Name of the Day: BRIANA

Today's name of the day is BRIANA (girl's name; Irish origin; meaning "strong" or "virtuous, honorable.")

Most people think BRIANA is merely one of today's most trendy and popular names, stemming from nothing more than the male form of Brian. However, that's simply not the case. BRIANA is actually a literary name that dates all the way back to the 1500s. English poet Edmund Spenser used the name BRIANA in his epic poem, The Faerie Queene, published in 1590.

Famous Faces of BRIANA:

Briana Evigan (actress/dancer)
Briana Scurry (American soccer player)
Briana Vega (actress)

Spelling Variations to the standard BRIANA:

Brianna

Breana

Breanna

Briannah

Briahna

Brieana

Briauna

Briaunna

Breaunna

Name of the Day: DONOVAN

Today's name of the day is DONOVAN (boy's name; Irish origin; meaning "dark warrior.")

While DONOVAN is often seen as a first or last name, it's original beginnings do in fact stem from the Irish surname Ó Donnabhain. Ó Donnabhain means "descendant of Donndubhán." Over time, Donndubhán has become the modern day DONOVAN.

Famous Faces of DONOVAN:

Donovan McNabb (American football quarterback)
Donovan Frakenreiter (musician)
Donovan Leitch (actor)
Donovan Blake (cricketer)
Donovan Bailey (Olympic Gold Medalist)
Donovan Simmonds (English footballer)

Spelling Variations to the standard DONOVAN:

Donavan

Donivan

Donavon

Donavyn

Donoven

Donnovan

Donevon

Dohnovan

Donevin

Donovin

Name of the Day: ISABELLA

Today's name of the day is ISABELLA (girl's name; Italian origin; meaning "God loving.")

ISABELLA is a vintage name, dating back to the 11th century. If you look back at history, you'll find that there are several queens, governesses, empresses, and princesses who share the name ISABELLA.

Famous Faces of ISABELLA:

Isabella Rossellini (actress)
Isabella Bird (writer)
Isabella Leong (model/actress)
Isabella Swan (fictional novel character)
Isabella Oliver (designer maternity wear)
Isabella Fiore (designer handbags and footwear)

Spelling Variations to the standard ISABELLA:

Isabela

Issabella

Isebella

Izabella

Izibella

Isabellah

Isabelah

ISABELLA is a vintage name with a classic feel. If you're seeking something timeless, ISABELLA could be exactly what you're looking for!

Name of the Day: NICHOLAS

Today's name of the day is NICHOLAS (boy's name; Greek origin; meaning "winner" or "victorious people.")

NICHOLAS is a classic name that still remains very popular today. In 1997, 27,248 males in the United States were named NICHOLAS. That's an interesting fact because the name hadn't experienced that level of popularity since the year 1880 -- the year that the United States began keeping records of given names. In 2007, NICHOLAS was the 20th most popular name given to males in the USA.

NICHOLAS is also interesting because it's the name associated with "St. Nick" better known as "Santa Claus." So why is "St. Nick" referred to as "Santa Claus" and vice versa? Saint Nicholas had a reputation for secret gift-giving, and in religion, Saint Nicholas of Myra is known as the patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas became the model for Santa Claus.

Famous Faces of NICHOLAS:

Nicholas Braun (actor)
Nicholas Cannon (actor)
Nicholas Sparks (author)
Nicholas Tse (singer/actor)
Nicholas Clapton (singing teacher/author)
Justice Nicholas A. Clemente (former justice of the New York State Supreme Court)

Spelling Variations to the standard NICHOLAS:

Nicolas

Nikolas

Nicklaus

Nikolos

Nikolaus

Nickolis

Nicolaus

Nicholaus

Nickolas

Nicholos

Nickalaus

Nickalus

Though NICHOLAS remains quite trendy, don't let the trend stop you from adding it to your list of options!

Celebrity Babies: Megan Hope Sanov

Best known for famously portraying vindictive vixen Sami Brady on NBC's Days of our Lives, actress and TV host Alison Sweeny now relishes in her new role of mommy -- again! Megan Hope Sanov was welcomed by proud parents, Alison and David Sanov, along with 3-year-old big brother, Benjamin Edward, on Monday, January 12th.

