Wednesday, April 30, 2014

A to Z Challenge: Zut Alors - Z did it

Happy end of A to Z challenge. Zounds!  I did it and I appreciate everyone who visited this blog. I know I enjoyed our adventure and I discovered some great new reads. It all goes to show that the alphabet offers adventure and we made it to the zenith.

Any kids named Zebra in this world?

Male:
Zebulon (Hebrew) one who is exalted
Zachary (Hebrew) the Lord remembers (this is popular today)
Zador (Hungarian) an ill tempered man
Zale (Greek) strength of the sea
Zane (English)  form of John, God is Gracious
Zeke (English) form of Ezekiel. Strengthened by God
Zephyr (Greek) of the west wind
Zeus (Greek) ruler of the gods (that's quite a name burden)
Zion (Hebrew) from the citadel
Zwi (Scandinavian) resemble a gazelle
Zygmunt (Polish)  victorious protector

Female:
Zafara (Hebrew) one who sings
Zala (Slovene) one who is beautiful, from the river
Zalina (French) of the moon
Zara (Hebrew) day's awakening, princess, lady
Zinnia (Latin) a brilliant, showy flower
Zita (Latin/Spanish) patron of housewives
Ziwa (Swahili) woman of the lake
Zoe (greek) a life giving woman, alive
Zuzena (Basque) one who is correct

Zippy names abound.  Now I have to write their stories. Onward to May.

Thanks everyone!



Tuesday, April 29, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Yo, You, Yeah I mean YOU

The end of the alphabet draws nigh, and I think as names in this world were created the energy spurt occurred from A to J.  Then it slowed down, uptick at S, and then folks lost interest for X, Y, and Z. But it is still April and we shall not yearn to quit.  Let's name some kids with Y

Boys:
Yadon (Hebrew) the lord will judge
Yakar (Hebrew) one who is precious
Yale (Welsh) from the fertile upland.  Does this name give automatic entrance to the university?
Yancy (Indian) an Englishman
Yarrow (English) of the fragrant herb
Yates (English)  keeper of the gates
Ymir (Norse)  from mythology - a giant from whom the earth was created
Yrre (Anglo Saxon) an angry man
Yves (French) a young archer

Girls:
Yadira (Hebrew) a beloved friend
Yang (Chinese) of the sun
Yolanda (Greek) violet flower
Yuna (African) a gorgeous woman
Yvonne (French) a young archer

Y-Not?

Monday, April 28, 2014

A to Z Challenge: X marks the Spot where this character is born

Xavier (Basque/Arabic)  one who is bright.   That is THE X name by far and it's on the 2010 list.
Let's see who can join him as an X-Man

Xan (Hebrew) one who is well fed
Xanto (Greek) a blonde-haired man
Xenon (Greek) a stranger
Xiomar (Spanish) one who is famous in battle
Xue (Chinese) a studious young man
Xun (Chinese) one who is swift

Ladies -
Xanadu (African) from the exotic paradise
Xara (Hebrew) form of Sarah meaning princess, lady
Xenia (Greek) one who is hospitable
Xiu (Chinese) one who is elegant
Xola (African) stay in peace
Xyza (Gothic) of the sea  (wonder how this is pronounced?)

X is a challenge, but will stand out in roll coll

Saturday, April 26, 2014

A to Z Challenge: Wary of Wrong Character Names - W

Wily, Willful, or Woebegone.  W names must match the characters.

Popular in 1920 - William was a go to name for boys. Nothing for girls.
2010 - William stands the test of time. Plus a newbie Wyatt
For girls - W gets no respect. No names

Let's see what they could be named:
Wanda (German) a wanderer
Waverly (English) of the trembling aspen.  She shall be pale, sickly, and fragile
Winda (Swahili) a great huntress
Wren (English) a small songbird
Wylie (American) a clever and coy woman
Wyss (Welsh) one who is fair


Men
Wade (English) cross the river
Walker (English) one who trods the cloth
Warrick (English) protective ruler
Wharton (English) near the weir
Wyoming (native American) from the large prairie state of Wyoming
Wythe (English) from the willow tree

The English dominate W names. Why?

