My Top 20 Favorite Italian Names

Hey everyone!
As most of you know, I am 50% Italian. My dream vacation would be to go to Italy. I love Italian food and, really, everything about Italy, including the names!
Before I wrote this post, I did a little research about Italian names and how parents pick the names. I came across something very interesting. According to italian.about.com, there is a strong custom in Italy that determines the name of a child.

• The first baby boy is named after his paternal grandfather (father's dad)
• The second baby boy is named after his maternal grandfather (mother's dad)
• The first baby girl is named after her paternal grandmother (father's mom)
• The second baby girl is named after her maternal grandmother (mom's mom)
• The next children can be named after an aunt/uncle, parent or saint

How cool is that?!

Now, let's take a look at my favorite Italian names!

They are in order 1-10 for each gender, from my favorite of the 10 to my least favorite of the 10.

Pronunciation, meaning & my thoughts are listed below each. Of course, all origins are Italian.

Girls are first, boys to follow.

*Disclaimer: I got all of the information listed below from nameberry & babynames.allparenting.com. If any of it is wrong, I am sorry. Pronunciations are from heracleums.org/tools/pronunciation/it. Some names have an Italian and "in the US" pronunciation listed. The "in the US" ones are how I pronounce them and how people I know pronounce them.*

Girls:

1. Lia (of course)

Pronunciation: Lee-uh

Meaning: weary

My thoughts: Do I even have to say them? I have loved Lia for about 3 years now. It is my #1 girls name and I couldn't imagine naming my first daughter anything else.

2. Maddalena

Pronunciation: mahd-uh-LAY-nuh

Meaning: Woman from Magdala

My thoughts: I absolutely love this name. It sounds so feminine and is a great alternative to the popular names Madison and Madeleine / Madeline / Madelyn etc.

3. Isabella

Pronunciation (in Italy): ee-suh-BELL-uh; (in the US) izz-uh-bell-uh

Meaning: pledged to God

My thoughts: STUNNING. It is super popular basically everywhere, and it is clear why. Isabella is a beautiful name with a great meaning.

4. Giovanna

Pronunciation (in Italy): Joh-VAH-nuh; (in the US) jee-uh-VAH-nuh

Meaning: gift from God

My thoughts: This name is so beautiful. There are many nicknames for it, including Gia, Vanna & Gianna.

5. Aria

Pronunciation: Ah-ree-uh

Meaning: lioness

My thoughts: This name is rising in popularity very quickly. It is a name I love one day and don't like the next. It reminds me of Lucy Hale, who plays Aria on the ABC Family show Pretty Little Liars. Lucy is stunning, so it is a very good association.

6. Lucia / Luciana

Pronunciation: Loo-CHEE-uh / Loo-CHAH-nuh

Meaning: light

My thoughts: I put both of these in the same ranking because they are so similar and I could never decide which I like more. They are both so pretty and I love them a lot. I probably wouldn't ever use them, though, because of the many different pronunciations they have. I only listed one for each above, the Italian ones, but Lucia could also be: (loo-see-uh), (loo-shuh), (loo-shee-uh), (loo-chuh) etc. and Luciana has even more.

7. Vivia

Pronunciation (in Italy): viv-EE-uh; (in the US) VIV-ee-uh

Meaning: life

My thoughts: This name is ADORABLE. I would definitely consider using it if it weren't so similar to my name, Alivia. The nickname Vivi (viv-ee) is so cute!

8. Mattea

Pronunciation: muh-TAY-uh

Meaning: gift of God

My thoughts: I love this name! It is only #8 because I love all of the above only a tiny bit more. 

9. Dominica

Pronunciation: doh-MIN-ee-kuh

Meaning: belonging to the lord

My thoughts: I first saw this name on a commercial for abcmouse.com. The little girl was absolutely adorable and she made me love the name!

10. Chiara

Pronunciation: kee-AHR-uh

Meaning: clear

My thoughts: So pretty, but not my absolute favorite of the bunch.

Boys:

1. Giovanni

Pronunciation (in Italy): joh-VAH-nee; (in the US) jee-oh-VAH-nee

Meaning: gift from God

My thoughts: I have loved the name Giovanni since 4th grade. My teacher's last name was Giovanni and she was the sweetest woman ever!

