Family Names

iVillage.com: What Your Baby's Name Says About You

What It Says About You: Many parents who use a family name are trying to honor someone who was important in their lives -- so sweet! Often, parents name their baby after someone who has died. "Not only is it a way of keeping a family name in the family, in a way, it keeps the relative alive," says Alper. It’s also a great way of giving the new generation a connection to an ancestor they will never meet. In the case of juniors, it’s about a strong desire to carry on your lineage (and in extreme cases, it can get kinda narcissistic -- just look at pro boxer George Foreman, who named all five of his sons George!) Ultimately, parents who pick family names reveal a traditional streak -- and the belief that family is what truly matters.

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What Your Baby ...

It may be your baby's name, but it reveals a lot more about the parent who picked it than the progeny. We asked baby-naming experts to weigh in on what each name category -- from biblical to vintage to nature-inspired -- says about the moms and dads who chose it.

Place Names
Names like: Brooklyn, London, Bronx, Africa, Juno, Dakota, Savannah, Tennessee

What it says about you: Parents who pick specific locations want their kids to project a certain image -- often a romantic or exotic one. (There's a reason you meet more people named Paris than Peoria!) "Borrowing a name from a glamorous international capital like London suggests that you're picturing your kid in the limelight, while Cheyenne shows a romantic sensibility about the American past," says Laura Wattenberg, founder of babynamewizard.com.

Place names can bestow cool-cred upon a kid (see: Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz's son Bronx) or suggest far-flung ties to a foreign location, as with a kid named Cairo or Egypt. But it can also be a sentimental choice, says Candace Alper, baby name expert and creator of Name Your Tune Personalized CDs. "I know a little boy named Hudson because he was conceived during a trip to New York City and the hotel overlooked the Hudson River." To that end, we're betting Reese Witherspoon's fondness for the state she grew up in inspired her new baby boy's name: Tennessee.

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Religious Names

Names like: Grace, Eve, Faith, Delilah, Genesis or Mary

What it says about you: A biblical baby name doesn't guarantee that a family is super religious or practices a certain faith -- but it's a good bet! Nameberry's Linda Rosenkrantz says devout families of all faiths -- Christian, Jewish and especially Muslim -- will invariably opt for a spiritual choice. "Faith is the most vital element they wish to impart to their child," she says, "whether it’s a straightforward Puritan virtue name such as Faith, Grace or Mercy, or Destiny, Genesis and Trinity, which came into favor in the '90s." (She adds that rappers have made "some extreme choices" in the religious names category, "like DMX's Praise Mary, and L'il Mo's daughter God'iss Love.")

And while many parents pick religious names based on their biblical associations, that's often not the only reason, says Wattenberg. Many secular families are also attracted to their trendy sound (for example, Delilah, or Noah), while New Testament classics like John and Mary reveal a parent's stylistic conservatism.

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Vintage Names

Names like: Sadie, Birdie, Theo, Archie, Hattie, Clara, Cora, Frances, Beatrice, Everett

What it says about you: Parents who choose an old-fashioned name that’s been out of favor for decades (or centuries!) are actually fashion-forward. "As with most trends, names cycle in popularity,” says Amanda Elizabeth Barden, author of "Baby Names Made Easy."

"What once was in falls out of favor only to be loved again a few generations down the road." Rosenkrantz agrees. "Midcentury mom and pop names and Victorian names sound fresh again and are hot, so the parent who chooses one is on trend (and also impervious to the scorn of in-laws shocked by their choice of Ethel or Walter)." Vintage names also seem to have a big celeb appeal: just look at Tori Spelling's Hattie, Amy Poehler's Archie and Christina Applegate's Sadie Grace.

