidence the name is somehow prophetic of a life behind bars.

Trekkers (they hate being called Trekkies – it’s apparently offensive, and offending with names isn’t my style) probably remember Commander Riker, portrayed by Jonathan Frakes, on 1987-94 show Star Trek: The Next Generation (I don’t). But Ryker with a Y, like Ryder with a Y, is far more in use today. You’ve probably met or heard of a little boy named Ryker by now. I have – Ryan Kesler, a forward with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, welcomed son Ryker in December 2010. The name seems like a clear play on his own moniker, since his daughter, born in 2008, was named Makayla Rylan.

I just don’t see it, what makes Ryker so “bad.” It’s a legitimate surname as a first name, bang on trend, and to my ears pulls off being cool without being in any way obnoxious or trying “too hard.” Plus, it’s got a decent history that many could connect to on a personal level.

Latin Place Names

Aegyptus

Africa

Alba

Alesia

Aventin

Aventinus

Campania

Cannae

Gallia

Hispania

Italia

Lusitania

Nilus

Orcus

Palatin

Palatium

Pontus

Remuria

Roma

Sicilia

Siculus

Sparta

Tiberis

Troia

(c) AP – Blaer Bjarkardottir, 15, (pictured with her mother, Bjork) is trying to change name laws in her native Iceland, and is willing to take her case to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

Forgive me, but it’s about to get a little opinionated in here. Much has been discussed online over baby name laws the past few days, and I can’t help but weigh in, of course.

Lou at Mer de Noms led me to this fascinating article about a 15-year-old Icelandic girl named Blaer Bjarkardottir. But, since Blaer isn’t on the list of 1,853 accepted names for girls in her native country, all her government forms list her official name as ‘Sturka’ – which means, simply, “girl.” Her mother, Bjork Eidsdottir, picked Icelandic Blaer, which means “light breeze,” inspired by a female Blaer she knew in Iceland in the early 1970s – back when the name had been reportedly acceptable. The priest who baptised Blaer even thought the name acceptable enough, but had to admit his mistake after the fact, negating the legality of the name. Now, Blaer and her mother are suing the Icelandic state for the right to use a name that has a masculine article and was denied by the panel of judges who approve or reject every baby name, or adult name change, in the country. Germany, Denmark, New Zealand, China, and other countries have similar processes, a response to parents who have selected names ranging from Anus to Devil and Number 9 Bus Stop to the @ symbol.

My problem with these committees is how fascist they can seem. Sometimes, the opinion may seem a bit outrageous (as it appears Blaer’s name was at one time perfectly acceptable for girls in Iceland, before the committee was formed). And if not outrageous, the notion that one must be named from an approved list of choices, even if that list is almost 2,000 names long, goes too far. These democratic countries are telling their citizens ‘originality be damned.’ They are telling citizens they must conform to the state’s idea of an acceptable personal identity, and that is fairly fascist. By deciding what names are not worthy they’re perpetuating a culture of superiority, which lends itself to the dreaded playground bullying everyone talks about when names are concerned.

I understand that Number 9 Bus Stop is a bad given name. So are swear words or slang insults. I respect the attempts to keep those names from birth certificates. But I have to wonder what happens when it all goes too far, and firmly believe that our opinions or perceptions of far too many words, or names, make these committees way too arbitrary. Why, for example, is Elvis banned in Sweden? Why is a beautiful name with a ‘masculine article’ banned in Iceland? (Iceland, for the record, also bans all C names from Cara to Curver because there is no C in the Icelandic alphabet, although it’s perfectly acceptable for someone like Bjork to sing and write in English using Roman characters.)

The truth is, most parents choose common names for their children, and even kids named @ or Bus Stop are likely go through life with a nickname, or legally change it to something else when they’re older. Most parents have no interest in naming their child Pooface. Parents who choose the name Satania (which has been denied in Iceland for being too close to Satan) might have good reason that is of no business to the government or citizens whom the name will not affect.

This Deadspin article from months ago broke my heart. It was written by a Dad (and men are usually fans of more traditional fare), which flat out refuses to be in any way open-minded about the possibility that the world isn’t cookie-cutter, or that tastes can evolve. I recognize that studies show people with Krazy name spellings tend to be overlooked for job interviews. But why should the government get to decide whether a name is spelled too strangely or not?

I actually tend to fall into the opinion of desiring to see these name committees disbanded, or reduced to an administrative role and nothing more. A number of parents who select truly offensive names are libertarians who actually do so in response to the existence of said committees. Traditional names are certainly on trend again, but they aren’t for everyone, and it’s no one’s right to decide whether or not a name is legally acceptable considering, as this amazing iVillage article points out, kids will be teased no matter what their name. I may not like the idea of using a name like Berretta to honour a handgun, but I never called for government intervention. And if I met someone with such a name, I wouldn’t bully them for it.

The existence of name-approval committees has been defended because children will be teased for terrible names, and defended because certain names are offensive to others. But my parents taught me to understand that if people have a problem with me, that’s a problem that they have. The same can be said about baby names (and was certainly an admitted part of my bias against Berretta; I think Levi Johnson is a famewhore). So if a name offends you, that problem exists within you, and it’s up to you to get over it, as far as I’m concerned.

(As a result of this post, from the new year going forward, name negativity will be very tough to find on this blog, though it’s always been rare. It just isn’t funny, and it doesn’t make you cool, if you have a biting opinion on something that doesn’t even affect your life on a daily basis. I’ll even offer Levi Johnson a mea culpa, and apologize for judging the middle name he picked as glorifying violence, and going out of his way to put his name in the headlines.)

We can certainly claim that parents choose unique names to bring more attention to themselves, and psychologically the argument has merit, but we could also argue that greater harm is done to the child by the judgmental people around them who think that making fun of, or judging, them for their name is either funny or acceptable. You may think you’re doing a “badly named kid” a service, but one day little Breeze Berretta Johnson will Google her name and she’ll probably resent me. One day, little Hashtag Jameson will Google herself and find out just how stupid the world thinks her mother is. It’s not okay to be on the “superior side” when it comes to someone else’s name.

If you’ve made fun of, or judged, a boy named Sue or a girl named Blitzi, if your kids have done it…don’t you think that you’re the problem, and not the other way around?

