Summer Baby Names

Parks is a rare member of the fashionable single-syllable, S-ending surname crowd, which includes trending choices like Brooks, Banks, Hayes and Wells.

As likely to be tied to the detergent as to the rhythms of the ocean.

Lumen is a Latin word meaning "light", and the term used for the measurement of light output (making it an attractive choice for science-buffs).

One of the aggressive new boys' names, ala Tracker and Heller, that have become fashionable among parents who are courting trouble.

A bit too bad-boy (think bars, beer, Harley) for us, as well as being the name of a grain.

Azul is the Spanish word for "blue" and was first recorded as a baby name (for girls) in 1995. It's technically considered unisex today, although it is still much more common as a feminine name.

Iara rhymes with Yara, an Arabic name of which it can be a variation. More commonly it's associated with Iara of Brazilian myth — a water nymph, sometimes mermaid, of Tupi and Guaraní legend. In the legends, Iara seduces men to the river to accompany her in her immortal life.

A word name that has sailed onto birth certificates of both genders, especially since Liv Tyler used it for her son. For boys, Saylor and Sailor are used about equally, but were together given to about 100 baby boys last year....and 1000 baby girls.

This variation of Wesley moved into the Top 1000 among boys' names in the US in 2016, perhaps because it makes the name less like Lesley and more Western, with the cowboy nickname West.

A punchy alternative to Pearl as it gains popularity.

What with Paul Simon's classic lyric about Julio down by the schoolyard and several distinguished bearers, this livelier Spanish version of Julius is completely familiar to the non-Hispanic community and would make a great choice for a bicultural family. NFL Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones bears this name.

An uncommon surname name with that energetic -er ending. Might appeal especially to baseball fans.

In the Noongar language of Western Australia, Bindi means butterfly. Bindi is usually seen as a girls' name, as seen in Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin.

May derive from Estonian "sirel", meaning "lilac flower".

Sure, and we hope he has a good time playing with Buster and Buddy.

This name of a showy, lemony plant makes an unusual entry into the name garden.

Bleuenn is a name virtually unknown in the English-speaking world but trendy in its native France. Bleuenn's origins are in Brittany, in the north of France, and it's related to the Welsh Blodwen. Other spellings include Bleuen and Bleunwenn. This might give the perfect twist to a color name that feels too slight.

Gardener is surely one of the most pleasant and evocative of the occupational options, calling up images of green grass and budding blooms. The name can also be spelled without the first 'e', as in Gardner (born George Cadogan Gardner) McCay, a hunky TV heartthrob of the 1950s and 60s. Gardner is a much more common surname spelling, associated with screen legend Ava, mystery writer Erle Stanley and art collector and patron Isabella Stewart, founder of Boston's Gardner Museum.

Girasol is a Spanish nature name, meaning "sunflower." As sun-related names — such as Soleil, Sol, and Sunny — heat up, we may see more of Girasol.

This floral name, related to bloom and Blossom, is common in the Jewish community, but not often heard outside it. Other Yiddish nature names are Ita (star), Masha (rising water), and Mayim (water).