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Nature Names

Names like: Skye, River, Blossom, Forrest, Olive, Sage, Lily, Iris, Sparrow

What it says about you: Naming your child after one of Mother Nature's many miracles probably means you're a free spirit who appreciates the world around you. Of course, the green movement -- and all of its eco-conscious, recycling, composting parents -- has contributed to the explosion of nature names. "Flower names have moved beyond the sweet Victorian-tinged Rose, Lily, Violet and Daisy to more exotic blooms such as Azalea, Camellia, Lilac, Magnolia and Zinnia," Rosenkrantz says. "Plus there's a whole new flock of bird names like Wren, Lark, Starling, Dove and Hawk." But the eco-movement isn't the only reason for the trend: Many of these nature names -- especially flower names like Rose, Lily and Iris -- are also part of the granny-chic category, and the parents who choose them may be more hipster than hippie.

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Political Names

Names like: Jackson, Jefferson, Kennedy, Lincoln, Reagan

What it says about you: The boom in presidential surnames as baby names should not be interpreted as a political statement. As Wattenberg points out, "The name Kennedy is particularly popular in Southeastern red states, and it's a good bet that few parents of a young Tyler could tell you about President John Tyler's disputes with his political party the Whigs!" Instead, parents who pick these names like their strong sound and the fact that they're grounded in tradition. Whatever their politics, these names have been associated with leaders -- and that's what parents are gravitating towards. Plus, these names have another kind of power: staying power -- and they speak of parents who want to avoid appearing too trendy. As Barden says, "These names will stand the test of time."

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Celebrity-Driven...

Names like: Jude, Scarlett, Sienna, Pippa, Adele, Violet, Shiloh, Honor, Haven, Flynn, Harper

What it says about you: The names celebrities choose for their own children often spark massive trends. Just look at Kourtney Kardashian's Mason -- it's now the number two name for boys in the country. So if you've named your kid after a celebrity baby (or even a celebrity) chances are you like trendy, sometimes unique names. You might even be craving some of that celebrity star power, says Barden. "Parents who are attracted to celebrity names are looking for a bit of the spotlight themselves." Hey, a name that evokes fame and fortune? What’s not to like?

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Pop Culture-Insp...

Names like: Jacob, Isabella, Rue, Grayson, Primrose, Maci, Bentley

What it says about you: Super-fans of "Twilight," "The Hunger Games" and other pop-culture phenomena may choose baby names like Jacob and Isabella, or Rue and Primrose, to honor their obsession. But most folks who pick names from popular movies, TV shows and books are really attracted to the timeliness of the name. "Parents who are drawn to pop-culture inspired names are looking to be on trend and probably hope that their children will fit in with their peers," says Barden. Be prepared for a lot of Bellas in your kid's daycare.

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Ethnic Names

Names like: Amir, Fatima, Mohammed, Angelo, Lorenzo, Gabrielle, Monique, Philippe, Elsa, Leopold, Stefan, Ivana, Pavel, Sergei, Zahra, Diego, Carmen, Enrique

What it says about you: There was a time when American families eschewed non-Anglo names for fear of discrimination. Today, it's all about wearing your ethnicity with pride. "A more wide-open naming culture is encouraging parents to choose names that reflect their diverse family backgrounds," says Wattenberg. That said, not every ethnic baby name is linked to heritage. "Our playgrounds are full of Aidans whose parents aren't Irish and Giovannas whose parents aren't Italian," she points out. "Some parents choose foreign names based solely on style." In that case, the name reveals confident, free thinking parents who don't feel hampered by rules or tradition.

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Family Names

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Really Unique Na...

Names like: Pilot Inspektor, Apple, Audio Science, Jermajesty, Bear

What it says about you: There's no question about it: Parents who choose unique (or made up!) baby names want people to sit up and take notice. "One-of-a-kind names stand out from the crowd," says Barden. "Parents who go that route know that people will ask a lot of questions about the name and they like the attention." This trend isn't just limited to celebrities, although Pilot Inspektor, Apple and Jermajesty are all famous examples chosen by famous parents (Jason Lee, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jermaine Jackson, respectively). We've come across a number of kids whose names were made by putting parts of the parents' names together, and we once met a child called Skycarday.

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