Back in the late '50s/early '60s, there was a sportswriter for the Chicago Sun-Times whose first name was Kip, which is where my mom saw it and liked it enough to use it. There were issues (I think with my grandma, though I'm not sure about that) with the name being so short and seemingly informal, so Mom made his official name Kipley, shortened to Kip for everyday.

If he was a girl, the name was going to be Kimber Leigh, so she had a thing for unusual names. What can I say--she was only 21 when she had him!

The renewed popularity of Lillian makes me wonder what's up with Marguerite -- my (born in 1919) grandmother is a Marguerite, has a friend Marguerite, and has had several friends named Lillian. So I figure they must have both been pretty popular in those days, so why not come back together?

So I figure they must have both been pretty popular in those days, so why not come back together?

One shortens to Lilly, the other to Marge.

Old fashioned girls names are all the rage in this 'hood. I know two Claras under the age of 4, a Helen and a Charlotte.

I know two male Haydens, which is weird, since that is the name of the store above which I live.

You named your kid after the liquor store? Dude. Hardcore.

I love Lillian, and I love Clara, too. Also, strangely, Mabel, which I think is due for a comeback. I don't like Edith as much as I like Edie, though.

So many friends wanted us to name our boys Harvey. Because of the whole Harvey Garvey that would result, obviously. We politely refrained.

I so love Clara. DW does not so it is off the list. It is just so adorable!

Marguerite is a popular name in my family. I have two (?) cousins named Marguerite and had a great aunt Marguerite, but she was called Mamie. My mother is a Margaret and I had a great aunt Margaret, who went by Maggie.

One shortens to Lilly, the other to Marge.

Not true! My grandmother is Margot. (And actually, I believe Margot was a family name, but my grandmother went trendy to give her Marguerite as a formal name.)

Of course, because I'm contrary, if I named a daughter after her, she would be Daisy (same flower).

The renewed popularity of Lillian makes me wonder what's up with Marguerite -- my (born in 1919) grandmother is a Marguerite, has a friend Marguerite, and has had several friends named Lillian. So I figure they must have both been pretty popular in those days, so why not come back together?

Yes! My grandmother had a ton of Marguerites in her crowd but I haven't heard of a single one under the age of, like, 80.

I like Margaret, but it's both my grandmother's name and follows my preferred convention of women's names that don't end in -a or -ie sounds and have shortened nickname options that don't either. (Meg as opposed to Peggy)