Bosnian national costume

Male Names

Female Names

I may have failed myself with blogging this year (so many real life changes!) but it’s one of my resolutions for 2013 to be better. Much better. I owe it to myself, because I truly enjoy maintaining this blog. Of little credit to me, my blog’s popularity grew this year with many thanks to the lovely ladies at Nameberry for hosting my political names guest post in the spring, with great appreciation to Abby at Appellation Mountain for highlighting my post on Malala this fall, which proved to be my biggest post of the year, and with ongoing affection for Anna at Waltzing More Than Matilda, whose site continues to be my most consistent referral source, links wise, and she is far and away my top commenter. And of course, I’m grateful to each and every one of you who reads, comments, and shares the posts you love. You guys inspire me, full on, and your support is not taken for granted.

To close out 2011, I compiled my favourite names from overall trends of the year, and though I haven’t blogged as much as I should have, I’ve paid attention in 2012. A few of these names earned posts of their own this year, but many didn’t, so bear with me. And you know the drill – please don’t leave without sharing your own favourites from the past twelve months.

Happy New Year to you and yours, and let’s all look forward to a big year of names in 2013. What traditional names will be bestowed upon the royal baby? Will baby Kimye get a K name? Will Biblical boy names make a comeback or fall even further out of favour? So many questions, so bring it on!

This year’s list of names looks nothing like last year’s (well it might, if you’ve read enough of this blog to catch on to the name biases I try not to have):

- Koa. I love to travel, but this year I only made it to one place – Hawaii. So it seems fitting that the first name on my 2012 year end list is a Hawaiian name-on-fire. Simple enough to feel familiar, yet exotic enough to stand out, nature name Koa, which sounds like Biblically “unfashionable” Noah, kept trending for boys in 2012. Australian marathon swimmer Ky Hurst welcomed a son named Koa in November.

- Aoife. This Irish name, pronounced EE-fah, was bestowed upon the daughter of Irish-born pop singer Una Healy of The Saturdays, and her English rugby star boyfriend Ben Foden in March. It means “beautiful,” and was suggested to the couple by Healy’s father. (Adorable Aoife’s middle name is the Latin name, Belle, which means her parents gave her a name that means “beautiful beauty.”)

I find Irish Gaelic names to be too challenging to use, personally, despite some Irish heritage in my family tree, but this one stood out this year in a crowded pack of selections more easily read by my North American sensibilities. And Healy wasn’t the only celeb to honour her Irish heritage with her baby name – How I Met Your Mother star Alyson Hannigan welcomed her second daughter in May, and named her Keeva Jane (an Americanized spelling of Caoimhe). Alternately pronounced Kev-ah, it means “gentle, beautiful beloved,” the feminine form of Kevin.

(more after the jump)

- Winter. A few years ago, actress Gretchen Mol welcomed a daughter named Winter Morgan, which was a much more easily celebrated name than that which she bestowed upon her son – Ptolemy John. And this year, the name popped up on a couple celebrity baby birth certificates. Swedish DJ Steve Agnello welcomed daughter Winter Rose in April (a little sister for Monday Lily), and in early December, German-Australian model Annelies Seubert welcomed daughter Camille Winter O’Farrell.

Despite (or perhaps because of) living in Canada, I’m not a big fan of winter. In this country, we have a cheesy joke about the weather: Our four seasons are Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction Detours. And in the dead of winter (like today), the saying feels all too true (especially when my ANZAC friends on Facebook post photos from the beach or the swimming pool, or talk about topping up their tans). But as a noun name, I like Winter, which feels peaceful and pure for it’s connection to cozy nights by a fireplace or a blanket of fresh snow. Summer and Autumn have been shining on birth certificates for decades, but Winter could be on it’s way to joining them in mainstream popularity, and I, for one, think it’s great.

- Alternatives to Isabella, Sebella and Isabetta. When a name gets so popular, it’s often obvious why. Isabella, which is a Spanish variant of Elizabeth, from Hebrew elisheva meaning “consecrated to God,” is universally gorgeous and provides a long list of nicknames to suit any type of girl, from tomboyish Izzy to fanciful Bella. Isabella’s popularity is sky-high, well within the Top 50 (often higher) in countless countries, English-speaking or not, around the world, and that’s because the name is very well loved.

But parents looking for something more original will often resort to alternative spellings or lesser-used variations to set their daughter apart from other kids, and two celeb-introduced (to me) alternatives to Isabella caught my eye this year. In January, Puerto Rican actress Roselyn Sanchez and her actor husband Eric Winter welcomed Sebella Rose. An Americanized spelling of Sabela, it’s an Isabella alternative originating from the Galicia region of northwestern Spain. And in May, Survivor winners Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich surprised us with the birth announcement of their third daughter in three years, Isabetta Rose.

(Etta, too, saw some action this year in different ways, perhaps fittingly following the death of legendary R&B singer Etta James on January 20th – Carson Daly and girlfriend Siri Pinter welcomed daughter Etta Jones in September, the same month Levi Johnson welcomed Breeze Beretta, though it was a gunmaker that inspired him, instead. Australian cellist Tim Nankervis welcomed Mietta Susan in February, and comedian Alex Borstein had daughter Henrietta in October. Maybe old-fashioned Etta, Greek and English for “pearl,” will begin to challenge Ella as the feminine name suffix du jour – Upswing Baby Names thinks it’s possible.)

- Camden. It made a bit of a splash this year, used by Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler and reality TV star Kristin Cavallari in August (Camden Jack), and then just one month later by singer Nick Lachey and TV presenter Vanessa Minnillo (Camden John). It’s not new – it’s a borough in London, a baseball field in Baltimore, and the among the latest surname-names to make the jump for baby boys, but it’s notoriety exploded this year on the heels of these two announcements. I like the associations and think it’s a solid alternative to dated Cameron, which has been somewhat intercepted for girls, even if I’ll never use it, myself. Another modern choice that’s somewhat similar phonetically is Anden, a name I really dug this year.

