Best Baby Name Book In The Whole World (Paperback)

~ (Author) "1. Namesakes: Exact reproductions of a parent's name, even if followed by a Jr. or II, can be confusing to everyone involved..." (more)
Key Phrases: feminine form, short form, familiar form, Old English, Irish Gaelic, Old German (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

More Names, More Up-To-Date, More Helpful And More Fun Than Any Other Baby Name Book!

* over 13,001 boys' and girls' names, nicknames and variations * origins, meanings, and famous namesakes * the most popular names In the US. and around the world * advice from "Dear Abby" * 15 steps to selecting the right name for your baby * psychological stereotypes of popular names * how to change names and famous people who did * current baby naming trends * fascinating facts about names * how to make the best final decision on your baby's name!

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Meadowbrook; Rev Exp edition (October 18, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671544632
• ISBN-13: 978-0671544638
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,084 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #7 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Pregnancy & Childbirth > Baby Names
  #10 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships > Twins & Multiples
  #22 in	Books > Reference > Words & Language > Etymology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rose By Any Other Name....?, July 6, 2003

By	L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (fountain valley, ca United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

"The Best Baby Name Book...In The Whole Wide World" by Bruce and Vicki Lansky is not only a well researched and helpful resource for choosing a name for your baby, but it is an entertaining read as well. I have had this book for well over two decades now and I am holding on to it to pass along to my own kids when needed (whenever that may be..I am still waiting!) My copy was published in 1979 and had ONLY 10,000 names to choose from but I see now that this updated version now has over 13,000!

The List of names, seperated by boy and girl and listed alphabetically contains the main entry name, variations of the name, the meaning, source(Greek, Hebrew etc) and several different ways to spell it. For example my name,,,Laura (Latin) "Crown of laurel leaves" fem for Lawrence...Lara, Laure,
Laurie Lori, Loretta, etc. You can spend hours pouring through this section.

What makes this book a keeper and especially unique is all the great tidbits of information you'll get before you even get to that list. Some of it is laugh out loud funny as well. A great intro by Erma Bombeck, a list of the most popular names in the world, tips on "How To Name Your Baby", a Legal guide, Celebrities' real names(Did you know that Boris Karloff is really William Pratt?)and "fascinating Facts" are some of the informative sections included. In fascinating facts, there's a section called "Truth Stranger Than Fiction" which might have you laughing so hard, you may have the baby right then and there(maybe best to pick a name before reading this part).Names like Farmer Slusher, Nebraska Minor and Newton Hooton might give you ideas of what NOT to name your baby!

But the best part for me was a worksheet that was included with the book. It has lots of room for making choices. List all of Mom and Dad's favorites than move on tho the Final Choice worksheet, where you can also rate the names, and see how the whole name looks on paper. This section makes this quite a keepsake! When I look at back at some of the names I almost went with...well...thank goodness I didn't.....

Have fun with this great book if you're expecting or give it as a gift to someone who is. It will be greatly appreciated.
Enjoy......Laurie

other stuff:

Fairy Dreams: Magical Lullabies - soothing sounds for baby and you

Side By Side: poems to read together - classic and new children's poems to read together

Start Up with Jane Fonda: A 25-Minute Light Exercise Routine - gentle start to getting back into shape

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Epitome of inaccuracies in name books, March 17, 2005

By	Melina Maness "Muse of Names" (West TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have nearly 100 'baby name' books. Lansky's books are among the most shoddily researched. He also employs tactics to beef up his almighty name count such as misspelling names and adding each misspelling as a separate name in its own right and he even sometimes gives these misspellings different meanings from its correctly spelled root name. He also garners more numbers by adding male names to the female side, euphemistically femininizing their meanings to match the switch. I check the accuracy of each book I get with some easily researchable 'benchmark' names (Alexandra, Benjamin, William, etc) and even with these 'gimmies' he has around a 60% accuracy. That's not even counting the names that comprise the majority of his books, tribal-type names, such as from Africa, Native American tribes, and even those from Celtic roots. I wonder, would Webster get away with 60% accuracy? Certainly not and the same standards of accuracy and research should be applied to name books as well. The thing I find redeeming about Lansky's books is that it's full of outrageously spelled oddities, making it perfect for finding a name for your elven wizard in your next Dungeons and Dragons game.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Is this all?, November 9, 2004

By	A. Lee (new york, ny) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was surprised to find out how few names the book included. I don't consider "Gabriel", "Gabrielle" and "Gabriella" to be three different suggestions. I bought this book based on the reviews, but was surprised to see that I didn't agree with the majority. The alphabetical section is not user friendly in listing the names. I think I'll need to buy another book or go online for other resources.