Friday, April 25, 2014

A to Z Challenge: Vanquish with a V name

Shrinking Violets?  Victorious Victors?   Nope - not listed in 1920s or 2010s

Let's lend some Voracious V names to girls and boys

Gals:
Valborga (Swedish) powerful mountain and protecting ruler
Valentina (Latin) one who is vigorous and healthy
Valma (finnish) a dedicated protector
Vedi (Sanskrit)  filled with wisdom
Vida (latin/Hebrew) one who is dearly loved
Vulpine (English) a cunning woman
Vyomini (Indian) a gift of the divine

Guys:
Vadar (Dutch)  a fatherly man
Vagas (Spanish) from the meadow
Valente (Italian) he is valiant
Vandy (Dutch) a wanderer
Vibol (Cambodian) a man of plenty
Vulcan (latin) god of fire

Variety abounds in the letter V. The names have not Vanished

Thursday, April 24, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Under my Umbrella of names. The letter U

I take umbrage in that there are no popular U names for 1920s or for 2010s.  None?

Let's find some for new characters:
Female:
Uald (Teutonic)  a brave ruler
Uberta (Italian) a bright woman
Ule (English)  one who shoulders burdens
Ulicia (Irish)  playful heart
Uriana (greek) from the unknown, heavenly
Uzoma (African) one who takes the right path

Now U-Men
U (Korean) a kind and gentle man
Uberto (Italian) a shining intellect
Uigbiorn (Norse) a warrior bear
Ulmer(German), Ullock(English), Ulger(English), Ulf(german) - these all have wolf connotations
Uros (Hungarian)  the little lord
Uwe (German) of the blade
Uzamati (Native American)  resembling a grizzly bear

U names have to fight to be heard....or howl like a wolf

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Troublemakers? T character names

Doubting Thomas?  or Tess of the d'Urbervilles?  Let's explore the letter T

1920s - No T names at all
2010 - boys had Tyler, Thomas, and Tristan
Girls name call had Taylor and that's it.

Let's name some characters in my next books with the letter T

Females
Taffy (Welsh) one who is much loved.  She strikes me as a bit wifty too
Taisa (Greek) one who has a bond
Tawny (Irish) a warm sandy color. Oh yeah, she's a hot one
Tempest (French) stormy and turbulent. Life can be exciting but difficult with this young lady
Tzilla (Hebrew) a defender of her loved ones
Topaz (Latin) resembling the yellow gemstone


Males
Taban (gaelic) a genius
Tahoe (Native American)  snowy mountain peak
Talmadge (English) one who loves nature
Tau (African) resembling a lion.  He's going to annoy Tawny or Tempest
Titus (greek) a great defender
Tybalt (latin) seeks the truth
Tywysog (welsh)  born to royalty. A prince.  (how do you say this. I bet he goes by his middle name - Ray) (or kids tease him by calling him soggy)

Time to tiptoe and trill T names...........your faves?

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

A to Z challenge - Sassy S Names

Sassy, saucy, serene, or sneaky - I'm sure we all know folks with S names that embody those adjectives.

No S names in the 1920s
2010 - boys included Samuel and Sebastian
girls listed Sophia, Samantha, Sarah, Savannah, Serenity

Now let's discover some new S names for characters
Women:
Sable (English) one who is sleek
Saffi  (Danish)  having great wisdom
Sveta (Slavic) a brilliant star's light     Saffi and Sveta should join forces - they can rule the world
Shayla (Irish) of the fairy palace
Sefarina (greek) of a gentle wind.    Yes, she might appear calm, but I bet some of the men below can get her riled up

Men
Sacha (Russian) helper and defender of mankind
Santo (Italian) a holy man
Sawyer (English) one who works with wood  ( I like this name)
Seamus (Irish)  he who supplants.  I always picture a rollicking storyteller
Swift (anglo-saxon) one who is fast
Sullivan (Gaelic)  having dark eyes.   I'm betting he can rile Sefarina

So, who Sulks, Squanders, and Sears your soul?

S






Monday, April 21, 2014

A to Z Challenge - It's RAY Day - the letter R rules

 It was a choice between rapscallion or Ray day. Guess I shall salute my husband who is a bit of a rascal, with a tweak of rogue, and a sweet romancer.

Popular in the 1920s - Robert and Richard and Ruth
2010 - Ryan, Robert for boy names
Riley and Rachel rule the girls
Ray (means a wise protector) is actually his middle name, but that's what everyone calls him. Let's see what else he could be - does he look like a?
Rad (English) one who provides counsel
Rafe (Irish) a tough man
Rafferty (Gaelic) one who wields prosperity
Ryder (English) accomplished horseman
Ruiz (Spanish)  a good friend
Roe (English) one who hunts deer  (Bingo - we might have a winner)


Now the ladies - we'll do a female Rae - means innocent lamb
Rainbow (American)  symbolizes promise
Rhedyn (welsh) resembling a fern
Rohini (Indian) a beautiful woman
Ryo (Japanese)  an excellent woman

This has been a salute to my RAY of sunshine.
I feel like Sesame Street - sponsored by the letter R

Saturday, April 19, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Q gets no respect

Q is very unique.

Nothing from 1920s, 1930s. or even 2010. Hmmmm. No surprise

But there are some very cool Q names. Look at James Bond movies - just the letter Q is enough.

so, girls - Qi (Chinese) a life force
Querida (Spanish) one who is dearly loved
Quinby (Scandinavian) from the queen's estate
Quorra (Italian) from the heart

boys - Quadir (Arabic) a capable man, one who is competent
Qing (Chinese) of the deep water
Quaid (Irish)  commander of the army
Quinn (Gaelic ) one who provides counsel
Quon (Chinese) A luminous man

Query Q names and question not......

Friday, April 18, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Putz or Perfect - P names

P should be Perfect or Prissy or Party-on Dude

Nothing from the 1920s

2010 - Boys - I am shocked - not even Patrick makes this list.  What?

Girls - Peyton, Payton, and Paige. It's a sorority.

I've got good friends named Patricia but they go by Trish.  P's get no respect

Pacifica (Spanish) a peaceful woman
Pacquita (Latin) - unbounded and free
Palani (Hawaiian) free and independent
Paradise (English) from the perfect place

Men - Pitt (English) from the ditch. He's going to have to work his way back into good graces
Phoebus (Greek) - a radiant man
Plutarco (greek) a wicked man
Prine (English) one who surpasses others
Pusan (Hindi) a wise man, sage.

Lots of good P names.  don't let Puma (resembling a mountain lion) pounce ..............

Thursday, April 17, 2014

A to Z Challenge - O Dear

O dear, no O names in 1920s. Not even Ophelia - you would think that Shakespeare name could stand the test of time

2010 -
Boys - Owen and Oliver made the cut
Girls - Olivia  is it

What shall I pick?   Females:
October (American) born during Autumn. Indeed - I'm an October gal, so this is a good name
Ode - (English/Greek) traveler of the road.  I love to travel, so this hits my heartstrings
Opal - (Sanskriti) a treasured jewel.  I have an opal from Australia - we traveled there and loved it.
Ozora (Hebrew) one who is wealthy.  She can buy lots of opals.

Men -
It's not in my book but I'm going to pick Odibe - former Texas Ranger baseball player.
Obedience (American) a well behaved man. This is fantasy. A totally manufactured man.......
Okal (African )  to cross.  Uh-oh. sounds like trouble in whatever story I write
Owen (welsh)  a wellborn man, a youthful man.  Yes, I like Owen Wilson, so just go with it.

O dear - do you have an O-man in your life?


Wednesday, April 16, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Nothing like an N Name

Nothing in 1920

2010 - boys - Noah, Nathan, Nicholas (oh my beloved Nick appears)
Girls - Naomi, Natalia

Let's explore N
Naama -(Hebrew) an attractive woman
Nabiha (Arabic) one who is intelligent. Could these two women work together?
Nyura (Ukranian) A graceful woman
Nousha (Iranian) a sweet woman

Men - Nael - (Gaelic) - a celebrated birth  My guess is this guy is an ass
Nagid (Hebrew) a great leader
Namdev (Indian) a poet or saint.  He's going to annoy Nagid to no end
Nordin (Norse) a handsome man.  He's going to charm all of the above ladies, that's for sure.
Nuriel (Hebrew) - God's light

Never say never as to who will woo whom. Nice batch of names

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

A to Z Challenge - M - money names

M - Marooned on an island?  Married with ten kids? Morose?   What characters evolve from the letter M?