I've yet to hear of any certain inspiration behind the name Megan Hope, but no one can complain of it being "off-the-wall." I believe Alison and David played it safe, picking something classic that will never go out of style or raise any questionable eyebrows. There's not much negative that can be said for her choice of name. It's elegant and simple. Some might call it plain, and I'd be inclined to agree. But at the same time, no one will ever ask Megan, "Now, how do you say your name?"

Celebrity Babies: Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck

Actors Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck welcomed their baby girl into the world on January 6, 2009. Named Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, the newborn joins 3-year old sister, Violet Anne, into the Affleck fold.

Seraphina Rose Elizabeth seems to be a hit with most people on the web, and that's good news. Celebrities are becoming increasingly known for christening their offspring with "crazy" names. From singer Ashlee Simpson's son, "Bronx Mowgli" to actress Lisa Bonet's newborn son "Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha," celebrities are not afraid to go to the extreme when it comes to naming their kids. So, I think many were surprised (and somewhat relieved!) when Jennifer and Ben chose the more modest Seraphina Rose Elizabeth.

From a baby name expert point of view, I think this was a good choice. I'm not crazy about the name Seraphina, but I think it might have been influenced by Ben's humanitarian work in The Congo, Africa. Where's the connection, you ask? Well, "Sarafina!" is a South African musical about students who strongly oppose apartheid, and in December 2008, Ben worked with the United Nations to document the plight of refugees in The Congo.

I'm a fan of the double middle names, "Rose Elizabeth," although professionally speaking, I believe "Elizabeth Rose" flows much better. In this instance, the one syllable name ("Rose") in the middle of two longer syllable names ("Seraphina" and "Elizabeth") breaks the flow, making the overall affect sound a bit choppy. So yes, my vote would've been for Seraphina Elizabeth Rose Affleck, or even more simply, Elizabeth Rose Affleck, Seraphina Elizabeth Affleck, or Seraphina Rose Affleck.

Name of the Day: KIERAN

Today's name of the day is KIERAN (gender neutral; Irish origin; meaning "dark-haired" or "dark prince.")

KIERAN is a very popular given name in both Irish and Scottish cultures. Traditionally, it's seen as a boy's name. But as KIERAN has become increasingly attractive in other cultures, it's now suitable for both boys and girls. KIERAN comes from the Irish word 'Ciar' which means 'black' or 'dark.'

Famous Faces of KIERAN:

Kieran Culkin (actor)
Kieran Kane (singer)
Kieran Lalor (politician)
Kieran Ridge (musician)
Kieran West (Olympic gold medalist)
Kieran Goss (musician)
Kieran Richardson (English footballer)
Kieran McAnespie (Scottish footballer)
Kieran Huggins (musician)
Kieran Suckling (environmental activist)
Kieran O'Brien (actor)

Spelling and Name Variations to the standard KIERAN:

Keiran/Kieren/Keeran/Kieryn/Keirin/Keerin/Cieran

Kyran/Kyren/Kyrin/Cyren/Khyren

Kieron/Keiron/Keeron/Kiran

Kierian/Keirian/Kiereyn/Kyrean

Kierana/Keirana/Kieranna/Kieranah

KIERAN is a beautiful name with rich Irish roots. It's a wonderful name to consider as you develop your potential list of possibilities!

Celebrity Babies: Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston

Alaska governor Sarah Palin is now a doting grandmother! On Saturday, December 27th, 2008, Palin's daughter, Bristol, gave birth to a bouncing baby boy named Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. And of course, the unique choice of name has many wondering, "What in the world was she thinking?"

As a name consultant who spends much of my time researching baby names, I must say that I think Bristol and her fiance, Levi Johnston, made a smart choice by choosing to go the "creative" route. (Not that there's anything wrong with "regular" names because some of my favorite names are classic names.) However, names like "Bristol" and "Levi" aren't considered everyday type names, and I think it's great that they chose to continue the tradition as they build their own family.

Thanks to Governor Palin and her husband Todd's distinctive vision, Tripp will join the ranks with aunts, Willow and Piper, along with uncles, Track and Trig. Such wonderful, unique names! I love the fact that Bristol seems to have been influenced by her parents in choosing a first name for her son that follows the "TR" pattern that both of Bristol's brothers share.

As for the double middle names "Easton Mitchell," I'm not quite sure what inspired that choice, but I like it. In most instances when a child is given two middle names, it's usually in honor of someone close to the parents. And I always suggest two middle names if that's the way you want to go, even if it's not in honor of anyone in particular!

