Amanda Elizabeth Barden's Blog, page 2

A New Nickname for Anthony

I’ve been listening to the totally engrossing podcast Phoebe’s Fall from the Sydney Morning Herald. It’s about the tragic death of Phoebe Handsjuk. I highly recommend it, but beware that it may be difficult material for some to hear. If you liked NPR’s Serial, then you’ll like this one.

I look for interesting names wherever I go, so I was intrigued when the podcasters kept referring to Phoebe’s boyfriend as Ant. I actually rewound a couple times to make sure I was hearing his name correctly. Later, I found out that Ant is a nickname for his full name, Antony. I haven’t heard that nickname before for Antony or Anthony.

Any Australian readers out there who can let me know whether this is a common nickname down under? What about in other parts of the world?

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

Westworld: The Hidden Meaning Behind the Character Names

Westworld: The Hidden Meaning Behind the Character Names
Are You Watching Westworld?

I’ve watched the first three episodes of HBO’s new show Westworld and I’m hooked. As soon as I saw that the main character’s name was Dolores, I knew that the character names might reveal some hidden clues about the show. Dolores means “lady of sorrows,” so this was a huge glittery sign flashing across the screen for me.

I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the names of the other main characters to see if there were any other interesting definitions. My quest didn’t disappoint.

*SPOILERS through episode 3 below*

Character Names and Meanings from Westworld

Here’s what I found:

DOLORES: (Spanish) “lady of sorrows”

Well, this definition describes this character perfectly. Am I right? And it’s what started me down this name-detective path to begin with. At the beginning of her loop, Dolores tells us that she likes to see the beauty in the world, but her day always seems to end in heartbreak. I’m rooting for Dolores, but she seems doomed to live a life of sorrow. At least for now.

MAEVE: (Irish) “intoxicating”

The manager of a brothel is probably intended to be intoxicating by definition. Maeve fits that to a tee, except when they’re interfering with her personality. Be nice to the robots!

*Maeve would make a lovely baby name.

CLEMENTINE: (Latin) “merciful”

The idea of mercy and this character is interesting. Do people come to her for solace? Will she be offering forgiveness? Will she need forgiveness?

*Clementine is another great baby name choice!

ELSIE: (Hebrew) “God is my oath”

Elsie could be a nickname for a few names. The most common is Elizabeth, so that’s what I went with for the definition. Another option could be Elsa, which has a couple meanings including (English) “swan” and (German) “noble maiden.” Elsie is an interesting character, but I don’t know enough about her yet to get any ideas about what this definition might mean. The idea of “God” popped up in the last episode and is found in a couple of the names. Does God represent a traditional notion of God? Does God represent the game creator(s)? Is it different for the hosts and the humans?

ROBERT: (German) “renowned”

Dr. Robert Ford is definitely “renowned” or famous. He certainly seems to be the “star,” as the only living (as far as we know…) creator of Westworld. His character is obviously deep and has an agenda that isn’t immediately apparent. Is there more to this than fame?

PETER: (Greek) “rock”

Peter Abernathy seems to be at the foundation of some of the core mystery in the show. He also seemed to be the rock for Dolores, as her father. He tried to protect her and it got him pulled from Westworld. Could he be the building block of a robot rebellion? I hope it’s not the last we see of him.

WILLIAM: (German) “determined protector”

William is one of the most interesting characters right now, I’d say. He starts off as a nice guy with seemingly good and “protective” motives. He saves a cowboy and then he protects Clementine. Obviously all is not as it seems in this show, but this name fits the character very well so far. Perhaps there’s more protecting in his future.

BERNARD: (German) “brave as a bear”

Bernard’s motives are up in the air right now. Is he helping Dolores and the other hosts? Is he hurting them? Who is he really working for? We don’t know what his agenda is. He definitely appears to be going against his orders though, which makes him brave. Whether it’s brave with good motives or brave with bad motives remains to be seen.

THERESA: (Greek) “to harvest, reap”

Theresa is the head of quality assurance according to the HBO website. She seems quite interested in making sure the hosts and theme park bring in a lot of money for the owners. What else could she be harvesting?

TEDDY: (Greek) “God’s gift”

Teddy plays the role of the handsome cowboy hero, who always loses in the end. The Man in Black (sad he doesn’t have a name to analyze!) tells Teddy that his purpose is to lose so that the park visitors can feel like they won. Depending on who’s playing the role of God in this show (the park creators?), this definition could give interesting insight into Teddy’s role in Westworld.

*Theodore is a favorite name of mine. Great meaning and several great nickname options, like Teddy and Theo.

ARNOLD: (German) “eagle ruler”

Anyone notice any eagles in Westworld? We hardly know anything about Arnold other than he was the co-creator of Westworld along with Dr. Ford. That makes him a ruler of sorts, at least at one point in the past. We definitely haven’t heard the last of him, so maybe this will make more sense going forward.

LOGAN: (Gaelic) “valley”

He apparently visits Westworld a lot and seems to sink to new lows in each episode… is it deeper than that?

ASHLEY: (English) “ash tree meadow”

Ashley Stubbs is the head of Westworld security. I don’t know what this one means. Any ideas?

LEE: (English) “meadow”

Lee is the head writer who creates all the game stories. Meadows are open fields, fertile and waiting for his stories and characters to grow? That’s a stretch, but I don’t have anything else. Ideas?

HECTOR: (Greek) “to anchor, restrain”

He’s a criminal in Westworld and there’s a bounty on his head. The idea of him being an anchor for someone or something is interesting. Or maybe he’s holding someone back?

LAWRENCE: (Latin) “man from Laurentum; laurel”

Laurels are a symbol of peace and victory. Lawrence plays a criminal in Westworld who the Man in Black uses to get information about his secret mission. Could this be a mission for peace? Doesn’t seem like it right now, but I actually like this theory a lot. As we know, nothing is at it seems in Westworld.

I’m not sure these name definitions tell us anything about what might happen to the characters in the future, but I do think it gives some insight into the writer’s intentions when developing the characters. If you have any good theories though about what these names might mean, let me know!

Westworld Resources

I tend to like deeper shows like these with some conversation and analysis, so I’ve been listening to a couple podcasts that analyze the show. I’ve gotten the most from Decoding Westworld by Joanna Robinson and David Chen and Westworld by Roger Roper, Dick Ebert, and Gene Lions. These guys dig deep and have some very interesting insight. I’m going to play along and make my predictions for human/host:

Bernard: host
Theresa: human
Elsie: human
Ashley: host
Lee: human
Ford: human (this was the hardest choice for me)

Any recs for me?

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

Poldark Fans! Let’s Talk about the Name Demelza

Between being excited that Season 2 of Poldark has started last night on PBS and desperately wanting to take a Viking Cruise, I found myself needing to learn more about the name Demelza. I’m not the only one, right?

Here’s what I learned… the name Demelza comes from a Cornish place name – Demelza, in the parish of St. Wenn in Cornwall. According to the Oxford Dictionary of First Names, Demelza’s use as a first name started in the 1950s. The name got a boost from the first BBC version of Poldark which, according to IMDB, aired in the late 1970s. While examining this page, I noticed that the man playing Poldark is missing that…something that Aidan Turner has. Maybe it’s the hair?

Anyhow, I wouldn’t be surprised if the name Demelza sees another boost this go round. However, the name has never shown up on the Social Security charts in the US so this might be a good pick if you’re looking for something very rare.

What do you think? Are you a fan of Demelza?

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

Dr. Seuss Nursery Decor

I love to repurpose used books for my LetterLuxe nursery art. One of my most popular themes is Dr. Seuss – no surprise. I usually use a used copy of Cat in the Hat. Here are some pictures of my latest Dr. Seuss letter sets.

So far in my Literary Baby line, I have Alice in Wonderland, The Cat in the Hat, Curious George,  Winnie-the-Pooh, Mother Goose, Nancy Drew, and Babar. What books shall I do next?

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

 

3 Ideas for What to Do When You and Your Partner Disagree Over Baby Names

It’s no surprise that soon-to-be parents won’t always agree on everything, no two people could. But what do you do when you can’t agree on a name for your baby?

Here are three ideas for how you can get on the same page about baby names:

MAKE TWO LISTS OF NAMES: Both parents should separately make a list of names they like — pick your top 10 to 15 names. Then compare lists — if you have something in common, great. If not, be open to the other’s picks and try not to veto anything right away. Try using combinations from each person’s list for first and middle names. Maybe a combination will work as a compromise. If dad likes Archer and mom likes David, then Archer David or David Archer might be the right name for you.


DITCH THE NAMES & FOCUS ON MEANING: If you can’t agree on a name, agree on a name meaning. Then go through the names that fit your definition and start your list over together with names that are meaningful for both of you.


FAMILY TREE: Pull out your family trees and look for names that show up on both. You might not have come up with the name on your own, but seeing the family history may convince you to change your mind.

These are just a few ideas for how you can handle those sticky name disagreements. Put them to the test and see what happens. I’m sure you will be able to come up with a name that you both love!

Have any other good tips? Comment or email me and I’ll share some of the ideas in a future blog post.

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

 

Ancient Roman Baby Name Ideas

We can thank Ancient Rome for a lot of cool things: aqueducts, roads, early forms of newspapers, bound books, and our calendar is even based on the Julian calendar. They also gave us some pretty cool names.

All old things become new again, so maybe it’s time to resurrect one of these ancient baby names. Check these out and let me know what you think.

GIRLS’ NAMES

ANTONIA
AUGUSTINA
CAMILLA
CASSIA
CORNELIA
DRUSILLA
FELICIA
FLAVIA
FLORENTINA
JULIANA
JUNIA
LIVIA
LIVIANA
LUCIANA
LUCILLA
MARIANA
MARINA
OCTAVIA
PRISCILLA
QUINTINA
ROMANA
SATURNINA
SEVERINA
TACITA
TATIANA
TULLIA
VALENTINA
VALERIA
VARINIA
VITA
VIVIANA

From this list, I especially like CAMILLA, OCTAVIA, LIVIANA, ROMANA (Romy is a cute nickname) and my favorite — JUNIA, at least it’s my favorite today. It’s hard to pick a forever favorite because there are so many good options here.

BOYS’ NAMES

ANTONIUS
AQUILA
AUGUSTUS
CAMILLUS
CASSIUS
CICERO
FELIX
FIDELIS
JULIUS
JUSTUS
LIBERIUS
LIVIUS
LUCIUS
MARCELLUS
OCTAVIUS
OTHO
QUINTUS
RUFUS
SENECA
SEPTIMUS
SERGIUS
SEVERUS
SIDONIUS
TIBERIUS
TITUS
VALERIUS
VARINIUS
VICTORIUS
VITUS

My top picks from the boys’ list are FELIX, CASSIUS, OCTAVIUS and TIBERIUS (especially if you’re a Star Trek fan). I think VICTORIUS might be a little tough to live up to…is it just me?

Which names do you like best?

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

Shop my LetterLuxe Printables for your favorite Ancient Roman Baby Name

Take the Stress Out of Baby Naming

BANISH STRESS

Believe me, I know how important names are. I spent so much time thinking about names that I decided to write a book about them. That said, I’ve heard from a lot of stressed out soon-to-be-parents – and even some parents who regretted their name choices months after their babies were born. Yikes!

With all these tense vibes floating around, I thought it was time to inject some perspective into the baby naming process. Here are three tips on how to take the stress out of baby naming:

NAMES ARE IMPORTANT, BUT NOT THAT IMPORTANT

Will your daughter’s future be irrevocably damaged if you name her Charlotte instead of Caroline? Probably not. Remember, there are tons of terrific names out there. Let go of the idea that you have to find ‘THE ONE’ perfect name. Once you accept that there are several great names that would be equally fantastic, your stress level should shrink.

REMEMBER, YOU’RE NOT ALONE

If you’re having trouble deciding on a name, turn to other people for help. Ask family, friends and even strangers what they think. I actually think strangers might be the best sounding board because they’ll give you unbiased opinions and are unlikely to have hidden agendas. Plus, if you don’t like their ideas, who cares? You’ll never see them again anyhow. So the next time you’re on the bus, ask your seatmate what she thinks. You can also email me J

YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO PROCRASTINATE

It takes nine months to have a baby. Nine long months. Some days you may think that’s a bad thing, but when it comes to baby naming, it’s a luxury. If you’re stressed because you can’t make a decision, put it aside for a day, a week, or even a month. You have the gift of time. Procrastinate freely!

