“DEL STONE: What are the top baby names of 2010? - The Northwest Florida Daily News” plus 1

DEL STONE: What are the top baby names of 2010? - The Northwest Florida Daily News

Posted: 25 Dec 2009 01:17 PM PST

Doesn't matter. The names have become so strange I can't relate to them.

For instance, one of the top girls' names is predicted to be "Bella." Are you kidding? Bella, as in "Twilight"? Try explaining to your daughter she was named for a vampire's broody girlfriend.

Names like "Bob," "Jane" and "Mary" are no good anymore. They're not unique. Can't have the spawn of your loins failing to achieve his full majesty because of a dull name. Imagine you're sitting in a doctor's waiting room. The nurse announces, "Would Autumnharvest Peacecloud Jones please report to Room 2? The doctor wants to discuss your stool sample!" You're looking at a future president — assuming the news isn't bad.

If the name isn't unique, the spelling must be. Examples:

Bob; Bawb

Jane; Ghaiygne

Mary; M@#&*$%(dot-dit-dot-dit-dot-dot-dit-dot)y

Mostly, parents are looking for recognizable but unique names that will rightfully draw attention to their children, who later in life will claim pain and suffering because of the psychic scars inflicted upon them by their ridiculous names. For instance, states make great names, although you don't see many "New Hampshires," "Wisconsins" and "Iraqs" out there (OK, so Iraq isn't a state … yet).

Looking for a unique name for your child? Consider these non-contenders for 2010:

Protococcus: A green algae that grows on flower pots. For you Gaia adherents, it's an irresistible connection to the Earth Mother AND the rabid fan base of algaes the world over.

T.Mobile: Consider the power of your child's name as a marketing tool! Think of the rate discounts you might get!

Smells like Team Spirit: No, silly, not the title of the song. That would be stupid. The song itself is the name. If you call your son to clear the mold-encrusted dishes from under his bed, you sing: "I feel stupid, and contagious, here we are now, entertain us! Get in here and clean up this biohazard or I'm calling the EPA!"

Beelzebub: If people give you a hard time over this name just say, "What? You have a problem with names from the Bible?"

Avatar: It's only the hottest movie of 2009 and 2010. Would you rather name your child "My Bloody Valentine 3D"?

Bertha 2.0: For the lazy parent: Why come up with a new name? Give the little bundle of joy YOUR name and attach a version number.

Tercel: A well-respected Toyota product that sadly is no longer built. The name rolls off the tongue the way the car rolled down the highway. It sure beats Touareg.

Mytwitface: OK, I'm plagiarizing myself. But it's a safe bet that by the age of 16 months your child will be more Web savvy than you. You'll want your child's name to be optimized for SEO (search engine optimization). This name covers all the important bases, but be prepared to change it every two years.

Ragnarok: Names from Norse mythology are often overlooked. They're used to name craters, asteroids and secretaries of defense. When was the last time you met a child named Odin, Freyja or Valhalla?

Daily News Online Editor Del Stone Jr. can be reached at 315-4433 or dstone@nwfdailynews.com.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Wales News Joy as newborns make Christmas - WalesOnline

Posted: 26 Dec 2009 03:12 AM PST

Dec 26 2009 South Wales Echo

'); tm.siteLife.daapi.getArticle( "54-91466-25472044", function(article){ tm.siteLife.display.displayCommentCount( article, 'sitelife-commentsWidget-top', false, 'Comments', true ); } ); })();//call anonymous function //]]>

FIRST-TIME parents John Lock and Joanna Abbott were treated to one very special gift on Christmas morning.

Their tiny daughter came into the world at 2.15am, weighing a healthy 8lb 9oz.

John, 27, and Joanna, 22, of Fairwater, Cardiff, are calling her Baby Lock until they can agree on a name.

"We had a list of boys' names but we couldn't think of our favourite for a girl," explained a tired but happy Joanna. "We'll be getting out the book of Welsh baby names when we get home."

For Joanna's mum, Christine Abbott, 62, the date is extra special.

"My mum was a Christmas baby too so she's delighted," said Joanna.

"I called her at 3am to tell her and she was really happy."

John, Joanna and "Baby Lock" were planning to go back to John's parents' house in Splott for their Christmas dinner.

John's mum, Mavis Lock, 61, was with the couple when they went into hospital on Christmas Eve at 6pm.

She eventually went home to her husband, John, 62, in the early hours of Christmas morning to break the news that he was now a proud grandad.

As dad John cradled his daughter at the University Hospital of Wales' maternity ward, he couldn't take the smile off his face. He said he was "full of respect" for his partner Joanna and was looking forward to taking their daughter home for the first time.

In another ward of the unit, mum Jane Biswell, 38, was recovering after giving birth to her son by Caesarean section.

The tot, who weighed in at 8lb 13oz, missed out on being a Christmas baby by hours after he was born at 5pm on Christmas Eve.

But the baby, who will be called either Marlon or Marley, was still given a festive teddy from the UHW midwives to celebrate his first day in the world.

Jane, who lives in St Mellons with her husband Jay, 31, recalled what their three-year-old son, Luca, said when he was first introduced to his little brother.

"He saw him and said, 'he's lovely, he looks just like me'," she laughed.

"I don't think we'll be leaving until Boxing Day but I can't wait to get him home and celebrate Christmas."

Sharing Jane's ward was first-time mum Nicola Hayes, 32, of Llanrumney, Cardiff.

Nicola was cuddling her own bundle of Christmas joy, Connor, who was born at 4.40am and weighed 8lb 15oz.

His grandad, Raymond Hayes, 64, was at Nicola's bedside during the birth.

She said: "He was wonderful. It was my birthday last week and this is the best present I could ever have."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.