2. Matteo

Pronunciation: muh-TAY-oh

Meaning: gift of God

My thoughts: Matteo was my #4 name for months, so I love it. I just don't love it as much anymore for my personal top 5, but it is #2 on my Italian favorites.

3. Luciano

Pronunciation: loo-CHAH-no

Meaning: light

My thoughts: SO cute! It is on my GP list. To see why, go up to Lucia / Luciana.

4. Gianni

Pronunciation (in Italy): JAHN-ee; (in the US) jee-AH-nee

Meaning: God is gracious

My thoughts: I love this name a TON, but it now makes me think of Snooki's baby daddy, Jionni.

5. Rosario

Pronunciation: roh-SAHR-ee-oh

Meaning: rosary

My thoughts: I love this name on both a boy and a girl. I prefer it on a boy because the -o ending makes it sound more masculine.

6. Emilio

Pronunciation: uh-MEE-lee-oh 

Meaning: rival

My thoughts: SO cute. Although I don't like the very similar Amelia, I think Emilio is very handsome.

7. Santino

Pronunciation: SAHN-tee-no

Meaning: little saint

My thoughts: Although Santino was my last choice for this list, I like it better than the next 3 names. It is sweet and I can see it aging well.

8. Graziano

Pronunciation: grahtz-ee-AH-no

Meaning: pleasing, beloved, dear

My thoughts: Very handsome, but I cant picture it on a baby.

9. Romeo

Pronunciation (in Italy): roh-MAY-oh; (in the US) ROH-mee-oh

Meaning: pilgrim to Rome, Roman

My thoughts: Romeo is so sweet, but I don't know if it is usable.

10. Nicolo

Pronunciation: NEE-cohl-oh

Meaning: people of victory

My thoughts: Nicholas is my favorite boys name, and Nicolo is a great variation, but I wouldn't use it.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

What are your favorite Italian names?

Have a great week!

~Ali

How to Name Your Characters

Hi everyone! This week I decided to do something a little different. I know that a lot of the namers I talk to on formspring are also writers and readers and one of my favorite parts of writing is naming characters. To me, characters names can be almost as important as their physical descriptions or attitudes. I can’t imagine any of my favorite literary character, from Scout Finch to Draco Malfoy, being named anything else. When I stumbled on a list of character naming suggestions on babynames.com I knew I HAD to do this post. I asked some of my formspring buds what their “rules” were and then took some I’d found online. These are some of the most common character naming do’s and don’ts and what I think about them. Thank you to all who answered my formspring question; you all had some super advice. Because some of the advice was repeated, I credited advice to who said it first.

Do’s

n  Make it age appropriate (http://www.babynames.com/character-names.php)

o   This might have been the most common piece of advice given. I absolutely agree. To me, there’s nothing more jarring than an adult character named something like Jayden or Neveah.

n  Consider the setting (Candy - http://www.formspring.me/gravityebbs)

o   Another common piece of advice. This one just plain makes sense. Out there and guilty pleasure names work perfectly in a fantasy setting, but less so in a realistic fiction. If a book took place in the 1800’s, modern names just don’t fit.

n  Consider the characters past/parents (Stevie - http://www.formspring.me/lepetitviolet)

o   I’d never considered this before Stevie suggested it, but it’s a VERY good piece of advice. A couple of lawyers will probably have different tastes than a waitress. A couple of sixteen year olds will name differently than a middle aged couple. Did the characters parents adore a certain writer? Or meet in a specific city?

n  consider spellings (http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/25-How2-CharacterNames.html)

o   As a rule, I think that any spellings should be, if not the original spelling, a commonly accepted variant. Difficult spellings do not change a name, or make it more unique. They do however give the reader a stumbling block that takes away from the story. That said, among accepted variants, spelling can reflect a character. Catherine with a C is a lot softer than Katherine with a K.

n  put some effort into last names

o   This is my own advice. I don’t feel the same way I do about surnames as I do about first names and as a result, my characters often suffer from surnames-that-are-also-first-names syndrome. Although books filled with Porters, Taylors and Carsons isn’t by any means a mistake, surnames can add another level to character names. A French character with the surname Cormier is much more believable than one with the surname Mason.

