Earlier this week I attended a funeral for a man I worked for in my twenties. He was kind and generous, and I remember how proud he was of his first grandson. He kept photos of the little boy in his office and would beam as he told me the name: Max.
I never asked about the origin of the name back then. Only at the funeral did I learn that Max was a family name, handed down deliberately and lovingly. The grandson is now in his twenties, and the family still tells the story of that name — a small but meaningful thread linking generations.
That story makes a strong case for the value of family names.
Elsewhere in the world of names:
- I’ve been watching the series Sacred Lies on Facebook Watch because the main character is named Minnow Bly. The show is dark and unsettling. In flashbacks, her father calls her “Little Fish,” and I keep waiting for the backstory behind that nickname.
- While searching for something else I noticed a detail I hadn’t caught before: the Fantastic Beasts character Credence Barebone was born Corvus Lestrange. That name recurs in the family tree and comes from the Latin for raven — a fitting choice for that family. Could someone in the real world choose Corvus for a child? It’s a bold pick.
- I like Coco as a nickname for Colette. Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda recently named their third daughter Colette Josephine, joining siblings Charlton “Charlie” and Theodora “Teddy”.
- If you love Coco but aren’t sold on Colette, there are other options that lead to the same nickname. I’m also fond of Constance shortened to Coco.
- Celebrity naming detours are common. Hilaria and Alec Baldwin reportedly planned to name their fourth child Diego but switched at the last minute to Romeo.
- Do you feel pressure to pick an uncommon name? One family is torn between Cal and Jack, worried Jack is too common. I don’t think popularity alone is a reason to dismiss a name — familiar names can be strong, timeless choices.
- I’m liking the name Layton, as seen in a recent birth announcement. The spelling Leighton can confuse pronunciation, but Layton reads clearly.
- In Denmark, Ida tops the baby-name charts, yet it barely figures in the U.S. top 1000. Should that change? It’s always interesting to see how names travel across cultures.
- Looking for strong word names? There are curated lists that offer many sturdy options to consider when you want a name with presence.
- I loved a recent open letter to Duana that argued parents shouldn’t feel obliged to pick a name that passes every imagined test — the baby will build her own merits regardless of the name on her résumé.
- Finally, a quirky incentive story: would anyone name their child Harland to win an $11,000 prize? It sounds unlikely for most, but I suspect there may be a few takers.
That’s this week’s roundup. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week ahead.
