Customer Reviews

35,000+ Baby Names

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book was interesting in its diversity of names. However, upon cross-checking some of the meanings, I found that many of them are inaccurate. This book is great if you just want a large list of names. However, I would suggest double-checking the meaning of the names you chose, especially if they are not "common" names.

This lengthy compilation of names is impressive until you look beyond the surface. Some names would be laughable if actually given to a child. Imagine naming your precious daughter "Tequila" or "Tijuana," for instance. Also, by including so many fabricated names and alternate spellings as separate entries, Mr. Lansky seems to be bent on attaining a quantity of names, rather than a high quality variety. Further, I question his devotion to accuracy when he lists the world-wide languages consulted. He includes several non-languages such as Brazilian, Peruvian, Ethiopian, rather than Portuguese, Spanish, Amharic and Tigrinya. Perhaps this shows his perception of his readers' knowledge? I conclude: this is an interesting list of names but by no means should it be used as an exclusive source of name origins or meanings!

Having read in the above hype about Mr. Lansky as being the "the #1 name in baby-names", I was expecting a good deal more than what I found upon actually reading this book.

While having more entries than many other baby-name books, "35,000+ Baby Names" is lacking and occasional inaccurate in the details of its etymologies. For example, as a speaker of Japanese, I noticed that the name Hachi is defined as "8,000", whereas it actually means only "8". In Japanese, "8,000" is HASSEN, not HACHI. Further, many names were listed simply as "American Indian". Given that there are even now several hundred different indigenous languages spoken in the Americas, representing historically a large variety of cultures, this is like narrowing the place of origin of the name "Edgar" down to, say . . ., Eurasia!

To its advantage, though, the book does include apparently useful advice and "Guidelines" to help parents decide on the best names for their children. "The Where in the World" section, which gives an idea of where the various languages from which many modern names originate are spoken is also interesting, though there are inaccuracies here as well. (Ashanti, an African language, is listed under the Native American heading.)

Overall, I was much more positively impressed with the scholarly quality of the book "The New American Dictionary of Baby Names".

I do not recommend this book.

35,000 Baby Names is a very nice collection of names, their meanings, and origins. I have found however that Mr. Lansky's book is lacking when it comes to names from the Far East and traditional names (Jewish, Eskimo, ....) and the African names are not abundant. For an American or Western European I would highly recommend this book. To one who is from a specific ethnic background I would have to point them somewhere else.

The names are bizarre and the tally is ridiculous. They consider "Ceejay" a name, short for C.J. Enough said.

I have to echo the earlier reviewer about this book's treatment of names from different cultures. The author proudly proclaims that he's broadened his cultural reach with this book, with new suggestions for Spanish names -- Sierra and Nevada!! -- and French names -- Brie and Chardonnay!!! It seems that his cultural research didn't extend past the contents of his refrigerator.

A wonderful name book Creative and great Lamsky is King and I still love all the crazy spellings.

I'm not sure what qualifications Lansky has to write baby name books, but etymologist and onomastician isn't one of them. No one can be an expert on the naming practices of so many cultures, a point that Lansky beautifully demonstrates. His Arabic and Asian sections are way off. Indeed, he must have culled his information from video games, novels and popular misconceptions. For instance he lists Joss as a Chinese name when Joss in fact comes from the Portuguese word for god, "deos". This combination of sounds does not even occur in Chinese! Another is Raiden in the Japanese section, a video game character and not a name the Japanese would give to a person--sort of like naming a baby "Pac-Man". What'll be in the next revision? Pokemon? Additionally, Chinese and Arabic names are simply everyday words used as names, so that there isn't a special pool of names to pick from. The rest of the sections are equally sloppy and suspect. If you really want a name from a specific ethnicity I would suggest getting a book concentrating on just that culture instead.

Not comprehensive. Full of weird, out there names.

although i am not a parent, but i bought this book to gift to some one. curiosity kills. i went through the book, and found that it had some very great names. however picking a name was quite difficult. the book is a very good effort and it should be appreciated.

it is more like an encyclopedia of names. in short

I LOVED IT.