1920s popularity - no boys, Margaret for girls. 

2010 - boys - Michael, Mason, Matthew
girls - Madison, Morgan, Maya, Mackenzie, Madelyn, Madeline, Melanie, and Mariah

We have a grandchild named Makyla.  She's awesome smart at age five almost six. But my rule that I joke about is you should name a child if you can get a Christmas ornament with that name. Not custom mind you. Just a flat out ornament. Oops - Makyla does not meet that requirement. And one of her kindergarten teachers argued with her as she wrote her name. The teacher kept writing Makayla.  Nope.  Makyla knew it was Makyla and the poor kid got in trouble for insubordination.

So, let's root for other magnificent M names - Mackenzie (Gaelic) - daughter of a wise leader, a fiery woman.
Magnolia - the flowering tree. She's going to appear soft and appealing, but she's a southern belle with flash
Mahogany (English) the rich dark wood
Mireille (French) one who is greatly admired

Mystique (French) - woman with an air of mystery. Let's see Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in X Men this summer. oh yeah!

boys - Macallister (Gaelic) - just like this name
Let's just say the whole roster of Mac names rules
Mulazz - (Arabic) a powerful man
Moses (Hebrew) a savior...................well, that's the name of the day

Lots of M to choose from - give me your faves




Monday, April 14, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Love the Letter L

L - I shall start with Lee - my middle name and my uncle's name. He was my mother's eldest brother. It's from the English and means from the meadow.

No L names from the 20s or 30s for kids

2010 - boys - Liam (oh yeah - Liam Neeson or Liam Hemsworth, both yummy), Lucas, Levi (love the jeans), and Luis.
Girls - Lily (I'm guessing Modern Family), Lillian, Layla (Eric Clapton - you've got me on my knees).

Let's explore the labyrinth of L names - female first - Lachlan (gaelic) - from the land of the lochs. I'm going to have her exploring the coast due to a mysterious seafaring death.

Lajita (indian) - a truthful woman
Lupita - (Spanish) - from the valley of wolves.  too obvious if I do a werewolf story?
Lynette  (Welsh)- resembling a songbird

Boys - Leif (Scandinavian) - born at night.  But not last night............oh, he's got the full package - good looking, charming, and ready to woo any young lady in my stories. I'm putting my fingers through is blond locks

Levant (French) one who rises above.
Longfellow - a tall man. He's going to be soulful too - his heart shall be broken
Lucky -(English) a fortunate man.  There's always a Lucky in a gambling tale.

And finally - L is for Love - let's go with Lubomir (Polish ) meaning a great love.

What L names do you love?

Saturday, April 12, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Kiss me Kate and more K names

K has a shorter list of names than other letters. A lot of the names have C counterparts, but I'll dig deeper than that. K shall contribute some interesting characters.

Women:
Kizzy (African) an energetic woman. Someone needs to get a group up and moving.
Kisha (Russian)  a genius.  Quiet and alert, she'll provide data that leads to solutions for the group
Keiki (Hawaiian) resembling an orchid

Men:
Kantrava (Indian) resembling a roaring animal.  But does he really have bite?
Kyros (Greek) a leader or master
Kemp (English) the champion

All of my male K characters will clash, and I'm guessing it will be over Keiki.

What do you think?  Is it Karma?



Friday, April 11, 2014

A to Z Challenge - J is for Joanne

 Selfishly I shall share J with no other names.  I am Joanne. I've always liked my name. It has caused no issues through the years. My father liked Joanne Woodward - excellent actress, married to Paul Newman (my mother's fave). Thus I was their first born and named Joanne. Apparently no argument at all. I'm fine with this. Joanne Woodward, now age 84, was superb and smart.  Check out the pics below


 
Here I am at the Abilene Writers' Conference in March.  Do I look like a Jacqueline, Jade, Jewel, Jillian, Jocelyn, Jubilee, or Juno?
Nope -  Just Joanne


Contribute J names folks - the sky is the limit..........................