Don’t’s

n  Choose a name by meaning (Candy)

o   Although the babynames.com article says it’s a good idea, it’s one that I (and Candeh) would discourage. To me, unless you’re writing the next Harry Potter series (did Professor Sprout’s name bother anyone else?) and it will be so flawless I won’t care, it comes off as incredibly cheesy. Do not, under any circumstances, name a botanist Sage as suggested by babynames.com. Just don’t.

n  Use loaded names – (babynames.com)

o   When a name is iconic/infamous, using it sets up some pretty strong associations that could be impossible to overcome. A Jezebel is set up to be a sexpot and a Romeo to be love struck. This will influence the reader’s opinion. Especially because tropes and stereotypes are integral to books (especially for portraying a lot of info about a minor character quickly) loaded names will be more read into in books than in real life.

n  Use common names – (babynames.com)

o   This was another often suggested rule, but I have to say, one I don’t agree with. When Harry Potter was released in the late 90’s, Harry was in the top 20 boy names in the UK. When Twilight was released in 2005, Isabella had been in the American top 20 for three years. Both those names were (and continue to be) immensely popular, but are still strongly associated with their novel and quite memorable. At the same time, a slightly off beat name is certainly more interesting than a top 10/top 20.

n  Use something hard to pronounce – (Bea - http://www.formspring.me/ariajuliet)

o   It might just be me, but often, when I don’t know how to pronounce a name in a book I just skip over it. When I don’t skip over it, I make up my own pronunciation and then am unpleasantly surprised if I listen to a movie or book on CD. Like odd spelling, unpronounceable names just add a road block to the story without changing or aiding it.

n  Don’t use middle names (unless its 100% relevant)

o   This again, is something I struggle with. I love injecting middle names into the story for no apparent reason. In real life, I could probably count on one hand the number of non family members whose full names I know. Unless a middle name reveals something very important about a character (honoring a certain relative etc) chances are, it’s not relevant information.

Of course, these rules should be taken with a grain of salt. The most important thing is that you come up with a name you think fits your characters and story. These are just some things that usually bother me and those I polled. Hope you enjoyed this post and feel free to leave a comment with your favorite or least favorite literary names!

- Hayl

Guest Post: Best Names of the Bad Girls Club

Happy Friday!  Enjoy this guest post from Raya!  Please contact us if you would like to guest post!!

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Hi! This is Raya aka TabithaLillian from Formspring with another guest post. One of the only reality shows I have ever watched is the Bad Girls Club on Oxygen. It is about a bunch of women who live in a mansion together and often, tempers run hot. There is a lot of fighting, tears, and pranks. I am going to give a run-down of the most interesting names from all seasons of the show and what I thought of the girls who wore those monikers.

Cordelia (Season 2) - Cordelia is a Shakespearean name of “unknown” meaning and it is not in the top 1000. She was also character in the play “King Lear”. I have always had a soft spot for the name Cordelia, since a character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer is also named Cordelia. Cordelia on BGC was cool and by the end, she and the next girl I am going to mention were thick as thieves.

Tanisha (Season 2) - Tanisha is an African name than means “born on Monday” and is not in the top 1000. I don’t really like the name Tanisha, but I do love the girl. She was feisty and had a take-charge attitude I admire. She has often come back on Oxygen to host many of the BGC reunion shows.

Florina “Flo” (Season 4) - Florina is a Latin name that means “flower” and is not in the top 1000. I really like the name Florina, but I prefer the similar Flora or Floria. Flo from the BGC was a tough girl who partied hard and played harder. She is definitely more of a Flo and less of a Florina.

Wilmarie “Wilma” (Season 6) - Wilmarie is a combination of Wilma and Marie and it is not in the top 1000. I have grown to actually really like Wilmarie, but I do prefer the similar Wilhelmina. Wilma from the BGC was really cool and often won most of the fights she got into.

Judith “Judi” (Season 7) - Judith is a Hebrew name that means “of Judea” and is at #838 on the charts. I have never been a fan of Judith, but I love the nickname Judi. Judi on the BGC was always getting into fights and causing trouble, but that is part of the reason I liked her so much.

