The Complete Book of Baby Names:
A Conversation with Author
Lesley Bolton
Baby Names Garden: There are a lot of baby
name books on the market. Could you tell us what makes The Complete Book of Baby
Names different?
Lesley Bolton: While this book has 100,001
names, including meanings and origins, and several fun lists, it also includes information
to help parents organize their thinking to make the baby-naming process much easier—and
a lot more fun.
Baby Names Garden: You devote a full chapter
to modern naming trends. Can you identify what you consider to be the single hottest
naming trend today?
Lesley Bolton: Parents are searching for names
that are a bit different and sometimes even unique. This stems from wanting their
children to have their own identities and wanting them to stand out in classrooms
full of Michaels and Emmas. As a subset of this trend, we see several parents looking
to their own family trees for “old-fashioned” names that have sat on
the bench for so long that they are now considered cool and sophisticated. In this
way, parents are both creating a family connection through the name and giving their
children a name that will distinguish them from their peers.
Baby Names Garden: Your book includes an amazing
276 lists of different types of names, ranging from Disney, to country singers,
to FBI agents’ names. How did you come up with so many lists?
Lesley Bolton: Because I wanted these lists
to be fun, I tried to encompass as many enjoyable and interesting categories as
I could that would spark the interest of a broad spectrum of people. Therefore,
there are categories spanning popularity, sports, foreign names, literary figures,
occupations, entertainment, and politics, among many others.
Baby Names Garden: Your book includes several
chapters aimed at helping parents choose a baby name, including what not to name
your baby. What do you think is the single biggest pitfall in choosing a name?
Lesley Bolton: Probably the biggest pitfall
in baby naming is not thoroughly thinking a name through before making the final
decision. What might sound cute for a toddler may not transition well into adulthood.
Or perhaps a name sounds wonderful but has a negative meaning or association tied
to it. It’s best that parents view a name from every angle before bestowing
it on a child who will have to carry it throughout his or her life (or at least
until he or she is old enough to legally change it).
Baby Names Garden: Besides your informational
chapters and your special lists, you also provide thousands of name definitions,
including meaning, origin, and variants. What can a parent do if they start feeling
overwhelmed by all the choices?
Lesley Bolton: Parents should decide first
what is important to them in naming a child—before browsing through the thousands
of names. By deciding with your partner the aspects that are significant in that
perfect name, the list has already been narrowed before it has even been created—plus,
this helps to cut down on the number and intensity of any arguments that may occur
later in the process.
Baby Names Garden: You devote some space to
the topic of middle names. Do you feel this is a tricky area for some parents?
Lesley Bolton: Some parents choose to forego
the middle name altogether, while others will give two, three, or sometimes even
four middle names to their children. The tricky part comes in when parents decide
on the middle name(s) before the first name. Suddenly, they are trying to work around
a name that simply isn’t going to be used very often. If parents remember
that the middle name is the bridge between the first and last names, then it will
be a much easier process.
Baby Names Garden: Do you feel, as some people
do, that a name can literally affect a child’s destiny?
Lesley Bolton: While a name is certainly important
in that it affects a child’s self-esteem and also the first impressions of
others, I don’t believe that it directly affects a child’s destiny.
Of course, specific associations are made with particular names, but that doesn’t
mean that if you name your son Romeo, for instance, he is guaranteed to be popular
with the ladies. I believe that a child’s personality and the choices he or
she makes throughout life determine his or her destiny.
Baby Names Garden: One of your chapters is
entitled “The Attributes of a Perfect Name.” If you were to give three
top attributes, what would they be?
Lesley Bolton: Probably the most important
attribute of the perfect name is the meaning. This doesn’t necessarily mean
the actual definition of the name, but instead what the name means to the parents—having
a solid reason for choosing a particular name. Perhaps there is a family or religious
connection or a fabulous story behind the name or even simply the time and effort
spent searching for that one name. A child’s name should allow him or her
to feel special. Second, the name should be one that carries over into adulthood
well. Of course, the child is always going to be the parents’ baby, but a
name should look just as good on a resume as it does on a kindergarten report card.
Third, the sound of the name is an important attribute. Your child’s name
will be said aloud too many times to count throughout his or her life, probably
most often by the parents. The name should be one that is pleasing to hear and say
to both the parents and child.
Baby Names Garden: Do you have any special
thoughts about the process of choosing a baby name that you’d like a reader
to take away from this interview?
Lesley Bolton: Above all else, I would like
parents to understand that the choice is theirs alone, even though they may feel
pressure from family, friends, and even society. I truly believe that if parents
take the time to choose a name that they are proud of, their children will take
pride in that name as well.