Thursday, April 10, 2014

A to Z Challenge: me, my, I

I  - singular. It's all about the person.

2010 popular names -
boys: Isaac, Isaiah, Ian
girls: Isabella  (prettiest Isabella in my opinion is Isabella Rossellini - her mother was Ingrid Bergman - good genes all around)

For characters -
actually I've always liked Ian (Gaelic) from John, God is gracious
Ignatius (Latin) - a fiery man, one who is ardent. He's going to lead the fight
Ingram (Scandinavian)  a raven of peace.  He's going to quietly battle Ignatius and will win.

Ladies - step forward
Isaura (Greek) of the soft breeze.  She'll be the flighty best friend
Ita (irish) one who is thirsty - she shall always be seeking the truth
Iwa (Japanese) of strong character.  she'll stand her ground

Lots of strong "I" names - not a conventional letter obviously



Wednesday, April 9, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Hail H names

Hercules, Hades, Harper - names evoke emotions

2010 popular names for boys - Hunter, Henry, and Hayden
Girls - Hailey, Hannah, and Hayden

Let's see what catches my eye in the H category:
Males - Heathcliff (English) from the cliff near the heath. I can't do justice to Wuthering Heights, but it's a great name and I'm using it.

Heaton (English) from the town on high ground.  Sounds like money to me.
Hewett (French) the small intelligent one.  could have fun with this fellow as he sneaks through a mystery.

Ladies - Harlow (American) an impetuous woman. She's going to be strong and sassy
Haze - (American) one who is spontaneous. I see her on a motorcycle
Hye (Korean) a graceful woman.  She'll be a classy heroine

Any H names from you?  I have a good friend named Helen - not many kids named that these days. Will it come back?

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

A to Z Challenge: Norse Goddesses - G

G equals lots of Goddess types. This can make for some fun characters. I'm going out on a limb with some unpronounceable names, but let's just GO with it

Boy names from 1920s and 1930s - George.  That's my father's name and he's bemoaned the fact that often George characters are wimpy.
But - 2013 brought us the new Prince George - now very cool. "Hold your head high, Dad."

No girl names from the 1920s or 30s
In 2010 - Grace, Gabriella, and Gianna get a nod

Here are my picks for some characters - Gjalp (Norse) in mythology - the frost giantess. If I ever write fantasy, this gal could overpower many.
Gota is Swedish meaning having great strength.
Gudrun is Scandinavian - a battle maiden.  Sounds like I have a war story to create

For the males  - Grail (English) one who is greatly desired
Grant - a tall man (and he must have dark hair, I think.  hmm secretly channeling Cary Grant?)
And let's have Gunnar (Scandinavian) - he's our bold warrier.

The G-men are tough. (Even George, now)

Monday, April 7, 2014

A to Z Challenge: F for the Faries Boys

Greetings to F day. I'm deviating slightly from my normal pick character names. Since our last name is Faries, I decided to bring in a guest picker: my husband Ray Faries. When I met him, he already had two boys - from 1979 - Christopher Ray and from 1981 Kevin Michael - now stalwart upstanding young men with families.

"So Ray, let's look outside the box. What boy names would you pick today?"
(admittedly he'd stick with Chris and Kevin, but let's pretend he goes crazy. Yes I made him pick)

Flint Faries -  Flint is from the English and means resembling the hard quartz; from the stream.
Rather cool, edgy. I like it

Flux Faries  - Flux is from the English and means one who is constantly moving. Actually that fits Kevin - always on the go with projects.  Or for Chris - he has truly moved a lot due to jobs.

As an added bonus - Ray picked Farrah for a girl.  Gee, do you think he worshipped a Farrah Fawcett poster?
Farrah is from English/Arabic and means fair haired woman. Hello, Charlie's Angels.......

Thanks Ray Faries for participating in F day.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

A to Z - Energetic and Enigmatic - Let's Look at E

D was a tad Dull.  Let's hope some E names prove to be Ebullient

1920s popularity - no boys or girls
2010 - Ethan, Elijah, and Evan for boys
Emma, Elizabeth, and Ella for girls

Let's kick the E names up a notch:
Young ladies - Ebony (Egyptian)  A dark beauty - no doubt enigmatic
Edel (German) A clever woman
Esen (Turkish)  Of the wind

Young men - Egan (Gaelic)  A little flame. One who is fiery.  (Kick-ass!)
Ezio (Italian)  resembling an eagle (how can you go wrong with this guy?)
Enos (Hebrew)  a man.    Guess he can be molded into any form.


