Luna, Ozzie and Vernon: Bold Girls, Vintage Boys
by Abby Sandel/Appellation Mountain
Do you name boys and girls the same way?
We often reserve antique gems for girls – lady-like appellations like Charlotte, Amelia, Lydia, and Hattie. But this week, parents proved that retro picks work for boys, too. Several high-profile birth announcements revived grandpa-chic choices for our sons.
Meanwhile, the boldest names have often been given to boys. Think of cowboy-cool choices like Wyatt and Cade, Chase and Luke. But this week, it is the girls wearing the bold, unconventional choices.
I’ve heard parents report that they stick to the classics for their sons, but take risks with girls’ names. Could that be changing? Are fewer parents playing it safe when naming a son?
And if we embrace bold names for girls – ones with interesting sounds and lots of presence – will we feel less pressure to borrow conventionally masculine names for our daughters?
This week’s nine most newsworthy names are:
Luna – Penelope and Javier have announced their daughter’s name. Leo’s little sister is Luna Encinas Cruz. Luna has gone from quirky Harry Potter heroine to one of the fastest-rising choices in the last decade. Originally worn by a Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is now a favorite with Hollywood stars. Uma Thurman calls her many-named daughter Luna, too.
Lula – Looking for something just a little different? Design blogger Sarah Sandidge writes at Lovely Chaos. Her daughter is Lula, a name that is one part retro, two parts fierce. It’s a stylish, stand-out name a shade more daring than Lucy or even Lulu.
Delphi – From Anna’s coverage of all things Australian comes a birth announcement for boldly named twin sisters. We sometimes hear Delphine or Delfina, names related to ancient place name Delphi. Australian footballer Liam Picken and his girlfriend Annie Nolan used the oracle’s name itself for their older daughter.
Cheska – Liam and Annie’s younger daughter answers to Cheska. It’s a short form of Francesca, boosted by the Made in Chelsea character. While Fran names have attracted some attention in recent years, Cheska is a daring departure from the sweet Frances.
Scarlett – Let’s Make a Deal model Tiffany Coyne is a new mom. She and husband Chris welcomed a daughter named Scarlett Rose. At first glance, Scarlett is not a surprising choice. After all, the name is in the US Top 100. But despite her popularity, Scarlett remains a vibrant shade of red and an enduring, risk-taker of a literary character.
Ozzie – Just when we adjust to meeting boys called Alfie and Archie, actress Annie Wersching and her husband Stephen Full come up with one I never expected to see as a given name. Their older son is Freddie, and their new baby boy will answer to Ozzie. It brings to mind the 1950s sitcom and the heavy metal legend. With his double z, could Ozzie catch on?
Angus – Young House Love recently highlighted a super-cool bedroom for a boy by this name. Like Ozzie, he has a heavy metal role model – AC-DC’s guitarist, Angus Young. It’s an unexpected Scottish choice that feels just right with “Great Uncle” in front of the name. And yet, like so many older possibilities, it feels ready for revival.
Vernon – Vince Vaughn and Kyla Weber gave their daughter a modern, invented name – Locklyn. For their new baby boy, it is a true vintage moniker. They’ve handed down the name of Vince’s dad: Vernon Lindsay. It’s the kind of gentle antique you’d expect to find on a family tree, but I’m not sure it could be called stylish in 2013. Bravo to the couple for passing it on.
Baker – Let’s end with one more from a design blog, this time a bedroom profiled on Lil Sugar. Baker feels like the kind of occupational surname we’re hearing more and more of in recent years. Does that make Baker a revival choice, or a modern one in the key of Ryder? Maybe he’s a little bit of both, proving that you can have a blend of boldness and vintage style, too.
Do your favorite names for girls and boys share the same style? Do you think that girls’ names are becoming bolder? And are we more willing to give our sons unusual names?