- In addition to Sebella, I saw quite a few stunning S names that struck my fancy this year. Traditional choices like Sarah and Sadie made room for lesser-used choices like Saskia, Senna, and Sawyer (which is a personal favourite, high on my actual list for both boys and girls). Scarlett, too, had a particularly good year (so did Ruby, perhaps proving that red is the most popular colour choice despite the much-discussed Blue Ivy, though Violet is still going incredibly strong, too). For those counting, Scarlett appeared on no less than 6 celebrity baby birth certificates this year: actress Elise Donovan welcomed Scarlett Avery Bigelow in May, shamed News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks welcomed daughter Scarlett Anne Mary via surrogate in January, comedian Rob Schneider welcomed Miranda Scarlett in November, Texas-based rockers Darren King and Stacy DuPree had daughter Scarlett in October, American reality TV stars Dr. Will Kirby and Erin Brodie had Scarlett Brodie Kirby in September, and Filipina TV presenter Pia Guanio had daughter Scarlet Jenine Mago in August.

Senna made waves in the naming world, it’s small bump in popularity this spring attributed to Cinna, Katniss’ costumer in The Hunger Games. It’s a name that has been in use in Europe for a while, but is beginning to grow on those in the English-speaking world. Lady Davina Windsor, a member of the British royal family, had a daughter named Senna in 2010, and there was an Amazonian vampire named Senna in Breaking Dawn, the last book in the American Twilight series. According to the ladies at Nameberry, Senna was the top trending name in the first half of the year and I simply adore it, even if it’s all but disappeared from mainstream consciousness since (while sound-alike Sienna remains a more popular choice). It’s the name of a flowering herb that’s used as a laxative, but Senna is also Arabic for “brightness.”

Saskia Heller was the name given to the daughter of actress Anne Dudek, born in February (little sister to her son, Akiva). Aussie actress Saskia Burmeister made headlines in May when she welcomed son Jackson Croft. The name is of debatable origin: it could be Dutch for “knife” (and it’s popularity in the Netherlands has been traced to Saskia van Uylenburg, the wife of 17th Century painter, the most important in Dutch history, Rembrandt van Rijn); of German origin meaning “Saxon woman”; of Danish origin meaning “valley of light”; it might even be of Slavic origin and mean “protector of mankind.” With so many possible inspirations to choose from, it’s not hard to find something to like about Saskia.

There’s nothing really new about Sawyer. Since Lost first aired in 2004, it’s been trendy thanks to fan favourite James “Sawyer” Ford, portrayed by Josh Holloway. The character derived his name from the conman who caused his parents’ deaths as a child, and that conman was inspired by Mark Twain’s fictional boy hero, Tom Sawyer. The surname as a first name (Old English for one who saws wood) has been around a lot longer than Lost, and Baby Name Wizard has made the case that Sawyer’s true meaning is that of a submerged tree along the banks of the Mississippi River. If there’s anything really new to say about Sawyer, it’s that it’s becoming distinctly more and more unisex. This year, Today Show correspondent Courtney Hazlett welcomed daughter Sawyer Ruth Marrs in January, while celebrity stylist Anya Sarre welcomed son Sawyer William in July. I love it for both; I don’t think it too feminine or too masculine, and befitting many a wearer.

- Rebel. Not technically a baby name of note (not yet), it’s still a name that got a lot of attention in 2012, thanks to breakout Aussie comic actress Rebel Wilson, who people everywhere have fallen in love with. It’s suitably similar enough to girl’s names like Rachel and Raquel to feel familiar, while being undoubtedly unique. If nothing else, I’ll be interested to see if this noun name bumps up in 2013. Rev names have been trending a while (actor Josh Lucas had son Noah Rev Maurer this June), and Rebel could easily fit for a boy or an edgy baby girl.

So that’s it. If I thought you’d want to read all day long, I would have also included Cyrus, Poppy, and Tucker. But my posts are usually long enough as is.

What names did you love this year?

David from Innsbruck was the first Austrian baby who was born in 2013 , just 5 minutes after midnight. He is the first child of Sylvia and Thomas. David was followed by Dominik from Lower Austria, who was born 9 minutes past midnight. The first girl arrived at O:14 and is named Amelie Johanna. In the following part I have listed the New Year Babies from all Austrian states.

The Tyrol

David

Lower Austria

Dominik

Salzburg

Amelie Johanna

Upper Austria

Karolina

Carinthia

Marcel

Styria

Illhan*

Estora Selina**

Vienna

Ronela

Burgenland

Erik

Voralberg

Bastian Emanuel

* Little Illhan is of Syrian-Persian origin

** Estora is the first girl born in Styria, she was closely followed by a boy called Leon

Source: http://oesterreich.orf.at/stories/2565294/01.01.2013

Photo: http://www.wallpaperswala.com/happy-new-year/ 01.01.2013

Little Enis reading Jane Austen

2012 was quite an interesting year for me as many family members and friends became parents. All of these children ,except of Alex Kevin and Florian, have at least one Bosnian parent. I am looking forward to the next years as a majority of them are first-time parents and will likely have some more children in the near future. And maybe you are wondering why almost no one has a middle name. The reason is that it is very uncommon to give children more than one name in Bosnia; although, I think it is a waste of  a good naming opportunity. Also added here are some names of children born in 2011 as I never mentioned them in my blog before.

Born in 2012

Ajdin (half-brother Adin and father named Adil)

Alex Kevin

Anida

Denni

Enida

Enis ( with sister Anesa)

Florian

Hava

Lina

Meliha

Mensur

Nikolina (with grown up half-sister Albina)

Sara

Semin

Born in 2011

Adin

Ajla (born on my birthday)

Amel (boy)

Melina

Tamina

Reyhana

Maui’s Napili Bay.

Kamakanaalohamaikalani.

The Hawaiian middle name of underwear model Antonio Sabato, Jr.’s one-year-old son Antonio III is a doozy (Jr. got married in Hawaii recently!) To the untrained eye, this 22-letter word is not a name; it’s a purposeful tongue-twister. But Hawaiian words have a tendency to be long, with phrases grouped together like compound words. One word, no matter how long, can often be directly translated into multi-word phrases. Kamakanaalohamaikalani, for example? It means “beloved gift from the heavens.”

