This Just In: Baby Name Quizzes!
Plus, black cat names for Halloween and more
Last week, I got a message from a close friend of mine:
Just in time for Halloween!
A black cat naturally needs a name with powerful, witch coven vibes, but especially if she’s adopted during the spookiest month of the year. Lilith (“night monster”), Selket (the Egyptian goddess of scorpions and magic), or Sunday (somehow just the witchy-est day of the week?) all fit the bill 🧙🏽♀️
I updated our list of black cat names, just in case you’re searching for one yourself.
And, oh yeah, meet Lilith:
Her name checks all the boxes ✅
How Has Your Taste in Names Changed Over Time?
One of my favorite questions I ask parents during the How I Named My Baby interviews is, “What would you have liked to name a baby when you were younger?”
I always get interesting answers (although they don’t always make the final edit!), including names made up in early childhood and names inspired by favorite book characters.
Most recently, I spoke to Kristen, mom of Xander Steele, who told me she named the baby doll she had to take home for a high school assignment, Mason.
Unsurprisingly, I spent days deciding on the perfect name for the robot baby doll that I “mothered” for a weekend in 2013. My shortlist included Pimm, Plum, Paloma, Romy, and Sloane, but ultimately I landed on Posy Scout:
Name taste can change over the years, without question. And it’s a documented phenomenon that younger parents are more adventurous namers.
According to our own site statistics, younger visitors are more attracted to unusual names like Danger and Lilith (hey!), while older visitors are more likely to view traditional names such as Audrey and Josiah. This name is a big hit among all age groups, though.
16-year-old me may have loved Posy Scout, although I actually think I would choose something more unusual if I was naming a robot baby today.
Quiz Time!
Introducing our newest feature on the site: quizzes!
Kicking things off with What’s Your Wes Anderson Name?, in honor of the director’s tenth film, The French Dispatch.
As a huge Wes Anderson fan, I had loads of fun putting this quiz together. It’ll tell you your role and name in the Wes Anderson universe (hello, I’m Headmaster Jacqueline Shakusky).
The Berries are sharing their results in our forums, where you can meet the likes of Travel Writer Anne-Marie Howitzer and Chief Strategist Dudley Zissou.
And in celebration of Halloween, we’re asking, What’s Your Halloween Name? (Mine is Countess Luna Moondancer).
More fun things
So you want to name like a local? Berry @wittyusername103 rounded up lists for a bunch of major US cities, including New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. Can you pick out all the references? 🌉
Popular in the forums this week: girl names with adorable, obscure nicknames. It’s chock full of creative ideas, including Penelope “Pepper,” Elizabeth “Fizz,” and Minerva “Miffy” 🐰
The top baby name influencers of the year — those Kardashian baby names are still going strong!
Is Moth a better nickname for Timothy? 🦋