I play bass in a rock band—and it's taken months for us to come up with a name. (I guess all the other members are just as fussy as I am about naming.) In the end, we came up with a name that's kinda funny, at least from a naming expert's point of view: whatserface. (We're a cover band made up of moms, so don't expect us at a stadium near you any time soon.)
For a while, though, we entertained the idea of using the name of one of our kids. Henry F was an early favorite, as was my bandmate's daughter's name—Penelope. That's a name I also happened to love, as it's the one my daughter selected for our new kitten.
Penelope is a Greek name that means "weaver," and it's been on a sharp rise since the turn of the century. It hovered near the 1,000 mark in 2000, and now is in the top 100 baby names in the country. It's a name that's become a favorite with celebrities, including Tina Fey, one of the Hanson brothers, and Kourtney Kardashian. And actress Penelope Cruz sports it herself—perhaps the inspiration for the current rise in popularity.
As for middle names to pair with it, you'll want to go with something short and sweet: Lark, Rose, Leigh and Faith would be my selections.
It may not be the perfect name for my rock band—but it might be a perfect one for your daughter.
What do you think of the name Penelope (or of my band's new name)? If Penelope's not your cup of tea—and you're still looking for your baby name inspiration, feel free to share your big baby naming dilemma with me at lamilbrand AT gmail.com. I'd love to be able to help you name your new baby!
Photo: Pregnant woman via Ronald Summers/Shutterstock.com