Earlier this year I took a trip to Hawaii (and now that it’s officially fall, what better time to reminisce about the warm weather?) While there I learned one very vital piece of information in regards to pronunciation – which Westerners nearly always butcher. In general, for every vowel in a Hawaiian or Polynesian word, it’s the beginning of a new syllable. With that in mind, how does one pronounce Kamakanaalohamaikalani?

That’s easy. It’s Kama-kana-aloha-ma-ee-ka-lani. (Got that?

This rule, naturally, is not mutually exclusive (but when are linguistics ever that simple?) The two i’s in Hawaii, for example, don’t indicate that the 50th US state, the most Westernized region of Polynesia, is pronounced Ha-wa-ee-ee – but rather an indication of how hard one must hit the long e sound at the end of the word. On the islands of Lanai or Kauai, for example, the single i means you hit the end syllable much more sharply. Westerners have taken to calling the islands La-nye or Ka-wye, which is incorrect. English texts also tend to ignore the ‘okina, as in Hawai’i, or the kahakō macron (denoting a long vowel), although these parts of the Hawaiian language contribute to the meaning of a word.

I also learned that every Hawaiian word ends in a vowel – but the letter Y acts solely as a consonant as no words in Hawaiian end in -y. And with only 17 consonants in the Hawaiian alphabet (b, d, f, g, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, y, z), the words inevitably follow numerous patterns. Long and flowing words that are heavy on vowels generally indicate that they come from this region of the world. The Hawaiian language – with English, the co-official language of the 50th U.S. state though less than 0.1 per cent of Hawaiians are native speakers anymore – is based in Polynesian. The colonial history of the United States on the island of Hawaii has also contributed to a pidgin dialect called Hawaii Creole English, which can be mistaken for neither of the original languages. Nonetheless, linguists worry about the future of the Hawaiian language as English, and lately an injection of some Asian dialects, begin to take over on the islands.

Like any language, the nature of it’s survival through the ages could be in names. Ancient dialects have derived millions of names in use today, regardless of the countless variations or alterations along the way. And our infatuation with Hawaiian names is nothing new – though we do use them sparingly without a connection to the islands of some kind. The top Hawaiian inspired baby names used in the United States in 2011, according to the annual SSA list released in May, were Kai from the boys’ list (at 202), and Leilani from the girls’ (at 204).

Kai means “sea” and has certainly found popular use (but it also claims Scandinavian, Greek, and Welsh origins with different meanings, which probably increases it’s popularity among non-Hawaiian parents and contributes to the Westerniszed one-syllable pronunciation). Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Connelly has a 15-year-old son named Kai, and British soap star Danniella Westbrook’s son Kai is 16. English footballer Wayne and wife Coleen Rooney had son Kai Wayne in November 2008, and another footballer, Dutch star Arjen Robben, welcomed son Kai in February this year. Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber welcomed Samuel Kai in December 2008, British-born former ER star Parminder Nagra had son Kai David Singh in 2009, and German-Australian soap star Ingo Rademacher (General Hospital), who lives in Hawaii, welcomed son Peanut Kai in 2008 (his second son, Pohaku, born last year, has a Hawaiian name that means “stone,” but it’s also used as a transliteration for Peter). Donald Trump Jr. and wife Vanessa had daughter Kai Madison in 2007 (which is also the name of NBA star Vince Carter’s daughter, born in 2005), and American actress Tichina Arnold welcomed daughter Alijah Kai in 2004.  Ryan Phillippe’s daughter with former girlfriend Alexis Knapp is named Kailani (that would be “heavenly sea”) Merizalde, but called Kai. The name is simple and sweet and has been a nickname for trendy choices like Kaya and Kiana (along with Guiana, it’s the Hawaiian form of Diana) for years.

Leilani means “heavenly blossoms,” from lei (“blossoms,” but in Hawaiian culture, the ‘blossoms’ are a literal representation of ‘the children/people’ as well as being actual blossoms) + lani (“heavenly”). Anyone who has been to Hawaii probably knows that you can get someone to meet you at the airport with a lei – the traditional Hawaiian gift of welcome, signifying love and respect for whom it is given. Along with a necklace and a ride to your hotel, the floral pieces are a quintessential part of the Hawaiian experience. In Hawaiian history, they could be made of flowers, seeds, shells, feathers, and even the bones and teeth of animals, and they were exchanged by ancient royal chiefs to signify peace between their tribes. Because of the symbolic gesture of the giving of leis, Leilani has also come to refer to the wearer – a “royal child of Heaven.” Former NFLer Curtis Conway, now married to boxer Laila Ali, has a 13-year-old daughter named Leilani, but ultimately similar, shorter names have proven much more accessible (like Laila, indeed!) to most parents. Some parents might be inspired by the standard “Sweet Leilani,” which has been recorded by Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and Chris Isaak over the years, though it hasn’t been popularly produced in a while.

Not surprisingly, because of the Americanization of the Hawaiian islands, their Top 5 significantly resembles trends across the country (Noah, Mason, Elijah, Aiden, and Ethan), but names of Hawaiian origin obviously chart significantly higher on the islands. Kai comes in at number 12 on the boys’ state list for 2011, while Leilani sits at 24 on the girls’. Interestingly, while Malia charts at 314 nationwide, below Leilani, it’s number 13 on the state list to rank as the most popular female Hawaiian name on the islands. Popularized of late by the eldest daughter of Hawaiian-born US president Barack Obama, Malia is the Hawaiian form of Mary. (My name in Hawaiian is Apikalia – you can generate yours here!)

Other Hawaiian-inspired choices popular in Hawaii include Keanu (“the coolness,” as in the weather, but meaning and Keanu Reeves association gives the name a couple cool points!) at 66, Kekoa (“the warrior”) at 74 – a cousin to trendy, Hawaiian-inspired Koa, which I’ve covered, Nainoa, which means “the namesakes,” is at 87, with Kaimana (“diamond”) at 93, at Kainoa, meaning “the namesake,” is at 94 on the boys’ list. The similarity of Nainoa and Kainoa is no accident – na or ne is the plural form of ka or ke (the), and inoa is the Hawaiian word for “name.” None of these names crack the US Top 1000.

