Exotic Names: For Babies and Beyond [Paperback]

Allison L. Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

The Ultimate Name Book of the year 2000! It contains over 5,000 wonderful, lyrical names full of great metaphor & meaning. From Sanskrit to Swahili, Maya to Mohawk, Java to Tibet, this book pursues the exotic around the world & is the richest resource for new names.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This excellent book provides inspiring information the other baby name books on the market do not, with root words, pronunciations, and combinations of the sacred and profound. It is the ultimate reference for expectant parents and others seeking to demystify the search for a new kind of name! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Author

This work is the product of my fascination with global cultures, their languages, and the history and migration of names. It was incredible to study with scholars from all around the world, all of whom spoke with pride for their homelands, finding beauty and hope possible everywhere. I found the true meanings of many names and how to navigate through their sources, learning what were variations on Bible names or truly ancient ones. It felt like I was discovering gems, each metaphor exquisite when I held them in the light. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Neoteric Pubns; 1st edition (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965733807
• ISBN-13: 978-0965733809
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,406,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for creative help with names!, April 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Exotic Names: For the New Millennium (Paperback)

I've read through most of the popular name books but haven't had much luck in finding anything unique. This book has a huge number of very thoughtfully selected names that you won't find anywhere else (unless you do a lot of world travelling!). Even if I don't pick a name from this book, it has really helped me find direction in my search for the perfect name for my baby.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for my daughter's name, September 24, 2000

By 

Jose O. Gonzalez "Doctor O" (Deep in the Heart of Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exotic Names: For Babies and Beyond (Paperback)

My daugher, Maya Quetzali Gonzalez, has her name because of this wonderful book. My daughter is 2 1/2 years old now, but for around 6 months prior to her birth, I searched everywhere that I could for names that represented the best of her Native American roots. All other baby names books (and I read and bought dozens of them) looked to Europe as their main source for names. I wanted something more positive and genuine. Ms. Jones dedicates her book to, among others, "all the Indians of the Americas being exterminated, their spirit and fate at one with the natural world." I came across Ms. Jones's book in an article in a magazine and quickly ordered it. It was one of the wisest, lasting investments I ever made. I read it, ALL OF IT, from cover to cover. And the cover is fabulous. On it, three women, one black, one white, and one Asian or Hispanic, are holding the babies of one of the other women. Ms. Jones is, in fact, one of these women. In the background is Earth.

If you want a name that matters, don't buy those witless, uninspired books that you find at one the large chain bookstores. Those books are nothing but a lists of the most popular, banal names that some computer program generated. Instead, buy Exotic Names. You'll see the care and balance that sets Ms. Jones's book apart from the rest. And you'll have found a wonderful, unique name for your child.

By the way, Quetzali is Aztec or Mayan, and it means the feathers of Quetzal, a beautiful and sacred bird.

Oscar Gonzalez

5 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars perfect title, May 17, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Troy, Michigan (MI)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exotic Names: For Babies and Beyond (Paperback)

I collect baby name books, and actually put them to use in naming characters. _Exotic_Names:_For Babies_&_Beyond_ is excellent, except for one thing, there is no indication whether the name is male or female. I know, it's the times to not be bothered by that and all, but tell that to the kid. The names just wow you; then you get into the part where the research is shown off, and Allison L. Jones has obviously worked extremely hard on compiling this book, so it is with regret that I cannot rate it higher. Other than lack of gender orientation, this would recieve a 10 (which, if you read any of my other reviews you'd know I don't hand out 10's lightly). On the whole? Yes, this is an outstanding book to add to your collection, BUT, unless you trust your guessing instincts, stick to the more often used names. Make life easier on your kid.