Nastasia “Stasi” (Season 7) - Nastasia is a Greek name that means “resurrection” and is not in the top 1000. I really love the name Natasia, although most people prefer Anastasia. I also really like the nickname Stasi over Stacey. Stasi from the BGC was very beautiful, but also very mean and often got into fights with the other girls. She and Judi were best friends in the house, along with another girl named Tiara.

Priscilla (Season 7) - Priscilla is a Latin name that means “ancient” and is at #487 on the popularity charts. I love, love, love the name Priscilla. In fact, it is #12 on my own list. It sounds so sweet and I love the nickname Cilla, but hate the nickname Prissy. Priscilla from the BGC was no priss either. She was short, but loud and funny. I loved her.

Gia (Season 8) - Gia is an Italian name than means “God is gracious” and is at #299 on the popularity charts. I like the name Gia and think it is cute. It is similar to a nickname I have picked out for my first daughter which is Gina. Gia from the BGC was tiny, but had a big personality. She would often get into fights (most of these girls do) and was also very beautiful.

Demitra “Mimi” (Season 8) - Demitra is a Greek name take from the God Demeter and is not in the top 1000. I don’t really like Demitra or the similar Demetria, but I do love the nickname Mimi. It reminds me of the character from Rent. Mimi from the BGC was one of my favorite girls because she was actually down-to –earth. Most girls on the BGC are not so level-headed.

Camilla (Season 8) - Camilla is a Latin name that means “altar server” and is #458 on the popularity charts. Camilla from the show actually pronounced her name KAH-MEE-LAH. I love this pronunciation but spelled Camila which is the Spanish form of Camilla. On the show, Camilla was brought in to stir up trouble and she did that by getting on everyone’s nerves.

Falen (Season 9) - Falen is a Gaelic name which means “leader” and is not in the top 1000. I love the name Falen, but prefer the spelling Fallon. It is such a cool name and I knew a Fallon growing up which made me like it even more. Falen from the BGC was really cool and had a unique style of dress that I really liked.

Well, that is it for this post. I hope you enjoyed it.

Presidential Baby Names

So, I kinda, sorta, totally forgot today was Thursday. ha ha. Fail. Oops.

With this past Monday being Presidents Day (US), I thought it would be quite suitable for me to do a post about presidential-inspired baby names. Here we go!

Quincy
President: John Quincy Adams
Origin: French
Meaning: "estate of the fifth son"
Quincy's Popular in 2011: #599

Harrison
President: William Henry Harrison & Benjamin Harrison
Origin: English
Meaning: "son of Harry"
Harrison's Popularity in 2011: #197

McKinley
President: William McKinley
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: "son of the fair hero"
McKinley's Popularity in 2011: #451 (f); n/a (m) 

Knox
President: James Knox Pollk
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: "round hill"
Knox's Popularity in 2011: #434

Lincoln
President: Abraham Lincoln
Origin: English
Meaning: "town by the pool''
Lincoln's Popularity in 2011: #178

Theodore
President: Theodore Roosevelt
Origin: Greek
Meaning: "gift of God"
Theodore's Popularity in 2011: #231

Truman
President: Harry S. Truman
Origin: English
Meaning: "loyal one" 
Truman's Popularity in 2011: n/a 

Monroe
President: James Monroe
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: "mouth of the Roe river"
Monroe's Popularity in 2011: n/a

Pierce
President: Franklin Pierce
Origin: English
Meaning: "son of Piers"
Pierce's Popularity in 2011: #474

2013 Celebrity Babies

It seems like everyday a different celebrity is announcing a pregnancy. There are so many celebrity babies due in 2013. I've picked a few celebrities that are expecting and I'm going to pick a name for each gender that I could see them using.

What names do you think these celebrities will use? Comment or answer on Formspring!

Prince William & Kate Middleton are expecting their first child together this year. My guesses for names are Victoria Diana Katherine & Charles Edward Louis.

Fergie & Josh Duhamel just announced yesterday that they are expecting their first child together. My name guesses are Dalis Willow & Knox David.

Mario Lopez & Courtney Mazza also just announced that they are expecting their second child together. They have a daughter named Gia Francesca. My guesses for baby number 2 are Antonia Gabriella & Luca Michael.

Holly Madison & Pasquale Rotella are expecting their first child together. A baby girl! My name guess is Rylin Sue.