Hawaiian names in the statewide girls’ list for 2011 included Kailani at 39, Kiana at 45, Anela (“angel”) at 52, and Kalia (the name of a type of tree or sweet potato, it also means “waited for”) at 55. Only Kiana ranks in the US Top 1000, at 628.

Other choices popular in Hawaii include the male name Kanoa (“the commoner,” a reference to Hawaii’s monarchic island history), and female names Mahina (moon), Kalena (the Hawaiian form of Karen, but also a less-used slang term to describe “the lazy one”), Maile (the native plant used to make traditional hula skirts and for use in special leis, and the name of comedian Wayne Brady’s daughter, Maile Masako, 9), Kailea (“joyful sea”), Anuhea (“sweetness” or “cool fragrance”), Naia (possibly from the Hawaiian nai’a meaning “dolphin”), and Nanea (“pleasant, relaxing”).

Celebrities, like Sabato, have sometimes been a little bolder in their Hawaiian name choices, Koa‘s recent celeb popularity notwithstanding. FOX New correspondent Courtney Friel and husband Carter Evans welcomed daughter Cameron Kaiulani in April. Kaiulani was the last Crown Princess of the Hawaiian islands and her name means “the royal sacred one.” Evangeline Lilly and her Hawaiian boyfriend, Norman Kali, welcomed a son named Kahekili, which means “the thunder,” in May 2011. Actress Lisa Bonet’s children with Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa are named Lola Iolani, 5, and Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha, 3. Iolani means “to soar like the hawk,” a variation on Iolana. Nakoa means “the warriors,” while Namakaeha, which is a Momoa family name, may mean “family of millers” as an occupational surname. Manakauapo is another one-word solution to a group of connected phrases, from mana (spirit) + kaua (the rain) + po (dark). Both Lilly and Bonet named their sons for the stormy conditions on the nights their sons were born, and it’s not unlike Hawaiian names to make one feel connected to nature.

Visiting Hawaii, for a start, is to experience a unique piece of the natural world, still pristine despite it’s Americanization. Hawaiian culture, if not the language, still permeates everyday life on the islands of Hawaii. Metallica’s Kirk Hammett has sons named Angel Ray Keala (meaning “the pathway”) and Vincenzo Kainalu (“ocean wave”), though some consider both to be female names – The Walking Dead star Sarah Wayne Callies welcomed daughter Keala in July 2007. Actor Woody Harrelson, who lives in Hawaii, named his third daughter Makani Ravello in 2006. Makani is a Hawaiian unisex nature name meaning “wind.” And in truth, all authentic Hawaiian names were meant to be unisex, even though in Western culture, names ending in vowels are overwhelmingly considered feminine.

And we might like names for other reasons, from other origins, without realizing they have traditional Hawaiian meaning – Leia means “child of Heaven,” Lana means “calm as still waters,” and juxtaposing Alana means “awakening.” Luana means “content, happy” in Hawaiian, while Kalea means “bright,” Kaila means “style,” and Malana means “soothing.” Noa is a variation on Noah, and means “freedom.”

All these names with their beautiful meanings are splendid, but Old Hawaiians were actually encouraged to give their children names like Kukae (“excrement”) – a traditional practice said to help ward off sorcery. If you were born Kealoha (“the love”) but then fell ill in childhood, your 19th Century Hawaiian parents would have thought nothing of changing your name to something Westerners probably deemed offensive, presumably with the thought process that a name with a negative meaning could combat evil spirits. Certain other naming traditions were prevalent, and important, in pre-colonial Hawaii. For example, any names ending in -lani (“heaven”) were reserved only for tribal royalty, with the understanding that they were closer to God than the slave class. And poor Hawaiians never thought themselves above their station, until, of course, Western values were infused on their culture in the mid-1800s.

In 1860, King Kamehameha IV signed The Act to Regulate Names, which required all Hawaiians to be given Christian/English names. The Hawaiian people, who had also traditionally never had surnames, were told that their father’s names would henceforth become the family surname. Traditional Hawaiian names were only permitted as middle names, until the culturally debilitating law was finally repealed in 1967. Of course, most Hawaiians still use Christian or English names for their offspring to this day, but choice is nice!

And while Hawaiians of today tend to stick to the names with beautiful meanings, the typical selections most often familiar with Western cultures, you will find Hawaiians throughout the islands with traditional names that cause tourists to do a double take. My double take? Happened when I met a guy named Pa’a on Kauai. I asked him what it meant and he told me there was no English translation that made sense, but that it, essentially, marked one of the cornerstones of Hawaiian civilization, as in “just being.” Further research finds little, but I did find a translation of “spark of existence” that would line up with his explanation.

And now, a song that is so quintessentially Hawaiian that it plays on repeat almost anywhere on the islands that you go (I’ve had it on repeat while writing this post, so enjoy) – Hawaiian pop star Israel Kamakawawiwo’ole‘s take on “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which is a classic. Commonly known as Iz, he was immensely popular in Hawaii, and became a national treasure when he died in 1997 at age 38.

What Hawaiian names are on your list?

(c) August 4, 2012 – Jean Lavac / Postmedia Olympic Team: Rosannagh “Rosie” MacLennan smiles with her gold medal, won in women’s trampoline at London 2012.

I may have been in exile, but I have been reading the blogs when I could – I caught these posts over at Waltzing More Than Matilda this summer, and it inspired me to do one of my own. (I believe Anna created three posts, at least, to highlight Aussie success in London, and I won’t need that many, to be honest.)

Canada, of course, didn’t have the success that Australia or Britain did at the London 2012 Summer Games. That narrows the field of focus somewhat in creating a post of names to inspire Canadians as our athletes travel cross-country this week on the government’s official “Olympic Tour.” (And yes, for the record, though I live in a Commonwealth country, I did not fully learn the lyrics to “God Save the Queen” until these Games, considering how often it played for Britain’s gold.)

The first Canadian to inspire from this summer’s Olympic Games is Rosannagh MacLennan (often called Rosie, perhaps in part to mitigate the confusion over how to pronounce Rosannagh – is it row-ZAE-nah or row-ZAN-ah?) Toronto resident MacLennan was Canada’s only gold medalist in London. She claimed a record score in women’s trampoline to top the podium on August 4th, the one and only time that “O Canada” played from the winner’s podium this summer. An old-fashioned choice, it gains some modern cool points for the Celtic spelling, with the ‘silent G.’

