Customer Reviews

Name Your Baby

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike most baby name books that focus on style over substance, this book excels at accurate meanings (even when they aren't PC) and research. The pronunciation guides, meanings, variations, language/country of origin, etc. are all spot-on and thorough. I've permanently loaned several copies of this book to expectant friends and have never regretted it - nor, I'm sure, have Frey, Penelope, Cecily, Jael and Nerissa all of whom have it to thank for their names! A classic for parents, authors and nomenclature enthusiasts.

So many names, so much information, so much fun! I practically had it memorized by the time my first was born. The horoscope section gives you a peek into your bundle of joy's personality, their traits, their preferences,...even potential career tracks! The list of names is plentiful, complete with meanings, origins, and alternate spellings. I have since misplaced my copy. Not to worry, I knew exactly what I wanted and no substitutes are acceptable. Whether you're a mom or a mom-to-be or shopping for either one, this is the only name book to buy.

Names, like clothing, go out of style and date. This is one of the older Baby Name books out there that I've found. It contains classic names with classic spellings. Well researched, not misleading in any way, and a joy to use as a reference tool. In fact I searched for 2 years to try to replace it before it was reprinted. Never loan out your books.

My mother used this book over thirty years ago to name my sisters and myself -- and we still have the dog-eared/broken spined original, complete with circled, what-were-you-thinking, thank-God-you-didn't-call-me-that names. (Makes for a great keepsake.) I often use baby name books in my line of work and have at least five, but this one is by far the best: great definitions and "foreign" variations of common names put it above the rest, plus a surprisingly informative astrology section. I had to deduct a star, though, because even the latest addition neglects proper pronunciations, which is disappointing.

Another good one: try The New Age Baby Name Book by Sue Browder if still in print; over 3000 African, Hindu, Arabic, Native American and Occult/mythological names. Enjoy, and happy naming!

"Name Your Baby" is a guide designed to help new parents select a name for the new addition to the family. It includes hundreds of different name options for boys and girls, along with the national origins for each name and the meaning behind the name. With some names, the guide also includes famous people who share the name (if it's a lesser- known name) and trivial facts.

This guide can be useful when one is in need of some brainstorming suggestions for baby names. It is also fun to use for finding out information on the various names- where they originated and what they mean. But it isn't the perfect guide for several reasons, most notably the fact that it hasn't been revised for nearly twenty years. This guide was first released back in the early 1960's and it was updated a few times since then. But it hasn't been updated since the last publication date in 1986 and because of this, there are many modern names that will not be found in this guide.

One other problem I had with this book is the section on astrology. This part of the guide is found near the front and it attempts to explain to you, the parent to be, what personality traits you can expect your new baby to have based on his/her Zodiac sign. This seems out of place in a book like this one since we have little control over out baby's astrological sign. It would have been better if the guide eliminated this section and replaced it with something similar- a section that deals with something relating more directly to a baby.

Overall, this guide is ok as a name resource because it can help you brainstorm when you have no idea what name to choose. It has a few flaws and is in desperate need of a revision, but it can help new parents in making this important decision. Well- known names and rare and unusual names are spelled out in this book, providing both traditionalists and new age parents a place to start when the time comes to search for the right name for their new baby.

This book is at once appealing and helpful. It has a small horoscope section but those who do not relate to horoscope can easily skip or ignore them. The main lack is that there is no phonetic aid to help in pronouncing the names.

I study baby names, and I own this book. Honestly, my main motivation in buying was the fact that root words for the names are included, and this is extremely rare in baby name books. It's also fairly diverse compared to the Brittany and Cody 20-name-book mainstream garbage available in most stores. It also gives you foreign versions of a name. For example, Elizabeth in Irish is Eilis (EYE lish) [unfortunately, pronunciations are not included in the book-- something I find VERY important, especially if the parent is choosing an exotic name they've never even heard or spoken before! All name books should contain pronunciations.].

This is a cute book with baby names and meanings. If you are looking for more detail about names or more unusual names, I prefer my copy of Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana.