Customer Reviews

20,001 Names for Baby

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For the standard long list of names in alphabetical order, this book does it well. Girls and boys names are separated into two separate lists, one making up the first half of the book, the other the last half.

Just about every name has its meaning and origin listed. Along with it are variations of the name. This was particularly helpful and gave some extra naming ideas.

But if you looking for something more inventive or creative, this book is not it. It's just a list of 20,001 names. Don't get me wrong, it does what it does well. But reading a list that long may start to bore you.

I'd recommend getting "Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana" by Linda Rosenkrantz in addition to this book. This book probably has more names, but the "Beyond Jennifer & Jason" book will probably keep you awake, and give you some good ideas. I have both books, and I'm glad I do.

This book turned out to be a disappointing resource. Although the book includes 20,001 names, many are unlikely and outlandish (Klotild, Edwige, Ghislain, Ethelbert, Birtle), making it arduous to sift through to find the names more worthy of consideration.

I really like this book because it doesn't just list "Elizabeth" and the name's meaning. It also includes something of the history of the name, who has used it and when and then the author includes an exhaustive list of pet names such as Elise, Elisabeth, Lillibet, Betty, Bettina, etc. Good names and good bits of information to go with them. I still want more names though, but I'm difficult.

This book contains everything you want to know about names. You will find definitions, related names, examples of people with the name and much more. A great resource to have as you make a very important decision!

This book was not helpful or interesting to me at all. Getting through it was a chore - I did get through it - but when I was done I hadn't found a single new or exciting name to consider. It doesn't include pronunciations, which I found disappointing as well.

This book has many variations of common names, but also many names that are not at all common. I found my son's name and meaning, but I wasn't entirely satified with the girl's section. BOTTOM LINE: Use this book for variation of other books.

This 409 page babynames book has very detailed meanings of names. Boys and girls names are listed separately. Priced at less than US $ 4, this book is definitely worth its money. Do not miss this if you want to name your new born baby.

This is a very straightforward book/list of names...there is an extensive selection of names which includes both traditional and exotic names.

20,001 Names for Baby / 0-380-76227-7

As a writer, I like to buy "baby name" books and browse through them when looking for meaningful names. I really like the orientation and approach of this particular name book. Each name has a given country or language of origin, the meaning of the name (all of which seem very well researched), and notable actors/politicians/literary characters who have shared the name.

This last bit - reminding the reader of notable occurrences of the name - is very useful; you might not remember that "Templeton" is the greasy rat from "Charlotte's Web" without a gentle reminder here. The book also notes how heavily used the name is, and in which region, although this information is is anecdotal, not numerical (i.e., "Usage has tailed off in recent years").

The only thing this book is in need of is a new revision - the version I have is old enough that the entry for "Hermione" notes that the name is almost completely unused!

~ Ana Mardoll

Everything it advertises and more. Out of all my baby name books, this is one of three I carry at all times. After all, you never know when you'll need one or that elusive muse will strike.