Rosannagh‘s roots are in the Latin name Rose, as in the fragrance, a variation on the English, German, and Italian alternative, Rosanna. But if Anne/Anna is Latin (and Hebrew) for “grace, favour,” then perhaps Rosannagh could mean “favoured rose.” The name is distinctly uncommon, though it’s root names are seen everywhere. In this country, a Google search for “Rosannagh” doesn’t mention anyone with this name but MacLennan, until page 8.

MacLennan might have given us our only gold medal in London, but there were plenty other athletes to be proud of as we dipped into our red and white national pride for two weeks.

Emilie Heymans of Quebec became the first Canadian athlete to medal in four consecutive Summer Games, winning bronze with Jennifer Abel in women’s synchro diving, and Quebec-born Jennifer, whose parents are from French-speaking Haiti, is a great example of the fusion of anglo- and francophone cultures in the predominantly French province. Emilie’s parents were born in Belgium and both competed in the Olympics for their native country, but they emigrated to Canada after their daughter was born in 1981, and Emilie was a World Champion diver for Canada in 2003.

Contrasting Rosannagh, Emilie is an immensely common name, albeit less so with the French spelling. In Canada, name lists can sometimes differ based on whether or not the analyst lumps the English and French versions of names together, reflecting our official bilingual status, or apart due to their different spelling and sometimes different phonetic pronunciations. For that reason, specific name data on Emilie isn’t entirely clear, but Emily is regarded as a Top 5 name nationwide. Like Rosannagh, the name has Latin roots – a Teutonic (Germanic) representation of Aemilia, feminine form of the Roman surname Aemilius. It means “rival, industrious, eager.”

Hottie Adam Van Koeverden of Toronto won a silver medal at Eton Dorney in London – a kayak sprint gold medalist in Athens in 2004, he was hoping to reach the top of the podium again but just missed. He still became Canada’s most decorated canoe-kayak athlete of all time, with another silver and a bronze already in the bank. I’ve talked about the name Adam before, which continues to reign as one of the most popular names in the English world for it’s links to Judeo-Christianity (it’s well within the Top 100 in Canada), but I wanted to mention him and include a nice picture. Enjoy!

(c) Matt Barnes

Vancouver Island’s Simon Whitfield was hoping for more glory in the Olympic triathlon – he was Canada’s flagbearer for the 2012 Opening Ceremonies, having won a surprise gold at the Sydney 2000 Games, when triathlon made it’s debut, and a come from behind silver, which was very nearly gold, at the 2008 Games in Beijing. But a crash on his bike cracked his collarbone, and effectively ended his Olympic career. But he went out with his head high – as did Clara Hughes, who is conceivably our greatest ever Olympian.

The Winnipeg native had won six Olympic medals – one gold, one silver, four bronze – since 1996. She had won two bronze medals in road cycling in Atlanta, then after the Sydney Games switched to long track speed skating, specializing in the longest distances. She medalled in the 5000m three Olympics in a row, winning gold at Torino in 2006, and added silver that year as a member of Canada’s long-track team pursuit squad. She retired from speed skating in 2010, but made the move back to road cycling in the hopes of winning one more Olympic medal, which would make her the most decorated Olympic athlete in Canadian history. She came up just short, finishing fifth in the women’s time trial in London before officially retiring from sport, but she and Simon both retained their status as respected national representatives.

Not to assume the root of Clara’s popularity in this country, but the name Clara is as popular in Canada as in Ireland, where the name has deep ancestral roots, more than anywhere else in the English-speaking world (though it’s most popular these days in continental Europe). The name had dropped out of the Top 100 in Canada in the early 2000s, but climbed back in 2010 when Hughes’ ‘Great Olympian’ status was truly solidified, the same year she was given the Order of Canada – our highest civilian honour. The name is of Latin origin, a variation on Clare meaning “clear, bright, famous.”

Simon is Hebrew for “to be heard/reputation,” and was the name of two apostles in the Bible. Common through the ages until the end of the 18th Century, usage has dropped significantly throughout North America – maybe because the “Simple Simon” rhyme, first published in 1764, got in it’s way when people realized Simon could rhyme with “pie man.”

While Canada, as a country, is by no means strong in track and field, we were able to celebrate the success of two young stars who could be in their prime four years from now, in Rio. Damian Warner of London, Ontario shocked the nation with a fifth place finish in decathlon, often deemed the most grueling and diverse Olympic sport, at least inside the athletics stadium. Canada is often just lucky to qualify a decathlon participant, let alone have one finish so strongly (he hovered around the bronze medal position, turning in personal best after personal best, for much of the competition). And Derek Drouin came from nowhere (he graduated college in May, and had participated in just two previous international events to qualify for London) and won bronze in men’s high jump, Canada’s first high jump medal since the 1976 Games in Montreal. Warner and Drouin’s successes underscored the youth on Canada’s team and, naturally, let us look pridefully ahead to the next Summer Games.

And there will be at least four track athletes in Rio with redemption on their minds – the members of Canada’s 4x100m relay team. Canada (made up of Jared Connaughton, Gavin Smellie, Oluseyi Smith, and Justyn Warner) reached the final with the third fastest qualifying time – behind the blistering fast US and Jamaican squads who would battle for gold. Canada had every reason to hope a 13th bronze medal was on the way, whether or not it further highlighted our disproportionate medal tally (1 gold, 5 silvers, 12 bronze). The squad crossed the line in third place and spent ten minutes celebrating their podium finish, before being disqualified for stepping over the lane barrier on the third leg. Grown men crying ensued coast to coast, as well as inside the Olympic Stadium in London. Connaughton, who ran the third leg, took full responsibility for the disqualification, and lamented letting down his country though we, naturally, would not have it. One young boy in Nova Scotia sent his rec league soccer participation medal to Connaughton by mail, to let him know he’d made us proud no matter what.

Damian is believed to derive from the Greek damianos, or “to tame.” But plenty are familiar with Damian, as the name of the Satanic kid in the horror flick The Omen. The classic was far superior to the remake, but the remake seemed to solidify this film in pop culture. Interestingly enough, this counteracts the name’s intended meaning, and Olympic athletes aren’t exactly classified as tamed, either.

