naming

I've been thinking a lot about names lately. I'm going to give all my new dolls their own names so I've been working on a list of good ones. I love hunting around for fun names. Babynamer and the social security site are great resources.

Actually I'm always interested in names. Whenever someone has a baby first thing I want to know is what's the name?! Actually, when I find out someone is pregnant that's the first thing I want to know. (in the last month or so a Zeke, Sophia, Harper, Violet, Kazia and Nicholas have landed) I find it all so interesting. That's why the the babynamewizard is one of my favorite sites. Their name news blog is very interesting...and dead on. One trip to the playground will tell you this is right on the money. Another super fun thing on their site is the Name Voyager. I love this toy so much - even if it doesn't work in my browser of choice. It charts a name's popularity over the years. My name, Hillary, was not on the chart at all before 1950, peaked in the 80s and has now disappeared. I'm a flash in the pan!

I'm so curious where the name Hillary sprung from in the 1950s. I was named after my Mom's favorite book when she was a kid - Hilary's Island. A very obscure book, I doubt that was what inspired a lot of 70s moms.

I loved being a Hillary growing up. Very unusual for me to run into another Hillary. That's what I was hoping for for Oscar - a unique name that wasn't too bizarre. It seems to be working out well. I think getting lumped in with the familiar Owens will keep the Oscar the Grouch/Oscar Meyer Weiner connections to the minimum. That, and the fact that kids aren't really allowed to watch tv anymore.

The name I have picked out for baby boy #2 (if there ever is such a fellow) has been on a steady decline and isn't on the chart at all for 2003. Even better!