Was that cultural or just your parents being your parents?

A bit of both I think. I got a first name that worked both in English and Farsi and a 14 letter last name (with 2 hyphens). I think they figured that was enough.

Told my mom she could pick any middle name, she could talk to my friends if she wanted, but not me. For my 18th birthday, she had it done up in pretty calligraphy for me.

Happy Birthday MM!

Finally, an alarm clock even more annoying/cute than Clocky?

Jeez, what next? Will some company actually send a fussy two-year-old in footie pajamas over to your home to pitch a fit at the appointed time?

My other grandmother had a beautiful 19th century name, Lelia. Which no one but her siblings ever used, because my oldest cousin on that side called her "Mamoo" as a toddler and it stuck like Super Glue. Sadly, none of her grandkids or great-grandkids were named after her. (Since I was her favorite, I guess it falls to me to continue the tradition. Oh well, maybe I'll buy a parrot at some point...)

I think that name list is full of crap. It's like the middle class white kid list.

I run into a lot of Juans, Samanthas, Marias, Carlos, (even a Juan Carlos!), Joses. More than Jayden.

Noah and Grace have common names, which is fine by me. But when we picked them, we knew of no other kid Noahs or Graces. It's all good. They'll be who they are with or without a fancy name.

My favorite notmine!grandma name is Mahtapani. It oculd be a pasta, but the pronounciation is lovely. Heavy on the TAP.

My given middle name was Ann, which I dropeed like a disease when I hyphenated by last name.

t /issues

I always wished I had a cool middle to default to...or any sort of cool nickname. My father's name for me? Buggy.

Yup, Kat. The census or social security lists are much more accurate.

And both Noah and Grace have been on my list of possibles for 30 years. My grandmother was a Grace. And I always associate Noah not with the ark, but with the dove. So it's a name filled with peace. And now it's a name I strongly associate with a certain little hyper-expressive tyke in LA.

My mom's mom was Hope. I always loved that name. Of course, I only ever got to call her Nana, but still loved the idea of someone named Hope.

Fred, is this the same Emmett I knew who fell through an uncovered manhole?

I remember a Russell who did that, but not Emmett. It was night, the road was closed for repairs, Russell decided to walk down it anyway.

Emmett had a beard and liked to claim he was a demon. Basically drank himself out of school. And I swear I referred to his fashion sense as "modern American wino" before I learned how much he drank.

Maybe with the Obama association, there will be a lot of "Hopes" born this year!

The Baby Name Voyager woman has a daughter born on or right after 9/11, and her middle name is Hope.

My other grandmother had a beautiful 19th century name, Lelia.

Love this name. And the George Sand novel.