Busy Phillips & Marc Silverstein are expecting their second child this year. They have a daughter named Birdie Leigh. My name guess for baby number 2 are Clementine Paige & Frankie Cade.

Jessica Simpson & Eric Johnson are expecting their second child this year. They have a beautiful daughter named Maxwell Drew. My name guesses for baby number 2 are Ashton Ann & Jack Joseph.

Phaedra Parks & Apollo Nida are expecting their second child. They have a son named Ayden Adonis. For baby number 2 I'm thinking Lyla Parks & Landon Apollo.

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West are expecting baby number one together. My guess are Mila Noel & Breccan Omari.

Jenna Dewan-Tatum & Channing Tatum are expecting their first child together. My names guesses for them are Liviana Sage & Lincoln Jude.

Amber Rose & Wiz Khalifa are expecting their first child. A boy! At any second. My name guess for the little guy are Caius Cameron.

Kristen Bell & Dax Shepard are expecting their first baby together. My guesses for names are Delilah Rose & Quinn Elias.

Lisa Ling & Paul Song are expecting their first baby together. A girl! My guess for the name is Malia Arielle.

What do you think of my name choices? What would you name the babies to these celebs?

Jaylyn ♥

Newest Arrivals in the Celebrity World

Happy Tuesday!  There has been several new additions in the celebrity world so today I am going to talk their names!!

Felix Chang

Felix Chang and Tinglan Hong welcomed Felix Chang.

Talulah Rue Price

Sara Rue and Kevin Price welcomed their first child, daughter Talulah Rue Price on February 9th.

Greyson James Carroll

Kara DioGuardi and her husband Mike McCuddy welcomed Greyson on January 31st.

Lula Rosylea

Bryan Adams and Alicia Grimaldi welcomed 2nd daughter.

Rekker Radley Gigandet

Cam Gigandet and his fiancée Dominique Geisendorff welcomed their second child on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

My favorite is Greyson James.  So what names are YOUR favorites?!  Don't be shy..comment and let me know!  Happy Tuesday & have a great week! :)

My Top 10 "Out There" Celebrity Baby Names!

Hi everyone & happy Monday!
This week I will be talking about my top 10 celeb baby names.
Celebrities are known to give their kids some pretty crazy names, so I didn't choose "normal" names for this post (such as Ruby, Arabella, Camden, Jack, etc). I chose my top 10 names that are pretty "out there".
They are in alphabetical order by gender. 5 for girls and 5 for boys.
Full name, parents' names, siblings' names and birth date (DOB) are listed below each.
Enjoy!

Name: Honor Marie Warren

DOB: June 7, 2008

Parents: Jessica Alba & Cash Warren

Siblings: Haven Garner (age 1)

Name: Nahla Ariela Aubry

DOB: March 16, 2008

Parents: Halle Berry & Gabriel Aubry

Name: Satyana Marie Denisof

DOB: March 24, 2009

Parents: Alyson Hannigan & Alexis Denisof

Siblings: Keeva Jane (age 9 months)

Name: Sebella Rose Winter

DOB: January 4, 2012

Parents: Roselyn Sánchez & Eric Winter

Name: Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt

DOB: January 8, 2005

Parents: Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

Siblings: Maddox Chivan (age 11), Pax Thien (9), Shiloh Nouvel (6),

Knox Leon (4) & Vivienne Marcheline (4)

Name: Baylen Robert Brees

DOB: January 15, 2009

Parents: Brittany & Drew Brees

Siblings: Bowen Christopher (age 2) & Callen Christian (6 months)

Name: Bingham Hawn Bellamy

DOB: July 9, 2011

Parents: Kate Hudson & Matthew Bellamy

Siblings: Ryder Russell (age 9)

Name: Callen Christian Brees

DOB: August 16, 2012

Parents: Brittany & Drew Brees

Siblings: Baylen Robert (age 3) & Bowen Christopher (2)

Name: Kase Townes Murray

DOB: July 11, 2011

Parents: Jewel & Ty Murray

Name: Kingston James McGregor Rossdale

DOB: May 26, 2006

Parents: Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale

Siblings: Daisy Rebecca Lowe (age 24) & Zuma Nesta Rock (4)

I hope you enjoyed this week's post!

I had a great time writing it!

Have a great week!

~Ali