Celebrity Babies: Charlie Tamara Tulip and Dolly Rebecca Rose O'Connell

Welcome the newest celebrity twin babies to hit the scene: Charlie Tamara Tulip and Dolly Rebecca Rose O'Connell!

Over the past few days, I've received an abundance emails asking what I think of actors Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell's choice names. I've read that Charlie Tamara Tulip was named in honor of Jerry's younger brother, Charlie. I can only assume that "Rebecca" was given to Dolly Rebecca Rose in honor of Romijn. I don't think the names are horrible (like many seem to), and quite honestly, I've seen MUCH worse. I think the alliteration with the two middle names ("Tamara Tulip" & "Rebecca Rose") saves the overall package a great deal.

Of course, this might not have been the route that you or I would've taken when choosing names, but everyone has their reasons. It's important to understand that when parents choose a name (or in this case, names!), 9 times out of 10, the name usually has some kind of "attraction value" to the parent. The attraction value could one of several things:

1. The sound of the name
2. The meaning of the name
3. The image the name evokes
4. The name is in honor of someone
5. The name is unique

The list can go on and on. But the problem most "outsiders" have with the attraction value is when an outsider doesn't exactly find the name attractive. And that seems to be the case with most people I've heard from regarding these names in particular. However, outsiders need to remember that unless the baby is yours, you are by default an outsider. The best you can do is accept the parents' choice and make note that you won't make the same mistake when the time comes to name your own child.

Buffer Name of the Day: JAMES

Today's buffer name is JAMES (boy's name; Hebrew origin; meaning "supplanter; substitute.")

JAMES is special because it's commonly seen as a first, middle, and last name. Because of that unique characteristic, JAMES fits the bill as a perfect buffer name. As with any good buffer name, it's job is to flawlessly round out the first and last, easily allowing the entire name to roll off your tongue.

An interesting fact about JAMES is that it's derived from the name "Jacob." The name JAMES is quite popular in a variety of cultures, and appears in several forms:

Diego (Spanish)

Yago (Spanish)

Santiago (Spanish)

Seamus (Irish)
Yasha (Russian)

Kimo (Hawaiian)

Jacques (French)

Hamish (Scottish)

Famous Faces of JAMES:

James Van Der Beek (actor)
James Blount (singer)
James Van Praagh (spiritual medium)
James Brown (legendary soul singer)
James Dean (legendary actor)
James Bond (fictional movie character)

Sample Combinations (with first name and buffer middle name):

• Gavin James
• Carson James
• Geoffrey James
• Zachary James
• Kevin James
• Hogan James
• Rutger James
• Ian James

JAMES is an exquisite buffer name. If you find yourself searching for an ideal middle name, then JAMES could be just the name for you!

Name of the Day: RHIANNON

Today's name of the day is RHIANNON (girl's name; Welsh origin; meaning "goddess; intuitive.")

RHIANNON might ring a bell if you're a fan of the legendary rock group Fleetwood Mac. In 1976, lead singer Stevie Nicks famously sang about a woman named RHIANNON in a song bearing the same title. It's considered one of the band's most well known tunes, and Rolling Stone Magazine ranked "RHIANNON" as #488 in their listing of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

If you follow Welsh mythology, you might be familiar with RHIANNON as a mythical goddess. In 1972, author Evangeline Walton published a fantasy novel based on the mythical goddess entitled "The Song of RHIANNON."

Interestingly enough, Fleetwood Mac's "RHIANNON" wasn't inspired by the mythical goddess. Nicks has said that she heard the name RHIANNON and thought it was beautiful, so she decided to write a song about a woman bearing the name. She claimed the concept of the song came to her while waiting in an airport, and has stated it took only ten minutes to write.

Famous Faces of RHIANNON:

Rhiannon Leigh Wryn (actress)
Rhiannon Lassiter (writer)
Rhiannon Flammer (fictional TV character)


Spelling Variations to the standard RHIANNON:

Rhiannan

Rhianen

Rhianon

Riannon

Rheannon

Rhyannen

Riannen

Riannyn

Rheannyn

Rhiannyn

RHIANNON is a radiant name that has dazzled many people. Let it dazzle you as you go about with your quest to find the right name!