CAVEAT: Don’t wait until the very last minute. When the hospital staff starts coming into your room every hour to ask what name you’ve chosen, you may start feeling pressured to make a quick decision. Already having an idea of what name you want to choose will prevent you from making a choice you’ll regret later.

YOUR TIPS

Leave a comment and let other readers know your tips for keeping a healthy perspective while choosing a name.

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

 

HAVE BABY NAME QUESTIONS?

If you have baby name questions, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

And the winner of The Great British Baking Show Season 3 *NAME EDITION* is … Flora!

I don’t know who the best baker will be (No spoilers…), but I’m crowning Flora as the baker with the most trend-setting name. There was a time when Flora would have sounded very out-of-date, but today it has that charming antique quality so many parents want.

SOME NAME FACTS

It has a lovely meaning – FLORA – (Latin) “flower”


It’s rare in the US – Flora reached its highest spot on the SSA name charts in 1902 at #100. It hasn’t been on the charts at all since 1972. If you’re looking for a name that no one else will have, Flora is a good bet right now.


Bonus charm factor – Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers and Spring!

What do you think? Are you on #TeamFlora?

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

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POLL: Is it Harder to Choose Names for Girls or Boys?

Take Our Poll

A bunch of soon-to-be parents I’ve talked to have said things like, “I have a bunch of names picked out for girls, but no ideas for boys” or “Boys’ names are easy, but there are too many choices for girls!” Is this you?

I’ve talked to parents who fall on both sides of gender debate. Where do you fall?

Let me know whether it was harder for you to pick names for boys or girls and why.

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

30+ Name Ideas for 4th of July Babies

The National Anthem never fails to make me tear up. I don’t know what it is, but every time “our flags are still there,” I’m reminded to always be hopeful, even when things look bleak, to always fight for what is right, even when it’s difficult, and to always cherish my freedom, because many heroes and heroines died to give me that right and there are many people throughout the world who do not know what it means to be free.

With these thoughts in mind, I decided to put together a list of baby names with inspirational meanings related to the brave heroes and heroines that helped launch the revolution, write our Declaration of Independence, and bring us the freedom we still enjoy today.

Here’s a list of my favorite baby name ideas for 4th of July babies:

AMERICA
AMORY – (German) “brave power”
ANDREW / DREW – (Greek) “manly, courageous”
ASHA – (Sanskrit) “hope”
BLAIR – (Gaelic) “battlefield”
DARA – (English) “compassionate, courageous” – two wonderful sentiments together!
EDIE / EDITH – (English) “prosperity in war”
ELOISE – (French) “famous warrior”
FRANKLIN – (English) “free person”
FREEDOM
HARVEY – (English) “battle worthy”
HOPE
HUMPHREY – (German) “peaceful warrior”
JOSS – (Celtic) “victor”
KANOA – (Hawaiian) “free”
KEENA – (Irish) “courageous”
KINCAID – (Scottish) “military leader”
LIBERTY / LIBBY
LOUISA / LOUIS – (Latin) “famous warrior”
LUTHER – (German) “people’s army”
MATILDA / TILDA / TILLY – (German) “strength in battle”
MAUD / MAUDE – (German) “strength in battle”
MILES – (Latin) “soldier”
QUINN – (English) “leader”
REBEL
RIDER – (English) “mounted warrior”
RILEY – (Irish) “fiery, courageous”
ROONEY – (Gaelic) “champion”
TRAYNOR – (Irish) “champion”
TYRA – (Scandinavian) “warrior”
VERONICA – (Greek) “victory bringer”
VON – (Norse) “hope”
WILLARD – (English) “willful bravery”
WYATT – (English) “strength in battle”

What is your favorite name from the list? Right now, I’m especially loving LIBERTY, with LIBBY as a cute nickname, WYATT, and EDIE. Do you have a favorite 4th of July-inspired name?

Happy naming ♥ Amanda

Shop my LetterLuxe Printables for your favorite 4th of July name