My grandfather's name was Elmer (English) a famous nobleman.  I just remember a kind man who wore suspenders.

any E - men in your past?


Friday, April 4, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Dastardly or Daring Names

I'm trying to come up with names that mean something for characters in my future books. April is a good month to explore.

Popular in 1920s - boys - Donald (rather bland)
Girls - Dorothy and Doris (Ray's (my husband)  great aunt Dorothy is a pip, so much to be said for that name)

How about in 2010?  Boys - Daniel, David, and Dylan (all three are nice and conventional. Maybe Dylan is poetic)
Girls - Destiny (rather daring),

Let's dig into my list and make some bold choices
Female:
Darcie (English) A dark beauty - okay potentially dastardly or daring
Daring (American) - hmm. That's way too obvious

Male:
Dwade (English) - a dark traveler.   (this name has potential)
Dugan (gaelic) - A dark and swarthy man  (even more potential)
Drefan (Anglo-Saxon) - a troublemaker (now we're talking)

too many D names were happy and from nature (i.e. Daisy).

Thursday, April 3, 2014

A to Z Challenge - Casting Characters. C

I'm casting characters based on a name book. I tend to get bogged down in boring, so this April I'm looking at options.  Hope you enjoy my journey and feel free to pipe up with an awesome name.

From the way past - my grandmother's name was Clarissa
My husband's grandmother was Cleo
Not a lot of those running around these days

1920s - no popular girls names.   Charles for boys
1930s - no girls.  Charles hung in there

2010 - Christopher, Christian, and Caleb for boys
Chloe, Charlotte, and Claire popped up for girls.

Now for casting a character - how about a gal named Cadence (latin) a musical woman, rhythmic and melodious?  I might use this for a showgirl. Too obvious....nah

Okay - this is weird - in the boy's category they list Crowther (English) meaning a fiddler
 That's my maiden name.  Who knew?
Let's throw in another boy's name -  Cuthbert (English) meaning bright and famous. He can be a lawyer in my book.

The letter C is Crazy




Wednesday, April 2, 2014

A to Z Challenge - B

and we are off and running in the challenge.

Most popular names of the 1920s - Betty for girls

Betty and Barbara in the 1930s

and in 2010 - Boys names with B - Benjamin, Brayden, and Brody
Girls in 2010 - Brianna, Brooklyn, and Bella

as for my B character names - Drat -  Beatrix is taken thanks to Divergent

Thus I shall pick Blair - it's Scottish and means "from the field of battle".  This young lady will have cropped red hair, piercing green eyes, and she carries a sword in her left hand. Fleet of foot, she helps her village regain their riverfront rights.

As for a boy - I pick Baldwin. From the German, it means "a brave friend", and I think my gal Blair could use a faithful follower. Baldwin is shy, but reliable and resourceful. He's able to extract secrets from other towns, just by blending into the background and listening.

(source - Complete Book of Baby Names edited by Lesley Bolton)

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

It's April and the A to Z Challenge Begins: A

It's that time of year - April - and I'm taking the 2014 http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
as created by Alex Cavanaugh.

My theme - character names. I've got the Complete List of Baby Names (editor Lesley Bolton) in reach and we shall explore the alphabet. As a rule, I've been horrible at picking names for characters. My guys always seem to be called Nick. My female names are bland.  I'm hoping this month of discovery will kick start some character development and give some oomph to my tales.

p 119 - out of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s there were no popular names beginning with A.
In 2010 - we have Alexander, Aiden, and Anthony for boys, and Ava, Abigail, and Alexis for girls.

And now my find for the letter A:
Girls: Abela (French) meaning A breath or sigh, source of life. I picture this girl with long dark hair, in a romance novel.

Boy: Alon (Hebrew)  of the oak.    He's our obvious hero or maybe not. Perhaps he could be the shy, studious type who must grow into his name.

Do you have any favorite A names?