The Elusive Search for a Name

Most who are regular readers here (if there is such a thing) know that we're expecting another little one in the near future. It's a big event, full of anticipation, excitement, joy ... and trouble deciding on a name.

It seemed so easy for the first one, and we just knew what it should be. This time? Not so much. We've thought we had it a couple of times, only to discard our ideas when we found a deal-breaker. Hint to the wise: make sure you check the meaning before you get too attached to your latest idea.

Last night, we really went to work on it, and after much browsing and negotiating and thinking, we might have decided on the one. You'll have to wait until the big day to find out, since there has to be some surprise left.

In any case, we did find some cool websites for names:

behindthename.com is my favorite. Type in your name and click the "ratings" link to find out what connotations your name has. Apparently mine is classic, mature, wholesome, and just a bit nerdy.

If you're into fancy graphs, try babynamewizard.com. You can find out how your name has fared in popularity since 1880.

And of course, there is the old standby: the US Census site. "Jacob" and "Emily" are the current leaders as of 2006.

Have any other good sites? Leave a note in the comments.