Derek was immensely popular in North America through the 1980s and ’90s, but it’s dropped to around 200 over the past decade. Some even credited the male name’s popularity on model/actress Bo Derek, who sizzled onscreen in 10 in 1979. But Derek entered the US charts in 1941, and by 1960 had climbed inside the US Top 200. Derek is the Germanic and accepted English form of Old German Theodoric, later Dietrich, and means “people’s ruler.” Perhaps Derek is more responsible for the name’s decline – it actually peaked in the early 1980s, and has slowly fallen ever since.

Jared is a Hebrew name related to Jordan, which means “down-flowing” as is the name of the longest river in Palestine. Jared means “descending” and was the name of a pre-flood ancestor of Jesus Christ in Christian scripture, and it was a Top 100 name in Canada until 2004 (it peaked in the US and Australia in the late ’90s). British actor Jared Harris was last Sunday nominated for an Emmy for his work on Mad Men. In North America, credit for the name’s popularity has been given to TV Western The Big Valley, which featured a character named Jarrod.

To take nothing away from Rosie’s gold, she was not Canada’s biggest story at the London 2012 Games – rather, that distinction fell upon the women’s soccer team, who battled through a brilliant tournament to win a bronze medal in sincerely dramatic fashion – first knocking aside the beloved home squad, Team GB, in the quarterfinals, and then nearly defeating their arch-nemesis, the Americans, in the semifinals in what was widely regarded as the greatest women’s game in the history of football, and subsequently so controversial. They won an improbable bronze by fighting off the French in a game where they were outplayed from start to finish, but the French could never find the back of the Canadian net. In the dying seconds, Team Canada got a hero of Paul Henderson proportions (1972 Summit Series) when Diana Matheson scored the winning goal. Captain Christine Sinclair was the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals, and she carried in the flag, by popular public demand, into the London Closing Ceremonies. Their success significantly raised the profile of soccer in this country in general. The full roster of inspired choices for a baby girl:

Christine Sinclair
Melissa Tancredi
Diana Matheson
Jonelle Foligno
Kaylyn Kyle
Desiree Scott
Sophie Schmidt
Marie-Eve Nault
Carmelita Moscato
Lauren Sesselman
Robyn Gayle
Candice Chapman
Erin McLeod
Karina LeBlanc
Rhian Wilkinson (pronounced Ian, with an R)
Chelsea Stewart
Kelly Parker
Melanie Booth
Brittany Timko
Emily Zurrer

And here’s a bonus for Canadian Olympic Names, this one propping up during ‘Shuttlegate,’ which saw four teams disqualified for match fixing in women’s badminton. Canada’s Alexandra Bruce and Michelle Li, who had been eliminated after not winning a single match in round robin play, were one of four reinstated teams to benefit from the disqualifications. They beat a team from Australia (also reinstated) in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinal round, guaranteeing them at least a shot at a bronze medal. Unfortunately, but perhaps not surprisingly, the girls were unable to win either of their next two match-ups, and settled for a fourth place finish – still a best ever for a Canadian badminton athlete. And apart from the scandal, why did hockey-loving sportscasters find joy in reporting on Canada’s female badminton team? Because they were billed as Bruce Li!

(c) Jordan Strauss/WireImage.com; Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com via UsMagazine.com: Is Camden America’s hottest new baby name?

Just as his ex-wife, Jessica Simpson, chose a trendy new baby name for her daughter, Maxwell, born in May, singer and TV presenter Nick Lachey has gone the trendy, of-the-moment route for his new son, if nothing else affirming that super-hot Camden is probably here to stay, at least for a while.

Just over a month after reality TV star Kristin Cavallari welcomed Camden Jack with her fiance, Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears, on August 8th, Lachey welcomed Camden John with model and TV presenter Vanessa Minnillo on September 12th. The birth caused Cavallari to tweet, “Apparently Camden is a popular name! I obviously love the name and I’m glad other people do too.”

Camden is a phonetic alternative to Cameron with a common nickname (Cam), but to others, it’s recent popularity is more easily lumped into the Caden, Aiden, Jayden, and other -den names trend than as a cousin to a still common selection. Camden is likely a Scottish Gaelic or Old English name of uncertain origin – it could mean “winding valley” or “enclosed valley.”

But it’s use of Camden as a place name and subsequent surname (meaning “from the valleys”) that gives most people in the English-speaking world their free association to the name. In the UK, Camden Town is a fairly bohemian neighbourhood in London, well-known for it’s public markets – but it doesn’t translate to naming inspiration overseas. It was named for the 1st Earl of Camden, Charles Pratt, who started the development of the borough in the early part of the 19th Century.

In the US, Camden Yards is home to the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. Former Major League baseball pro Scott Proctor and his wife Carrie named their first son Camden after Camden Yards in 2004 (they had son Cooper, named for Cooperstown, NY, home to the Baseball Hall of Fame, two years later). And there are always those inspired by the city in New Jersey of the same name (though, as Nameberry points out, the name is more attractive that it’s namesake – poor Jersey!)

It’s found some generally accepted use for girls, as well – no surprise, really, considering the unisex nature of Cameron. But it remains predominantly male for the time being.

Camden entered the US Top 1000 in 1990, right around the time that Cameron hit the Top 100 for boys (it hasn’t looked back since), and Camden has been steadily climbing the ranks as well, with it’s longest strides through the ’90s. Now, Camden sits inside the US Top 200, and with two celebrity baby endorsements in the last few months, it seems only more likely to climb higher.

The name seems most popular in America, with other English speaking countries receptive but still using Cameron on a regular basis – it’s Top 100 in Australia, Canada, and England, and Top 10 in Scotland – where it represents the surname of one of the oldest clans of the highland country. Indeed, British media is somewhat ironic in their coverage of Camden as America’s new “It” baby name.

But harking back to the idea that Camden’s recent strength is also due to the popularity of names like Aiden, Jayden, Brendan… (the list goes on), and it’s really not surprising to see it find the spotlight. It bridges the gap between common and unique. It sounds like you’ve heard it a million times, even though it’s different (for now).

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via Flaggen server

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Top 10:

Boys:

•  New: Julian (8) and Sebastian (9)
• Out:  Simon (14) and Florian (17)
• Greatest rise: Julian (+4)

Girls

• New: Emma (9)
• Out : Lea (14)
• Greatest rise: Emma (+4)

Top 20:

Boys:

• New: Matthias (20)
• Out: Daniel (23)
• Greatest rise: Leon (+5) and Raphael (+4)
• Greatest loss: Simon (-7) and Florian (-7)

Girls:

• New: Emilia (20)
• Out: Victoria (23)
• Greatest rise: Emilia (+7) and Valentina (+6)
• Greatest loss: Lea (-5)

Top 30

Boys:

• New: Leo (30)
• Out: Gabriel (32)
• Greatest rise: Leo (+12)

Girls:

• New: Lina (29) and Helena (30)
• Out: Selina (35) and Marlene (36)
• Greatest rise: Lina (+7) and Helena (+8)
• Greatest loss: Emily (-6) and Victoria (-5)

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Source: Statistik Austria

source: Statistik Austria

]]> http://thenamestation.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/ryder/ Sun, 27 May 2012 19:41:41 +0000 thenamestation http://thenamestation.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/ryder/

(c) AFP: Ryder Hesjedal celebrates his underdog victory at the Giro d’Italia cycling race on May 27, 2012 in Milan.

Vancouver Island cyclist Ryder Hesjedal has burned up the headlines across Canada this week, making us proud by becoming the first Canadian ever to win a Grand Tour cycling event when he captured the Giro d’Italia trophy this morning. And one of my favourite tweets about the win? A non-Canadian who had been watching the Giro daily, live from Italy, commented regarding the athlete whom no one had pegged as the possible winner:

“I just realized that rider Hesjedal is Ryder Hesjedal. #duh”

He and nearly everybody else, within Canada included (cycling’s popularity is growing here, and Hesjedal could be the new star to elevate it!) Before he won the second most prestigious cycling race in the world, Hesjedal’s best finish was 6th overall at the 2010 Tour de France, and he won the 12th stage of the 2009 Vuelta a Espana.

Hesjedal’s parents, the children and grandchildren of Norwegian immigrant farmers (they initially settled in Saskatchewan via Minnesota), had their son Eric Ryder in 1980, though from the time he began competing in professional mountain biking as a teen (and perhaps long before that) he was known by his all-too-perfect middle name. As the story goes, the man who could go down in history as Canada’s greatest ever pro cyclist entered his first mountain bike race as a teen in the mid-90s. He arrived late so started two minutes behind the rest of the competition and raced in just jeans and a t-shirt. He finished second, and got his first coach.

Ryder/Rider is an Old English name, derived from the term used to describe knights and other mounted warriors. But in the modern world, where a knighthood is generally given to the likes of Mick Jagger or Judi Dench for contributions to British interests, ‘riders’ have become almost completely synonymous with motor and bicyclists, or those who ride horseback as a hobby. But these latest affiliations to the name certainly give it a sporty feel with a noble history.

I’ve always liked Ryder, which is a decidedly modern selection as a first name. Maybe it gained the first bit of steam it needed after a film like Easy Rider - the epitome of cool, the ’69 Dennis Hopper classic holds major cultural significance to the ‘Boomer generation that really started using Ryder as a given name, though in the late-19th and early-20th Century British novelist H.(enry) Rider Haggard made a name for himself with colonial adventure bestsellers like King Solomon’s Mines and She.

As a name, Ryder is certainly becoming incredibly popular of late – it entered the US Top 1000 in the mid-90s, perhaps due in part to the popularity of American actor Rider Strong on the hit TV show Boy Meets World, though the y spelling has always been exponentially more in use. After Kate Hudson named her first son Ryder Russell in 2004, the name shot like a rocket to it’s current position just outside the US Top 100. Outside North America, Australians are also on board, with Ryder a name inside the Top 100, but in Britain, Ryder ranks much lower and is decidedly uncommon, at just 878.

But back to the whole “you are what you’re named” thing. There may be a few who groan at the fact that the newly-minted Face of Canadian Cycling has such an occupationally accurate first name. Thing is, outside of royalty, it’s almost impossible to know what a person will grow up to become on the day that they’re born and given a name, so either a person goes out of their way to live up to their name, or it happens organically. But in most cases – Hunter S. Thompson and Taylor Hanson, for example, the first name says nothing about a person’s occupational destiny.

But once you’re famous, once you’ve achieved something great, being a professional cyclist named Ryder could go down in history almost as much as your accomplishments.

Burankovskiye Babuski for Russia via Wikipedia

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The second part of my Eurovision Song Contest review.

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*Netherlands: Ayten Kalan is of Turkish descent

*Norway: Touraj Keshtkar was born in Iran

*Sweden: Lorine Zineb Noka Talhaoui is of  Moroccan descent

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However, many female celebrities have names that you’d associate with a male, or a name that is unisex. Many women have names such as Taylor, Skylar, Kyle, Tyler, Drew, Reese, Pat, Jordan or names similar, and they are doing just fine.

As a matter of fact, many of them are in some of your favorite movies, or they might even be one of your favorite singers. I’ve compiled a list of celebrity names that are male sounding or unisex names, but they actually belong to a female.

Cameron Diaz – Actress

Chris Evert – Professional tennis player

Drew Barrymore – Actress

Glenn Close – Actress

Hayden Panitierre – Actress

Jami Gertz – Actress

James King – Actress

Jeri Ryan – Actress

Jordin Sparks – Singer/Actress

Peyton List – Actress

Reese Witherspoon – Actress

Scottie Thompson – Actress

Sean Young – Actress

Shawn Johnson – Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast 

Taylor Swift – Singer/Actress

These ladies have all made a huge name for themselves, built empires, and have maintained successful careers. Jessica Simpson herself is close to a billionaire thanks largely to her brand of shoes and fragrances. So I think little Maxwell will be o.k. even if she never has the opportunity to work, momma will be able to take care of her for a long, long while.

What are some unusual names you’ve heard that made you do a double take when you saw who they belonged to?